1 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This 2 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: is Cow's Week in Review with Ryan cow Calaian. Here's cap. 3 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: A family of three found themselves stranded and cold in 4 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: the National Forest near West Yellowstone, Montana, last week when 5 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: their e bikes ran out of battery. It's unclear exactly 6 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: where they were or how far it would have been 7 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: to walk out, but local media reports they were approximately 8 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: twelve miles west of town near the two top trails. 9 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: They called nine to one one to reports that they 10 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: were cold and needed help, and local search and rescue responded, 11 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: along with members of the Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District, 12 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: Custer Gallatin National Forest law enforcement, and deputies from the 13 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: Gallatin County Sheriff's Office. For those counting, that's four different 14 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: agencies that were forced to use time and resources on 15 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: this quote rescue effort. They used side by sides to 16 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:06,559 Speaker 1: drive up the trail and pick up the family along 17 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: with their bikes, and carry them back to safety and civilizations. 18 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: It seems like you can't throw a rock on a 19 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: public hiking trail without hitting someone on an e bike 20 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: these days. I'm not saying you should throw rocks at 21 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: e bikers, by the way, but for some reason, that's 22 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: just the first expression that comes to mind. Anyway, e 23 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: bikes are popular because they make it easier to access 24 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: back country locations. You'll get there faster. But there's also 25 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: a downside a lot of people don't know about, and 26 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:36,199 Speaker 1: I'm talking about short battery life. Unlike dirt bike riders 27 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: and ATV aficionados, e bikers don't pay back into the system. 28 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: That's because even though e bikes are motorized bikes, they 29 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: have a motor motorbike. Most regulations don't require e bike 30 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: riders to get an off highway vehicle sticker. That means 31 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: they're out there clogging up the trails and getting themselves 32 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: stranded without throwing in a couple of bucks to the 33 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: old trail maintenance pot. They aren't willing to do that. 34 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: Let me suggest that they keep their e bike where 35 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: they belong, on the streets and sidewalks around town. And 36 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: that especially goes for folks who can't pedal when the 37 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: batteries quit. Let me know if that sounds harsh to you, 38 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: Ask c Al. That's Askcal at the meeteater dot com. 39 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: This week, we've got Neanderthals, cats, drones and pipes. But 40 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: first I'm going to tell you about my week. And 41 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: my week was spent right here in the Montana heat. Well, 42 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,959 Speaker 1: I suppose I started in Connecticut with my buddy Brent 43 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: Reeves and the good folks at can Am. We got 44 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: spoiled driving around the brand spanking new Defenders, which I 45 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: really have got to admit are very impressive. Biggest thing 46 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: I can say, and this is a serious compliment. Can 47 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 1: Am listened to the customer made this new version high 48 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: performance while at the same time more user friendly, as in, 49 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: you can take it apart and modify it at home 50 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: and put it back together. It's wrenchable. Some of us 51 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: like to get a long way from the dealership, don't 52 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: you know. Other fun thing about Connecticut was I did 53 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: a super fun round on the trails through this chunk 54 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,959 Speaker 1: of woods owned by a boarding school. I explained to 55 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: the guy who drove me that in Montana we have 56 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: boarding schools, but they are the type that you either 57 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: picked to go to that school or go to jail. 58 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: These ones, from what I hear, are a little different. 59 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you've ever seen scent of a woman, 60 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:23,079 Speaker 1: but that's the type I'm talking about who. The woods 61 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: were awesome. High humidity, stifling hot deciduous forests are pretty 62 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 1: darn cool for a Montana kid. The path went down 63 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: to a lake, so I stripped down to my shorts 64 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: and jumped in for a swim. Was really getting the 65 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: exercise in great little solo trip. On the way back, 66 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: I thought it would be best to keep my shirt 67 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: in my hand and let the old beer gut swing, 68 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: mostly because I brought it with me and putting a 69 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: shirt on when you're all wet is a real pain 70 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: in the butt. So there I am in Parts Unknown, 71 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: huffing and puffing up the rolling hillsides and the creek bottoms, 72 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: and for the first time I see a person who 73 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: looks like they're ducking down under a bridge. I'm about 74 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: to cross this bridge, but it's on the other side 75 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: of this little crest of a hill. And as I 76 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: cress that little hill and pop out onto the bridge, 77 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: I see there's about thirty women in their bathing suits, 78 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: all hanging out in the creek bottom, completely out of sight. 