1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: From Mediators World News Headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: Cal's weekend review, presented by Steel. Steel products are available 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: only at authorized dealers. For more, go to Steel Dealers 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: dot com. Now here's your host. Ryan cal Callahan. 5 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 2: A trapper in northern Minnesota, made national news last week 6 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 2: for going above and beyond to save an animal that 7 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 2: had been caught in one of his traps. This good 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 2: hearted individual had snagged a Pine martin In a set 9 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 2: meant for bobcats. A set is, you know, like you're 10 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:40,919 Speaker 2: if you were somebody who was out there fishing with 11 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: bobber and a worm, that would be your set. Okay, 12 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 2: when your trapper a trap that is baited and ready 13 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 2: to rock is a set, You're welcome. Pine Martin seasons 14 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 2: had already ended, so he called the Minnesota DNR to 15 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 2: report the incidental take. But according to conservation Officer Nicholas 16 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 2: p or Perchar Pracker pratchar Perchar, give me a call, 17 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 2: let me know how to pronounce that. We'll just call 18 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 2: him DNR Officer Nick, the man was almost in tears 19 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: on phone because he said he didn't want the animal 20 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 2: to die. Moments later, the man said he saw the 21 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 2: Martin's eyes flutter and he hung up. He called back 22 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 2: to report that he'd revived the Martin using the animal 23 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 2: version of CPR. He put his lips on the animal's 24 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 2: nose and blew into it, which miraculously worked. Video taken 25 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 2: by the trapper's wife confirmed the sequence of events, and 26 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 2: game wardens arrived to find a very alive and very 27 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 2: angry Pine Martin pinballing around the trapper's ATV. The animal 28 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 2: was released back in the wood shortly thereafter, and he'll 29 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 2: have quite a storage tell at his next dinner party. 30 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: Animal CPR is a very real thing. According to the 31 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 2: American Red Cross. If you ever discover that your dog 32 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 2: or other animal isn't breathing and doesn't have a heartbeat, 33 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 2: the organization recommends performing thirty chest compressions at a rate 34 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: of one hundred per minute. After that, rush your teeth. 35 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 2: Give the animal two rescue breaths by closing its mouth 36 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: and blowing into its nose until you see the chest rise. 37 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 2: You know, like if you ever you got a naughty 38 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 2: dog and you clamp its jaw shut. We'll do that 39 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 2: gently and blow into its nostrils. This Minnesota trapper has 40 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 2: so far declined to talk about the experience to the media. 41 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: But don't go thinking this is a one off late 42 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 2: Christmas miracle. Lots of stories in the waterfowl world of labradors, 43 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: Chessias and swamp collies being wet kissed back to life. 44 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: Those hunters not only get their buddies back after a 45 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 2: really scary moment, but they also had the best excuse 46 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: for any dog mistakes forever. Well, you can't be too 47 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: hard on old Gus. He's short a few brain cells. 48 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 2: I ever tell you about the Timey drown. This week 49 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 2: we've got HPAI, Ice, Float, Snort Report, and Kevlar. But 50 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 2: first I'm gonna tell you about my week in My 51 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: week was a lot of fun. First, big thanks to 52 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 2: the boys, Taylor Luon and Will Compton of Busting with 53 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,959 Speaker 2: the Boys for coming out to duck hunt here in Montana. 54 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: It's only because of you two we got midweek hunt 55 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 2: in with Old Snort. She is a happy girl after 56 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 2: a morning of mixed water and field retrieves. She did 57 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: pretty darn well too, considering this was our first duck 58 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: hunt of the year. Kills me to say that. You'll, 59 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 2: of course be able to watch some of the fun 60 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 2: on an upcoming Meat Eater podcast and some field footage 61 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 2: on the Meat Eater YouTube channel. One big issue Snort 62 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: and I are having is my old whistle, which is 63 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 2: the only whistle Snort has ever been around, is really 64 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 2: starting to fail. It's starting to stick and get this 65 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: high pitch scream and can't hear it. But Snort doesn't 66 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 2: know any other whistle, so the new whistle I have, 67 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 2: which is a different pitch, is something that's very easy 68 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 2: for her to ignore. So there's been a little bit 69 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 2: of frustration there. I've been out practicing with her, but 70 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 2: in the heat of the moment of that duck action, 71 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 