1 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This 2 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: is Cow's Week in Review with Ryan cow Calai. Here's cal. 3 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: The Russian military is claiming to have sent two wolves 4 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:25,959 Speaker 1: to the front lines of the war against Ukraine to 5 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: help troops identify suicide drones before they get too close. 6 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: The wolves were supposedly trained by a famous wolf tamer 7 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,599 Speaker 1: named Alexander Konkakov, who says he got the wolves as 8 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: puppies from hunters who found them without a mother. He 9 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: trained them to be around people, and the troops who 10 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: have worked with the animals say they are sociable and smart, 11 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: and their sharp ears can hear drones coming well before 12 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 1: the soldiers camp. This story was first reported by a 13 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 1: Russian news agency, and it's since been picked up by 14 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: outlets like The Daily Mail and the US Sun. It 15 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: hasn't been independently verified, and I think you'd be right 16 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: to be more than a little skeptical that the Russians 17 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,639 Speaker 1: are actually sending wolves into war zones. A zoologist writing 18 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: for the BBC reports that wolves can be domesticated if 19 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: trained from puppies, but it seems like it'd be a 20 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: heck of a lot easier to train a German shepherd 21 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: or Malinwoi or some breed that just kind of does 22 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: this stuff for militaries across the world. If you search 23 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: on the Google machine, you'll find some articles that say 24 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: wolves have better hearing than a domesticated dog, But I 25 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: wasn't able to find any scholarly sources that quantify the 26 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: hearing ability of dogs versus wolves. It's pretty well accepted 27 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: that dogs can detect quieter sounds more easily than humans, 28 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: and they can hear sounds at much higher frequencies. Dogs 29 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: can hear up to forty five thousand herts, while humans 30 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: can only hear up to about twenty three thousand herts. 31 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: This means that a dog will be able to hear 32 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: a higher pitch sound that no human could ever hear, 33 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: such as the high frequency sounds omitted by drones. If 34 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: electronic detection methods are unavailable, a dog might be a 35 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: pretty good early warning system. But I really doubt a 36 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: wolf is going to do that much better than the 37 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: breeds already being used by the Russian military. This week, 38 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: we've got lions, legislation, snort report, wildlife crime, and so 39 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: much more. But first I'm going to tell you about 40 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: my week and my week well, a lot's happening first 41 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: and top of my mind. My beloved home state of 42 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: Montana is not listening to the majority of Montana's instead 43 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: favoring the ideals of Utah representatives. Montana Department of Natural 44 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: Resources and Conservation just rolled out their analysis of state 45 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: LANs that could be developed and sold to the highest bidder. Currently, 46 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: Montana owns five point two million acres of state trust lands. 47 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: The DNRC analysis is currently limited to areas surrounding Billings, Kalispell, Whitefish, Missoula, 48 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: and the Gallatin Valley, which are our major population centers 49 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: in the state. The goal of this analysis is to 50 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: address the affordable housing scenario here in Montana, which, if 51 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: you pay attention to national housing trends, is not good. 52 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: In fact, Montana was recently named the least affordable state 53 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: to purchase a home by the National Board of Realtors. 54 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,519 Speaker 1: This plan assumes that by leasing state lands to developers 55 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: and then selling the developed state acres, the state would 56 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: make a hell of a chunk of change, and bang, 57 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: all of these properties would provide affordable housing for those 58 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: who really need it. Oddly enough, this plan also includes 59 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: commercial building, so you know it's outside of the commercial 60 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: percentage of building that would be allowed on state lands. 61 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: Then that stuff would then go to people who need 62 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: affordable housing. Right for all you big government folks out there, 63 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: I'm sure you'd be willing to trust the state government 64 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: to determine who needs affordable housing, who gets affordable housing, 65 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: make sure those contractors are on the up and up 66 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: piece of cake. I'm sure you know my opinion on this. 67 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: Just another example of short term gains. The Montana line 68 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: and grab is on, which brings me to the Snort report. 69 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: We are way behind in our upland bird adventures this year. 70 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: Ol Snort has been basically a house dog, like a 71 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: high school graduate who hasn't gotten that full time job 72 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: or is waiting on higher education or something. She has activities, 73 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: a routine, but you wouldn't call her productive. But this 74 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: past weekend we finally got out and what did we do? 75 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: We hit state trust lands and block management areas for 76 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 1: our walks. It was still a little warm for the 77 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 1: yellow dog, but we covered ground and found several covees 78 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: a day. I really have zero complaints on the little 79 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: girl's end, but I will tell you my epic fail. 80 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 1: On the last hunt before turning for home. It was hot, 81 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: and much to my surprise, the spot I picked on 82 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: the map, which is all State trust land and far 83 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: from farms or roads, was full of pheasants. I love 84 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: nothing more than finding roosters in a spot that liked 85 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 1: won't get destroyed the first weekend of the season, so 86 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 1: this was an awesome discovery. But at the same time, 87 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 1: pheasants were not open, and with Snort's prey drive and 88 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: the heat, I had to call her back and we 89 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: walked with the wind to our back towards the truck. 