Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the newsletter. If you’re still with us, that means you’ve made it to the middle of yet another week.
With that said, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey and get this mid-week dispatch out the door.
Here's what's worth reading about this morning:
Choking out - UW study shows invasive grasses negatively affecting mule deer populations 😵
Bad boys - Oklahoma dove season kicks off with multiple citations 🚔
Coast Guard rescue - Hunters in Sitka rescued after injury ⛑️
Wing barrels - Big Horn bird hunters encouraged to drop wings into one of eight new collection barrels 🛢️
Application dates - Florida bear hunt application dates are officially set 🐻
How bass eat - Watch and learn 🐟
IT’S NOT TOO LATE
UW STUDY FINDS CHEATGRASS COULD CHOKE OUT MULE DEER POPULATIONS IN WYOMING
In the sagebrush steppe ecosystems of northeast Wyoming, a silent invader is reshaping the landscape and threatening wildlife in the process. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), an invasive annual grass, is spreading rapidly across the landscape, all the while altering habitats critical for local mule deer populations. A recent study from the University of Wyoming, published in Rangeland Ecology & Management, reveals how cheatgrass is driving mule deer away from their preferred habitats, and thus, contributing to population declines.
“This is one of the first research studies to clearly assess the impacts of invasive annual grasses on mule deer habitat selection,” says Kurt Smith, lead author of the study. “The picture is grim if we sit back and do nothing. But there’s plenty of hope that we can maintain big game populations if we strategically treat cheatgrass and other invasives.”
QUICK HITS // FROM AROUND THE WEB
Ohio Division of Wildlife to outline impact of deadly deer disease on hunting season: Clint McCoy, a deer biologist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, said more than 20 counties have confirmed cases of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a virus spread to deer by infected midges. He called the 2025 outbreak the largest he's seen in his career. Read the full story.
Oklahoma dove season kicks off with multiple citations for hunting violations: Dove season officially began on September 1, marking the start of fall hunting in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Game Wardens in District 6 have had a busy week, making 562 hunter contacts while patrolling the area. Read the full story.
U.S. Coast Guard rescues injured hunter northwest of Sitka: In an interview with KCAW, Public Affairs Specialist Alexandria O’Brien said around 9:30 a.m. on Friday (9-5-25) the Coast Guard received a notification from a hunting party of four near St. John Baptist Bay. Using a two-way messaging InReach device, the group told the Coast Guard that a member of their party fell and injured his leg. Read the full story.
Big Horn Basin bird hunters encouraged to use new wing collection barrels: From Sept. 15-30, eight new collection barrels will be available throughout the southern Big Horn Basin so hunters can easily submit one wing from their harvested sage-grouse, chukar or Hungarian partridge. Read the full story.
The ol’ wing barrel
Minnesota DNR asks upland bird hunters to voluntarily log hunting activities: Once the hunting seasons begin, bird hunters can use an upland bird hunting diary to share their observations. The diary is available in electronic form using web browser or app versions on the DNR website. Hunters can also print off a paper version of the diary and enter their hunts online at a later point. Read the full story.
WDFW Reports Outbreak of Deer Diseases in Eastern Washington: Areas of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Eastern Region 1 are experiencing an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Bluetongue, two viral illnesses that affect deer and, in the case of Bluetongue, can also impact cattle and domestic sheep. Read the full story.
Florida bear hunting permit application dates announced: Dates to apply for bear hunting permits in Florida have been announced. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said permits for the 2025 hunting season in Florida will open on Sept. 12 and close on Sept. 22. Read the full story.
State Expands Deer Hunting Season On Nantucket: The state has officially expanded the primitive firearms deer hunting season on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard by a full month in an effort to reduce the deer herds on the islands. The new primitive firearms (muzzleloaders or archery equipment) season lasts through January 31st. Read the full story.
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
🎣 Every wonder how a bass eats? Well, it goes something like this.
Kind of mesmerizing, actually…
HUMPDAY MEME // RIGHT???
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
I’ve long since thought that, despite all of our technological advancements, it’s baffling that we’ve yet to perfect the art of packaging flour. As it turns out, that’s just the way it’s going to be. The largest turtle to apparently have ever roamed the Earth measured an impressive 15 feet from nose to tail. My grandfather is 91 years old and I’m willing to bet he never bought a book about how to sleep well. He just did it. But in today’s digitally-crumbling-enhanced world, apparently we need all the help we can get in the bedroom. For me, thumbing through a novel usually does the trick, but if you’re feeling wired before bedtime, apparently these sleep strategies can help. And why does some beer foam last longer than others?
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
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