1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: From Mediators World News Headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 1: Cal's we Can Review with Ryan cal Callahan. Now Here's Cal. 3 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: Residents of a New Jersey town are outraged after the 4 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: city council voted to round up the local Canada geese 5 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: and kill them with gas. Thanks to listener Ray Bunyard 6 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: for sending us this story. The town in question is 7 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: called Pea Pack Gladstone, about twenty five miles west of Newark. 8 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: Like a lot of small towns, it has a man 9 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,279 Speaker 1: made pond in the center, designed to give residents a 10 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: natural haven from the hustle and bustle the heavily populated state. 11 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: The pond attracts geese, and geese do what geese do? 12 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: They poop, in this case, right along main street. The 13 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: city council says their efforts to deal with the problem 14 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: have been unsuccessful, so back in March they signed an 15 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture that will 16 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: allow the FEDS to come in and deal with the problem. 17 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: The USDA doesn't offer much in regards to specific information 18 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: about their lethal control methods, but based on similar stories 19 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: from other towns, gassing the geese sounds like a relatively 20 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: common technique. The geese are rounded up when they have 21 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: goslings and are less likely to fly away. They're in 22 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 1: their molting stage right, so they actually can't fly away. 23 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: They're somehow put into containers and then killed with carbon dioxide. 24 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: As you can imagine, some residents are upset. A petition 25 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: has been created that, as of this recording, has nearly 26 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: thirty four hundred signatures calling for a stop to lethal control. 27 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: The petitioners claim that other non lethal methods should be used, 28 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: and they say they have volunteers who are willing to 29 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: pick up after the geese and reduce the chance that 30 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: those feces will spread disease or contaminate the local drinking water. 31 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: Canada geese are migratory birds, but some live in the 32 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: same area year round. Many of these birds are descended 33 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: from the captive bred geese the US government really east 34 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: in the nineteen sixties to help restore dwindling flocks. Captive 35 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: birds haven't learned from their parents to migrate, and why 36 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: would they when they have all the food, water, and 37 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: shelter they need the local golf course. The Fish and 38 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: Wildlife Service estimates that there are three point two million 39 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: resident Canada geese in the lower forty eight, and that 40 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: population has increased significantly over the past few decades. It's 41 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: an interesting issue because while Canada geese are native to 42 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: North America, this isn't how they're supposed to act. Some 43 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: call these resident geese invasive, and I can see where 44 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: they're coming from. It's hard to justify supporting the big, messy, 45 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: sometimes aggressive birds when they shouldn't even be there for 46 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: most of the year. If you are a parent with 47 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: a big, messy, sometimes aggressive kid still living in your basement, 48 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: you can probably relate. Fly away, little bird, fly away. 49 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: This week, we've got land swaps, the DoD BP yeah 50 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: you know me is, and so much more. But first, 51 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,399 Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell you about my week. In My week 52 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: was a ton of fun. Hauled the camper east to 53 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: Turkey Camp. We found sheds, morels and lots of turkeys. 54 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: The very first recipe I'll be making is Regu Dave regaegili. 55 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: I still can't say it right. It's from the Turkey 56 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: Book by Jesse Griffiths. Hearts, livers, gizzards combined to make 57 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: a wonderful, savory warming regu. You can see that on 58 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: the meat Eater YouTube channel. Also, you know, old Chef 59 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: Jesse was on the Meat Eater podcast. You gotta check 60 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: that one out in regards to you know, making good food. 61 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: Ol Brad Leoni is joining me in the Meat Eater 62 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: kitchen as well. That'll be dropping here real quick, so 63 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: head over to the meat Eater YouTube channel and check 64 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: out some standing and stirring as we like to call 65 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: it with a couple of my favorite folks. Anyway, I'm 66 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: gonna be taking all this ragu with me to the 67 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: final Turkey camp of the season, looking forward to more 68 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: absurdly early mornings. It's getting real light, real early these days. 69 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: One thing I just have got to share with you 70 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: is the Montana Mule Deer Special statewide tag. This year 71 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: was raffled off by Montana BHA. The raffle outperformed the 72 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: previous all time dollars raised at auction by thirty eight percent. 