90 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: I was a little bummed that the cocks were not huns. 91 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: It would have been great to reward some really good 92 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: dog work with the Retriever two. But it was a 93 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: great morning. Nonetheless, about three hundred yards between the truck 94 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: and us was a thick brushy hole, a spot that 95 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 1: just screamed pheasants, and sure enough Snort did her tailtale, 96 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: Holy cow, get ready, there's birds right here. Move, which 97 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: is forgetting her front feet. She literally forgets that she's 98 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: got her front feet. The smell of birds so close 99 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 1: to this dog actually lifts Snort into the air. I 100 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: think unknowing to her, she walks on her hind legs, 101 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: her front half, literally being carried by the strength of 102 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: the scent. That's how you know for certain there's birds 103 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: right there. I stood and watched this site, a site 104 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: which I have come to love, honestly, not only love, 105 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 1: but be jealous of. Are any of us gun tote 106 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: and humans capable of being carried that way so charged 107 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: by a passion that it carries us or half of us? Anyway? Then, 108 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: to my horror, a flock of Hungarian partridge between like 109 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: twelve and fifteen birds a big covey erupted from what 110 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,679 Speaker 1: should have been a pheasant hole, some within range even 111 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: but my shotgun was at my side instead of on 112 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: my shoulder. Good girl, bad hunting partner. Moving on to 113 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: the lion desk, a Colorado man killed a mountain lion 114 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: with a shovel last week in what officials say was 115 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: self defense. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in the press 116 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: release that the man was sitting outside his jeep at 117 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: a campground west of Canyon City when a mountain lion 118 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 1: approached him and his dog. The dog started to bark 119 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: and growl at the cat, which turned out to be 120 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: a female cougar weighing about ninety five pounds. When the 121 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: lion got within about ten feet of the dog, the 122 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: husky ran out and the pair started fighting. Not wanting 123 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: to risk his dog getting injured or killed, the man 124 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: grabbed a shovel and whacked the cat on the head. 125 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: That was enough to kill it, and investigators who arrived 126 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: on the scene confirmed that the man acted in self defense. 127 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: They say the cat was being unusual and extremely aggressive, 128 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: possibly due to injuries discovered during the nekruptcy. The lion 129 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: had sustained an injury on its front right paw and 130 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: scratches on its back. It's possible these injuries had made 131 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: it difficult to hunt and it became desperate, though that 132 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: hasn't been confirmed. Interestingly, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says this 133 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: instant does not count as a mountain lion attack because 134 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: the human involved was never touched and did not sustain 135 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: any injuries. Boy, that's a huge ego shot to this dude. 136 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: That decision might make some Colorado and scratch their heads. 137 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: CPW assures residents that they have only recorded twenty five 138 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 1: lion attacks since nineteen ninety. But you gotta wonder about 139 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: those numbers. If this is how they define an attack, 140 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: it seems like if the man acted in self defense, 141 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: he was by definition being attacked anyway. This incident, which 142 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: has been widely covered in the media as well as 143 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: over at the meat eater dot Com, comes just a 144 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: month before color Adams will decide whether to ban lion 145 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: hunting in the state. Opponents of the ban say that 146 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: hunting reduces the prevalence of these kinds of attacks since 147 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: it makes cats more afraid of humans. If this cat 148 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: had been previously chased and tried by a pack of hounds, 149 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: you can bet it wouldn't approach a barking dog at 150 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: a campground. That being said, I don't think that's the 151 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: best reason to oppose the ban. It's hard to judge 152 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: whether hunting has a large scale influence on lion attacks 153 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: since those attacks are extremely rare. To begin with, A 154 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: more convincing argument for you color Adams hoping to convince 155 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: your family and neighbors to vote against Prop One two 156 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: seven is that lions are already doing just fine in 157 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: the centennial state. The population has grown from almost nothing 158 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: in the sixties to almost four thousand cats and managed 159 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: hunting isn't a threat to that population. Trophy hunting is 160 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: already illegal since hunters are required to harvest the meat, 161 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: and hunting with hounds allows hunters to target older males 162 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: rather than breeding age females. Lion attacks make the headlines, 163 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: but the real focus should be on the amazing work biologists, hunters, 164 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: and conservationists have done to save mountain lions in Colorado. 