The MeatEater

That was quick. A Michigan ice fishing season opened at 8 a.m. on Saturday, February 7, only to close 48 minutes later after the harvest quota was met.

The quick season—if you want to call it that—took place on Black Lake, which is situated in Cheboygan and Presque Isle Counties, and was for lake sturgeon, a relatively rare, slow-growing fish that first appeared in the fossil record 100 million to 150 million years ago, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).

Lake sturgeon population declines were recorded in Michigan and elsewhere throughout the Great Lakes, Mississippi, and Hudson River basins beginning in the 1800s due to habitat loss and degradation, as well as overfishing. In Michigan, the species was listed as a threatened species in 1994. Since then, wildlife officials have been working to restore the species’ populations—while also holding highly-restricted fishing opportunities to maintain fishing traditions for the unique species. One of the reasons that fishing opportunities are so limited is the slow growth patterns and long lives of the species, which have been known to reach over 100 years of age.

One of those opportunities is held on Black Lake each winter, during a short ice fishing season that’s open to both hook-and-line and spearfishing harvest methods. This year, the quota was six fish, and anglers were required to immediately report their catches to MDNR officials. According to a press release, 679 anglers participated in the season. The six fish caught were between 52.9 and 67.2 inches long and weighed 40.4 to 79.4 pounds. After the quota was hit, MDNR officials rapidly alerted anglers that the season as closed through text alerts and in-person ice shanty visits.

Interestingly, five of the six sturgeon harvested had previously been tagged during population surveys during spring spawning runs on the Black River. “This is great as it lets biologists gather data for comparison to when tagging occurred, building a deeper understanding of the recovery of Lake Sturgeon,” explained an MDNR spokesperson in a Facebook post. “This season helps provide biological data on sturgeon in this important fishery, while also giving anglers a unique opportunity to enjoy the species and help us with research that benefits recovery efforts across the state.”

Shockingly, the 2026 season wasn’t the shortest one held on Black Lake in recent years. According to reporting from the Detroit Free Press, the record was set in 2025, when seven sturgeon were harvested in just 17 minutes. Before that, the season lasted 65 minutes in 2023 and 36 minutes in 2022; in 2024, the season was canceled due to poor ice conditions.

Local nonprofit, the Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow, held an ice fishing tournament concurrently with the sturgeon season on Black Lake in 2026, with prizes not only for the heaviest sturgeon, but also for perch, walleye, pike, and muskie. Proceeds of the tournament help support the nonprofit’s mission to advance education and recovery efforts for lake sturgeon. Jordan Guelig won the tournament with a 67.2-inch, 79.4-pound female sturgeon.

Feature image via Jay Woiderski’s Facebook.

A full-throttle day with Clay and NASCAR driver Ross Chastain followed by the deer woods. Ross talks upbringing, farming, and the moments off-track that matter most.

In this episode of Cutting the Distance, Jason and Dirk sit down with Bruce Pettet, CEO of Leupold, and Tim Lesser, VP of Product & Marketing, for an in-depth conversation around Leupold’s new BX-6 rangefinding binocular. They dig into what makes the BX-6 stand out, from elite optical quality to the power of the 4DOF and PCA ballistic solutions, pinning features, and real-world shooting applications. The discussion also pulls back the curtain on Leupold’s broader product philosophy and gives listeners a glimpse at what’s coming next down the pipeline. If precision, confidence behind the glass, and the future of range-finding optics matter to you, this episode delivers.

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In this episode of the Bear Grease podcast, host Clay Newcomb visits Newton County, Arkansas, to talk to Cody and Caylon Villines. They're woodsmen, hunters, and the most recent line of generations of loggers cutting hardwood in the Ozarks. They talk about the craft of selective logging, the evolution from horses to heavy equipment, and the quiet code of contentment passed down from their fathers. They also talk about the danger. From freak accidents to lost friends to a moment witnessing a miracle in the woods, this is an honest, deeply personal look at life in one of the country’s deadliest professions.

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This week, Tony explains how often we view dog training tools in the wrong way, and how this holds our off-season sessions back.

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Spencer Neuharth hosts Round 1 of Championship MeatEater Trivia with Steven Rinella, Janis Putelis, Brody Henderson, Randall Williams, Seth Morris, and Cory Calkins.

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The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is prosecuting its first drone poaching case, the first since the recovery of game with drones was legalized in March of 2024. However, it is illegal to use drones to search for, scout, or detect deer during the hunting season or for 14 days prior.

