1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: From Mediator's World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: Kel's We Can Review with Ryan kel Kell in now 3 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 1: Here's Kel subbing in for Florida Man this week. A Brooklyn, 4 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: New York Man was recently caught on camera dragging two 5 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: large garbage bags full of live eels into Brooklyn's Prospect Park, 6 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 1: where he proceeded to dump those eels into the park's 7 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: forty acre lake. When confronted, the man protested that he 8 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: was just trying to quote save lives. The Asian swamp 9 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 1: eel a k a. The rice eel or monopteris albus 10 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: is about a foot and a half long and looks 11 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: a little like the front end of a python. You 12 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: might encounter eel as unagi in a sushi role in 13 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: a Japanese restaurant. And although we don't know where this 14 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: Brooklyn dumper got his eels, it's possible that he liberated 15 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: them from one of the nearby live fish suppliers for 16 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: the city's restaurants. Eels are an important food source in Cambodia, 17 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: Loose Myanmar, and elsewhere in Asia, where they are grown 18 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: and in flooded rice patties then sold along with the rice, 19 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: which is a pretty neat technique selling all the parts 20 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: of the meal together like slightly less packaged lunchables. Lunchables 21 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: has Unfortunately, the Asian swamp eel has become an enormous problem, 22 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: and you guessed at the Florida Everglades, where all invasives 23 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: seemed to end up accidental or deliberate release, similar to 24 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: what our Brooklyn friend was up to in the Chattahoochee 25 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: Basin in southern Georgia and likely in the Everglades itself, 26 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: has led to yet another invasive population explosion there and 27 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: yet another threat to the Everglades already stressed native wildlife. 28 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: Dominic Pabone, a Brooklyn chef from Prospect Park Angler, took 29 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: the video of the misguided eel hero and recorded the 30 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: man's impassioned argument on behalf of the eels. On the recording, 31 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: ba Bone argues back that introduction of the eels will 32 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,839 Speaker 1: harm the fish, birds and other creatures that are supposed 33 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: to be in the lake, disrupting life instead of saving it. 34 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: That's some well developed off the cuff conservation persuasion right there, 35 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: which hopefully we'll head off this dumping crusader in the future. 36 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 1: Well done, Mr pop Bone. Although Brooklyn is likely too 37 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: cold for the eels to survive the winner, as Marty Royce, 38 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: wildlife technician with Prospect Park Alliance, noted to CBS News too, 39 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: they can still do plenty of damage before a winter freeze. 40 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: They're known for having extremely healthy appetites and eating almost 41 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 1: everything that they can fit in their mouths around, including 42 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: other fish, crustaceans like shrimp and crayfish, frogs, turtles, eggs, 43 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: all manner of invertebrates. In short, you don't want them 44 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: in your ecological neighborhood. I am hopeful that maybe from 45 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: here on out, Brooklyn Man can take some of the 46 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,519 Speaker 1: heat off of Florida, ma'am by doing spectacularly ridiculous things 47 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: while maybe you know, wearing suspenders and riding a fixie. 48 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: This week we've got lamb praise, handmade arrows, desert man tees, 49 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: and so much more. But first I'm gonna tell you 50 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: about my week. My week was cold, my friends and neighbors. 51 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: Winter came early to Montana and the general rifle season opener. 52 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: I found need to thigh and hip deep snow drifts, 53 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: wind and sunburn, and that is about it. I also voted, 54 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: which everyone needs to do. Remember, if you don't weigh in, 55 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: you don't wrastle, and if you don't vote, you don't 56 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: reserve the right to complain and moan for the next 57 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: four years. That being said, we'll move on to the 58 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: Snort report, just what people really want to hear, according 59 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: to the ask cal inbox. At least, I'll preface this 60 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: by saying that, yes, on occasion, I do get tired 61 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: talking about my own mistakes. But if I didn't have 62 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: my mistakes to talk about, what the hell would I 63 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: talk about? So I took Old Snort on a long, long, 64 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: cold walk, which was highly entertaining due to the fact 65 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,239 Speaker 1: that the snow was very deep and she is not tall. 66 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: She charges though, she loved her time in the snow, 67 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: and she worked hard, probably way too hard if I'm 68 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 1: being honest. Eventually, in the late afternoon, as the tempts 69 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: started to drop towards zero, I spotted a bunch of 70 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: