Few parasites in modern history have caused as much concern among wildlife biologists, ranchers, and animal health experts as the New World Screwworm.
Unlike most parasites, screwworm larvae feed on living tissue. Animals suffering from an infestation can develop severe wounds that grow larger as the larvae continue feeding. Left untreated, infestations can become life-threatening.
The United States once fought a decades-long battle against screwworm, ultimately achieving one of the greatest animal health victories in history by eradicating the parasite from the country. For many Americans, screwworm became little more than a historical footnote.
Today, however, concern is growing once again.
To better understand the threat, I recently spoke with legendary wildlife biologist Larry Weishuhn, known to many as “Mr. Whitetail.” Larry witnessed the original screwworm crisis firsthand and observed the damage it caused before the parasite was eliminated from the United States.
His perspective is particularly valuable because it combines historical experience with decades of wildlife management expertise. During our conversation, we discussed the biology of screwworm, the lessons learned from past eradication efforts, and what wildlife managers, ranchers, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts should be watching as this situation develops.
One thing is clear: the New World Screwworm is not simply another wildlife issue. It is a parasite with a long history of affecting wildlife, livestock, and rural communities, and its return has captured the attention of experts across multiple fields.
As more information becomes available, continued monitoring, public awareness, and cooperation between wildlife agencies, livestock producers, and animal health officials will be critical.
For those who care about wildlife conservation, hunting, ranching, and the future of America’s natural resources, the New World Screwworm is a story worth following closely.
Wildlife professionals, livestock producers, hunters, and conservationists are closely monitoring developments involving the New World Screwworm and its movement closer to the United States. The potential impacts extend far beyond individual animals.
Whitetail deer, livestock, pets, and even endangered wildlife species could all face risks if screwworm becomes established in areas where it has previously been absent. Beyond animal health concerns, the economic and conservation implications could be substantial.
Chester Moore
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BEAUMONT, Texas — Wildlife journalist, conservationist, and Higher Calling Wildlife® founder Chester Moore earned eight First-Place awards and multiple additional honors at the 35th Annual Press Club of Southeast Texas Excellence in Media Awards, with recognition spanning faith-based writing, conservation storytelling, documentary filmmaking, podcasting, public service broadcasting, and digital media.
The awards were presented by the Press Club of Southeast Texas and featured competition from mainstream television, radio, print, and digital media organizations throughout the region.
Chester and his wife Lisa at the 2026 Press Club awards.
Among Moore’s First-Place honors was the Faith-Based/Inspirational category for The Girl, the Mountain Goat, and the Promise, an article published on the Higher Calling Wildlife blog. The story chronicled his daughter Lyla’s mountain goat hunt and the faith journey, challenges, and lessons that surrounded the experience.
“That story was especially meaningful because it wasn’t simply about wildlife or the outdoors,” Moore said. “It was about faith, perseverance, family, and keeping a promise. To see it recognized is truly humbling.”
Higher Calling Wildlife also earned Second Place for Best Blog. While it marked the first time in five years that Higher Calling Wildlife did not capture First Place in the category, the outcome reflected the continued growth of Moore’s broader media platforms.
He won best special publication for his work as chief writer for the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Conservation Impact document.
Dark Outdoors earned First Place for Best Blog, while the Gulf Great White Shark Society blog earned Third Place, giving Moore’s publications a sweep of the category with First-, Second-, and Third-Place honors.
Dark Outdoors also received First Place for Podcast Excellence, recognizing its unique blend of wildlife, conservation, history, mystery, and outdoor storytelling.
Additional First-Place honors recognized Moore’s work with the Gulf Great White Shark Society, including Best Documentary for Gulf Great White Sharks: Return of an Icon, Best Press Release for the documentary’s premiere event at the Museum of the Gulf Coast, and a Public Service Announcement broadcast on iHeartRadio NewsTalk 560 KLVI that raised awareness about great white sharks in Gulf waters.