The DNR alleges that back in December, several hunters used a drone to scout for, pattern the movements of, and harvest a white-tailed buck. The agency received several complaints that a drone was following one especially well-antlered deer for several days in a row. Investigators began following this drone, soon discovering the operator's identity and identifying the targeted buck.

Sure enough, after the deer was killed, investigators seized the drone and recovered hundreds of photos of this deer, as well as location data tracing the deer’s daily travel.

The suspects also allegedly shot the deer over bait and trespassed to recover the animal. Apparently, pinpointing the exact location of the buck didn’t provide enough of an advantage.

Some may say that Indiana allowing deer recovery with drones is to blame for this case of poaching, but it’s likely that unethical hunters would be doing so without that law in place.

These guys were caught because other people called in complaints about a drone relentlessly following one deer. But there are likely other bad actors who are a little more subtle about their tactics, and because there are other lawful drones up in the air during hunting season, it's less likely for folks on the ground to call those ones in.

Authorities in California have disrupted an overseas wildlife poaching operation after seizing hundreds of illegal animal parts.

According to a press release, in the early weeks of 2026, an investigation began after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intercepted a falsely labeled package en route from Thailand to Fresno, California. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) confirmed that the shipment contained hundreds of products obtained from poached animals. Some named products include elephant trunks, bear gallbladders, saiga antelope, turtle shells, and ivory products, including walrus tusks and rhino horns.

Many of these species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreement, an international collaboration to regulate wildlife trade. The United States enforces CITES through the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. Section 11 of the ESA defines the enforcement and penalties that may result from its infringement. Violating the ESA can result in criminal fines up to $50,000 per violation and a potential year in jail, while civil violations can carry fines up to $25,000 per violation.

The illegal shipment also violated California's Assembly Bill 96 (AB 96), which went into effect in 2016. Prior to the passage of this bill, it was legal to sell and possess with the intent to sell ivory that was harvested and imported before June 1, 1977. In turn, this created a loophole, and many ivory shipments were falsely dated.

It became too difficult for the state of California and CDFW to monitor trade, as an investigation conducted in 2015 by the Natural Resources Defense Council found. And this is where AB 96 comes into effect; it made all sale, purchase, importation with intent to sell, and possession with intent to sell of ivory illegal in the state, no matter the age of the item.

“This investigation demonstrates exactly why AB 96 matters,” Nathaniel Arnold, CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of Law Enforcement, said. “California is the most populous state in the U.S. and a major hub of international trade, where the fight to stop wildlife trafficking can have global impacts. CDFW is committed to working with our state, federal, and international partners to aggressively identify, disrupt, and dismantle these illicit markets, and to ensure those responsible face criminal prosecution and the full consequences of the law.”

An investigation was launched and led authorities to Madera County, where other illegal wildlife products and activities were found and shut down, including a rooster-fighting ring, illegal derivatives of protected kestrel falcons, and a banned firearm suppressor. Authorities have filed charges with Madera County’s District Attorney’s Office and Madera Animal Services. A spokesperson for CDFW said the reports are still pending and details about the Madera County charges are not yet available.

At this time, three suspects have been arrested and booked into Fresno County Jail, facing charges tied to wildlife trafficking. There has been no official statement from CDFW on whether the pending Madera charges are correlated to these arrests, but the investigation is still ongoing.

“Illicit trafficking is not acceptable in any form, including wildlife trafficking. The international illegal market for these products encourages poaching and threatens global biodiversity — California wants no part of it. We’re using every tool at our disposal to catch and shut down these trafficking rings,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom.

California is dedicated to protecting biodiversity both globally and within the state and asks the public to report any wildlife trafficking and poaching activity through the CalTIP program by calling (888) 334-CALTIP (2258) or submitting anonymous tips via text to TIP411 (847411).

Feature image via CDFW.

This week, Tony not only explains the real importance behind winter scouting, but also why it's one of the best tactics for learning how big bucks really travel.

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Teddy Roosevelt enjoyed a lifestyle and political career that made him the most important president in history for the creation of a West and a country centered on conservation. In the process his obsession with nature finally took the U.S. in a different policy direction than the countries of western Europe we had tried for three centuries to emulate.

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Check out more MeatEater's American History audio originals "The Long Hunters" and "Mountain Men"

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