Bassin' Brad

Hey @Catt was you fishing Toledo Bend yesterday evening? I have never physically seen Toledo Bend in my life but while flying to Dallas from Charlotte yesterday I spotted a lake and thought, that has to be Toledo Bend! (I'm a Google maps junkie so I have looked at Toledo Bend lots of times) I took the pictures coordinates and put them into google maps and measures the distance and I was 32 miles from the nearest point of the lake.

https://www.themeateater.com/conservation/wildlife-management/outfitter-sentenced-to-prison-in-massive-nebraska-poaching-ring KRISTEN SCHMITTOct 19, 2020 An anonymous tip that turned into a 5-year investigation is nearly over for Nebraska wildlife officials. In what’s being called the biggest poaching case in state history, investigators have linked over 100 people from 21 states to the illegal take of big game animals and transporting them across state lines, including prominent citizens and a television personality. The case is centered around Hidden Hills Outfitters near Broken Bow, Nebraska. According to the Omaha World-Herald, clients paid the outfitter $2,500 to $7,000 for a chance at big game trophies and utilized illegal tactics, like baiting and spotlighting. Rifles were used during archery season—often with suppressors to cover the noise—and animals were shot from the side of the road. Some participants didn’t even have legal hunting permits. To date, 30 people have pleaded guilty and ordered to pay a collective total of $570,453 in fines and restitution. Together, all have lost their hunting and fishing privileges for 53 years, the World-Herald reports. Others are awaiting sentencing, so these numbers will only increase. Jacob Hueftle, co-owner and chief operator of Hidden Hills Outfitters, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $214,375 in restitution to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. He will not be allowed to hunt, trap, or “engage in any related business” for 15 years after his release as part of the plea agreement. The investigation was a joint effort by Nebraska Game and Parks officers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Together, they uncovered a minimum of 97 animals that were transported over state lines, including 34 mule deer, 30 whitetail deer, 27 turkeys, and six antelope. Picture from Rod Owen’s Facebook page. Caption says this deer was taken at Hidden Hills in September of 2017. “It’s outstanding that they finally put some teeth in these violations and sentenced someone to something meaningful, rather than a fine,” said Tom Lanz, a lifelong hunter and active member in Nebraska hunting organizations. “We manage wildlife for the benefit of everybody. That wildlife has a value to society. When they steal that, they steal from all of us. It’s just offensive.” During the investigation, it was discovered that multiple hunters shot migratory nongame birds—including hawks and falcons—for target practice. The Hidden Hills’ plea agreement says “’J.H.’ personally killed at least 100 nongame birds.” Hueftle and Hidden Hills Outfitters were charged with violating the Lacey Act and the Migratory Bird Act. One of the key clients of Hidden Hills was TV hunting personality Rod Owen. Owen has been featured in Field & Stream and on the Outdoor Channel, and was a cast member of Drury Outdoors. Investigators discovered that several of Owen’s animals were illegally baited into range and two were killed with a rifle (after supposedly being killed legally by bow). For his participation in the case, he has been ordered to pay $50,000 in fines and restitution. Drury Outdoors has severed ties with Owen. While sentencing is still ongoing, the fact that investigators were able to link so many to the crimes and punish accordingly may send the message to others who are tempted to poach big game animals in the future. Regardless, Nebraska hunters are advocating for harsher penalties and steeper fines to those convicted of poaching animals within the state. “The ethical hunters of this state want things like this stopped and stopped for good,” said longtime hunter and hunting advocate Janice Spicha. “If you knowingly participate in illegal hunting activities, then you shouldn’t be able to hunt again. Ever.” Feature image via USFWS. Glad they were caught. People like this give all outdoorsman a bad name. It's one thing to slip up a little and accidentally break a game law and it's a whole different story when you have an organized setup where everyone involved is knowingly breaking the law and taking big game illegally.

Couple of fancy pullets

Had a successful public land hunt here in the mountains of New Mexico! Not the big one I went to get but what an amazing rush bow hunting these huge animals. I was still hunting when I spotted 4 spikes feeding. I worked my way in close to them and this one began to slowly feed closer and closer. I shot him at 40 yards and flinched a bit and hit him in the shoulder. He didn't know what happened and where it came from so he offered another shot at 50 yards and I put it right through the lungs. He still managed to run a quarter mile and it was a challenging tracking job but we found him within an hour of starting to track (we waited almost a full hour before even begining to track) I had to go buy a freezer and it's chock full of elk meat! My family, friends and myself will be eating good for awhile!

I know that feel bro ? My wife has a concoction she whips up for heartburn. Does a pretty good job.

Wish I could walk around all day doing nuthin except screaming my dominance and look this jacked.

I definitely like the looks of it.

Red Frizzle Cochin - 3 weeks old. Interesting breed for sure.

What will the diet of an alligator that large mostly consist of? Do they eat a lot of deer?

That's too bad. Thanks! We really enjoyed it! My brothers live in Mississippi and brought 80lbs to Oklahoma and we had a big boil. I ate till I was about sick.

Crawfish Boil anyone??

I've bought one before from them and it shipped in a cardboard tube like was already mentioned.

Thanks! I definitely got a good one with him. Good looking, cocky but not mean.

That's cool, what books did you read? I like reading about things like that.

Couple of fat boys I caught.

Ahhhh because it's all shiny and stuff.

If he stands on his tiptoes he's about 10" tall, and he's full grown!

Thanks for the reminder!

Somehow, this cat managed to get under the bathtub of my brother in laws just remodeled house. The space it was in was impossible to get to so I had to trap it. Unfortunately for the cat it refused to drink water and died shortly after being removed. Fortunately for my brother in law I got it before it died under his tub which would have been really bad.

It's amazing how much damage these little things can do to a yard. They're like micro wild hogs lol

Today's catches, 3 gophers. I'm getting request right and left for them right now. I ordered 20 more traps today.

When he logs in at about midnight tonight he's going to learn things he never knew about himself!?