The Outdoor Pressroom

Woman mauled by grizzly after being pulled from tent

A woman was seriously injured by a grizzly bear after it dragged her from her tent Thursday and mauled her in a remote corner of Gates of the Arctic National Park in far north Alaska, according to the National Park Service. The unidentified woman was saved when her companions drove off the bear using pepper spray. Craig Medred reports in The Anchorage Daily News.

Mussel-covered boat discovered before Tahoe launch

A 32-foot cabin cruiser preparing to be launched at a South Lake Tahoe's marina was found to be encrusted with invasive quagga mussels in what officials describe as a first-of-its-kind close call. The boat remains under quarantine as ordered by wardens with the California Department of Fish and Game. In The Reno Gazette-Journal.

Pro golfer pleads no contest in hawk killing

In his court appearance this morning, PGA tour member Tripp Isenhour agreed to one year of supervised probation, four hours of anger management classes, and 100 hours of alternative community service after pleading no contest to killing a protected hawk by hitting it with a golf ball at an Orlando golf club in December. In The Orlando Sentinel.

6-legged Georgia deer dies following surgery

The six-legged whitetail fawn found in Rome, Georgia in July died two days after surgery was performed to remove its extra pelvis and legs. “It appears that something must have clotted in his cardio system, or he had some kind of stroke,” said Dr. Joey Gross, one of the two Athens, Ga. surgeons performing the procedure on August 18. In The Rome News-Tribune.

Appeals panel rules against Wyoming in gun-rights case

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Wyoming in a lawsuit over a state law that allowed persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to regain their gun rights. The ruling was seen as a victory for ATF, which said it would not accept Wyoming concealed weapons permits as a substitute for instant background checks in gun purchases. Via AP.

Yogi in real life: New Mexico bruins pilfer picnic baskets

The Forest Service has closed three picnic areas in New Mexico's Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque after an emboldened bruin pulled a real-life Yogi Bear prank, swiping an ice chest, then hightailing it into the back country. "The bears are looking for food obviously to fatten up for the winter, and they're going after picnic baskets," said Karen Takai, Sandia Ranger District spokeswoman. And some are smarter than the average bear. Via AP.

Rut-crazed musk ox killed in sled-dog attack

The Outdoor Pressroom has shared dozens of tales about aggressive behavior by rutting deer and elk over the years, but here's our first story about rut-crazed musk oxen. A musher near Kotzebue, Alaska emptied his 30.06 into a raging, 700-pound bull as it gored his tethered lead dog Sunday, and his actions in defense of life and property have been ruled as justified by authorities with the Department of Fish and Game. In The Anchorage Daily News.

'Scrawny' halibut nets $10,000 in Homer Derby

As Alaska halibut go, it wasn't much of a fish. But Mike Schlimgen's 8-pounder was worth $10,000 because it carried a Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby tag--and he carried a $10 derby entry ticket. Two other anglers this summer were not as fortunate. Despite catching tagged fish, both neglected to purchase a ticket--and all they got were a Jackpot Derby T-shirt and cap. In The Homer News.

Defendant in Colo. poaching case challenging DOW

The defense attorney for a Moffat County, Colo. rancher charged with illegally killing 16 elk that damaged his fences and crops says his client was defending his property after numerous requests for assistance from the Colorado Division of Wildlife. But Jeremy Snow, the deputy DA prosecuting the case, maintains that Rodney Culverwell did not exhaust all avenues of help from the DOW. “Instead of picking up his phone, Culverwell picked up his gun,” Snow said. In The Craig Daily Press.

Alaska voters reject aerial wolf control initiative

In yesterday's primary, Alaska voters rejected Measure No. 2, a ballot initiative that would have prohibited the shooting of wolves and bears either from the air or once a plane has landed, unless the Alaska Department of Fish and Game commissioner determined that a "biological emergency" existed. This morning, with 98% of the precincts reporting, the measure was defeated by a 55.6 to 44.4 margin.

CWD prompts immediate baiting ban in Michigan

In the wake of the discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease in a whitetail deer at a facility in Kent County, the Michigan DNR has issued an immediate ban on all deer and elk baiting and feeding in the Lower Peninsula, which could last the entirety of the upcoming deer season.

$10K reward offered for Wyoming 'bucket biologists'

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is offering a reward up to $10,000 for information leading to the apprehension of the person or persons who "bucketed" walleye into Buffalo Bill Reservoir west of Cody, threatening the Yellowstone cutthroat fishery there. In The Casper Star-Tribune.

Quarantine: CWD confirmed in Michigan farm deer

Officials in Michigan have quarantined all privately owned cervid facilities and banned the movement of all privately owned deer, elk and moose after the state's first case of Chronic Wasting Disease was confirmed at a captive deer facility in the state's western Lower Peninsula. Eric Sharp in The Detroit Free Press.

Animal magnetism: Deer, cows have internal compass

German and Czech researchers using Google Earth satellite images concluded that cattle and deer tend to point toward Earth's magnetic poles when grazing or resting. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA reports that 8,510 cattle and 2,974 red and roe deer tended to point north or south but not in other directions. In Scientific American.

Masked intruder nabbed in Atlanta federal building

A nuisance wildlife trapper nabbed a rascally raccoon inside Atlanta's Richard B. Russell Federal Building yesterday after the intruder initially entered Judge Paul W. Bonapfel's 14th floor office and ate half an apple. Then, there were missing cookies on the 10th floor and a pilfered sandwich on the 9th. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.