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We bring you the latest developments in hunting and fishing legislation, conservation efforts, and public land access across the United States. Key policy changes are reshaping how hunters access public lands and the regulations they must follow, from ammunition flexibility to expanded hunting opportunities.

• US Fish and Wildlife Service proposing to ease lead ammo restrictions on 12 national wildlife refuges, balancing ecological concerns with hunting access
• EPA awarded $1.2 million to five states for wetland conservation projects supporting habitat restoration for waterfowl and fish
• BLM opening 50,000 acres in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming for public hunting, targeting elk, deer and upland birds
• $200 million allocated from Pittman-Robertson Act taxes to support wildlife state agencies and habitat restoration
• National Park Service banning bear baiting on Alaska's national preserves, affecting 13 million acres
• Washington approving hunting and fishing license fee increases of 10-15% effective July 2025
• Wyoming proposing expanded wolf hunting quotas following 15% population increase
• Montana reporting record elk harvest up 8% from previous year
• Colorado increasing mule deer tags by 10% following population rebound
• Minnesota proposing 15% increase in bear hunting quotas
• Michigan facing $4.4 million wildlife funding deficit
• Florida implementing Amendment 2 rules protecting hunting and fishing as constitutional rights
• Maine expanding Sunday hunting pilot program to five additional counties

Don't miss Monday's storytelling episode, where we'll share epic tales from the field and stream. Subscribe on your favorite platform, share the show with your hunting buddies, and keep your lines tight and your aim true.

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The bond between father and son often transcends life itself. In this emotionally charged episode, Maine hunter Dan Schaefer reveals how his hunting journey became irrevocably intertwined with the memory of his late father, creating a spiritual connection that defies simple explanation.

Dan's path to becoming a hunter started later than most. Despite growing up with a father passionate about hunting, young Dan earned the nickname "Wiggles" for his inability to sit still in the woods. Years later, he embraced hunting in 2017, diving headfirst into pursuing multiple species across Maine's challenging terrain. Little did he know how profoundly his father's passing in 2021 would transform his hunting experiences.

What follows are three remarkable harvests that blur the line between coincidence and spiritual connection. First, Dan wakes from a vivid dream about his father—the first since his passing—and hours later takes a magnificent 13-point buck they had discussed before his father's death. The following season, using his father's rifle, Dan harvests a unique piebald buck on his father's birthday. Finally, Dan completes the tribute by taking a massive 225-pound "Piggy" buck, earning the same "Biggest Bucks of Maine" patch his father had proudly worn on his hunting jacket.

Throughout these experiences, Dan feels his father's presence guiding him, steadying his aim, and bringing these deer into his path at precisely the right moments. Each success becomes not just a personal achievement but a shared experience that bridges the gap between this world and whatever lies beyond.

Whether you believe in spiritual connections or not, these stories remind us that hunting creates powerful bonds that can echo through generations. Dan's journey shows how pursuing game can become a profound way to process grief, honor legacy, and maintain connection with those we've lost.

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155" Buck of a Lifetime

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Welcome to Hunter’s Brief, your weekly roundup of hunting and fishing news from across the globe. I'm your host, bringing you the latest updates to keep your boots on the ground and your lines in the water.

• US expands hunting on 87,000+ acres of National Wildlife Refuge and Fish Hatchery land
• Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act under congressional review
• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) faces potential elimination, concerning conservationists
• AI technology revolutionizing biodiversity conservation through data analysis
• Lesser prairie chicken protections threatened despite significant population decline
• Department of Interior renews Colorado River conservation agreements targeting 321,000 acre-feet water storage
• Amendment proposed to expedite federal public land sales in Utah and Nevada
• Bipartisan Explore Act enhances access to federal public lands
• North Dakota enacts 14 new outdoor-related laws effective August 1st

Don't forget to tune in on Monday for our storytelling episode, where we share tales from the field. Subscribe, leave a review, and share the podcast with your fellow outdoor enthusiasts. If there's a story we missed or something you think we should cover, let us know.

Support the show

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Have a story? Click here!