79 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: Now I was only guessing that this piece of property 80 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: was friendly to trespassers. I did not confirm with anyone 81 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: that it was, so I wasn't gonna stop half naked 82 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: to find out. Instead, I picked up the pace, crossed 83 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: that little bridge lickety split, and made her back into 84 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: the woods, just in time to hear a lady yell, hey, 85 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: there's a guy. After that, I hopped on a plane, 86 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: made her home just in time to make the typically 87 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: six hour drive out to Glendive, Montana, but with Montana 88 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: road construction, it was about I don't know seven and 89 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: a half for a friend's wedding and Glendive Dinosaur capital 90 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: of Montana. Go Red Devils. Congrats Jana and Nick. Over 91 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: to the Neanderthal desk. Researchers have long known about the 92 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: ability of ice age humans to render essential fat from 93 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: the bones of the animals they hunted. They split the 94 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 1: bones into pieces, boiled them, most likely in hide bags 95 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 1: filled with heated rocks, then skimmed the fat off the 96 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 1: surface of the cooled liquid. This helped them stave off 97 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:21,359 Speaker 1: so called rabbit starvation, which sets in when people only 98 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: have protein to eat After about three hundred grams a 99 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 1: day of the human liver can't process additional calories from protein, 100 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: so without carbohydrates or fat, even a person with all 101 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: the backstrap in the world is in trouble. But scientists 102 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: had never been able to document intensive fat rendering operations 103 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: any earlier than twenty eight thousand years ago, leading some 104 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: researchers to conclude that Neanderthals, who went extinct about forty 105 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: thousand years ago, didn't have to know how to harvest 106 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: calories this way. However, a site recently uncovered in eastern 107 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,720 Speaker 1: Germany now shows evidence of a fat rendering operation from 108 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,600 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty five thousand years ago, well before 109 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: anatomically modern heath humans even reached Europe. Scientists at the 110 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: Newmark Nord archaeological site recovered over one hundred thousand bone 111 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: fragments from one hundred and twenty seven different animal species, 112 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: all of which had been crushed to access fat rich 113 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: marrow inside them, as well as the evidence of the 114 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: fires used for the rendering. The list of species show 115 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: that the Neanderthals were extremely impressive all purpose hunters, bringing 116 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: in critters like bears, foxes, deer, horses, and wolves, but 117 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: also ancient two horned rhinos, giant cattle known as oros, 118 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: and even several straight tust forest elephants. The largest terrestrial 119 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: mammal of the era at thirteen tons. The site's shattered 120 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 1: bones all became covered in sediment very soon after they 121 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: were used, which told researchers that the animals had been 122 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: brought to the location all at once for the purpose 123 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: of large scale fat rendering, rather than ending up the 124 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: site over a long period of time. The team also 125 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 1: found five stone anvils and fifty eight hammerstones, which which 126 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: together are known in the archaeological biz as a quote 127 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: unquote percussive toolkit. This supports the theory that led Zeppelin 128 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: drummer John Bonham was in fact a Neanderthal. Now, I'm 129 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: not going to give up buttering my toast anytime soon, 130 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,239 Speaker 1: and I've certainly used a heck a lot of bone 131 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: marrow on toast points and shoot my finger from time 132 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: to time. But I wudn't mind trying to pi acrest 133 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: made with some rendered or rock lard. That would certainly 134 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: set your pecan pie apart this upcoming Thanksgiving. Moving on 135 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: to the feral cat desk, this week, we have another 136 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: strike against the domestic cat as possibly the worst invasive 137 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: species in North America, making spotted lantern flies and zebra 138 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: muscles look like bison and prairie grass. This time, the 139 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: evidence comes from Fire Island, a roughly one thousand foot 140 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: wide barrier island running thirty miles along the south side 141 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: of Long Island in New York State. Fire Island has 142 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: