Washington Elk Poaching Case Sparks New Charges

Two Washington Poachers Arrested in Carnation Farms Cover-Up 👮

Straight talk from the field — no fluff, no filters, just the hunt and the headlines.

☕ Good Morning, Crew

If the Thanksgiving weekend felt about one day too short, you’re not alone. Deer camps are winding down, tags are getting punched (or eaten), and December just showed up like a buddy asking, “So…how’d it go?”

Grab your coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and let’s get you caught up on what’s been happening across the deer woods, bear country, and elk hills.

🔖 Quick Guide

COULDN’T FOOL THESE WARDENS
Two Washington Poachers Arrested in Carnation Farms Cover-Up 👮

Carnation, Washington isn’t exactly backcountry. It’s hay fields, river bottom, and a working farm that’s been around since 1908. But that didn’t stop two guys from trying to turn it into their own private night-hunting preserve.

On September 13, two men trespassed onto Carnation Farms and allegedly shot a cow elk at night with a crossbow rigged with an illegal thermal scope. According to reports, they quartered the elk, hid the meat and the weapon, and thought they’d covered their tracks.

They didn’t account for cameras, wardens, and the fact that if you’re spotlighting elk on a working farm…you’re probably not the smartest criminal on the block.

King County prosecutors have now charged at least one man from Lynnwood in the case. Carnation Farms is a USDA-certified organic farm that also supports a local herd of 150–200 Roosevelt elk — animals that are supposed to be part of a functioning ecosystem, not a late-night smash-and-grab.

📎 Read the full story:
https://www.valleyrecord.com/news/elk-killed-in-carnation-poachers-arrested-for-trespassing/

QUICK HITS // FROM AROUND THE DEER WOODS

Wisconsin hunters shot over 90,000 deer opening weekend
Opening weekend of the 2025 gun deer season was busy: Wisconsin hunters registered 90,671 deer in two days, up from 87,248 last year and just under the 5-year average. About 48,700 were antlered, 41,900 antlerless. Snow and colder temps heading into the second weekend could push those numbers even higher.

📎 Read the full story:
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/115936

or:
https://doorcountydailynews.com/news/892195

Hunters in Mississippi pump hundreds of millions into the economy
In Mississippi, roughly 275,000 hunters spent $658 million on hunting-related purchases in 2022, generating a total economic impact north of $781 million once you factor in jobs, lodging, fuel, gear, and more. For a lot of rural communities, that hunting money is what keeps doors open.

📎 Read the full story:
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/outdoors/2025/11/30/hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-pumped-into-economy-by-hunters-in-mississippi/87368230007/

$20,500 in fines in illegal Ontario moose case
Three men in northwestern Ontario learned the hard way that moose tags and regulations aren’t suggestions. Between illegal hunting practices and party hunting violations, they were hit with $20,500 in fines after a conservation officer investigation. Call it a reminder that moose country might be big, but COs are everywhere.

📎 Read the full story:
https://ebs.publicnow.com/view/C6E4C2A663E083443F508EF6C593F05AE1CF21B1

or the Ontario Fish & Wildlife post:
https://www.facebook.com/FishWildlifeON/posts/1166768838913660/

Michigan hunters pass 110,000 deer before the final weekend
In Michigan, firearm season is rolling. As of Nov. 28, hunters had already harvested over 112,000 deer during the regular firearm season, with more than 73,000 antlered bucks in the mix. Some regions are absolutely stacking them; others are more hit-or-miss.

📎 Read the full story:
https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/michigan-deer-season-weekend-harvest-numbers-21212932.php

50 YEARS OF BEAR DATA
Maine’s Black Bear Study Turns 50 🐻

Maine is quietly running one of the longest bear monitoring programs in the country — a 50-year black bear study that’s taught biologists a ton about denning habits, preferred habitat, and how hunting fits into long-term population management.

The study tracks more than 25,000 black bears in the state and meshes long-term field data with harvest information. The result? Maine has a healthy bear population and better insight into how mast crops, hunting pressure, and habitat changes affect the herd year to year.

This is the kind of long-haul data every state says they want. Maine actually did it.

📎 Read the full story:
https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2025-11-28/50-years-on-maines-black-bear-study-is-still-essential-tool-for-population-management

FUNNY BUSINESS?
Skepticism Around Pennsylvania’s Elk Tag Lottery 🎫

Pennsylvania’s elk tags are a golden ticket — and with odds that long, hunters want to know the drawing is 100% above board.

State Rep. David Maloney, who chairs the House Game and Fisheries Committee, is calling out the Pennsylvania Game Commission over how the elk tags are drawn. By law, the drawing is supposed to be held publicly at the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette. In practice, a third-party vendor has been handling the draw “behind closed doors” before winners are announced.

Maloney’s point: with such low odds and such high interest, transparency has to be bulletproof or hunters are going to question the process.

📎 Read the full press release:
https://www.repmaloney.com/News/36990/Press-Releases/Maloney-Calls-Out-PGC-s-Illegal-Procedures-of-PA-Elk-Tag-Drawings

PREDATOR CORNER // COYOTE CALLS & TRAPS

If you’re looking at fur prices and thinking, “Why am I doing this again?” — welcome to the club. The answer is usually deer fawns, calf survival, and staying sharp in the off-season.

A couple of practical predator tools that actually make sense right now:

1️⃣ Mouth Calls That Cover All the Howls
A simple 3-pack of diaphragm calls can handle most of your coyote vocal work without dropping e-caller money. The FOXPRO Predator Mouth-Call Combo gives you:

📎 Check it out here:
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/foxpro-predator-mouth-call-combo-4845477

Quick tip:

2️⃣ Trap Kit That Actually Gets You Started Right
Instead of piecing gear together from random places, a full kit saves you time and beginner mistakes. Minnesota Trapline’s Coyote Starter Package – Bridger #2 Dogless gives you:

📎 See the package:
https://mntrapline.com/products/coyote-starter-package-bridger-2-dogless

Run simple dirt-hole sets on field edges and ranch roads. If you’re consistent, you’ll learn more in one season than five years of “someday I’ll trap” talk.

👉 Drop your answer in the poll and hit reply if you’ve got a hot take. If we get enough responses, we’ll share the results (and a few reader setups) in an upcoming issue.

WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY

Stuff we fell down the rabbit hole on this week:

Appreciate you being here. Keep your rifle clean, your wind in check, and your head on a swivel — the late season always brings surprises.

Catch you Wednesday.

— Western Vantage