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Wednesday, February 25th, 2026
Good morning! Welcome to The Tradesman, a 5-minute newsletter tailored just for America’s tradesmen.
We have a special announcement!
After considering the feedback we’ve received from our readers, starting next week on March 3rd, The Tradesman will be shifting to publishing editions every Tuesday and Thursday.
We are excited to use this new schedule to continue delivering you all the best stories without overwhelming your inbox!
Deer Season by the Numbers
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, hunters were issued 424,241 deer permits for the 2025-26 season. Ohio hunters checked 232,142 white-tailed deer before the season concluded Feb. 1, 2026.
Deer hunting remains a popular tradition for many Ohio families. Read here to find out what the best age is to introduce hunting.
They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To
Remember your grandparents' avocado-green refrigerator, humming along since 1987 without a single complaint? That thing was basically immortal.
Today's fridges typically last just 7 to 15 years, nowhere near the 30-plus years older models delivered.
Even worse, the smarter your refrigerator gets, the harder and more expensive it is to fix. Here’s why.
Morning Meme
We May Have Some Explaining to Do
Speaking of kids. Pizza or Chicken?
Based on the overwhelming response every time we give away Roosters gift cards, you people really love chicken.
But here's the question keeping us up at night: do kids prefer pizza or chicken?
We ask because we noticed that on December 28, 2025, Domino's Pizza reported selling $1.54 billion in pizzas.
Flexible Scheduling in Skilled Trades
Traditional skilled trade jobs are known for rigid, set shifts, but flexible scheduling options are increasingly being used to improve worker satisfaction and work-life balance.
Staggered shifts have workers starting and ending at different times, reducing peak-hour congestion while maintaining a continuous workflow.
Compressed workweeks condense the standard 40-hour week into fewer days (such as four 10-hour days), giving employees an extra day off.
But is this four-day work week a good plan? Find out here.
POLL
If you had a choice of these three schedules, which one would you take?
Previous Results
Is Love Blind?
Yes - 44%
No - 33%
Who cares? - 23%
Thank you for reading Wednesday’s edition of The Tradesman. We always welcome any reader feedback by simply replying to this email!