the only federally designated wilderness area in New York and 143 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: is extremely important habitat for the piping plover, a sparrow 144 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: sized shorebird that's threatened up and down the Atlantic coast 145 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: despite intensive conservation efforts. Plovers aren't your typical threatened native species, 146 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: as they actually thrive in disrupted habitat. They are, in fact, 147 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: quote unquote disturbance dependent. Plovers have to lay their nests 148 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: in open sand that must nevertheless be far enough away 149 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: from the ocean to stay dry year round. The only 150 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: places that fit the bill are recently flooded zones where 151 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: lots of sand has washed inland. This means that, ironically, 152 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: as coastal regions have been putting more and more effort 153 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: into flood resistance and response to climate change, plovers have 154 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:47,079 Speaker 1: lost the disturbance habitat they need. Anyway, the wide, regularly 155 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: flooded beaches of Fire Island are perfect plover habitat. Which 156 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: also makes them perfect habitat for plover predators. One of 157 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: the most fearsome has historically been the red fox, which 158 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: ten years ago had reduced Fire Eye Island's population of 159 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: piping plovers to only around twenty mating pairs. But twenty 160 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: fifteen brought a bit of relief in the form of 161 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: sarcoptic mange, a highly contagious infestation of skin mites that's 162 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: fatal for wild cannids and knocked back the Fire Island 163 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: foxes significantly. As the foxes died off, the plovers thrived, 164 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: but a vacuum was left at the top of the 165 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: food chain, which, wouldn't you know, it has now been 166 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: filled by feral cats who are doing a better job 167 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: eating plovers than the foxes ever did. Longtime listeners to 168 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: this show may be able to predict that trap newter 169 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: release programs have been tried in the area to very 170 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: limited success. Those efforts are even less useful because trap 171 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: neuter release is actually prohibited on federally protected parkland. Scientists 172 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 1: who have been documenting the transformation over the past ten 173 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: years have even been calling for the cats to be removed, 174 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 1: but I'm not confident we'll see a regulated cat hunt 175 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: anytime soon. I'll admit that I do have a glimmer 176 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 1: of compassion for the feral cats. It's on Fire Island. 177 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: It's impossible to see a piping plover chick and not 178 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,319 Speaker 1: want to eat it. They look like little fuzzy dumplings, 179 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: complete with tooth pick legs for you to pick them 180 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 1: up with. And remember, trap new to release does not work, because, 181 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: as the old joke goes, the cats aren't trying to 182 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: have sex with the plovers to death. They're trying to 183 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: eat them over at the drone desk, A federal Court 184 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: of Appeals has upheld a lower court's ruling against a 185 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: company seeking to use drones to recover wounded deer in Michigan. 186 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: Mike Yoder, owner of Ohio based Drone Deer Recovery LLC, 187 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: filed the original suit in US District Court against the 188 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 1: Michigan Department of Natural Resources after the DNR advised him 189 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: that he was violating the state's ban on using drones 190 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: in the take of wild game. Yoder argued that the 191 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 1: ban was in fact violating his First Amendment rights, preventing 192 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,160 Speaker 1: him from communicating the location of a dead deer to 193 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: his client. Michigan won that round when Judge Paul Maloney 194 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: wrote in his twenty twenty five ruling, quote, Plaintiffs are 195 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: free to track down to deer in a different manner 196 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 1: and relay their findings. Plaintiff's ability to relay location information 197 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: is not regulated by the drone statute just flying the drone. 198 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: Yoder then appealed his decision to the Federal Sixth Circuit 199 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: Court of Appeals. The higher court took Yoda's side on 200 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: the speech issue, disagreeing with the lower court that using 201 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: a drone and communicating about down deer had nothing to 202 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: do with each other. The Court of Appeals wrote, quote, 203 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: the availability of other ways of creating and sharing location 204 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: information does not negate plaintiff's First Amendment interest in using 205 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 1: drones to do so. Translation, because a drone collects information 206 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: about where dead deer is in a completely different way 207 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 1: than blood tracking or using dogs, that distinct kind of 208 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: information could be considered speech as defined in the First Amendment. 