Moore served as writer, producer, and narrator of Gulf Great White Sharks: Return of an Icon, while Paul Fuzinski partnered on the project as videographer and editor. The documentary previously earned Best Outdoors Video honors from the Texas Outdoor Writers Association.
“These awards are particularly meaningful because they come from a competition filled with talented, hardworking journalists who care deeply about serving their audiences and communities,” Moore said. “It is an honor to be recognized alongside such a prestigious field of professionals.
“What encourages me most is seeing faith, conservation, wildlife, and outdoor storytelling resonate with broader audiences. Whether it’s a story about great white sharks, a personal journey of faith, conservation issues, or the mysteries of the outdoors, people still connect with stories that inform, inspire, and make them think.”
Through Higher Calling Wildlife, Dark Outdoors, and the Gulf Great White Shark Society, Moore continues to produce award-winning content focused on wildlife conservation, outdoor adventure, faith, education, and public outreach.
The recognition reflects a long-standing commitment to telling stories that connect people with the natural world while encouraging stewardship, appreciation, and wonder.
About Higher Calling Wildlife
Founded by Chester Moore, Higher Calling Wildlife is a media platform dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor adventure, faith-based inspiration, and storytelling that connects people to the natural world. Through articles, podcasts, documentaries, radio features, public outreach, and conservation initiatives, Higher Calling Wildlife seeks to educate, inspire, and encourage stewardship of wildlife and wild places.
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Higher Calling Wildlife® is back with a brand new episode featuring Dana Dykema of the Ignite podcast from the Women Hunt program of the Wild Sheep Foundation.
In this conversation, Dana talks about the growth of Ignite and how the podcast is helping communicate messages of conservation and hunter advocacy.
The episode dives into modern wildlife management and how regulated hunting helps support healthy wildlife populations and habitat conservation.
We also talk about mentorship, education, and why it is important to create opportunities for new hunters and outdoors enthusiasts to learn about conservation and hunting traditions.
As Higher Calling Wildlife returns, this episode is a great reminder that conservation is about much more than wildlife alone. It is about protecting habitat, preserving outdoor traditions, and making sure future generations have the chance to experience healthy wildlife populations and wild places.
We salute the Women Hunt program and the leadership of Chair Renee Thornton for all of their work in creating new stewards of these resources.
If you care about conservation, hunting, or the future of wildlife management, this is an episode you will not want to miss.
It was a strong year across the board for Chester Moore, who picked up five honors at the Texas Outdoor Writers Association Excellence in Craft Awards in Rockport, TX May 2.
A big part of that recognition came through work published here at Higher Calling Wildlife on highercalling.net. The site has built a consistent track record, having also been named the top blog by the Press Club of Southeast Texas for four consecutive years.
At TOWA, Moore earned a first-place finish in the Outdoor Humor category for Encountering the Devil’s Boar, a story that takes a different angle on a memorable wildlife encounter. Another Higher Calling Wildlife piece, focused on the challenges facing Key deer and the ongoing screwworm issue, placed second in the Best Outdoors Blog category.
His work in other areas was recognized as well.
He took first place honors for his work in the Conservation Impact publication for the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) as well as placing for his Dire Wolves & Designer Sheep article for WSF.
The Dark Outdoors podcast was named Best Outdoors Podcast for the second year in a row. The show looks at the darker side of the outdoors—true crime, animal attacks, and unsolved mysteries that happen in remote places—and continues to grow its audience.
There are plans to expand Dark Outdoorsin 2026, with more episodes than in the past, along with new programs and continued development of the blog at DarkOutdoors.com.
On the conservation side, the Gulf Great White Shark Society also received recognition. GulfGreatWhites.com was named Best Website for the second year in a row, and the documentary Gulf Great Whtie Sharks: Return of an Icontook first place in the video category.
Moore wrote, produced, and narrated the film, working with Paul Fuzinski, who handled videography and editing.
