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The 4th of July weekend might not be here just yet, but your favorite dispatch from the great outdoors is.
So grab your coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and let's get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past 24-or-so hours before we loose and celebrate this great place we call home.
Happy 250th, America. You’re as beautiful as ever. 🇺🇸
Here's what's worth reading about today:
Tragic loss - A fire at a hunt camp in Alabama has claimed the lives of two young hunters 🙏
Praying for rain - Officials remain hopeful that recent rainfall will help mule deer in north-central Montana ☔️
SCOTUS challenge - The U.S. Supreme Court to review challenges against semiautomatic rifle bans in Illinois and Connecticut 🔫
Pair of poached grizzlies - Alberta officials find yet another poached grizzly bear, believe incidents could be linked 🐻
Dead moose study - Volunteers hike Michigan’s Isle Royale in search of dead moose to aid world-famous study 🫎
Kids will be kids - Watch as these two cubs carry on while mom is trying to grab dinner 🍽️
TERRIBLE LOSS
TWO YOUNG HUNTERS PERISH IN ALABAMA HUNTING CAMP FIRE
The outdoors community is mourning the deaths of two young University of Alabama students who lost their lives in a house fire while on a hunting trip this week.
Mark “McNeil” Mostellar, 21, and James “Walter” Hensley II, 19, both of Mobile, were killed early Wednesday morning, when a fire swept through a hunting camp near Evergreen. Two other friends who were with them managed to escape the blaze and were hospitalized with injuries but are expected to make a full recovery…
QUICK HITS // FROM AROUND THE WEB
Shorter white-tailed deer season planned for southern Saskatchewan: Hunters across southern Saskatchewan will see a shorter white-tailed deer season this year as concerns continue around declining deer numbers. Read the full story.
Montana FWP hopeful recent rains will help north-central Montana's hurting mule deer herds: After three years of extreme drought in parts of north-central Montana, biologists are hopeful that recent significant rainfall will be a boon to this year’s crop of mule deer fawns and help the population across the region into the future. Read the full story.
SCOTUS Takes Up Rifle Bans: What the Review Means for Hunters and Sportsmen: The U.S. Supreme Court has officially granted certiorari to review challenges against semiautomatic rifle bans in Illinois and Connecticut, marking the most significant Second Amendment legal development since the 2022 Bruen decision. Read the full story.
2 grizzly bears illegally shot along Alberta highway on same day, province says: In mid-June, Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services (FWES) said it was investigating the killing of a grizzly bear that had been found illegally shot along Highway 734 near Sundre, a town about 95 kilometres northwest of Calgary in Mountain View County. In a followup statement Thursday, the province said a second grizzly bear was found in the same area later in the month. Read the full story.
Bill to establish youth hunter-trapper education program passes Pennsylvania House: Efforts to make hunter-trapper education more accessible in Pennsylvania schools are moving forward. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives advanced House Bill 2460 by a 180-22 vote this week. Read the full story.
Volunteers hike Michigan’s Isle Royale in search of dead moose to aid world-famous study: “Moosewatch” volunteers hike off trail through dense boreal wilderness at Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior in search of dead moose, then haul the bones out in a backpack. More than 1,000 people have contributed to the study over the decades, helping sustain nearly 70 years of research into one of the world’s most closely watched predator-prey relationships. Read the full story.
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
🐻 When mom is trying to get dinner ready and the kids just won’t settle down. Watch as this mom keep rummaging around trying to find some ingredients for dinner paying no minds to her rambunctious young cubs.
Classic sibling rivalry...
WEEKEND MEME // HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEAUTIFUL
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
Next time you are out antiquing (if you’re into that kind of thing), be sure to keep an eye out for these old school grape soda bottles. They’re worth thousands. Inside the sweaty, sticky and sandy world of competitive sand castle building. What our country’s earliest restaurant menus can teach us about this beautiful place we call home. Even though I plan to spend most of my time outdoors, in the event that the weather doesn’t cooperate, here’s a selection of 60 movies I could watch this 4th of July weekend.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
The pull of the 4th of July weekend 🇺🇸
SUPPORT OUR BAD HABITS // CLICKS KEEP THE LIGHTS ON
There's More Art in a Swiss Warehouse Than in the Louvre. Here's Why That Matters.
1.2 million works worth around $100 billion. All locked away by collectors with no intention of exhibiting them. More art sits in the Geneva Freeport than in the Louvre.
The reason? It's the world's largest tax-free vault. Works are traded inside without ever crossing a border or appearing in any public record.
When that much inventory is effectively off the table, anytime something does circulate, it’s a rare occasion.
Just a three hour drive away, the world’s premier international art fair is one of those occasions. Art Basel is this month and needless to say, things will move fast. Serious collectors will make their transactions before doors even open to the wider public.
Masterworks' acquisition committee — former specialists from Sotheby's and Christie's — operate in that window. Purchased artworks here can even become the offerings that Masterworks members fractionally invest in.
Their track record to-date?
$1.3B deployed across 530+ artworks featuring Banksy, Basquiat, Picasso, and Warhol
29 sales to date
Net annualized returns like 16.5%, 17.6%, and 17.8%, not including those unsold*
Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. See important Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.
Oh, and one more thing…