165 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: Moving on to the crime desk, three South Carolina men 166 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 1: died last week and another was shot in what the 167 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:44,559 Speaker 1: media at first claimed was a dispute over hunting land, 168 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: but we reached out to one of the men who 169 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: was there who says that's not true at all. The 170 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that 171 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: they received a call on September twenty seventh that multiple 172 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: people had been shot in some kind of confrontation that 173 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 1: occurred in a wooded area near the town of Woodruff. 174 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: When they arrived, they found three dead bodies and learned 175 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: that a fourth victim had already been transported to the hospital. 176 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: They said that once witnesses were separated and interviewed, it 177 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: appears this incident stemmed from quote a dispute overhoe had 178 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: permission to be on this particular piece of hunting land, 179 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: But one of the men who was there, a fellow 180 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: named Kyle Rains, describes a slightly different set of events 181 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: when we contacted him through the GoFundMe he had set up. 182 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 1: He says a group that included himself, his two best friends, 183 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: and their wives and kids had gone out on four 184 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,679 Speaker 1: wheelers to survey the damage done by the recent hurricane. 185 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: None of them owned the property, but Kyle says they 186 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 1: had permission to be there. When they got there, they 187 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 1: found two suburbans parked at the top of the hill 188 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: and five people who claimed they were camping. They said 189 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: they had permission to camp on the land, but one 190 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,439 Speaker 1: of them was carrying an ar style rifle. One of 191 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: Kyle's friends asked the man to put the rifle away 192 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: since there were kids present, but he didn't take kindly 193 00:10:57,360 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: to being told what to do, and they started struggling 194 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,719 Speaker 1: over the gun. Another fella who was there pulled out 195 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: a handgun and shot one of Kyle's friends, and a 196 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 1: gunfight erupted. For those of you wondering, this is not 197 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,959 Speaker 1: the way to get things done. This is a mediation fail. 198 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: In the end, three people lay dying on the ground 199 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: while Kyle and others tried to get help, but they 200 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: weren't able to get back in time, and all three died. 201 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: There's obviously way more to this story. I've only been 202 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: able to speak to one side of this altercation. We 203 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: could very well discover that Kyle and his friends were 204 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: in the wrong, and if drugs and alcohol weren't involved, 205 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: I'll eat my shirt. But whatever the fight was actually about, 206 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,320 Speaker 1: it's a good reminder for those of us who frequently 207 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: run into strangers in the woods. You never know who 208 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: you're dealing with. Don't get into a fight, even if 209 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: you know you're right, Just walk away. There aren't many 210 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,319 Speaker 1: things worth dying over, and as with this incident, things 211 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: can turn south in a hurry. Three Idaho hunting guides 212 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,959 Speaker 1: have been hit with felony conspiracy charges and dozens of 213 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: Lacy Act violations for illegally guiding Mounta lion hunts and 214 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:09,439 Speaker 1: then transporting those animals across state lines. Forty four year 215 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: old Chad Kuloh, forty four year old Andrea Major, and 216 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: forty seven year old Lavoy Linton are being accused of 217 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: guiding hunts independently of the licensed outfitting company they worked for. 218 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: They booked clients, accepted payment, and guided hunts in southeast 219 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 1: Idaho and Wyoming, which was illegal to do on their own. 220 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,559 Speaker 1: Those hunts resulted in the kills of at least eleven 221 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: mount lions in Idaho and a Boone and Crockett record 222 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,839 Speaker 1: mount lion in western Wyoming. To hide their crimes, they 223 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: also allegedly submitted false big game mortality reports with inaccurate 224 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: outfitter business information. Guiding independently of a licensed outfitter isn't great, 225 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 1: but their real troubles began when they started shipping the 226 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: lines across state lines. The Lacy Act was originally written 227 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: to stop the interstate trade of wildlife. It says that 228 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: if an animal has taken in violation of a state law, 229 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 1: it becomes a federal crime once that animal has moved 230 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 1: to a different state. In this case, lions killed during 231 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: the hunts were transported from National forest Land to or 232 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: from Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, Texas, and North Carolina. 233 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: If convicted, these three musketeers are facing a maximum of 234 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: five years in federal prison. A two hundred and fifty 235 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: thousand dollars fine and up to three years of supervised release. 