Reflecting on the awards, Moore said:
“I am extremely grateful and humbled to be honored by TOWA, such a great organization, and to have the opportunity to compete with such great outdoor media people. This inspires me to work even harder. This year was very special winning for something I care so much about, which is work on great white sharks.”
Taken together, the awards reflect a mix of writing, podcasting, and conservation work, with continued growth expected across all platforms moving forward
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Recent testing has revealed that some of the island’s coyotes carry astonishing levels of red wolf ancestry in a few cases, as much as 70 percent.
That’s a startling number when you consider that the Red Wolf is one of the most endangered mammals in North America, with only a small, managed population remaining in the wild.
To the untrained eye, a Galveston coyote looks like any other Gulf Coast song dog: lean, long-legged, wary. But hidden in its DNA is the genetic echo of a predator that once roamed from Texas to the Carolinas.
Some researchers have started calling them the “ghost wolves” of the Gulf Coast, living remnants of a species many believed was functionally lost outside a tightly controlled recovery zone.
My latest video talks about a unique effort involving cloning to help forward the conservation of the red wolf.
Chester Moore
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A dire wolf has been brought back through modern genetic science — and I sat down with the company executive overseeing the project to understand exactly how it happened.
In this in-depth interview, we discuss dire wolf cloning, de-extinction science, CRISPR gene editing, ancient DNA recovery, conservation biotechnology, and what this breakthrough could mean for endangered species, ecosystem restoration, and the future of wildlife management.
Is this true de-extinction?
Could extinct animals like the woolly mammoth or saber-toothed cat be next?
What are the ethical concerns around cloning predators?
It’s a fascinating conversation and this is just the beginning.
Part two will come next week as we dive into how this technology might have an impact on the highly endangered red wolf breeding program.
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They came politely, clipboards in hand, introducing themselves as researchers studying chronic wasting disease. In Kerrville neighborhoods where white-tailed deer drift through backyards like pets, the visitors spoke the language of science and stewardship.
They asked homeowners about deer sightings, herd health, and whether they might allow access to their land for “sampling.” Only later did residents learn that these supposed researchers were not affiliated with any recognized university or wildlife agency.
According to local law enforcement warnings, individuals were falsely claiming to be researchers in order to gain access to private property—raising concern that the encounter was a front for illegal take rather than legitimate science.
This unsettling incident illustrates a broader reality: modern poaching schemes are becoming more sophisticated, deceptive, and difficult to detect, and they are often distinguished from ethical hunting only by intent and legality.
Ethical hunting is a regulated activity deeply tied to conservation.
According to state wildlife management experts and major conservation organizations, ethical hunters obtain licenses, abide by season dates, respect bag limits, and seek landowner permission before accessing private property.
Ethical hunters operate under the principle of fair chase, meaning animals are pursued without giving the hunter an improper or unlawful advantage.
Chester is a passionate hunter with a heart for conservation. Here he prepares for a long walk back to camp with an eastern turkey taken near Cato, NY. He has worked throughout this entire career to expose poaching.
Ethical hunting also plays a vital role in conservation funding. License fees and excise taxes paid by hunters support habitat restoration, wildlife research, and law enforcement. By contrast, poaching undermines that system entirely. According to wildlife crime definitions used by state and federal agencies, poaching includes taking animals out of season, exceeding legal limits, trespassing, using prohibited methods, or misrepresenting identity or purpose to gain access to land.
Poaching today is rarely impulsive.
According to research conducted by the Boone and Crockett Club’s Poach & Pay Project, approximately 96 percent of poaching incidents in the United States go undetected.
The study used surveys of conservation officers, hunters, landowners, and convicted poachers to estimate what researchers refer to as the “dark figure” of wildlife crime. This high rate of undetected activity allows illegal harvest to persist with little immediate consequence.
Criminological studies on wildlife crime show that poachers actively seek to reduce detection risk.