73 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: BHA's raffle brought in a whopping fifty six six and 74 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: twenty dollars, which is a new record. So to recap, Montana, 75 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: like a lot of other states, has a few tags 76 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: set aside to fundraise with. These tags are yanked from 77 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: the hands of applicants and put most typically on the 78 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: auction block for those with either deep pockets or no 79 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: financial sense or both, I suppose to bid on and 80 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: a lot of money can be raised by just a 81 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: couple of people willing to spend big. What Montana Bha 82 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: did was take a gamble on wildlife for the people 83 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 1: versus only a few of the people. Raffles traditionally have 84 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: a lower cost of entry, so more people can participate. 85 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: But the question remained, would enough people step up and 86 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: throw in on a twenty dollars chance to at least 87 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 1: match what one individual was willing to pay in a 88 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: previous year. After all, all of the funds go to 89 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: the animal. So if you're auctioning off a sheep tag, 90 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:34,280 Speaker 1: the money raised goes to sheep. In this case, raffling 91 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: off a mule deer tag, the money goes to mule 92 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 1: deer and mule deer habitat in the state of Montana. Well, 93 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: the previous Montane mule deer tag at auction was also 94 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 1: the last record right. It raised the most funds to date, 95 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:54,039 Speaker 1: and that was forty one thousand dollars. As I said earlier, 96 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: the raffle, which everybody had the opportunity to participate in 97 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: for twenty bucks raised fifty six thousand, six hundred and 98 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: twenty dollars. And I know what you're saying. We're just 99 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: splitting hairs here, right. You could buy all the tickets 100 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: you want and skew the odds your way, and you're 101 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: still kind of buying an animal. And you're right, we 102 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: are kind of splitting the hairs here, but the Royal 103 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: we gets to split the hair, right, all of us 104 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: can participate, And at least this time, the mean purchase 105 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 1: at the auction website was forty three dollars, meaning on average, 106 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: just a couple of tickets were purchased per person. So 107 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: even with the ability to buy an unlimited number of tickets, 108 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: the Raffle, unlike an auction, drew in a lot more 109 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: money for mule Deer and allowed a lot more hunters 110 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: to participate and have a chance at drawing that tag 111 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 1: versus you know, sitting in another banquet watching a couple 112 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: of people bid back and forth while you're sipping your beer, 113 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: and you're expected to be like super happy about it. 114 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: You know, I'm not, if you can tell. So the 115 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: Raffle being a success greatly excites me, let's step it up. 116 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: Let's raffle off the sheep. Let's raffle off the goat. 117 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: Let's raffle off the mule deer tag again next year 118 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: and crack this idea of governor's tags, although only available 119 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: for a very small percentage of hunters, being so necessary 120 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: because of the dollars they bring in for conservation, the 121 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: necessary evil argument, and let's let all hunters have a 122 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: chance at the people's wildlife. All the hunters can have 123 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: a chance to throw in on something special and at 124 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: least have a chance at the hunt itself, wildlife for 125 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: the people. Way to go, Montana Pha. Moving on to 126 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: the conservation desk, listener Roger McFarlane sent me a story 127 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: from his neck of the woods, which in this case 128 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: is northern Utah. Their Summit County has just finalized a 129 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: deal that will conserve the eighty five hundred acre nine 130 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: to ten cattle ranch for wildlife and some kinds of 131 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: outdoor recreation. It cost fifty five million dollars, but it's 132 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: the largest open space purchase in county history and will 133 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: connect a fifty two thousand acre corridor that includes conservation easement, 134 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: state parks, and national forests. The owner had originally wanted 135 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,200 Speaker 1: to sell it to a developer who would have no 136 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: doubt filled it with golf courses and condos, but a 137 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: change to the Summit County Development Code reduced the number 138 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: of potential housing