209 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:55,079 Speaker 1: That win is likely cold comfort to Yoder. However, because 210 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: that appeals court went on to write, it is enough 211 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: for the Michigan Department of Matter Resources to show that 212 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 1: prohibiting the use of drones to take game furthers Michigan 213 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: stated important interests. Essentially, if Michigan wants to protect fairchase 214 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: by banning drones, they are within their rights to do so. 215 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: Even if drone information can be called speech, Shouting fire 216 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: in a crowded theater is also speech, but the government 217 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: can say you just can't do that. These might seem 218 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: like technicalities, but if Yoder decides to take this case further, 219 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: another court could decide that his drone speech is more 220 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: important than the effect of drone recovery on fair chase. 221 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: The advocacy group behind Yoder's case, the Pacific Legal Foundation, 222 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:43,199 Speaker 1: called the Michigan dn r's policy quote unquote government overreach, 223 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: but that term is often thrown around when the government 224 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: does something that someone just doesn't like. Part of the 225 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: government's job is to protect our shared resources, which we 226 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: have to remember the public at large has a hell 227 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: of a track record of taking whatever the hell they want, 228 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: especially if they think somebody else is going to get 229 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 1: it first, which is how we end up with quote 230 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: unquote government overreach. In a lot of circumstances, it is 231 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: absolutely the right call to keep more tech out of 232 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: the back country. When possible, especially tech that has so 233 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: much potential for abuse. Yoder's company requires hunters to sign 234 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: a document stating that they believe a lost deer to 235 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: be dead. It's not hard to imagine hunters and other 236 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: for profit companies getting very loose with those definitions. Once 237 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: drones are tracking animals. Even if there are regulations in place, 238 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: it would be extremely difficult for law enforcement to determine 239 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: who was doing it ethically and who was bending the rules. 240 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: You can imagine how it would go. I wasn't using 241 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: the drone to scout Officer. I was just looking for 242 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: this deer I wounded further. Sometimes the risk of fair 243 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: chase hunting is losing an animal because you took a 244 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,959 Speaker 1: bad shot. You might not get the meat, but the 245 00:13:55,000 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: scavengers definitely will. If you want a different take on them, 246 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 1: head over to the meadeater dot com and check out 247 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: Eli Fournie's excellent twenty twenty three article on Yoder's suit or. 248 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson, a guy who before I read this seemed 249 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: like an ethical person to me, comes down in favor 250 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: of drone recovery. This is something that we're going to 251 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: be hearing more and more about, for sure, to me, 252 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: this is an example of one person's feeling about their 253 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: high and mighty rights could lead to no more deer 254 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: in the woods, or for people like me, no interest 255 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: in hunting deer anymore, because everybody else thinks it's a 256 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 1: computer game. If you want to hunt deer with drones, 257 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 1: you don't even have to leave your couch. That doesn't 258 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:51,600 Speaker 1: sound like hunting to me. Moving on to the paranormal 259 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: deer desk, Texas wildlife officials have named the suspects at 260 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: the center of a massive smuggling operation to illegally trans 261 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: that'sport whitetail deer across the state, and one of the 262 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: alleged smugglers is on the board of the Texas Deer Association. 263 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: These ghost deer, as they've come to be called, were 264 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: allegedly transported between breeding facilities in an attempt to skirt 265 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: the rules designed to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease. 266 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 1: They're called ghost deer because the smugglers tried to make 267 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: them disappear, at least in the eyes of wildlife officials. 268 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: You may remember a few months ago when Texas Game 269 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: wardens announced that twenty two suspects had been charged with 270 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: a total of twelve hundred charges in connection to this scheme, 271 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: but none of the suspects were named, which indicated that 272 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: the investigation was still ongoing. Then last week, the agency 273 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: revealed that the investigation had reached a possible conclusion after 274 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: two additional suspects turned themselves in on felony charges. Ken Schlout, 275 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: the owner of four deer breeding facilities and one release site, 276 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: along with facility manager Bill Bauers, surrendered to the Travis 277 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: County District Attorney's office on charges of felony tampering with 278 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: a government record. Schlout is a prominent deer