2: that hard headed little girl tends to forget. But didn't 72 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: have any lost ducks and no humans had to retrieve anything, 73 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 2: so it was pretty darn good. Then, for more fun, 74 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: we had to ease to the family farm, which is 75 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 2: very small but at times loads up with geese. We 76 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 2: had a super fun, very relaxing day in the sun 77 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 2: on Saturday, with no shortage of goose killing opportunities. I 78 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 2: managed to get a nice double with the side by 79 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 2: side twenty gage using three inch bismuth number five's the 80 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 2: federal type and dump those big honkers like a sack 81 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 2: of bricks, a led Zeppelin if you will. Another nice 82 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 2: couple of retrieves by snort, and I realized she could 83 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 2: use some off season weight training. Those big honkers are 84 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: tough on a little dog. Saturday was so good I 85 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 2: invited doctor Randall Williams out. His arrival coincided with an 86 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 2: unsuspected storm front which forced a bunch of birds out 87 00:04:57,839 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: as in out of the state and made the wind 88 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 2: from all the wrong directions. As trying to be a 89 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 2: good host and let Randall get the shot. Opportunities that 90 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 2: did present themselves, but in the end we only came 91 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 2: away with one goose, a very tiny goose, something I 92 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 2: would call a cackling goose. There are four subspecies of 93 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 2: cackling goose, which, for those of you who are not 94 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 2: birders or not goose hunters, these are just small geese 95 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 2: and comparatively rare to the enormous numbers of Canada geese. 96 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 2: According to Ducks Unlimited, a two thousand and seven population 97 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 2: study estimated only seventy four thousand Taverners geese, which is 98 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 2: what I kind of figured this one is. But outside 99 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 2: of that, it's also just a tiny goose. The one 100 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 2: Randall shot, like I said, is more than likely a 101 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 2: taverner's which is not quite the tiniest of the tiny geese, 102 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: and he shot this goose with a ten gage shotgun, 103 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 2: which is the largest gauge shotgun a hunter can use. 104 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 2: Just how to point that out. Don't worry, the tiny 105 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 2: geese have seen steady population increases along with the Canada geese, 106 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: which are writing a fifteen hundred percent population increase over 107 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:07,239 Speaker 2: the last forty years. Moving on to the pandemic desk, 108 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 2: the bird flu epidemic isn't as serious as last year, 109 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 2: but it's still taking a toll on some waterfowl populations. 110 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 2: Listener Mike from Wisconsin sent me a story from his 111 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 2: neck of the woods about a quarry near Green Bay 112 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 2: that was shut down due to a bird flu outbreak. 113 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 2: Several dead geese were found recently at Duck Creek Quarry 114 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 2: and testing confirmed that they died of highly pathogenic avian influenza. 115 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 2: The quarry and surrounding trails will be closed to public 116 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 2: access until five days pass with no sick or dead birds. 117 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 2: There have been about eighty six hundred reported cases of 118 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 2: bird flu and wild birds since the outbreak began in 119 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 2: January of twenty twenty two. According to the USDA, there 120 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 2: were only two hundred and seventy five cases reported in 121 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: December of twenty twenty three, and the prevalence of the 122 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 2: disease has decreased since its peak in twenty twenty two. 123 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 2: That's good news for both duck hunters and chicken farmers, 124 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 2: but bird flu isn't going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, 125 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 2: Alaska made history recently when wildlife officials confirmed that a 126 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 2: polar bear had died of the disease for the first 127 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 2: time ever. The bear was found in October on Alaska's 128 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 2: North Slope. While polar bears feed mostly on seals, Wildlife 129 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 2: officials believe the bear probably got the flu by eating 130 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 2: a dead bird, which is often how non avian gritters 131 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 2: end up with the illness. Along with the polar bear, 132 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 2: three foxes, a black bear, and a brown bear have 133 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 2: died from avian influenza and Alaska in the past two years. 134 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 2: Other areas have seen dead skunks, raccoons, mountain lions, squirrels, seals, 135 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 2: and other animals. Several black and brown bears have died 136 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 2: of the disease, so it was really only a matter 137 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 2: of time before it claimed one of Coca Cola's mascots. 