units on the property, so the owner 139 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: decided to change course. Summit County taxpayers footed fifteen million 140 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: dollars of the purchase price, and a US Forest Service 141 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: grant covered the rest. Unfortunately, it's not all good news 142 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: for local hunters. While the property may eventually be used 143 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: for running, hiking, camping, grazing, and timber harvesting, a foundational 144 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: condition of the deal prohibits hunting on the property. I 145 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: don't see why that has to be the case if 146 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: the property can sustain it, but some worry that allowing 147 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: even hiking and biking might not be a good IDEA 148 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: listener and resident hunter Dakota Wright wrote in and said quote, 149 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: my concern is that the purchase of the nine ten 150 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: ranch under the guise of keeping open land open is 151 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: just another excuse by the county to add more biking 152 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: and hiking trails and in turn open the space to 153 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: the public, putting unneeded stress on the land. He's not 154 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 1: opposed to the hunting band, but he worries that the 155 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: additional recreation will put undue pressure on the elk herd 156 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: that's already close to a major metro area. Dakota reports 157 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: that a different conservation project in Summit County has already 158 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: added four hiking trails and large parking areas. He worries 159 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:47,559 Speaker 1: that the same as in store for the nine ten 160 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 1: cattle ranch, and he wants to know the best way 161 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: to get involved right now. I think the best place 162 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: to start would be to contact Summit County officials, specifically 163 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 1: a woman named Jess Kirby who serves as the Summit 164 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: County Lands and Natural Reas Sources Director. She may or 165 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: may not have the authority to decide the future of 166 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: the nine to ten, but she'll definitely be able to 167 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: point you in the right direction. You can check out 168 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: the contact info at the meat eater dot com forward 169 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: slash cal also would be real curious to know if 170 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: there's a way to leverage the fact that federal dollars 171 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: dollars for the people and that US for Service grant 172 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: may be able to be leveraged to say like huntings 173 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: of traditional use. I don't know listener Levi Baldwin Hart 174 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: wrote in about another sticky conservation issue. Three power companies 175 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: in the Midwest are in the middle of building a 176 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: one hundred and two mile electric line linking Iowa's Dubuque 177 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: County to Wisconsin's Dane County. That doesn't sound very controversial 178 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 1: until you learn that a mile long section of the 179 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: line would cross the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and 180 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: Fish Refuge near Cassville, Wisconsin. The deal was made possible 181 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: by a landswap where the utilities would give the refuge 182 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: thirty six acres in exchange for ten acres within the 183 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: refuge to put the line. Conservation groups claim that this 184 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:07,959 Speaker 1: deal was improperly reached, but a federal apple at court 185 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: issued a ruling last week that will allow the construction 186 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 1: to continue. Hunters and anglers can hope that the power 187 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: line won't be too disruptive once it's installed, but for now, 188 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: it looks like it's going through. Speaking of federal property, 189 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,680 Speaker 1: the US Department of Defense announced plans to conserve twelve 190 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: million acres of property surrounding military bases. The lands are 191 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: to be designated as sentinel properties, which allows government agencies 192 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: and nonprofit groups to pay landowners to keep farms, forests, 193 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: and wildlife habitats in their current states. The properties are 194 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 1: located in California, Hawaiian, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Utah. As 195 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: you can imagine, the Pentagon isn't only concerned about protecting 196 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: native wildlife. Prohibiting development of these lands supports training and 197 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 1: operations and bolster's security around these military installations. Still, when 198 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: it comes to conservation, we should take what we can get. 199 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: The mule deer don't care whether we can serve their 200 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 1: habitat because we love wildlife, or to prevent spies from 201 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: hacking into Air Force servers. They're just happy to still 202 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: have somewhere to eat, mate, and migrate. I call that 203 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: a win. Last one for you, Lister Grant Bent sent 204 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:20,959 Speaker 1: me a study claiming that the osprey population in the 