236 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:23,680 Speaker 1: Last one for you and thanks to everyone who sent 237 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 1: this in. You may remember back in episode two sixty, 238 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: we covered a story about a Montana man who'd been 239 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: charged with trying to create Frankensheet. This fella, an eighty 240 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: one year old named Jack Shubarth, had illegally imported the 241 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: testicles of a Marco Polo Urgali sheep from Kyrgyzstan. He 242 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,440 Speaker 1: used that genetic material to create a Marco Polo clone, 243 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 1: which he dubbed Montana Mountain King. He then bred that 244 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: mail sheep with us and sold their offspring to hunting ranches. 245 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:53,199 Speaker 1: Shoe Barth violated a variety of state and federal laws 246 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 1: during the course of this operation, and the Justice Department 247 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: announced last week that the man had been sentenced to 248 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: six months in prison. He's also being forced to pay 249 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: a twenty thousand dollars fine to the Lacy Act Reward Fund, 250 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: a four thousand dollars payment to the National Fish and 251 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: Wildlife Foundation in a two hundred dollars special assessment. That's 252 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: what you get for being bad kids. What do you 253 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: think of that one? That's why they say if you 254 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: mess with the ram, you get the horns. That's hard 255 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: to be in the butt of a joke anyway. Moving 256 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: on to the constitutional amendment desk, Colorado isn't the only 257 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: state with a controversial hunting initiative on the ballot. In Florida, 258 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: residents will be asked to vote on Amendment two, which 259 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: would change the state constitution to include a right to 260 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: hunt and fish. Here is what the amendment would say 261 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: in full, quote, Fishing, hunting, and the taking of fish 262 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: and wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, shall 263 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: be preserved forever as a public right and preferred means 264 00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife. This section 265 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 1: does not limit the authority granted to the Fish and 266 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: Wildlife Conservation Commission under Section nine of Article four. Sounds 267 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: pretty simple, right, Not exactly. A coalition is formed to 268 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: encourage Floridians to vote down the amendment. These groups, which 269 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 1: include the Humane Society, Sierra Club, and Center for Biological Diversity, 270 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 1: take issue with the protection of traditional methods. This, they 271 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: say will open the door to cruel and inhumane hunting 272 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: tactics like steel jawed leg hold traps, baiting, hound hunting, 273 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: and even hunting with spears. They call these tactics outdated 274 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: and archaic, and they say contradict our quote evolved moral 275 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 1: compass and expanded sense of compassion. Problem is, even if 276 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: you agree that some of these methods are cruel and inhumane, 277 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 1: this amendment wouldn't legalize them. According to the groups behind 278 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: the amendment, which include Ducks Unlimited and the TRCP, traditional 279 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: methods means quote that which is legal at the time 280 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: of passage, so it would protect the status quo, but 281 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: it wouldn't legalize anything currently illegal in the Sunshine State. 282 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: Opposition groups make a few other arguments. They say this 283 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: amendment would allow hunters to trespass on private property to 284 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: hunt and fish. This might sound plausible, given that this 285 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: amendment would put hunting and fishing alongside things like free 286 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: speech in the state's constitution, but that's also a bad argument. 287 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: Constitutional rights are not unlimited. You can't break into someone's 288 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: house with the protest sign and claim to be exercising 289 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 1: your freedom of speech. In the same way, you can't 290 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: trespass on private property and then claim to be exercising 291 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: your right to hunt and fish. State laws that prohibit 292 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: trespass will still apply. After this amendment passes. Obviously, another argument, 293 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: which I think is more legitimate, is that this amendment 294 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: might undermine the authority of the state's Wildlife Commission. If 295 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: we oppose ballot box biology when it limits hunting rights, 296 00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: we should also oppose it when it goes the other way. 297 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 1: But the authors of this amendment address that concern in 298 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:07,159 Speaker 1: the final line that explicitly says the amendment does not 299 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: limit the authority granted to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 300 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: Anyone who tries to use the right to hunt and 301 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:18,120 Speaker 1: fish to disregard the Wildlife Commission will have a tough 302 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: time getting around this language. The good news for proponents 303 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 1: is that opposition doesn't seem to be getting much traction 304 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 1: with Florida voters. A poll taken in early September found 305 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: that eighty percent of Floridians support it, including eighty nine 306 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 1: percent of Republicans and seventy percent of Democrats. Considering the 307 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 1: fact that very small percentages of residents hunt or fish, 308 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 1: that's pretty darn good. It's also a testament to what 309 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 1: can happen when the outdoor community invests cold, hard cash 310 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: into one of these campaigns. According to Ballatipedia, Supporters of 311 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:53,639 Speaker 1: Amendment Too have dropped over one million dollars, while opponents 312 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: have only spent about sixty grand. Those numbers don't take 313 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: into account the reach of groups like the Humane Society. 