As Hope Sampson brought her day’s hunt to a close, she wound her way down a steep grassy hill. Sampson and Mattie Budine, her hunting partner, hadn’t seen a single deer all day. But when they reached the bottom of the hill, a spooked doe leapt through the short bunch grass and settled 60 yards away. With calm and practiced grace, Sampson dropped her backpack and raised her rifle while resting the barrel on her pack. She was calm and took slow breaths as she aimed at the whitetail that stood broadside in front of her. Her chance at a shot came during a weekend of hunting put together by the . The pair were 10 miles west of Philipsburg when Sampson encountered the deer. As she stared down the scope of her .308 rifle, she was taking part in a shrinking American culture — one which continues to be the foundation of wildlife conservation today. The club’s hunting mentorship program aims to educate students about ethical hunting. Sampson didn’t shoot the doe they saw midday, and she knew she wasn’t going to even before she dropped her pack. Part of hunting ethically is practice, making sure the real shot is accurate and effective. “It’s a really hard concept for some people to understand how you can love and respect a species or even an individual animal so much and still be able to take its life,” Sampson said. “It’s something you can’t understand until you’ve done it.” The pair wasn’t dead set on harvesting a deer on that early Saturday in November. It served as a dry run for the real deal — Sampson’s mentorship hunt the following weekend. To hunt or not to hunt Across the United States, the number of hunters is decreasing, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife data. Montana, traditionally a hot spot for elk, deer and bird hunting, is seeing a different shift. From 2012 to 2022 there was a 7% decrease in resident hunters in the state, while the number of nonresident hunters increased 44%. Hunters and anglers contribute heavily to conserving wildlife and fisheries through excise taxes and license sales. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the population of hunters nationwide has decreased by around 2% of the U.S. population since 1991. “I think we are all trying to see if that is a trend that extends on,” Libby Metcalf, the associate dean of the Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, said. “It could be a full stop reversal of declining trends, or it could be just a random blip.” The next Fish and Wildlife survey in 2027 may help determine whether declining hunters is a serious concern. “To be clear, that’s not where we are at in Montana,” said Greg Lemon, the division administrator for communication and education at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. While Montana isn’t suffering from revenue or overall hunter loss because of the increase of out-of-state hunters, the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Club continues to teach ethical and sustainable practices in its chapters across the nation. Last year, license sales in Montana made up 59% of the Fish, Wildlife & Parks budget, totaling over $92 million. These funds also come from the 1937 Pittman Robertson Act, which established a tax on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. The FWP received $29 million from these taxes, making up 18% of the budget. Dove fields Growing up in Pennsylvania, dove hunting with her father was one of Sampson’s favorite pastimes, often retrieving the doves he shot. But sometimes the doves were still alive, and Sampson would bring them back for her father to kill. “Eventually we got to this point where I would bring it back and my dad would be like ‘No, you have to do this, you have to kill this animal,’ and so it was kind of this natural progression,” Sampson said. Handling the doves helped Sampson develop a love of the animals. “When you get up close, they’ve got this beautiful pink sheen on their breast and the sweetest, loving, little beady eyes,” Sampson said. “I have such an appreciation and love for that species, and the individual dove, but I also know it means so much for me to take that animal’s life, and then it fuels me.” Sampson wasn’t always excited to hunt, though, and she recognizes hunting isn’t something everyone understands. In the years since those childhood trips, she found herself drifting away from hunting. “Hunting is not something you can be pressured into liking, you really have to come to it yourself,” Sampson said, “I initially hated deer hunting, because it’s really boring because you get up and wait in a tree stand and wait for the deer to come.” As a senior studying environmental science and geography, she has come to realize that hunting in Montana is different from in Pennsylvania. Instead of sitting in a tree for long hours, Sampson found herself using a spot and stalk method — a different hunting technique used in Montana’s fields and forests. Several of her friends at the university were into hunting as well, and she realized that for many folks in Montana, it is a way of life. “I started coming