According to research published by Arizona State University’s Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, wildlife offenders often plan carefully, choosing locations, times, and methods that avoid enforcement patrols and witnesses. These behaviors increasingly resemble organized property crime rather than opportunistic rule-breaking.
Technology has widened the divide between ethical hunting and poaching. Ethical hunters use tools such as trail cameras and mapping applications legally and with permission. Poachers may use similar technology covertly.
According to conservation technology research published in peer-reviewed journals, drones, GPS tools, and encrypted communication platforms are increasingly exploited by illegal hunters to scout land, monitor animal movement, and coordinate activities while minimizing exposure.
The sophistication of modern poaching has forced enforcement agencies to adapt. According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime research on wildlife trafficking, illegal wildlife activity often mirrors other forms of organized crime, requiring intelligence gathering, surveillance technology, and interagency cooperation rather than simple patrol enforcement.
These trends have consequences beyond the animals taken. According to wildlife biologists, illegal harvest distorts population data by removing animals outside of scientifically established quotas, often targeting prime breeding individuals. This undermines long-term management goals and complicates efforts to maintain healthy wildlife populations.
Poaching also harms ethical hunters. According to hunter advocacy organizations and wildlife agencies, illegal activity erodes public trust in lawful hunting.
When landowners encounter deception or trespass, they may respond by closing access altogether, limiting opportunities for ethical hunters who follow the rules and support conservation.
Illegal wildlife trafficking is starting to put a dent in jaguar populations.
Local authorities emphasize that legitimate wildlife research does not involve unannounced door-to-door visits requesting immediate permission to harvest animals. According to law enforcement advisories, residents should verify credentials, confirm agency affiliation, and report suspicious behavior promptly.
The Kerrville incident serves as a reminder that modern poaching often hides behind the appearance of legitimacy.
Ethical hunting operates openly, lawfully, and in cooperation with wildlife management systems. Poaching relies on secrecy, deception, and exploitation.
As illegal schemes grow more elaborate, protecting wildlife will depend on informed communities, ethical hunters, and enforcement strategies capable of distinguishing stewardship from crime.
Chester Moore
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Wildlife cloning is already happening — and it is happening both in illegal circumstances and sanctioned by the government.
Watch my special report on wildlife cloning.
The Marco Polo sheep, one of the world’s most iconic wild sheep species, is now at the center of a debate that raises urgent questions:
• Is wildlife cloning helping conservation—or harming it? • Who regulates cloning endangered animals?
• What happens when science moves faster than ethics and law? This video explores the dark side of wildlife cloning, conservation risks, genetic manipulation, and the long-term impact on biodiversity.
If you care about endangered species, conservation science, or animal ethics, this is a conversation we need to have.
Check out the video and watch till the end and share your thoughts—should wildlife cloning be banned, regulated, or embraced?
Chester Moore
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For decades, people across the southern United States have reported seeing unusually large wildcats — often identified as Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) — despite the species not being officially confirmed in the Deep South.
These sightings have fueled long-standing rumors of secret lynx stocking programs, whispered explanations passed through hunting camps and rural communities.
Similar to past mountain lion misidentification stories in the South, reports of “lynx” often reveal how unfamiliar wildlife, poor lighting, and size exaggeration can create persistent legends.
But where did these stories really come from? In this investigation, I examine the biology and confirmed range of the Canada lynx, how it differs from the far more common bobcat (Lynx rufus), and why misidentification has played such a powerful role in Southern wildlife lore.
This documentary explores whether Canada lynx have ever occurred in the American South, how they differ from bobcats, and why generations of Southerners have reported seeing “lynx” where none are officially recognized. Even popular references reflect this confusion.
A famous “souped-up wildcat” joke told by comedian Jerry Clower illustrates how people have long described unusually large or intimidating wildcats using the word “lynx,” regardless of species.
Jerry Clower talked about a “lynx” in Mississippi.