205 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: Chesapeake Bay has dropped to the lowest level since DDT 206 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 1: was banned in nineteen seventy two. Researchers working in the 207 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: Mobjack Bay, a sub estuary of the Chesapeake Bay, are 208 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: calling this year's osprey chick season a catastrophic failure. They 209 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: told the Audubon Society that out of one hundred and 210 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,199 Speaker 1: sixty seven nests they visited in Mobjack Bay and two 211 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: nearby rivers, only seventeen held live chicks. This is bad 212 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: news because the Chesapeak Bay is home to the world's 213 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 1: largest osprey population, ten to twelve thousand breeding pairs called 214 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: the Chesapeake Bay home, and it would be a real 215 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: shame to see those numbers decline. Ospreys are awesome birds 216 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: and expert fishermen. They are the only raptors that dive 217 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: talons first into the water to collect a meal, and 218 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: this unique talent makes them incredibly efficient anglers. The Cornell 219 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: Lab of Ornithology reports that osprays catch fish on one 220 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:16,280 Speaker 1: out of every four dives, with success rates sometimes as 221 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 1: high as seventy percent. They only spend about twelve minutes 222 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: fishing before making a catch, which is better than pretty 223 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: much every human angler I've ever known. Part of that 224 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: success is due to a reversible outer toe that allows 225 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: them to grasp with two toes in front and two behind. 226 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: Barbed pads on the soles of their bird's feet also 227 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: help them grip slippery fish, and they've even been known 228 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: to fly holding fish headfirst, which reduces wind resistance anyway. 229 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: Osprays are cool. Scientists think they know why the population 230 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: in the chest Peak is struggling. A big part of 231 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: the bird's diet is composed of small fish called men Hayden. 232 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: If you're a regular listener of this podcast, you know 233 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:58,320 Speaker 1: that men Hayden or bunka are heavily fished by commercial 234 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: operations and turned into fish meat and fish oil. These 235 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: researchers believe that the men Hayden stocks are being depleted 236 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: by these commercial outfits, and so the osprey don't have 237 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 1: enough food to feed their chicks. For their part, the 238 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: men Hayden fishermen, all of whom work for a company 239 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,920 Speaker 1: called Omega Protein, point to a twenty nineteen report from 240 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: the Marine Stewardship Council that said the men Hayden fishery 241 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: is sustainable. They also note that there are many other 242 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: potential causes for the osprey decline and that they haven't 243 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: fished Mobjack Bay in several years. Whatever the reason for 244 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: the osprey struggles, I think I can speak for everyone 245 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: when I say that I hope they figure it out soon. 246 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: That's cool bird to see. Go to work. Moving on 247 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 1: to a special edition of the Legislative Desk, Legislation to 248 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: wildlife management. Policy can come from state legislatures, but it 249 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 1: more often comes from wildlife commissions. Most states have some 250 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: kind of governing body that is charged with dictating hunting 251 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: and fishing policies the state. These commissioners are appointed in 252 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: different ways, but almost all of them hold significant power 253 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: in crafting the rules and regulations we all have to 254 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: live under. In Kentucky, for example, the Wildlife Commission voted 255 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: back in December to ban wild hog hunting. They voted 256 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 1: for the new policy and then task the Department of 257 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: Fish and Wildlife Resources to work out the specifics. Now, 258 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: it looks like the department has finalized the new hunting ban. 259 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: I haven't seen a copy of the rule, but officials 260 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: are telling local media that all pig hunting will be 261 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: banned in the state moving forward. Previously, pig hunting was discouraged, 262 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: but it was an outlawed. This new rule will still 263 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: allow landowners to shoot pigs if they are damaging property, 264 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 1: but no recreational take will be allowed, and even in 265 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 1: cases of property damaged, landowners will be encouraged to call 266 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: in trappers from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The 267 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: agency justifies the ban in several ways, some of which 268 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 1: make more sense than others. They say that hunting pigs 269 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: alone isn't enough to reduce or control pig populations is 270 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: true by all accounts. The Department says that hunters only 271 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: take about thirty percent of the population every year, but 272 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: it takes a seventy percent annual take to keep population steady. 