Sheriff’s Deputy Charged After 3-Year-Old Daughter Fires on Fellow Hunters 🧑‍⚖️

As we continue to slowly but surely inch back towards the weekend, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get into what this beautiful Tuesday has to offer.

Here's what's worth reading about so far this week:

A LITTLE YOUNG, NO?
SHERIFF’S DEPUTY CHARGED AFTER 3-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER FIRES ON FELLOW HUNTERS DURING YOUTH TURKEY HUNT

It’s been four months since news broke about a hard-to-believe situation coming out of Wisconsin’s youth turkey season. After placing a 12-gauge shotgun in the hands of his 3-year-old daughter, the man who told her to take a shot that ended with two other hunters being injured has been formally charged.

The incident took place in mid-April at Honey Creek Wildlife Area when 34-year-old James Lehman, who serves as a Racine County Sheriff’s deputy, was mentoring his 3-year-old daughter on her first turkey hunt…

🦯 Idaho Hunter with Limited Vision Harvests Black Bear Using Specialized Scope Tech. In an amazing story about how using tech can offer additional hunting opportunities for those with limitations, an Idaho man was able to drop a black bear despite retaining only 1-2% of his eye sight. Suffering from a rare condition known as retinitis pigmentosa, Tom Perrigo of Kendrick was able to return to rifle hunting with help from specialized equipment and a trusted partner.

Working alongside Luke Austin, a retired Army drill sergeant from Deary, the pair used a TriggerCam mounted on Perrigo’s rifle scope that transmitted a live image to a tablet. Austin watched the feed and guided Perrigo through verbal adjustments, a system they refined over weeks of range practice until they could reliably hit steel targets.

After securing the required special weapon modification, doctor’s certification, and completing Idaho’s mandatory bear identification exam (with assistance from Fish and Game), the two headed into a canyon in search of their prey. When a black bear sow appeared, Austin confirmed the crosshairs were on target and Perrigo pulled the trigger as the bear hit the dirt.

Perrigo later described the experience as surreal but deeply rewarding as he checked in the kill as required and processed the meat. The pair is reportedly already looking ahead to elk season, determined to keep hunting together with the same combination of technology, preparation, and trust.

🐺 Nevada Influencer Vows to Kill Famous Yellowstone Mollie’s Pack Wolf in Wyoming. In what has now blossomed into some sort of social media-fueled war (who asked for this?!?!), another influencer has entered the chat surrounding the controversy of hunting Mollie’s Pack wolves and the matriarch of the pack, Wolf 1090F.

On the heels of one relatively unknown influencer down in Texas offering up a $10,000 reward for information identifying hunters who kill members of the Mollie’s pack, a Nevada influencer has since publicly vowed to make the trip and kill Wolf 1090F himself. In what has become something reminiscent of a playground dispute among children, the original influencer has since rescinded his reward money while the new challenger continues to threaten the wolves with multiple posts declaring that “the matriarch 1090F is going down on the 15th of September”.

Now obviously just about everyone is condemning this kind of behavior on our side of the argument. Sure, the frustration and retaliation, in many ways, is understandable. But let’s be mindful not to get dragged into the same level of performative nonsense that started this whole thing in the first place. As hunters, we ought to remain focused on filling tags rather than deliberately targeting specific animals in an attempt to get a reaction from someone on social media. As we’ve seen in this case (and many others), the rewards for those kind of motivations are diminishing.

🗳️ Colorado Voters Set to Decide on Constitutional ‘Right to Hunt and Fish’ Measure. Late last week, Colorado’s election office announced that a measure set to enshrine constitutional hunting and fishing rights for residents qualified for the November ballot.

Officially known as Initiative No. 302, the measure is a proposed constitutional amendment that would establish a right to “hunt, fish, and take fish and wildlife” using traditional methods (except where prohibited by state or federal law). Backed by the International Order of T. Roosevelt, the measure also declares hunting and fishing the preferred means of responsibly managing fish and wildlife populations, all while affirming that it does not limit the authority of state agencies over regulation and management.

Supporters collected roughly 184,000 signatures, of which about 145,000 were validated, clearing the ballot threshold. Proponents frame the measure as protecting Colorado’s hunting and fishing heritage against growing anti-hunting pressure, while noting that 24 other states already have similar constitutional protections.

🦭 Why fish when the humans will do it for you? This sea lion is becoming a regular sighting around Kodiak Harbor and apparently he loves raiding boats for food.

Who’s going to tell him no though?

Oh, and one more thing…