sharp tail messing around on this little knob, probably forty 71 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: of them. If you've never watched sharp tail grouse, it 72 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: is a hoot. They strut, they fan, they chase each 73 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: other around, kind of like little tiny gobblers. As we're 74 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: working our way toward them. I fall in a hole 75 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 1: and go east first into the snow, which is not 76 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: all that abnormal. This is cold, sugary snow, so it's 77 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 1: in my eyes and ears and eyebrows and stuck to 78 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: my face. No injuries other than I'll tell you it's 79 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: hard to breathe when you haven't excited, not yet six 80 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 1: month old puppy trying to clean the snow off your 81 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: face while you're laughing at your own clumsiness. Came close 82 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: to being the only hunter to ever die from choking 83 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 1: on a Labrador tongue, and I do know where that 84 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: tongue has been. Mostly the issue was I had my 85 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: shotgun broken open. I find the over and under, which 86 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: is a twelve gage weather b O'Ryan has been a 87 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: great choice for puppy life, as you just break the 88 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: thing open and it's safe for whatever situation. Stopped pe 89 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: break it open, jump a fence, break it open, water 90 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: the dog, break it open. It's a great system until 91 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: you fall in the snow with the shotgun broken open. 92 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: It was the end of the day and I didn't 93 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: think these chickens were gonna stick around, which most of 94 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 1: the birds I saw did not. They flew lee and 95 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: I watched them fly and little explosions of frozen dust 96 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 1: into a big, cold eastern Montana sunset. It was gorgeous. 97 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 1: But then they kept flying and flying, and Snort seemed 98 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: to step on sharp tail land mines everywhere she went. 99 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: The sharpies had buried themselves in the snow, and I 100 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 1: swear there were seventy in the flock, many of which 101 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: offered easy shots at all angles. Snort pausing to look 102 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 1: back at me while I tried to manipulate frozen fingers 103 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: to open a frozen knife to work solidified snow out 104 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: of the action of my shotgun until there were no 105 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 1: birds left, just little snow angels of wing tips where 106 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 1: a bird had once been, a crater in the middle. 107 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: Eventually I did get my shotgun working and prayed my 108 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 1: butt off that I could just get one bird, and 109 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: almost back to the truck that one bird did come 110 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: up and into range. Snort got all excited, all birdie 111 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: over a tiny little creek that somehow remained unfrozen. I 112 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: got ready, and eventually a spoon build duck rose about 113 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: four ft in the air, obviously not wanting to leave 114 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: the only open water it had found, so I let 115 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: my dog down again confused her thoroughly, you might say, 116 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: because I could not shoot the duck. I had old 117 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: fashioned lead in my shotgun bismuth and upland game steel 118 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: shot is very hard to find right now and it 119 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: cost me cost snort a bird. I hope she forgives 120 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: me only time will tell. Moving onto the mail desk, 121 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: first up this one from DJ. I've always been a 122 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: husk of Varney user, but the fact that Steele decided 123 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: to sponsor a hunting podcast and further donated some equipment 124 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: to trail projects made me think twice. Because of their 125 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: support of yours, I decided to give them go with 126 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: the pro series Splitting Mall after I broke another handle 127 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: on the trusty, crusty old garage sail Mall I've always used. 128 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: I overshot the wedge one too many times. Hey man, 129 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 1: I've been there. The over straight call around the steel 130 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: Mall was a real selling point, but the quality of 131 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: steel spelled ste e l and construction makes it worth 132 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: every bit of its high price tag. I split five 133 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: chords immediately after buying it and did not need to 134 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: take a stone to it once. Also, I was splitting 135 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: some large rounds requiring the use of multiple wedges, and 136 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: the sledge side is no worse for wear. It's rare today, 137 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: but this honestly appears to be a lifetime tool. So 138 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: please pass this along to whoever at steel to let 139 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: them know that they've gained a customer due to sponsoring 140 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: your podcast. When the time comes for a saw, I'll 141 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: be shopping steel s T I h L, and I 142 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: see some other steel hand tools in my future. Thank 143 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: