The Venatic Podcast

Today we’re covering the story of the infamous outfitter known as Wade Lemon of Wade Lemon Outfitters. If you’ve heard the name before it’s likely because he’s been embroiled in a number of wildlife violation investigations over the years, including one hunt involving a former president's son (who did nothing wrong, by the way). Today we'll uncover how his years of avoiding wildlife wardens finally caught up to him.

Plus:

• A T...

In this episode of Stories from the Field, I cover the remarkable story of Vince "Trapper" Nelson, a man who hunted, trapped and even played Tarzan to bored Palm Beach housewives all while sly developers tried to dismantle his 1,000+ acre real estate holdings along the wild and scenic Loxahatchee River. His mysterious death in 1968 sent shockwaves through the sleepy South Florida community and was eventually ruled a suicide, despit...

This week’s headlines are deeply rooted in fraud - hunting contest fraud to be specific. In a story coming out of Hawaii, a pair of young men have been hit with felony charges after drawing up an elaborate scheme that involved breaking and entering kidnapping, murder and deceit.

Plus we'll cover:

• The Massachusetts man busted for poaching stripers in New Hampshire
• Colorado is in the market for a new wolf dealer
• A potentially la...

This week we’re covering a curious case of a family-oriented serial poacher turned dog killer. Yes, in a unique tale of family ethics - or the lack thereof - we cover the story of Brandon Mutchler and how Minnesota game wardens untangled his web of lies that led to a plethora of poaching charges and implicated him in the mysterious murder of a household pet.

Plus we'll also cover:

• The speed demon of Grand Teton
• The heroic resc...

This week we’re covering the culmination of the infamous Hollywood Buck story as well as an interesting tale out of Utah where we try to balance what is legal with what is ethical in a case filled with some poor communication and even worse shooting that involved an alleged stolen bull that was shot by three separate hunters before finally being claimed. 

Plus we'll also cover:

• The "Doomsday Fish" that washed ashore in C...

This week we’re covering the story of a drunk Missouri man who was arrested after opening fire on a pair of anglers who were allegedly fishing a little too close to his dock, as well as Washington state’s newest policy for all of their 152 commissioned state wildlife police officers.

Plus we'll also cover:

• Colorado asking the fed for help in capturing reintroduced wolves
• CWD-detecting dogs
• Misdiagnosis as officials try to save ...

This week we’re covering the story of a former Ohio man who has recently been sentenced in a bizarre case of body-armor, coyotes and opening fire on unsuspecting game wardens. We’ll also be touching on the story of a pair of bow hunters who are thankfully safe after being attacked by a grizzly and a deadly outbreak in Wyoming that has left 50-60-head of cattle and a bull moose dead.

Plus we'll also cover:

• An almost-record gat...

This week we’re covering the story of the arrest of a 20-year-old suspect that allegedly went on an absolute deer killing spree across Cody, Wyoming. We’re also covering the flippity-floppity-ness of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program. It’s going just about just as well as everyone expected and now an entire pack has been captured and quarantined.  For how long?  Well, nobody knows…

We're also covering:

• A new re...

This week we’re covering the heroic story of a 12-year-old boy who left into action while his father was being attacked by a black bear and quite possibly saved his life. We’re also checking in on some new Canadian fishing regulations calling for fines of upwards of half a million dollars.

We're also covering:

•  Significant fines and revoked licenses for New York poachers
•  Utah officials are looking for informati...

This week we’re covering the story surrounding a catfish smuggling ring that resulted in over 180 violations to nine individuals across three states.  We’re also covering the harrowing story about a group of teens that were surrounded by a pack of wolves while duck hunting in Wisconsin and had a tough choice to make.

We're also covering:

•  11-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Hunter to Kill a Bighorn in Wyoming
•  A rare e...

This week we’re covering the story of 81-year-old Arthur Shubarth who earlier this year was caught for importing foreign sheep parts, cloning embryos and eventually creating a giant sheep specimen he later named the “Montana Mountain King” who he would soon use to breed even more super-sheep and sell them to captive hunting operations across the country. Well, he finally had his day in court and things aren’t looking all that good ...

This week we’re covering the story of a woman and her three juvenile accomplices that went on an absolute tear over the course of a couple of years, illegally killing upwards of 100 deer.

We’re also following the infamous story of the Alexander buck. For those of you who may have been living under a rock for the last year-or-so, a young Ohio man killed an absolute monster of a buck last fall and was insta-famous for a minute or ...

This week started off a little slow, but thankfully the news cycle started to hit its stride yesterday and we did manage to find a few things to chat about this week.

For starters, our friends over at the Sportsmen’s Alliance released a rather robust report that we all ought to read and, quite honestly, stick our chests out just a little bit for. According to the report, we as hunters contribute more economic value than a few NF...

This week we’re covering a controversial study, which shouldn’t really be all that controversial, that unequivocally shows the benefits that culling wolves can have on struggling caribou populations and why so many people are pissed about it - I’ll give you a hint - it has to do with wolves.

We’re also covering the tragic death of a Sitka deer hunter who, as far as anyone can tell, died by the paws of a brown bear earlier this w...

This week we’re covering the story of a Washington man who has been absolutely lambasted with YUGE fines and prison time for his involvement in a number of illegal eagle killing sprees that took place for well over a decade.

We’re also covering the role hunters played in a recent Montana moose study and just how vital we are and always will be to conservation.

We're also covering:

•  Colorado’s wolf reintroduction p...

We’ve got a lot going on this week and I guess, given the time of year that’s kind of expected. The unfortunate reality is that a lot of the headlines this week involve poaching cases - many of which are quite egregious in nature. The good news is, most of them involve the bad guys getting caught and nailed with big-time charges including the story of how one group of “HUNTERS” are now facing upwards of 114 charges and another invo...

This week we’re covering the bizarre and honestly, quite funny story of “Operation Bear Thief" that resulted in the arrest of four people for impersonating a bear for insurance fraud. We’ll also cover the story of Two Virginia residents who have been charged for their role in a heinous poaching case that has resulted in over 230 violations being handed down.

We’ve also got a sad story of murder at the hunt camp after an allegedl...

This week we’re covering the story of a Michigan serial poacher who has, once again, been taken to task, this time, for killing a 9-point buck. We’ll also be covering California’s banging year - at least when it comes to wolves and the US Fish and Wildlife’s attempt to pay hunters for using non-toxic ammo.

We're also covering:

• BC officials flabbergasted after a deer is spotted sporting a high-vis jacket
• Deer hunter helps Michi...

This week we’ve got a couple of bangers for you including the story of how one former school supervisor in Oregon was fired and fined for blasting a deer on company time to “blow off some steam” - we’ve also got the 36-year-old woman who orchestrated the poaching of roughly 100 deer with her juvenile accomplices pleading not guilty in court this week and the story of the peculiar elk hooves two Colorado hunters came across las...