By separating rumor from record, folklore from biology, and perception from documented range, this film traces how the idea of “lynx in the South” took hold — and what the real history actually shows.
Chester Moore
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Stories about giant black bears have circulated for generations, but separating fact from exaggeration requires leaning on official records, check-station data, and documented wildlife management actions. According to state wildlife agencies and verified reporting, a small number of black bears in North America have reached extraordinary sizes—well beyond what most people associate with the species.
Black bears are remarkably adaptable animals, capable of thriving in forests, swamps, agricultural landscapes, and mountain terrain. According to wildlife biologists, when genetics, age, habitat quality, and food availability align, some males can reach weights that rival much larger bear species. The following examples represent the most credible heavyweight black bears on record, based on official agency data and documented cases.
A huge bear captured and move in Tennessee.
The most frequently cited benchmark comes from eastern North Carolina. According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the heaviest male black bear recorded in the state weighed 880 pounds. Agency records list the bear as having been taken in Craven County in November 1998, making it the largest confirmed black bear in North Carolina’s long-running dataset covering more than five decades.
According to multiple outdoor media accounts referencing that event, the bear was harvested by hunter Coy Parton near Vanceboro. Wildlife officials have long noted that North Carolina’s coastal plain—with its agricultural crops, swamp forests, and abundant mast—produces some of the largest black bears in the eastern United States.
Canada has also produced verified heavyweight black bears in recent years. According to Outdoor Life, hunter Shaun Stratford harvested an exceptionally large black bear on September 16, 2021, north of Temagami, within Ontario’s Wildlife Management Unit 40. According to the report, the bear weighed 803.9 pounds after being field dressed, with the weight recorded during recovery.
A 696-pound black bear harvested in Louisiana’s first season in 40 years back in 2024.
According to wildlife professionals quoted in the coverage, a black bear with a field-dressed weight exceeding 800 pounds would likely have weighed well over that amount alive, though no official live weight was recorded. The bear’s size was significant enough that Stratford required assistance from companions to load and transport it from the field.
In the northeastern United States, Pennsylvania stands out as a consistent producer of large black bears. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the heaviest black bear officially documented in the state weighed 733 pounds live. That bear was harvested during the 2010 fall bear season in Clinton County and weighed through the agency’s official check-station process.
According to the Game Commission, Pennsylvania has documented numerous bears exceeding 600 pounds, particularly in the state’s north-central region. Biologists attribute those weights to extensive hardwood forests, productive mast crops, and a bear population that includes older age-class males capable of reaching extreme size.
New Jersey has also recorded a notable heavyweight in recent years. According to New Jersey wildlife officials and regional reporting, hunter Brian Melvin harvested a black bear near Kinnelon on October 15, 2024. The bear was officially weighed at a state check station and recorded at 770.5 pounds field dressed.
According to officials, that weight placed it among the largest black bears ever documented in the state. While estimates of the bear’s live weight circulated publicly, the only confirmed figure remains the check-station measurement, which wildlife agencies consider the most reliable data point.
Not all heavyweight black bears are documented through hunting. According to Florida media reports, a 740-pound black bear was trapped and euthanized by wildlife officials on January 18, 2015, following repeated human-bear conflicts. According to those reports, the bear’s weight was measured during the official response, and it was described at the time as the largest black bear recorded in Florida.
According to wildlife biologists across multiple states, bears reaching these sizes are typically older males that have survived for many years, dominated prime habitat, and exploited seasonal food sources such as acorns, agricultural crops, and natural protein. These large males play an important role in bear population dynamics by influencing breeding patterns and habitat use.
The heaviest black bears on record are reminders of what the species is capable of under the right conditions. According to verified agency data and documented cases, these animals were not myths or inflated campfire stories, but real bears measured by professionals.
Somewhere today, in a river bottom, coastal swamp, or hardwood ridge, another black bear may be quietly growing larger with each passing season—unknown to the record books, but fully capable of becoming the next heavyweight legend.
— Chester Moore
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