breeder and 279 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: had until yesterday been listed as a board member of 280 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: the Texas Deer Association. They have been accused of entering 281 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: false information into the Texas Wildlife Information Management System to 282 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: facilitate illegal smuggling of white tail breeding deer. They also 283 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: face more than one hundred misdemeanor charges related to unlawful 284 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: breeder deer activities in tom Green County. You can read 285 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: all the details in an article by Jordan Sillers over 286 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: at the meeater dot com, but I'll give you the 287 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: spark notes. Basically, the Texas Deer Association is the advocacy 288 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: arm of deer breeders in Texas. They lobby the state 289 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: legislature to ease back on restrictions for breeders and allow 290 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 1: them to more easily transport deer across the state. Slout 291 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: was a board member for this organization, though his name 292 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: has since been removed from the website. For his part, 293 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: Slout believes this investigation is an effort to target TDA 294 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: board members and others who have lobbied against Texas Parks 295 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: and Wildlife on the captive deer issue. He told us 296 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: they haven't run wild deer on their ranches in nearly 297 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: ten years. He's confused as to why he was included 298 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: in the investigation. Of course, Texas game wardens aren't claiming 299 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 1: that these twenty four suspects only smuggled wild deer. They 300 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: also smuggled captive deer, and Schlouts Ranch has those in spades. 301 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: Rockinness Ranch in San Angelo, Texas bills itself as a 302 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: prime location for hunting, sight seeing, and premium exotics and 303 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 1: whitetail genetics. They say they breed for big, typical deer, 304 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:26,360 Speaker 1: but the sires they brag about are anything but typical. 305 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:32,120 Speaker 1: These grotesque bruisers have been dubbed Gunslinger, Freeze Frame, high Heat, 306 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: triple Crown, and max Bow. And keep in mind, they're deer. 307 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: These are not characters in the Running Man. They're white 308 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: tail deer. We'll keep following the story as it progresses. 309 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 1: Game wardens say this is one of the largest deer 310 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: smuggling operations in Texas history, so hopefully they'll be able 311 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: to bring some of these yahoos to justice when deer 312 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:57,120 Speaker 1: breeders flout the rules for their own profit and endangers 313 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,439 Speaker 1: the entire white tail population and all the hunt that 314 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 1: rely on that population to chase deer year round and 315 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: eat tasty meals. Moving on to the plumbing desk. An 316 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: entire lake dried up in Minnesota last week after a 317 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: valve and the dam malfunction, leaving thousands of dead fish 318 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,439 Speaker 1: on a drying out lake bed. Big thanks to listener 319 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,199 Speaker 1: read Carlson for sending us this story. Alice Lake is 320 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: or I guess, was a nine foot deep, twenty six 321 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 1: acre lake northeast of the Twin Cities. It's a popular 322 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 1: fishing destination in Minnesota's William O'Brien State Park, and it 323 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: used to be home to bluegil black croppie, largemouth bass, 324 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 1: northern pike, and walleye, among others. It's a man made 325 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:41,400 Speaker 1: lake filled by groundwater, but recent rains had caused elevated 326 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: lake levels. Water was beginning to overflow from the lake 327 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 1: into the Saint Croix River, which raised erosion concerns. So 328 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,959 Speaker 1: park staff did what I'm sure they've done many times before. 329 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 1: They opened the valve to lower the lake level. Problem was, 330 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: when they went back to close the valve, it got stuck. 331 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: We discovered the closure mechanism had failed and the valve 332 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 1: was stuck open. This resulted in a near total water 333 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,919 Speaker 1: level draw dout. Enterprising anglers rushed to the scene and 334 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: tried to save as many fish as possible. The New 335 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,640 Speaker 1: York Times published a photo of two fellas and waiters 336 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: waste deep in the mud, scooping up fish with nets. 337 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 1: I'm sure locals were able to harvest some fish and 338 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 1: move others to nearby Saint Croix River, but the DNAR 339 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 1: says that most of the fish in the lake died. 340 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,880 Speaker 1: The agency is responding to the issue, but it will 341 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 1: take at least four to six weeks to fill the 342 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: lake back up. After that, I anticipate it will take 343 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: another several years before it becomes a decent fishery again. 344 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 1: The good news is that Minnesota is still the land 345 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: of ten thousand Lakes, so there are plenty of alternatives 346 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: to choose from moving on to the legislative desk, the 347 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:49,359 Speaker 1: New York Department of Environmental Conservation has released its Wildlife 348 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 1: Action Plan and agency officials are looking for public input. 