138 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 2: But this polar bear story illustrates the differences between this 139 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 2: outbreak and the one in twenty fourteen. In twenty fifteen, 140 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 2: those years saw millions of dead chickens and turkeys, but 141 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 2: other species didn't often make the news. This time around, 142 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 2: we're seeing far more dead wild birds and mammals, which 143 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 2: makes it more different cult to stamp out the disease. 144 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 2: It's unfortunate to wipe out an entire chicken farm, but 145 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 2: in the grand scheme of things, it's a relatively simple process. 146 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 2: It's far more challenging to address a disease in wild populations, 147 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 2: but that's exactly what wildlife officials are trying to do. 148 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 2: If you thought it was tough to convince Americans to 149 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 2: get vaccinated for COVID, just try convincing an eight hundred 150 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 2: pound carnivore to take the jab. You'll need more than 151 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 2: a catchy jingle and the help of late night talk 152 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 2: show hosts. There isn't a vaccine for bird flu, but 153 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 2: you get the point. When a disease jumps to wild populations, 154 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 2: it's almost impossible to contain. And speaking of polar bears. 155 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 2: The fuzzy Arctic mammals may contain the secret to the 156 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 2: next breakthrough in winter clothing. Thanks to listener Jim Lane 157 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 2: for sending us this story. Chinese scientists created a material 158 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 2: modeled after polar bear fur, and they found that it's 159 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 2: warmer and less bulky than down in wool jackets. Each 160 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 2: strand of polar bear fur contains pockets of air that 161 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 2: trap heat and prevent it from escaping, but those pockets 162 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 2: are also surrounded by a dense outer shell that gives 163 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:05,320 Speaker 2: the hair structure and makes it durable. These scientists developed 164 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 2: a synthetic material called encapsulated aerogel fiber that works on 165 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 2: the similar principle. They knitted a sweater out of this 166 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 2: material and tested it against a down jacket, a wool sweater, 167 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 2: and a long sleeved cotton top. Even though the polar 168 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 2: bear sweater was only one fifth as thick as the 169 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,959 Speaker 2: down jacket, it had the best insulation of all four fabrics. 170 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 2: It also maintained its heat trapping properties even after being stretched, 171 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 2: washed and dyed. It's a long way from being mass produced, 172 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 2: but if any view folks at First Light are listening, 173 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 2: you may want to jump on this one. Australian mountaineer 174 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 2: George Finch was nearly laughed off the mountain when he 175 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 2: showed up in one of the first down jackets, but 176 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 2: his design became the basis for some of the warmest 177 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 2: clothing ever produced. Maybe it's time for the next advancement 178 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 2: and we'll be able to thank polar bears without having 179 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 2: to deprive them of their fur. Moving on to the 180 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 2: anti hunter desk, an environmental organization in British Columbia has 181 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:07,959 Speaker 2: bought the commercial hunting rights to eighteen thousand square kilometers 182 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 2: of the Great Bare Rainforest on the province's north and 183 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 2: central coast. That represents about a quarter of the entire 184 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 2: forest and makes the group the largest hunting tenure holder 185 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 2: in British Columbia, with control of more than fifty six 186 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 2: thousand square kilometers. The group is called the Raincoast Conservation 187 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 2: Foundation and they've been buying these hunting tenures since two 188 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 2: thousand and five. A hunting tenure in BC is a 189 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 2: lot like a guiding lease here in the US. An 190 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 2: outfitter or guide purchases the exclusive right to hunt on 191 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 2: a specific piece of property, and no one else can 192 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 2: guide clients in that area. The Raincoast Conservation Foundation purchases 193 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 2: these tenures, but instead of using them to guide hunters, 194 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 2: they either go unused or they use them for eco 195 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:53,839 Speaker 2: tourism and wildlife watching. Canadian law does include some requirements 196 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 2: for how these hunting tenures must be used, but they 197 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 2: don't require the guide or hunters to actually kill anything. 198 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 2: Forest Conservation Foundation takes advantage of this loophole and they 199 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 2: aren't shy about it. We are required to do hunts 200 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: in order to maintain these territories at this point. One 201 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 2: of the group's officials told the CBC, We've been very 202 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 2: unsuccessful at those hunts and so the harvest rate has 203 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 2: gone down to zero in those properties. We just have very, 204 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 2: very poor hunters, he said. Actual hunters and outfitters in 205 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 2: Canada aren't too happy about this, as you can imagine. 