back to it on my own terms,” Sampson said. Part of those terms is a greater responsibility to the hunt. Growing up hunting with her dad, she didn’t plan as much, and it wasn’t always her own experience. She wanted to feel the weight of that responsibility by taking the time to build up her confidence to shoot, stalk and plan the hunt herself. Sampson also wanted more experience in the field. The weekend before her practice hunt with Budine, she went out with friends just to spend time outdoors, and not necessarily to kill a deer. “It just reminded me exactly of the way I grew to love being outside,” Sampson said. “It’s in a way that’s not super intense. I’m not really stressed about anything, I’m just outside looking for clues.” Different fields, same game Her roommate and mentor, Budine, knew exactly how Sampson felt. Just a few years earlier, Budine had been the observer and mentee. Budine, a senior, grew up in Massachusetts in a nonhunting family and now studies wildlife biology. She also runs the university’s Wildlife Society chapter. Her mentor, Nicole Bealer, helped her to get her first buck. Since then, she has stayed involved in the university’s hunting and angling club and its close-knit community. “I think it brings a lot of people together and shares good values,” Budine said. Another mentee of Bealer’s is the current club president. Claire Mcatee is from Clemson, South Carolina, and studies wildlife biology. Like Sampson, Mcatee gained experience through dove hunting with her father and sister. She watched popular hunting media like Meateater, and it made her want to become more hardcore in her hunting. “I can grow up and be rich and famous and all that’s great, but I really just want to be a badass,” Mcatee said. As a freshman in the club, Mcatee helped pack out a bull elk shot by a mentor-mentee duo. Snow and sleet, rough terrain, and the weight of the large elk on their backs made the experience tough. “It was an absolute shit experience, physically, mentally, emotionally — it sucked,” Mcatee said, “I got back in the car at the trailhead, and I was like, ‘that was so much fun’ like the perfect example of type-two fun.” The day after, she and Bealer went out again and Mcatee shot her first whitetail doe. From then on, Mcatee knew she wanted more. “To me, this is the most badass thing I can do,” Mcatee said. Now, as president of UM’s chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Mcatee reviews mentee applications, coordinates with mentors on who will take who out and helps run a range day to get students familiar with their rifles. “The goal of the program has always been to identify the barriers that keep people from learning to hunt or continue to hunt, and breaking down those barriers, so there’s no excuse,” Mcatee said. Where it all started One of those barriers is creating an open space for people to learn to hunt and socialize with other hunters. This is largely what James Goerz sought to create when he started the program 10 years ago. After getting out of the Marines in 2010, he chose to study wildlife biology at UM. Often hunting with friends from his wildlife biology courses, Goerz found himself frequently taking out many folks inexperienced in the sport. “It was just friends teaching friends,” Goerz said. Ten years after it started, it still has the same spirit. Aspiring hunters are paired with more experienced peers and alumni who guide them in their quest to fill their hunting tag. Nonshooting observers — who aren’t sure if they are ready to hunt but want to join in the experience — are also sometimes assigned to the pairs. Goerz views hunting as an important education tool for teaching students about public lands and wildlife. “It gives you a hands-on perspective on what it means to manage a resource,” Goerz said. Goerz hopes to share a part of Montana culture with students in the short few years they spend at UM. He jokes about “brainwashing them, but in a good way,” and teaching interested students the ethical responsibility hunters have to the resource and the land. “When they go back to Massachusetts or to Texas or to California, I’d like them to take that part of Montana with them,” Goerz said. The big picture The R3 movement is perhaps the biggest example of efforts to increase hunting participation. It focuses on recruitment, retention and reactivation of hunters. While trends have shifted over the last four years — with a spike in outdoor recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic — people with a stake in hunting still worry about its longevity. “When hunting was declining it was kind of paired with the out migration of rural areas to more urban centers, so we can think of demographic shifts as one of factors that may have led to a decline in hunters,” Metcalf said. Metcalf studies recreation trends, oftentimes women in hunting, and barriers of entry to folks who want to hunt. She points to studies across the last 20 years that depict a cultural shift in how people engage in the outdoors, largely due to technology, but with a multitude