273 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: That can only be achieved through trapping, which is what 274 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: the agency has been doing. Of course, if you're really 275 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: trying to control pig numbers, it seems like you'd want 276 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: to use every method available. If hunters take thirty percent 277 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: a year, then the agency trappers would only have to 278 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: take forty percent. But the Department claims that hunters push 279 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: pigs to be more wary and nocturnal. I'm not sure 280 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: why nocturnal pigs would be harder to trap than diurnal pigs, 281 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: but I'm not a pig trapper. I do, however, think 282 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: that a lot of the reasoning behind this, the Commission's 283 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: reasoning and the Apartment banning pig hunting, is to avoid 284 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: the growth of pig hunting culture and industry. Some landowners 285 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: want to eradicate pigs, but others like having them around. 286 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: Producer Jordan Sillers tells me that some towns in Texas 287 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: and I'm sure in other states, host festivals in honor 288 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: of wild big There's a big outfitting industry around pig hunting, 289 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: not to mention all the thermal and night vision products 290 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: that hit the market because of pig hunting. This makes 291 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 1: things more difficult for biologists who understand the environmental harm 292 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: posed by the swine, and for landowners who'd rather not 293 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 1: have their ground torn up. I can see why Kentucky 294 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:21,199 Speaker 1: wants to avoid that controversy, which I think is the 295 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 1: real reason for the band. For their part, I haven't 296 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 1: seen much pushback from Kentucky hunters. Right now, pigs can 297 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: only be found in a few counties, and I think 298 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: most conservation minded hunters understand why they don't want to 299 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 1: add pigs to the state's list of big game. In 300 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: other Commission news, listener James Ormond wrote in to tell 301 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,360 Speaker 1: me about a few changes being considered by the Mississippi 302 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 1: Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. The early deer season 303 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: that launched last year is being proposed again this year 304 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,880 Speaker 1: to take place from September thirteenth to the fifteenth. This 305 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: hunt is archery only, but it gives hunters a chance 306 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: to take a buck still involvement. It was only allowed 307 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: on private land last year, but another proposal would expand 308 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: it to state and federal public land as well. Another 309 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:08,880 Speaker 1: new policy would raise the bag limit in the Southeast 310 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,199 Speaker 1: Deer Management Unit from two antlerless deer to three, and 311 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,439 Speaker 1: yet another proposal would allow hunters to wear pink along 312 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 1: with orange. The Commission voted for each of these proposals, 313 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: but the public can still weigh in for the next 314 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:25,399 Speaker 1: thirty days. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has also 315 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,879 Speaker 1: been busy. They voted in favor of several significant changes 316 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: at their April meeting after receiving what they say was 317 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: a record number of comments. First, like Mississippi, they're establishing 318 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: a buck only archery deer hunt season for the first 319 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: week of September to give hunters a chance at a 320 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:44,399 Speaker 1: buck still in velvet. They're also allowing straight walled cartridges 321 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: to be used during muzzleloader season. The rifles cannot be 322 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: semi automatic and they have to be thirty caliber or larger, 323 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: but that's still a big jump forward in terms of 324 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 1: rifle technology. Frankly, given the ballistics of some straight wall cartridges. 325 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: They've basically just extended general rifle season, but the agency 326 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,719 Speaker 1: says they've received strong public support for the measure, so 327 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 1: they went along with it. The black bear quota and 328 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: Zone one has been increased from four hundred to four 329 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty bears. Duck hunters can now use motorized 330 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: decoys in state owned wildlife Management areas, and there is 331 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:20,920 Speaker 1: now a twenty five shot shell limit on all WMAs. Lastly, 332 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: in some great news for upland bird hunters, more WMAs 333 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: are being open for quail hunting due to an increase 334 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: in that species population. One proposal that did not pass 335 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 1: due to public opposition was a requirement that all hunting 336 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: dogs be outfitted with GPS callers. The proposal was made 337 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: