Undercover Sting Leads to Lifetime Hunting Ban for Idaho Bear Guide 🕵️‍♂️

I’m currently at the “it’s Thursday already?” phase of the workweek and am unsure as to whether or not that is a good thing as of yet.

With that in mind, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get this Thursday morning dispatch out the door.

Here's what's worth reading about today:

FINES COULD BE HIGHER
UNDERCOVER STING LEADS TO LIFETIME HUNTING BAN FOR IDAHO BEAR GUIDE

An Idaho bear guide’s covert (and illegal) operation that netted him tens of thousands of dollars worth of cash for showing clients how to bait and bag black bears looks like it’s officially coming to a close. After spending a couple of seasons unwittingly tutoring an undercover Fish and Game officer in the fine art of felony poaching, he’s now staring down a lifetime hunting ban in a plea deal that should end up turning his backcountry classroom into his own permanent exile. 

In what was another multi-year investigation by our friends at Idaho Fish and Game, 48-year-old Joe Jenkins of Pocatello, was charged for unlicensed guiding and baiting operations. According to court records and agency reports, Jenkins allegedly guided at least four clients on successful but illegal black bear hunts in 2022 and 2023. For his services, he reportedly raked in over $55,000 in cash while operating in association with a Utah-based outfitter, Hidden Peak Outfitters, which also lacked a valid Idaho license…

🐻 Louisiana Proposes Major Expansion of Black Bear Hunting Areas for 2026 Season. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has unanimously approved a proposal to significantly expand black bear hunting opportunities in the state for the 2026 season. Currently limited to three designated areas, the plan would increase this to seven hunting areas, covering wildlife management areas and private lands statewide. Permit allocations would vary by region, with higher numbers in areas with stronger bear habitat and populations, and more conservative quotas in newly added zones with fewer bears.

The hunting of Teddy’s bears was reinstated in Louisiana in 2024 after a 37-year hiatus, which allowed the state's black bear population to grow to an estimated 1,500 animals. Officials describe the proposed expansions and tag numbers as "very conservative" to ensure population health. The 2026 season will run the same dates, with applications accepted July 28–August 28 via lottery. Additional changes include allowing out-of-state landowners to hunt directly on their properties without transferring permits.

🤢 Wisconsin DNR Reports Over 2,000 CWD-Positive Deer from 2025 Hunting Season Sampling. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released a summary of chronic wasting disease monitoring from the 2025 deer hunting seasons, revealing over 2,000 positive cases out of the 17,759 deer sampled statewide. This represents a notable detection rate, with about 87% of the positives occurring in the Southern Farmland Zone, where the disease remains most prevalent. Testing was available statewide through 242 locations, including 163 self-sampling kiosks and 46 staffed sites.

“CWD remains a complex issue with no single solution for managing the disease,” said Erin Larson, DNR deer herd health specialist in a statement. “However, the department remains committed to continuing CWD efforts, including providing services to hunters and creating partnerships with the people of Wisconsin to work towards the common goal of a healthy deer herd and outstanding hunting opportunities in our state.”

🪜 Wyoming Senate Votes 27-4 to Shelve Corner Crossing Clarification Measure. The Wyoming Senate indefinitely postponed House Bill 19 ("Corner crossing clarification") on Monday in a decisive 27-4 vote, effectively killing the measure for the session. The bill, which had passed the House narrowly (32-28-2) and advanced through a Senate committee (3-2), sought to codify into state law the legality of "corner crossing"—stepping from one parcel of public land to another at their shared corner without touching or damaging adjacent private property. It stemmed from a March 2025 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that upheld the practice under the 1885 Unlawful Inclosures Act, based on a case involving four Missouri hunters who used a ladder to cross between federal parcels in Carbon County, Wyoming, leading to dismissed trespass charges.

Intense debate centered on an amendment requiring crossings over a USGS physical marker (as in the court case), which supporters said aligned precisely with the ruling and protected private rights amid GPS unreliability concerns. Opponents argued it would severely limit access, as many corners lack markers (potentially half or more), effectively restricting public entry to landlocked federal lands and hindering hunters, recreationists, and wildlife management. Senators raised issues like unchecked wildlife herd growth due to blocked access, risks of broader trespassing, and the need for more collaboration between landowners and sportsmen. The postponement maintains the current status quo under federal court precedent, leaving corner crossing legally permissible in Wyoming (and other 10th Circuit states) without state-level restrictions or clarifications.

🦝 There are few reasons I don’t mess with raccoons.

This is one of them…

🐟 Permit Me to Help You: Catching a permit on the flats can be—and usually is—a daunting task. The means used to catch them are often inconsequential, and anyone who has pursued them can attest to that. I could be the poster child for this truth. I’m almost too embarrassed to admit it, but it took me nearly 15 years to catch my first permit—and that was on conventional tackle. I could put other people on them like it was in my DNA, but when it came time for me to take a shot, I would blow it. To make matters worse, nine out of 10 times they were slam dunks (if there were such a thing in the permit world). All I had to do was get the bait reasonably close, and they would have eaten it. Maybe.

And just to be clear, the fact that a permit eats your bait has absolutely zero correlation to landing it. True story.  Read the full story.

🥃 The Bartender Knows All: They’re the therapists of any hunting or fishing lodge; the listening ear ready to be bent by stories of the day’s victories or challenges. They’re the calm voice soothing frustrated tempers with a kind word and the practiced slide of a drink down the pitted, polished bar. They know just the right words to salve upset sports, delivered while their focus is unerringly maintained on crafting a magical creation that will ease away the day’s failure or success with equal ease.

They are the keepers of lodge drama; the omniscient character who is somehow always there when needed, ready to offer wisdom, consolation, or simply a double shot of whatever local alcohol is the most potent. Read the full story.

🧭 Jack London’s Alaska: Jack London was only 21 years old when he stepped ashore in Alaska in 1897 to find his fortune in gold.

He looked boyish and threadbare, as did many who ventured north during a time when America was suffering from an acute economic depression. Skagway was a mob of naive gold seekers, with outlaw Soapy Smith ruling the town through a large ruthless gang. London wisely stayed clear of Smith and his scams that separated would-be millionaires from their money as they made their way to the Klondike.

Hollywood has always done London an injustice. Movies portray him as an innocent when he arrives in Alaska, learning the ways of the world through the hard characters he meets there. Nothing could be further from the truth. Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…