you DJ. And for those of you wondering if I 144 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: forgot to mention that the world's number one prebayor of 145 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: chainsaws Steel is the sponsor of this podcast, I didn't 146 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: forget Old DEEJ did it for me. Next up, listeners 147 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: responding to other listeners. You may remember episode or two back, 148 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: the hunter who wrote in asking for advice after losing 149 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: their private white tail hunting spot to some folks who 150 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: wanted to pay big money in the least situation. One 151 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: listener on the other side of this equation, a landowner 152 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 1: who has welcomed hunters onto his Connecticut property for more 153 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: than thirty years, wrote in to let me know about 154 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:38,079 Speaker 1: how beneficial that relationship can be. Not only have these 155 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 1: Connecticut hunters taking great care of the land, they have 156 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: also brought all of their creativity to bear and saying thanks, 157 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 1: the landowner received a photo of a handmade arrow that 158 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: the hunters made as a gift. And we're not talking 159 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 1: Eastern graphite shaft instead. This arrow is made of red 160 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: stem dogwood, straightened by heating and bending. It has a 161 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: turkey feather fletch in an arrowhead, and hand napped out 162 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: of Hudson Valley flint from nearby New York. The arrowhead 163 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: and fletching are attached with deer sinew and hide glue. 164 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: Even the decoration on the arrow was made from iron 165 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: oxide and carbon black, and the whole package was presented 166 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: in a glass front wooden case that the hunters also made. 167 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: We're talking a serious, one of a kind treasure that 168 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: only these particular five hunters who came onto this land 169 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: could have produced. Now, I'm not saying that all you 170 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: mugs need to learn how to make and use flint tools, 171 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: although you'd probably be better off for it. Instead, I'll 172 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: say to the hunter out there looking for permissions, think 173 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: about what you do well and what you love to do. 174 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: How could that translate into expressing your thanks. Are you 175 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: a musician or a carpenter an accountant? Could that landowner 176 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,559 Speaker 1: use a singing telegram to her daughter she's separated from 177 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: during quarantine birdhouse to encourage the bluebirds who fly through 178 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: the property some help balancing the books after the fall harvest. 179 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: Permission may not be immediate, but you don't have the 180 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: cash to play this game. You need to think outside 181 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 1: the box or build a box, I guess. And even 182 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: more importantly, to the landowner out there has been hesitating 183 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: to extend permissions to your neighbors, or who's been considering 184 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: taking cash in exchange for the opportunity to hunt, This 185 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: is just an example of there being plenty of value 186 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: outside of the uh the green kind. Sure, all of 187 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 1: us could use a little more cash, but there's friendship, 188 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: mutual benefit, and who knows what else that can emerge here. 189 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: It's a powerful way to build the bond that creates 190 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: civic life. On top of that, many states free the 191 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: landowner of liability as long as the landowner does not 192 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: charge for access to the land. Something to think about 193 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 1: next up, Mike Lee, No, not Utah's Mike Lee. Of course, 194 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: the rest of this will clear your mind to that 195 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: thought anyway, little nod in your direction, Mike, you looked 196 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: at what season you had left in front of you 197 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: and maximized time and opportunity. At the intersection a road 198 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:07,559 Speaker 1: killing happenstands. Great job and way to capitalize. You will 199 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: have more success in the deer woods next year by 200 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 1: chewing on this year's deer That just happens to support 201 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: a different set at grill marks as the last one 202 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 1: from the mail bag, also from a Mike, North Carolina. Mike, 203 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 1: myself and a friend spent the weekend fishing for trout 204 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: on a national forest in North Carolina. We drove back 205 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: yesterday and we're unloading the vehicle. I heard a thump 206 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: and then the friends started hollering. He had taken a 207 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 1: rock off at one of the creeks and stashed it 208 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: in his bag. When he removed the bag, the rock 209 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: fell out and broke his toe. The subject line from 210 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,719 Speaker 1: Mike's email says it all. My buddy stole a rock 211 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: from a national forest, and Karma was almost instant. Appreciate it, Mike. 212 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: Moving on to the non charismatic creature desk, Idaho researchers 213 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: have for years used rotary screw fish traps on the 214 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 1: south fork of the Salmon River to study what kind 215 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 1: of critters are swimming in said river and how many 216 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:19,719 Speaker 1: of them are there. Picture a big aluminum funnel suspended 217 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: by floats on either side. This is all in the river. 