206 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 2: While grizzly hunting was banned in the province in twenty seventeen, 207 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,559 Speaker 2: hunters can still pursue all kinds of game in one 208 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 2: of the most rugged beautiful places on earth. But with 209 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,199 Speaker 2: commercial hunting rights in these areas controlled by what are 210 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 2: essentially animal rights activists, their options are limited. The group 211 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 2: Hunters for BC told the CBC that the law should 212 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 2: changed to compel the owners of hunting tenures to actually hunt, 213 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 2: not just go through the motions and sign a few 214 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,199 Speaker 2: pieces of paper. They also pointed out that the threat 215 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 2: to game species doesn't come from hunters, comes from habitat 216 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 2: loss and degradation. If anything, barring actual hunters from these 217 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 2: areas will make this problem worse because fewer people will 218 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 2: know or care about these landscapes. Hunters are great conservationists, 219 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 2: not because they're better than other people. They want to 220 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,199 Speaker 2: preserve the habitats and species they pursue because they love 221 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 2: the experience and fall in love with those places. They 222 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,439 Speaker 2: don't want to see those places disappear, and so they 223 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 2: fight to protect them. Buying up hunting rights doesn't do 224 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 2: anything to improve habitat or encourage more people to get 225 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 2: involved in conservation. Thanks to listener Cale Patterson for sending 226 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 2: us that story. If you live in BC, or ever 227 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 2: plan to hunt there, get on the phone with the 228 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 2: provincial government. They need to see how much money they're 229 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 2: losing by keeping hunters off these areas. That's not the 230 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,199 Speaker 2: best reason to care about this issue, but sometimes it's 231 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 2: the only language. Our elected officials understand moving on to 232 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:52,319 Speaker 2: the ice fishing desk. Tis the season for ice fishing, 233 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 2: which means tis the season for ice fishing accidents. Up 234 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 2: in Minnesota when angler died and several others had to 235 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 2: be rescued after an ice fishing vehicle known as a 236 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 2: bomber crashed through the ice. The incident occurred on the 237 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 2: Lake of the Woods. The Sheriff's office reported that a 238 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 2: Bombardier tracked vehicle crashed through the ice carrying eight passengers. 239 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 2: These vehicles looked like a cross between a snowmobile and 240 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 2: a beetle. They have tracks on the back and skis 241 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 2: on the front, and they also have curved covered tops 242 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 2: with round, submarine like windows. Anyway, one of these things 243 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 2: broke through twelve inches of ice while heading to an 244 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 2: ice fishing spot near Flag Island. The driver began assisting 245 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 2: passengers out of the vehicle until, according to the Sheriff's office, 246 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 2: the cold water prohibited their continued efforts. One man tragically 247 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 2: remained in the vehicle, a seventy eight year old named 248 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 2: John Frey of Wisconsin. His body was recovered below the 249 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,439 Speaker 2: surface in about ten feet of water, and investigation is ongoing. 250 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 2: Another ice fishing accident turned fatal last month, this one 251 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 2: in the Wisconsin town of Westcott. Details are scarce at 252 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:55,839 Speaker 2: this time, but local media reports that a man went 253 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 2: fishing on Lulu Lake on Christmas Day but did not 254 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 2: return home. He was reported missing around four to thirty 255 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 2: pm on that day by concerned family members, and officials 256 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 2: found a hole in the ice next to his fishing gear. 257 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 2: The search was called off that night due to the 258 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 2: dark and restarted Monday morning. His car was found near 259 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 2: the boat ramp and his body was eventually recovered in 260 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 2: the lake. His name has not been released, but officials 261 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 2: did say he was seventy eight years old. Yet another 262 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 2: ice fishing accident took place last week in Minnesota, though 263 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 2: fortunately no one died. One hundred and twenty two anglers 264 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 2: were stranded on an ice floe after it broke away 265 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 2: from the shoreline on Upper Red Lake in Beltramere County. 266 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 2: By the time someone reached the nine to one to 267 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 2: one operator, the flow had drifted over thirty feet from shore. 