of factors influencing them. “Between the demographics, between some of this technology, between a loss of connection to some of these rural areas, I think this created this great shift away from outdoor based activities in general,” Metcalf said. Mcatee also has anxieties about hunting’s future. “I’m worried about losing the culture associated with hunting, being down to earth, being willing to be uncomfortable and sacrifice, to feed yourself and your family,” Mcatee said. Mcatee thinks some people are unhappy with R3 because they think there are already too many hunters. But she thinks hunting culture is deeply important to American culture, and that could disappear as more people choose indoor activities. “A lot of hunting is through mentorship, so if you don’t continue the mentorship and there’s a gap, then what are we gonna do?” Mcatee said. Back on the hunt A week after their hunt near Philipsburg, Sampson and Budine were out again, looking to fill their tags. This time, Sampson was with her mentor, Nicole Bealer, and an observer. Budine was out with Mcatee and Montana State University’s Backcountry Hunters and Angler’s president Elliott Drewery. Walking down a closed road in the predawn light, Budine, Mcatee and Drewery found a trio of deer. The hunters knew they were in luck. The deer advanced over the ridge, out of sight. Budine moved down the road and set up the shot. Drewery sat next to her to help advise. Even though she could’ve made the shot, it didn’t feel safe. The buck was standing on the ridgeline. If Budine missed the shot, the bullet would go off over the ridge, and could hit other hunters or animals. They could get a better shot if they were patient. Their game of cat and mouse lasted for nearly two hours, stalking the deer through deadfall of tree limbs and branches. Finally, a clean shot in the dense woods presented itself. Drewery extended his arm against a tree, and Budine shouldered her rifle, resting it on his arm. Budine’s shot rang out over the ridge. The 80-yard shot was perfect. Budine had ensured a quick, humane death for the deer. The trio soon went to work on gutting the deer. They decided they would take out the organs and drag it out whole. They moved fast. As blood pooled in the body cavity, Budine reached in and pulled out the heart. She could see where her bullet pierced the organ. After washing their hands off, they tied the antlers to a stick and dragged the buck half a mile to Drewery’s car. As Budine arrived back to the cabin with her deer on the roof of Drewery’s Subaru Crosstrek, Sampson and Bealer were still out in the field. Just as they were ready to take a break, they discovered a fresh set of tracks. Excited, they followed the prints to a small buck and several does. For the next four hours they moved carefully and slowly, leery of spooking the deer. They crawled on their stomachs through the fresh snow to get closer. The terrain was rough. Dense trees and deadfall made it difficult for the hunters to get a clear sight line to the deer. A clean shot was something Sampson knew she wanted above all else, something she felt responsible for. On top of the difficult terrain, the recent snow and below freezing temperatures made the experience all the more intense. Sampson’s pants were so wet they began to freeze in the cold air. Finally, the deer bedded down. But to Sampson’s frustration, her intended target — the large buck — chose to lie behind a tree. Sampson had to wait for nearly an hour for the buck to move from behind the tree before she could take the shot. As the minutes dragged on, Sampson grew restless, uncomfortable from laying in the snow. “(Sampson), do you even want to shoot a deer today?” Bealer jokingly asked. But Sampson wasn’t ready to give up. The larger buck finally stood up from behind the tree. It was time for Sampson to put months of preparation to the test. She stared down the scope and gave herself one last moment to double-check the shot. But the buck moved farther into the dense woods, making a clean shot uncertain. Sampson felt defeated. Almost as quickly as she lost that opportunity, however, another deer popped up just 20 yards down slope — the original one the pair had been tracking. Sampson quickly readjusted her position and scoped in. Bealer yelled for the buck’s attention. The deer turned to look. Sampson took the shot. The buck fell. Her season was complete. The responsibility toward the hunt and the ethical shot Sampson wanted to make had been fulfilled. “It was such a gratifying experience. I didn’t know how happy I would feel,” Sampson said. Sampson isn’t sure where she’ll go after graduating or what job she’ll be able to get. But she knows she wants to continue hunting. During her time in the club, she heard mentors like Mcatee talk about how “it’s just easier to not hunt than it is to hunt.” Sampson understands that notion, but she’s found herself already trying to get back out to the field, no matter where she ends up in the future. Like so many hunters who had come before, Sampson was choosing the hard route.