218 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: Of course, the open end faces upstream, the direction the 219 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: current is coming from. Inside the funnel is a screw 220 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: that will slowly roll the funnel as the water rushes through. 221 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 1: The screw that spout side the narrow end facing downstream, 222 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,320 Speaker 1: when in fish catching mode, will divert whatever comes through 223 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: it into a holding area safe from predators until a 224 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: technician or a biologist can come gather the data they need. 225 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:52,079 Speaker 1: Over the past two years, these traps have been turning 226 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: up thousands of pieces of good news. Juvenile lamprey the 227 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: same fish you often see suction cup to the side 228 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:03,199 Speaker 1: of sharks on show Ark Week. Lamprey are the jawless 229 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: fish whose funnel like mouth might remind you of that 230 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: Sarlac Desert monster and return in the Jedi. Everyone's a 231 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: Star Wars fan right. They are among the world's most 232 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: efficient swimmers, creating pockets of low pressure around their bodies 233 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: as they curve back and forth, so they actually pull 234 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: themselves through the water instead of pushing. Because these fish 235 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 1: are eventually parasites on other fish, and because they look 236 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: like slithery, dark brown snakes, lamp prey lack the charismatic 237 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: appeal of the salmon, dolphins, or sharks of the world, 238 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: although I for one would tune in for lamp prey 239 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: a week on Discovery Channel. Lamp prey or even sometimes 240 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: mistaken for an invasive species in the Pacific Northwest, but 241 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: lamp prey are native to the Columbia River basin. In fact, 242 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: they may be the most native fish in this part 243 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: of the world, as they've been swimming these rivers for 244 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: over four hundred and fifty million years. Salmon, you know, 245 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: that fish everybody loves to talk about, have only been 246 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: here for ten thousand years or point oh two of 247 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: lamp prey time. Now, if you still hear the word 248 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: lamp prey and are sure they are invasive, you're probably 249 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: thinking about the sea lamp prey, the smaller variety that 250 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: has infested the Great Lakes region since they possibly migrated 251 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: through some man made canals in the late eighteen hundreds 252 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: and early nineteen hundreds. Those sea lamp prey don't just 253 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: hang out on the sides of their host fish, but 254 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: instead bore into their hosts and feed on their blood 255 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: and organs by drilling into them with a tongue covered 256 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: in razor sharp teeth. Doesn't that sound lovely anyway? The 257 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: Pacific Northwest, lamp prey, like salmon, are anadromus, meaning they 258 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: migrate from the ocean up freshwater rivers in order to spawn. 259 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: In doing so, they're an important food source for all 260 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: the wildlife along those rivers, bringing tons of nutrients deep 261 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 1: into the continent. Or at least lamp preys used to 262 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: do this before dams cut them off as they tried 263 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: to swim up and down river. Because lampreys can't navigate 264 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: fish ladders designed for salmon and other more energetic swimmers, 265 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: their numbers have collapsed since the nineteen forties, when hydroelectric 266 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: dams started to be built across the Pacific Northwest. Things 267 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: got so bad that in two thousand and ten only 268 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: fifteen lamp prey turned up in the screw traps of 269 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: the entire Snake River basin in Idaho. But as regional 270 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: fishery biologist Josh Pool reports on the Idaho fish and 271 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: game blog, which I'll pause here and say is excellent 272 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: and very worth your reading. Thousands of juvenile lamprey have 273 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: been turning up in screw traps over the last two years. 274 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: This is the result of the concerted effort starting in 275 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: two thousand twelve by the Columbia River Inner Tribal Fish 276 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: Commission to boost lamp prey numbers. In particular, the Idaho 277 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: Nezpur's tribe has trans located a large number of lamp 278 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:05,399 Speaker 1: prey into the East Fork Potlatch River and elsewhere to 279 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: bring these native fish back. You can think of this 280 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: eel dumping as the opposite of Brooklyn Man, because you 281 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: know you're dumping non non natives exactly where they're supposed 282 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: to be. Novel concept. As Elmer Crow, the leader of 283 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: the Nez Purse reintroduction effort, told The High Country News, 284 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,040 Speaker 1: they used to be in my country by the millions. 