314 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: It still shows how important it is to throw a 315 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 1: couple bucks in the hat when an issue comes up 316 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 1: that you really care about. Moving on to the small 317 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 1: time conservation desk. Big conservation stories that involve millions of 318 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: acres get all the headlines, but it's the small decisions 319 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: made in towns and counties across the country that impact 320 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: the most people and wildlife. I know this because most 321 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: of the stories I received from you involved these small 322 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 1: time conservation victories and defeats. For example, listener Jerry Parkinson 323 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,880 Speaker 1: sent me an article about a twenty three acre parcel 324 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,919 Speaker 1: east of Vail, Colorado that has been the center of 325 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 1: a year's long controversy. A company called Veil Resorts owned 326 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: the property and they had planned to build workforce housing 327 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: on it, but the town's government condemned the property in 328 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 1: an effort to stop the project. They said they wanted 329 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: to protect a big horn sheep herd from being disturbed 330 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: by the ski company's housing. A legal battle ensued that 331 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:57,439 Speaker 1: just recently came to an end in favor of the 332 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 1: town and those residents who opposed the building. Place Veil 333 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 1: Resorts agreed to abandon their development project in exchange for 334 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 1: the town's commitment to help the company build housing somewhere else. 335 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 1: Another public land controversy is playing out in Wyoming. This 336 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: one is far from over. In Albany County, the Forest 337 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: Service has approved a land swap agreement that would trade 338 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: one two hundred and ninety seven acres of public land 339 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: in the Green Mountain Area for eight hundred and four 340 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 1: acres in two parcels owned by the Bro Group, a 341 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: private investment company based in Denver. The Forest Service says 342 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 1: that swap would increase public access, but hunters and public 343 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: land advocates who spoke with the Cowboy State Daily argue 344 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: it's not a fair trade. They say those thirteen hundred 345 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: acres hold far more wildlife and habitat than the two 346 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 1: other parcels the Forest Service would receive. This area is 347 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: prime elk and bighorn cheap habitat, and losing it would 348 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: also restrict access to adjoining pieces of federal land. Critics 349 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: also say the Forest Service hasn't provided enough notice. The 350 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: public comment period took place April eighth to May eighth 351 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: of last year, and it sounds like not too many 352 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: people weighed in. The Forest Service is set to issue 353 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,920 Speaker 1: a final decision over the next few months, which would 354 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,440 Speaker 1: more or less seal the deal. But it's not over 355 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: till it's over. So if you live in Albany County, 356 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 1: Wyoming and enjoy hunting in this area, get in touch 357 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 1: with the Forest Service. This has become known as the 358 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: Britannia Land Exchange, so that's what you'll want a reference 359 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 1: in your comments. Big thanks to listener Jim Lane for 360 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: sending us this story. On the other end of the spectrum, 361 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: here's a positive story for you. I know you're thinking, 362 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: thank God about time something positive. This one sent in 363 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,920 Speaker 1: by Tommy Lesher Thank camp. The Arkansas Game and Fish 364 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: Commission announced last month that it had added twelve thousand 365 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: acres of protected wetlands thanks to a private land incentive program. 366 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 1: The initiative, known as the AGFC Conservation Incentive Program, has 367 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: doled out over three point five million dollars to landowners 368 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: who have comitted to wetland improvements. According to Assistant Chief 369 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: of the AGFC, private Lands Habitat Division Randy Brents. The 370 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 1: agency is contracted with farmers to flood ten nine hundred 371 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 1: and sixty one acres of rice fields during a ninety 372 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: day portion of the waterfowl wintering period. None of those 373 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 1: acres will be tilled, which will leave as much waste 374 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 1: grain as possible for ducks and geese. In addition, another 375 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,160 Speaker 1: nine hundred and ten acres of native wetland plants will 376 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: be flooded that can offer more benefit to waterfowl and 377 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 1: other migratory species. These funds were set aside by the 378 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: state General Assembly, and landowners also have the opportunity to 379 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: take advantage of federal dollars set aside for similar programs. 380 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,359 Speaker 1: Lots of states have incentive programs like this, and many 381 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,880 Speaker 1: require landowners to offer public access to be eligible for 382 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 1: the funds. If you're a hunter, be sure to familiarize 383 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: yourself with these opportunities, and the same goes for landowners. 384 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: If you've purchased some acreage and are concerned about property taxes, 385 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: look into these conservation programs. Many offer tax savings and 386 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: you'll be stewarding the land for future generations in the process. 387 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 1: That's all I got for you this week. Thank you 388 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: so much for listening, and remember to write in to 389 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,360 Speaker 1: a s k c a L that's asked cal at 390 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 1: themeeater dot com. Thanks again and we'll talk to you 391 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: next week.