due to complaints about trespassing by hunting dogs, and the 338 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 1: commission says they're still interested in resolving this issue quote 339 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: without the need for more stringent regulations. If you love 340 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: these changes, write to your commissioners and thank them. If 341 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: you don't like these changes, also let the commissioners know 342 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: it's too late to lodge an official comment, but it 343 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: never hurts to let your representatives know how you feel. 344 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:07,199 Speaker 1: CONTACTAGFC dot com for more info. Moving on to the 345 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 1: cross country desk, a new study from researchers in Canada 346 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 1: claims that humans evolved our ability to run long distances 347 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: as a technique for chasing down prey. The study, published 348 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: last week in the journal Nature Human Behavior, claims to 349 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: have found hundreds of historical accounts of people hunting animals 350 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,640 Speaker 1: by chasing them over very long distances. These accounts span 351 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 1: the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries and could explain why 352 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: humans are unique among primates in our ability to keep 353 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 1: running and running and running. In fact, this ability is 354 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 1: unique among the whole of the animal kingdom. While some 355 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: animals like dogs and horses can also run long distances, 356 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: humans can outpace them if given enough time. This is 357 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,479 Speaker 1: due to several factors. First, we're able to keep our 358 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: bodies cool better than most other critters. We sweat ten 359 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: times the density of chimpanzees, our closest relatives, which allows 360 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 1: us to stay cool even in high tempts. Our lack 361 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,120 Speaker 1: of fur helps with that as well, and our skeletal 362 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 1: muscles are mostly made out of fatigue resistant fibers. And 363 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: you can add to that are long lower limbs, large 364 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: posteriors and the rocky soundtrack. Combine all those and you 365 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,679 Speaker 1: got an animal tailor made for high endurance hunting. The 366 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: historical records back this up. Researchers found over four hundred 367 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 1: accounts of hunters chasing prey over long distances, including an 368 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,640 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty text in which Native Americans spoke of their 369 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,159 Speaker 1: ancestors hunting moose by running them down while wearing snowshoes. 370 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: Another account from the early fifteen hundreds described another Native 371 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: American tribe chasing down deer and elk in what is 372 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 1: now California, and it's not just a historical phenomenon. Researchers 373 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 1: also point out that these sand people in Botswana can 374 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:53,399 Speaker 1: chase down antelopes until the animals collapse of exhaustion. You 375 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 1: may have heard of this theory before. It's actually been 376 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,120 Speaker 1: around for about forty years, and it really took off 377 00:21:58,119 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 1: in two thousand and nine with the publication of the 378 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: Ultra Marathon book Born to Run. As with most theories 379 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 1: about the mists of ancient time, it has its critics. 380 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,919 Speaker 1: Some scientists say that our unique physique isn't due to 381 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,000 Speaker 1: long distance hunting, because that technique would have used too 382 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: many calories. There are more efficient ways to hunt, and 383 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: our ancestors would have preferred those methods to running a 384 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: marathon to chase down their next meal. Others say that 385 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: if long distance hunting was a commonplace, as theories suggest, 386 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: we would see it more often in hunter gatherers societies. 387 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:32,719 Speaker 1: This study found eight thousand recently digitized hunting accounts, and 388 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: only four hundred of those described chasing down prey over 389 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: long distances. That's only about five percent of cases, which 390 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 1: may not be enough to change the course of human evolution. Still, 391 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,680 Speaker 1: the fact that there are some accounts of people running 392 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: down moose and elk should put most modern hunters to shame. 393 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: The next time you're a tempted to complain about summoning 394 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 1: the next ridge, just be thankful you're chasing that animal 395 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: with a bow or a rifle and not just a 396 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: pair of running shoes. That's all I got for you 397 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,679 Speaker 1: this week. Thank you so much for listening. Remember to 398 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:07,400 Speaker 1: write in to ask c A l. That's Ascal at 399 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: themeateater dot com and let me know what's going on 400 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: in your neck of the woods. Thanks again, and I'll 401 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:13,360 Speaker 1: talk to you next week.