285 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: In addition to getting more lamp prey out there, the 286 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,959 Speaker 1: Nez Perce have also been working with local agencies and 287 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 1: other conservation groups to make damns more lamp prey friendly. 288 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: Judging by the numbers and the traps, they're doing something right. 289 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,880 Speaker 1: There is a conservation opportunity here. If we work hard 290 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: on lamp prey recovery now, we can keep them off 291 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: the endangered species list, and that means not only more 292 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: of those Johnny Come Lately species, the Pacific salmon and steelhead, 293 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: but also no restrictions on where we all can fish, 294 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: and that would be an answer to all our lamb prayers. 295 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: Moving on to the Egyptology desk, this next species was 296 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: likely in the area we now call Egypt for way 297 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,679 Speaker 1: longer than it's been called Egypt. In a recent study 298 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: presented at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology's annual conference, the 299 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 1: fossilized bones of a creature much like today's manatee were 300 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:27,119 Speaker 1: discovered in what is now the desert southwest of Cairo. 301 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: The modern version of this ancient sea cow or doo 302 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 1: goong looks like a cross between a walrus, h sharp 303 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: pay puppy and a swimming couch cushion. The fossilized bones 304 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 1: date from the Eocene Epic fifty six million to thirty 305 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: four million years ago and the Alligacine thirty four million 306 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: to twenty three million years ago. So like if you're 307 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,399 Speaker 1: one of those people that likes to compare everything to 308 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,680 Speaker 1: how old the pyramids are. This sea cow that swam 309 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,239 Speaker 1: through what is now desert makes King Tuck look like 310 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: someone who breathe eased in just a couple of days ago. 311 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: Asking which way is the beach condle made, don't and 312 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 1: getting back to our call to action, This is my 313 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:16,120 Speaker 1: last word before November three. Go vote. There's a lot 314 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: of noise at the top of the ticket, but remember 315 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: to drill down to the state and local reps who 316 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: carry out the will of the people in your particular area. 317 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:29,679 Speaker 1: Go to my reps m y r EPs at data 318 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: made dot us. Enter your address and find the folks 319 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: from president all the way down to county clerk and 320 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: everyone in between who worked for you. Find out where 321 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: those state legislators or U S Congress people stand and 322 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,199 Speaker 1: hold them accountable for what they have done or what 323 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 1: they say they will do. In politics, you never get 324 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:53,479 Speaker 1: everything you want, but voting and then bugging your elected 325 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: officials at every opportunity is the only way to get 326 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:01,680 Speaker 1: anything you want from government. As the the legendary Jim Pozwits, 327 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: who passed away this past July, was fond of saying, 328 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:09,320 Speaker 1: in regards to conservation battles. Like anything in a democracy, 329 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: it is what you make it. And think hard about 330 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,199 Speaker 1: how you vote, because it's going to count for a 331 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:19,360 Speaker 1: long time. The writer and farmer Wendell Berrier reminds us 332 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: how long quote. Whether we and our politicians know it 333 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 1: or not, nature is party to all our deals and decisions, 334 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a 335 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 1: sterner sense of justice than we do. And if you 336 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 1: want to see more and better out of our elected officials, 337 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 1: think about running for office in the future and becoming 338 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 1: an elected official yourself. Conservation work never ends, and after 339 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: this election, there will be many, many more elections and 340 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 1: many more conservation battles to fight. So go out there, 341 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,959 Speaker 1: stand in line and cast your vote. You'll get one 342 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:59,360 Speaker 1: of those little stickers that you can put on Instagram. 343 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: That's all I've out for you this week. Thanks so 344 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: much for listening. As per usual, let me know how 345 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: I'm doing and most importantly, what is happening in your 346 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: neck of the woods by writing in to a s 347 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,880 Speaker 1: K C. A L. At the meat Eater dot com. 348 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: That's ask Cal at the meat eater dot com. Thanks 349 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: again and I'll talk to you next week.