LPGA, USGA to require players to be assigned female at birth or transition before puberty

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Fans of the iconic racing game franchise, get ready to rev your engines once again! Exciting news has surfaced indicating that Electronic Arts (EA) is seriously considering remaking the beloved "Need for Speed 9" game, much to the delight of long-time enthusiasts.

Manchester United’s decision to put up the cost of all members’ match tickets to £66 for the remainder of the season has been labelled “offensive” by the club’s leading supporters’ group. Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) revealed the club had informed the fans forum that changes to certain ticket policies will take effect immediately “and that this price will apply for kids and over-65s as well as adults”. The news comes as the club confirmed the cost of paying off former manager Erik ten Hag and his staff was £10.4million, while a release clause to bring in new head coach Ruben Amorim and his staff amounted to £11m. The figures were part of a longer version of the club’s first-quarter accounts which were released to the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. United and Everton fans are set to stage a protest against ticket prices ahead of their Premier League clash on Sunday. Supporters are being asked to gather next to the trinity statue outside Old Trafford to support the Football Supporters’ Association’s ‘Stop Exploiting Loyalty’ campaign. As well as increasing prices generally, fans are unhappy about the removal of concession tickets for certain groups. An MUST statement read: “Suffice it to say that the idea that the fans must pay their ‘fair share’ for the club’s excesses and/or mismanagement — and above all, the Glazers’ lack of investment over two decades — is offensive. “We fans have done everything we have been asked. We have cheered the players on even in the face of substandard performance. “We have objected to this action in the strongest possible terms, both for the action itself and the complete lack of consultation, which is a step backward based on the process we had agreed with the club before INEOS’ arrival. “Over the coming days MUST will be seeking urgent discussions with the club to get them to listen to fans’ concern at this policy. “United fans have sucked up a lot. We will not be silent on this and we need to be prepared to resist any attempts to further drive up ticket prices.” Supporters’ group The 1958 said along with United and Everton, both Liverpool and Manchester City supporters will also display an FSA banner ahead of their match on Sunday. “With 19 out of 20 Premier League clubs increasing ticket prices this season, FC58, Everton, Liverpool and City supporters will display the FSA banner to raise awareness that any future season ticket price increases, removal of concessions, and treating match-going supporters as an easy target to make quick revenues will not be tolerated,” the fans’ group said. “With the discussions around the rebuild or redevelopment of Old Trafford, we need to send a message to the club that we are laser focused on keeping football affordable and looking after our loyal, match-going fan base. “Manchester United have announced that they will be selling tickets to members for the remainder of the season at a minimum of £66 irrespective of if you are under 16, youth, OAP or disabled, which is a clear exploitation of the loyal fan base and their first move towards dynamic pricing.”LOS ANGELES -- Democrats and Republicans agreed on at least one thing before November’s election: California would play a central role in determining control of the U.S. House. Indeed it did. Democrat Adam Gray's come-from-behind victory over Republican Rep. John Duarte in a Central Valley farm-belt district Tuesday — the final House contest decided this year — gave Democrats their third pick-up of a GOP-held seat in the state, a small victory in a tough year for Democrats nationally. While Democratic wins narrowed the gap in the House, Republicans held their ground in two other toss-up contests that helped the GOP defend its fragile majority in Washington. Republicans won 220 House seats this election cycle , with Democrats holding 215 seats. Despite falling short of a majority, Democrats stressed that the party will gain seats next year, leaving the chamber even more closely divided. “Netting three seats was a very big deal,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, the third-ranking Democrat in the chamber, who lives in Redlands, east of Los Angeles, said in Washington. Democratic enthusiasm was tempered, however, by turnout figures that lagged the 2020 presidential election in the heavily Democratic state, even with Kamala Harris leading the Democratic ticket in her home state. Also, Republicans made incremental gains in the state Legislature. Voters overwhelmingly endorsed a ballot proposal that makes shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders again and increases penalties for some drug charges amid frustration over retail crimes, a proposal opposed by some Democrats. The election showed Democrats will need to pay closer attention to issues like crime and the cost of living, even in a state where the party holds every statewide office and dominates the Legislature and congressional delegation, Claremont McKenna College political scientist Jack Pitney said. In the House, Democrats “were hoping that California would push them over the top to gain a majority. But their gains elsewhere were not strong enough,” Pitney added, pointing to GOP wins in North Carolina. Gray won by a margin of less than 200 votes, with election officials reporting Tuesday all ballots had been counted. Duarte captured the seat in 2022 when he defeated Gray by one of the closest margins in the country, 564 votes. He was often listed among the most vulnerable House Republicans given that narrow margin of victory in a district with a Democratic tilt — about 11 points over registered Republicans. Gray said in a statement: “We always knew that this race would be as close as they come, and we’re expecting a photo finish this year, too.” In other Democratic House gains, first-time candidate Derek Tran ousted Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in a Southern California district anchored in Orange County, while Democrat George Whitesides toppled Republican Rep. Mike Garcia is a district north of Los Angeles. In a district east of Los Angeles, Republican Rep. Ken Calvert again held off Democrat Will Rollins in a repeat of their 2022 contest. And Republican Rep. David Valadao kept his grip on a farm-belt seat, despite its heavy Democratic registration edge. The outcome will leave Republicans with nine of the state's 52 U.S. House seats next year. Although California is often seen as a liberal monolith, a string of House districts has proved volatile in recent elections, spotlighting their importance to both parties. Democrats snatched seven seats from Republicans in 2018, then Republicans seized four from Democrats in 2020. In the 2022 elections, Republicans gained one seat, from 11 to 12, while Democrats dropped to 40 seats from 42, after California lost a House seat in reapportionment after the 2020 census. Overall, the state dropped to 52 districts from 53. The state played a pivotal role in securing the gavel for Republicans in 2022 and installing Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield as speaker .The draw against Arsenal marked another positive result for Fulham as they continue to battle for survival in the Premier League. With crucial points at stake in the final stretch of the season, Reed stressed the importance of maintaining focus and determination in every match.