268 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 2: According to a statement by the Beltramie County Sheriff's Office, 269 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 2: no one fell in until someone tried to ferry people 270 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 2: back to shore in a canoe. Four people got a 271 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 2: free ice bath for their efforts, but all of them 272 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 2: were rescued and survived. The remaining one hundred and eighteen 273 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 2: people were rescued by emergency personnel, but it took two 274 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 2: and a half hours to complete the task. It's important 275 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 2: for everybody to know here that this isn't the first 276 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 2: time ice anglers have had to be rescued from this lake. 277 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 2: The Beltrami County Sheriff's office says that anglers have been 278 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 2: stranded three times since December seventeenth. The sheriff's a Facebook 279 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 2: page is filled with stories about people getting stranded or 280 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 2: breaking through the ice in their ATVs, and one person 281 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 2: even broke through in an airplane. Folks like getting out 282 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 2: on the ice with their families over the holidays, but 283 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 2: unseasonably warm weather means the conditions are far more dangerous 284 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 2: than a year's past. A Cow's Weekend Review listener wrote 285 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 2: in to tell me that there might be another reason 286 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 2: this lake is seeing more accidents than usual. Eric Nelson 287 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 2: explained that the Sheriff's office put a ban on motorized 288 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 2: vehicle traffic on the Upper Red Lake until the ice 289 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 2: is thick enough to be safe, but this band does 290 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 2: not apply to the resort owners who allow their guests 291 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 2: to ice fish. Sheriff Jason Riggs says resort operators and 292 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 2: guide services have permission to operate vehicles on the ice 293 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 2: for the wellness and well being of their customers, but 294 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 2: private anglers still aren't allowed to use motorized vehicles. The 295 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 2: sheriff says that the resorts often act as first responders, 296 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 2: makes sense to allow them to keep using ATVs, but 297 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 2: Eric points out that these resort owners are partly to 298 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 2: blame for this year's accidents, since they're the ones who 299 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 2: have told their guests where it's safe and where it's not. 300 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 2: Eric says they sometimes don't monitor conditions closely enough, which 301 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 2: has led to dangerous conditions and ultimately the vehicle ban. 302 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 2: Whatever the case may be, any ice angler can determine 303 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 2: for themselves whether a section is safe to walk across. 304 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 2: Carry an ice pick, rope, ice chisel, tape, measure, spud bar, 305 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 2: and check the ice thickness regularly, and be aware that 306 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 2: conditions can change quickly. Ice can be twelve inches thick 307 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 2: in one spot and only a few inches thick six 308 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 2: feet away. Four inches of clear new ice can support 309 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 2: ice fishing activities on foot, while you need at least 310 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 2: five inches to support an ATV, but old ice can 311 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 2: be significantly weaker than new ice, and you don't always 312 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 2: know how recently the ice is formed. To be safe, 313 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 2: you should look for at least eight inches to go 314 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 2: fishing on foot and ten inches to drive out in 315 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 2: an ATV. One piece of safety equipment for you folks 316 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 2: who are prone to getting stranded on ice floes, which 317 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 2: is an every year event. Looking at you, Wisconsin. You 318 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 2: know those fully contained battery operated trolling motors. That's what 319 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:16,919 Speaker 2: you need to carry with you. That way, when the 320 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 2: slab breaks off. It's like that Charlie Barron's joke, Right, 321 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 2: that slab breaks off, you can just put your trolling 322 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,640 Speaker 2: motor on the edge of the ice, drive everybody back 323 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 2: to shore. Huh, think about it. Moving on to the 324 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 2: law enforcement desk, two men are facing charges for reckless 325 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 2: endangerment after they fired forty five rounds at two game 326 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 2: wardens and claimed to be hunting coyotes. The Columbus Dispatch 327 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:43,119 Speaker 2: reports that the incident occurred in Pike County, Pennsylvania, and 328 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 2: involved a man from Ohio and another from Brooklyn, New York. 329 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 2: It was the opening day of deer rifle season, and 330 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 2: the game wardens were speaking with another hunter when they 331 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 2: began to hear bullets whizzing past their heads. They took 332 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 2: cover behind their vehicles, and one of the wardens was 333 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 2: able to flip his siren on. The shooting immediately stopped 334 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 2: and then went to instigate. They found the two men 335 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 2: decked out for guerrilla warfare. One was wearing body armor, 336 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,399 Speaker 2: an orange hat, and carried a handgun. The other was 337 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 2: wearing a ballistic helmet, an orange vest, and carrying an 338 