349 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: Thanks to listener Tom Levy for bringing this to my attention. 350 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: Wildlife Action Plans are created by every state. These plans 351 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: identify speed and habitats of concern, and then they lay 352 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,439 Speaker 1: out a strategy for conserving them. The idea is to 353 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: be proactive about threatened species before they get placed on 354 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 1: the endangered Species list. At that point it takes way 355 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: more time and resources to address the problem. In New York, 356 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: the plan identifies five hundred and seventy species of greatest 357 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:23,480 Speaker 1: conservation need, but it also removes fifty species from the 358 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 1: previous list. Some of these animals, like the common loon 359 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,160 Speaker 1: or the red shouldered hawk, have recovered or stabilized, while 360 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: others no longer have breeding or wintering populations in New York. 361 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 1: New York deer hunters will also be pleased to see that, 362 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 1: despite rumblings about reintroducing wolves to the state, the proposed 363 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: plan does not prioritize reintroducing predators anytime soon. Residents have 364 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: until September twenty to comment on the environmental strategies planned 365 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: in the draft. Will post a link to the proposal 366 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: over at the meat eater dot com forward slash col 367 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: and you can send comments two and why swap twenty 368 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: twenty five. You better be careful with how you type 369 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 1: this into the Google machine. Kids and y swap twenty 370 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:14,440 Speaker 1: twenty five at DC dot NY dot gov. Just down 371 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 1: the interstate, in Pennsylvania, state legislators are introducing bills that 372 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: would allow residents to hunt big game with semi automatic rifles. 373 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: Semi auto rimfire rifles are already allowed for small game, 374 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: but hunters can't bring similar firearms into the woods for deer, bear, 375 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: and other large critters. One bill would allow semi automatic 376 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:35,120 Speaker 1: weapons to be used as long as a hunter does 377 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: not load more than three cartridges. Another would do the same, 378 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: but up that limit to six. These legislators say the 379 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 1: proposals are meant to align with rules about hunting with 380 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: semi automatic shotguns and follow pretty much every other state 381 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 1: besides Delaware that allows semi autos in the deer woods. 382 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,359 Speaker 1: The Pennsylvania legislature doesn't convene until next month, so we'll 383 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: keep track of these bills as they make their way through. 384 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 1: Last on the list and out in the Great Stata, Idaho, 385 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: the state legislature is working on a constitutional amendment that 386 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: would restrict public land sales. Senator Ben Adams says he 387 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 1: plans to propose the amendment at the beginning of the 388 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: twenty twenty six session of the Idaho Legislature, which begins 389 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:19,360 Speaker 1: in January. The amendment is a fine idea, but it's 390 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,919 Speaker 1: not quite as good as it could be. It doesn't 391 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: prohibit the sale of currently held state land in Idaho, 392 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,640 Speaker 1: which numbers about two and a half million acres. Instead, 393 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: it requires all new and future lands acquired from the 394 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,920 Speaker 1: federal government to be placed in a trust. The land 395 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: in that trust would never be sold, and unlike current 396 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: state property, there would be no provision for maximum financial 397 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: return on those parcels. Instead, they would be managed for 398 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 1: multiple uses. Any revenue generated from grazing or timber harvest 399 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: would go to support rural schools in communities that are 400 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: surrounded by public lands. The Idaho Constitution can be amended 401 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: if two thirds of both chambers of the legislature vote 402 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: for a proposal, then a majority of voters must agreed 403 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: to it, which would be done during the general elections 404 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty six. While I would have liked to 405 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: have seen protections for currently held public land, I'm glad 406 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: that politicians are beginning to think about ways to protect 407 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: future acquisitions. Now if only the United States Congress would 408 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:21,199 Speaker 1: consider something similar about federal land, the good type of 409 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: federal overreach. That's all I got for you this week. 410 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening. Remember to write into 411 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: ask cl that's Ascal at the meteater dot com. Let 412 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: me know what's going on in your neck of the woods. 413 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,199 Speaker 1: You know I appreciate it. Thanks again, talk to you 414 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: next week.