Vermont Officials Pump the Brakes on Mountain Lion Rewilding Project 🫸

The 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. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

EASY, SEABISCUIT
VERMONT OFFICIALS PUMP THE BRAKES ON MOUNTAIN LION REWILDING PROJECT

In the Green Mountain State, a bold vision to restore a long-lost icon of the wilderness has sparked something of a heated debate. Mountain lions, referred to locally as catamounts, once roamed Vermont's forests until their extirpation in the late 1800s. The eastern subspecies was federally declared extinct in 2018, and no verified breeding population or conclusive evidence of presence exists in the state today, outside of the occasional unverified sightings often attributed to misidentifications or escaped captives.

Enter Mighty Earth, an international environmental nonprofit focused on protecting nature, restoring wildlife, and rewilding landscapes. Through its aptly named "Bring Catamounts Home" campaign, the group is advocating for the return of mountain lions to Vermont as a keystone species. Their website describes the effort as one that would "deepen Vermont’s wilderness, inspire awe, and offer future generations of Vermonters a symbol of what’s possible when we choose to restore wildlife and invest in truly wild places." 

And while the ideas are all fine and dandy in theory, state officials felt the need to chime in earlier this week…

🚁 Indiana DNR Charges Hunters in First Drone Scouting Poaching Case. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has charged several hunters in what appears to be the state's first prosecution for illegal drone use for scouting deer since drones were permitted only for recovering legally harvested game starting in March 2024. The case stems from an investigation launched back in December by District 9 conservation officers, following multiple public complaints about a drone repeatedly following and hovering over a well-known, trophy-class white-tailed buck in the area. Officers identified the drone operator and determined it was flown regularly in the days leading up to the harvest, including on the day the buck was killed, with the specific intent of locating, tracking movements, and patterning the deer's behavior to aid in the hunt.

In addition to the drone violation, the investigation uncovered other illegal activities including shooting the deer over bait (banned in Indiana) and trespassing to retrieve the downed animal.

🚜 Governor Whitmer Seeks $29 Million Boost Via Hunting Fishing Fee Hikes. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proposed increasing hunting, fishing, and boating license fees as part of her fiscal year 2027 state budget blueprint, which she unveiled on Wednesday. The changes aim to generate an additional $29.4 million annually for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Game and Fish Protection Fund. This fund supports critical programs like fish spawning and hatchery operations, wildlife habitat improvement, hunting and fishing education, and broader conservation efforts. The proposal comes amid ongoing funding challenges for the DNR, including declining numbers of licensed hunters and anglers (reducing revenue), inflation-driven cost increases for operations, and prior warnings of potential cuts to fish stocking, habitat work, and staff if shortfalls persist.

Specific proposed increases include raising annual resident fishing licenses from $25 to $30, nonresident fishing licenses from $75 to $90, and resident deer hunting tags from $20 to $25. Broader hikes would affect various license types, with steeper increases typically applied to nonresident fees to offset declines in participation while keeping Michigan's licenses among the lower-cost options regionally. The administration has cited the need to maintain services despite fewer license sales. This marks a repeat push as similar fee hikes were proposed in prior budgets and advanced in Senate legislation last fall but faced opposition from some Republican lawmakers in rural areas. The current proposal is part of Whitmer's overall $88.1 billion budget plan, which includes other tax/fee adjustments, but requires legislative approval to advance. Reactions have been mixed, with conservation supporters seeing it as necessary for sustainability, while critics worry about affordability and access for sportsmen.

TRCP Appreciates Make America Beautiful Again 250 Strategy and Migration Announcements: “The MABA 250 strategy represents a clear opportunity to advance the interests of America’s 40 million hunters and anglers,” said Joel Webster, chief conservation officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP looks forward to working with the Make America Beautiful Commission to make this effort a success by securing conservation and access wins that benefit fish, wildlife, and the American people.”  Read the full story.

Gladwin becomes 18th Michigan county with CWD in wild deer: Chronic wasting disease has been detected in a wild deer in Gladwin County, marking the 18th Michigan county where the fatal illness has been confirmed in the free-ranging herd. Read the full story.

Maryland Hunters Harvest 71,649 Deer for 2025-2026 Season: Maryland deer hunters harvested 71,649 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 5, 2025 through Feb. 4, 2026.8.  Read the full story.

Boone and Crockett Club Touts New Funding for Big Game Migration Habitat Conservation: The Boone and Crockett Club cheered the infusion of new funds available for big game migration habitat conservation and restoration announced today as part of the Make America Beautiful Again Commission. To support this core sportsmen’s priority, almost $8 million has been added to the $2 million in base funds available this year through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for their Western Big Game Seasonal Habitat and Migration Corridors Fund. Private and tribal funding is also included in the total. Read the full story.

DNR takes to the skies for Wisconsin’s first-ever aerial elk survey: Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources say they are taking to the skies this winter as they conduct the Badger State’s first-ever aerial elk survey. Read the full story.

Pennsylvania Game Commission, stockholders address deer crop damage at town hall: Wednesday's meeting marked the third meeting between the group of stakeholders and the first of 2026. The meeting was called to continue on from the two held in 2025, where the "urgent concerns" surrounding an increase in deer pressure on crops across Pennsylvania were discussed. Read the full story.

🍽️ A cat’s gotta eat! Watch as this big cat drags his latest kill across the campground.

Maybe we ought to invite him for dinner…

The pull of the weekend.

📸 by: @cord_outdoors

Oh, and one more thing…