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:12,919 Speaker 2: AK forty seven rifle. They said there were new hunters 339 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 2: and had been firing at movement through the trees, assuming 340 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,639 Speaker 2: they were shooting at coyotes. They emptied both magazines at 341 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 2: the game wardens, fifteen rounds from the handgun and thirty 342 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 2: from the rifle. Somehow missed hitting either law enforcement officer, 343 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 2: but they're still facing multiple charges, including recklessly endangering another person, 344 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 2: discharging a firearm at random, using a semi automatic rifle 345 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 2: or pistol, and multiple hunting violations. The man wearing the 346 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 2: body armour said he decided to do so because he 347 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,719 Speaker 2: was worried about being shot by another hunter. How's that 348 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 2: for some irony. Moving on to the mail desk, listener 349 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:53,439 Speaker 2: James Eaker wrote in to tell me about a quirky 350 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:57,640 Speaker 2: North Carolina law that rescinds all animal cruelty restrictions against 351 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 2: possums for five days each year, known as the Possum 352 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 2: Purge in reference to the twenty thirteen movie The Purge. 353 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 2: This bill does exactly that quote. No state or local statutes, rules, regulations, 354 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 2: or ordinances related to the capture, captivity, treatment, or release 355 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 2: of wildlife shall apply to the Virginia a possum between 356 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 2: December twenty nine and January tewod. It was passed by 357 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 2: large majorities in the House and Senate in twenty fifteen 358 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 2: and signed by then Governor Pat McCrory. At this point, 359 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 2: you're probably asking yourself, what do North Carolinians have against possums? 360 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 2: Possums may look like giant rats, but there are native 361 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 2: species to North America and they serve important ecological functions. 362 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,199 Speaker 2: Why would the North Carolina legislature allow human residents to 363 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 2: mistreat possums for five days around the new year. As 364 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,640 Speaker 2: with most unusual laws, this one was passed to serve 365 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 2: a small specific group of people. The owner of a 366 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 2: convenience store in Brasstown, North Carolina. Longtime listeners will remember 367 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:58,919 Speaker 2: this one started a New Year's tradition in nineteen ninety 368 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 2: called the Possum Drivet. It was like the Times Square 369 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 2: Ball drop, but instead of gathering to watch a giant 370 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 2: disco ball, the residents of Brasstown gathered to watch a 371 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 2: possum slowly lowered in a transparent glass box. If you 372 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 2: don't believe me, there's plenty of footage online you can watch. 373 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 2: Animal rights groups were none too happy about this event, 374 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 2: so they filed a lawsuit and response, the state legislature 375 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:25,119 Speaker 2: passed the Possum Purge Law to protect the Possum Drop organizer, 376 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 2: a man named Clay Logan. Ironically, just a few years later, 377 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 2: Logan said he'd no longer be moving forward with the 378 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 2: tradition and the Possum Drop is no more, but that 379 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 2: law is still in the books. For five days every year, 380 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 2: North Carolina residents don't have to adhere to any trapping 381 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 2: or cruelty laws as they relate to Virginia possums. We've 382 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 2: covered a lot of bad bills on this podcast, but 383 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 2: this one is ridiculous. I haven't seen any reports of 384 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 2: widespread possum targeting in the tire Hill state, and five 385 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 2: days probably isn't enough time to harm the general possum 386 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:00,400 Speaker 2: population anyway. But for the legislature to supersede the North 387 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,920 Speaker 2: Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission just to protect a silly tradition 388 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:07,680 Speaker 2: in a single town is the worst kind of ecology 389 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 2: by legislation. It's not that bad when compared to the 390 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 2: hunting restrictions and trapping bands we're fighting in other states, 391 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 2: but it still doesn't set a great precedent. Let's keep 392 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,239 Speaker 2: wildlife regulations in the hands of the biologists and let 393 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,679 Speaker 2: our politicians handled the politics. That's all I got for 394 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 2: you this week. Thank you so much for listening. Remember 395 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 2: to write into ask c Al that's Asscal at the 396 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 2: Meat Eater dot com and let me know what's going 397 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,400 Speaker 2: on in your neck of the woods. On top of that, 398 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 2: go to www dot steel Dealers dot com. Find a local, 399 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 2: knowledgeable steel dealer near you. They'll get set up with 400 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 2: what you need and they won't try to send you 401 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 2: home with what you don't. Thanks again, I'll talk to 402 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 2: you next week.