Furthermore, the school invited independent third-party inspectors to examine the winter uniforms and verify the quality of the padding material. The inspectors confirmed that the padding met industry standards and was not made from scrap cloth, as alleged by some parents. The school administration emphasized that the well-being and comfort of students are their top priorities, and they would never compromise on the quality of materials used in the uniforms.

Fans of the iconic racing game franchise, get ready to rev your engines once again! Exciting news has surfaced indicating that Electronic Arts (EA) is seriously considering remaking the beloved "Need for Speed 9" game, much to the delight of long-time enthusiasts.West Virginia knocks off No. 3 Gonzaga in overtime

Goalkeeper:Son Heung-min threw the corner flag at Tottenham Hotspur's home fans. What was the message behind this action? Many believe it was a way of telling Arsenal that Spurs don't rely on corner kicks.

Chennai: Extensive soil quarrying, mining, expansion of agriculture with deep borewell technology and rapid urbanisation destroyed many megalithic burial sites at a fast pace in TN, said archaeologist V Selvakumar from the department of maritime archaeology in Tamil University in Thanjavur on Friday. "Megalithic burial sites marked by giant stone blocks in circular formation along with urns and stone chambers, were once difficult to remove manually. Now, earthmovers clear these sites and burials within hours," Selvakumar said during the Santhanalakshmi Sugavanam memorial endowment lecture at Roja Muthiah Research Library, Tharamani on Friday. His lecture titled "Archaeological Sites as Cultural Resource: Sustainable Heritage Management Strategies" highlighted the need to protect these sites. He pointed to sites such as Perungalur near Pudukottai, Porunthal near Palani, Siruthavur and many others across the state as those destroyed in recent years. Maharashtra Jharkhand Maharashtra Alliance View i Party View Seats: 288 Results Majority: 145 BJP+ 229 MVA 47 OTH 12 Results : 288 / 288 BJP+ WON Jharkhand Alliance View i Party View Seats: 81 Results Majority: 41 INDIA 56 NDA 24 OTH 1 Results : 81 / 81 INDIA WON Source: PValue "In the past, megalithic burials were considered sacred and left undisturbed. However, because of economic growth and the urge for development, people destroyed many sites. As archaeologists, we are helpless as these sites are everywhere, and it is impossible to excavate all sites and immediately preserve them," Selvakumar said. "Excavations of Keeladi in Tamil Nadu and Sinauli in north India changed the perspectives of historians. By preserving archaeological mounds and burial sites, we can unearth new data to understand the Indian past in a more meaningful and scientific manner," Selvakumar added. Archaeological mounds, which are ancient settlements, range from 15cm to 10m and are spread across the landscape. "They are an important source because they have evidence of human activities in the form of material culture, botanical, and archaeozoological remains," he said. Besides mounds, caves, natural rock shelters with paintings and rock-cut caves were also damaged due to mining activities, he added. He suggested reassessing the archaeological heritage management policy at national and state level, creating site museums, regulating mining activities near the archaeological sites, providing heritage education to people and promoting heritage tourism to protect these resources. Further, he suggested conducting salvage or rescue excavations at sites that are in danger, such as the one conducted in Nagarjunakonda while building the Nagarjunasagar dam. Tamil Nadu has an estimated 10,000 archaeological sites, but only about 500 are currently protected by state and Archaeological Survey of India.

"Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, but we cannot let them derail our season," Bootragno said. "We must have a deep squad with quality players ready to step up when needed. Building team depth and adapting our tactics to compensate for absences are essential strategies to navigate through a challenging fixture schedule."

Overall, the outlook for next year suggests that China's efforts to promote consumption will continue to intensify, with new policies and measures expected to be rolled out to support domestic demand. By stimulating consumption, the government aims to bolster economic growth, enhance market vitality, and build a more sustainable and balanced growth model. As China navigates through a challenging global economic landscape, promoting consumption remains a key strategy to ensure continued economic progress and prosperity.

In conclusion, the growth of the ETF market, particularly in dividend-focused products, is a reflection of the evolving investment landscape and changing investor preferences. With over $71.1 billion in assets under management and leading products surpassing $20 billion, ETFs have solidified their position as a mainstream investment option for investors looking to build a well-balanced and income-generating portfolio. By staying informed and actively managing their investments, investors can capitalize on the opportunities presented by the dynamic ETF market and achieve their financial goals in the long run.Manchester United criticised over ‘offensive’ price increase for match tickets