1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: From Mediator's World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: Cal's weekend review, presented by Steel. Steel products are available 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: only at authorized dealers. For more, go to Steel Dealers 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: dot com. Now here's your host, Ryan cal callahan. In 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: what one newspaper called a Christmas rampage, a gray squirrel 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: in the United Kingdom bit eighteen residents of a single 7 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: neighborhood and a forty eight hour reign of terror last month. 8 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: Affectionately named Stripe after the evil character from the hit 9 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: Gremlins and real Quick, here's a fun side note for you. 10 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 1: Steven Spielberg received so much backlash from families who went 11 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: to see a cute film featuring stuffed animatronic animals, which 12 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: is what Gremlins was on the ads, only to be 13 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: horrified when those same cute creatures turned into people killing monsters. 14 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: The criticism of Gremlin's and apparently Indiana Jones and The 15 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: Temple of Doom, also Spielberg film, for both being too graphic, 16 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: led to the new movie rating of PG thirteen. Shoot 17 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: a Monkey, bree Uhhh, don't tell me you didn't learn 18 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: something today. Anyway, Back to Stripe and the killer squirrel situation, 19 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: and you know, I'll probably circle back to Gremlin's here too. 20 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: The squirrel would reportedly attack residents unprovoked and caused many 21 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: to worry that children and the elderly could be seriously injured. 22 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 1: Residents posted in the neighborhood facebook group pictures of bloody fingers, 23 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: knees and thumbs that fell victim to the rodents tiny incisors. 24 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: I've got teeth marks on the top and bottom of 25 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: my finger, one resident told the British news service. It 26 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: proper latched on and I had to shake it off. 27 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: He's taken the top layer off my knuckle. His teeth 28 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: are like pins. What could have motivated a squirrel to 29 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: lose all fear of humans and become aggressive? If you've 30 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: been listening to this podcast, you've probably already guessed. Turns 31 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: out one of the residents had been feeding it. Sixty 32 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: five year old Karen Reynolds, known locally as the Bird Lady, 33 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: have been feeding Stripe along with other neighborhood squirrels nearly 34 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: every day. She even shared a picture with British journalists 35 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: of Stripes sitting on her shoulder, and she knew even 36 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: before it began that Stripe could be dangerous. Her quote, 37 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: I have several in my garden and love them and 38 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: feed them daily, but never after midnight. She posted on Facebook, 39 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: that's a joke. That's gremlin's reference. Sadly it runs at 40 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: you and attacks for no reason whatsoever. I'm very careful 41 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: when I see it and always make sure I have 42 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: monkey nuts in my pocket to give him quick because 43 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: he has bit me before. Now before, the animal trainer 44 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: in you says, don't reward bad behavior, and you right off. 45 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: Miss Reynolds is a bad person, I need to tell you. 46 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: To her credit, Reynolds was the one who finally trapped stripe. 47 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: Once her neighbors started making a fuss. She begged the 48 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: squirrel in a live trap, which she baited with peanuts, 49 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: the squirrel's favorite snack. Gray squirrels are native to North America, 50 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: but they're an invasive species in the UK. Back in 51 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: the late eighteen hundreds, British homeowners brought them over from 52 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,119 Speaker 1: America to add variety to their gardens. One might say 53 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: that decision has come back to bite them mhm. Today, 54 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: according to the British Pest Control Association, gray squirrels are 55 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: harming populations of native red squirrels. Gray squirrels out compete 56 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: their cousins for food and shelter, but the big danger 57 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: is something called squirrel pox. Gray squirrels are immune from 58 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: squirrel box, but reds are not. Once infected with the virus, 59 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: red squirrels die of dehydration within about two weeks, while 60 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: gray is exhibit no symptoms. According to some estimates, there 61 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: are only one forty thousand native red squirrels left in 62 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: the UK, compared to two and a half million gray squirrels. 63 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: This is why when Reynolds managed to trap Stripe, it 64 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: would have been illegal for her to relocate the offending 65 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: critter to a nearby forest, only to kill again. When 66 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: she handed him over to the Royal Society for the 67 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 1: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, they euthanized him. No surprise there. 68 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 1: Now back to Gremlins. Gremlins was the number two film 69 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: in America after its release, and it had many critics 70 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: as well as many proponents. If you do some digging 71 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: on the old inner line, it has been suggested that 72 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 1: the tiny, cuddly aliens that turn into nasty, terrorizing, and 73 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: demon like Gremlins are representative of all manners of human 74 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: society at the time, social classes, et cetera. But I 75 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: ask you, what if the real motivation behind gremlins was 76 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 1: that old adage of don't feed the animals. Think about it. 77 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: It's right there in front of you, cute, cuddly animals. 78 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: All the sudden they turn and bite the crap out 79 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: of people. Instead of social classes, that could be yellowstone bison, 80 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: grizzly bears, coyotes, and urban environments, it's right there in 81 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: front of us. This week, we've got get off your 82 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: bass in the New Year, the snort Report, Whisko wolves, 83 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: a k cariboo, and trail cams. But first, I'm gonna 84 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: tell you about my week, and my week was pretty 85 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: darned awesome. We started off with a chucker hunt. Which 86 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 1: of you have ever hunted chucker or know someone who does. 87 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: You've undoubtedly heard the saying the first time you hunt 88 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: chucker is for fun, every time after is for revenge. 89 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: That saying comes from the fact that the chucker, which 90 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: is an introduced species also known as red legged partridge, 91 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: resides on very steep, rocky, mountainous terrain. They much prefer 92 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 1: to run then fly, but they will fly most typically 93 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: after a hunter has gone through the trouble to hike 94 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: all the way up one of these very steep, rocky, 95 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: dry mountains. The birds fly over the top of the 96 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: hunter's head, just out of shotgun range, and often they 97 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: fly over the very steep valley from which the hunter 98 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: had hiked onto the opposite mountain side. They can be 99 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: frustrating birds to hunt, but they will get you in 100 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 1: prime hiking shape, and if you really get into chasing them, 101 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 1: they will destroy at minimum a shotgun, several pairs of pants, 102 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: and a few pairs of very sturdy hiking boots. This 103 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: hunt was one in which the birds were overrun with 104 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: too much snow and the raptors were keeping them buried. 105 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: They did not like to fly and they could not run. 106 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: Keep in mind we didn't know this at the time. 107 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 1: It was pretty darned amazing to see all the birds 108 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: we picked up a few. Snort did a fantastic job 109 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: her first chucker. She located birds and knee and thigh 110 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: deep snow, and my girlfriend Sam got her first upland 111 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: game bird ever and really helped the Pittman Robertson tax 112 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: Fund in the process. We could have gone back and 113 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: back to this spot, but once was enough. Next well, 114 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: Snort and I met up with Casey Hawks, a K 115 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: seahawk of the first light off us, and his dog Maud. 116 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: We headed into the desert to find wildly wild and 117 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: sparse late season roosters. Casey has an obsession for hunting 118 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: these well educated and elusive public land birds. The victories 119 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: are few, with many miles on the truck, dogs and 120 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: legs in between. Often a win is just getting a 121 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: shot off. I had Snort outfitted with the GPS collar, 122 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: the garment kind you see on the pointing dogs, something 123 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: I've wanted for a really long time, and you know, 124 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: really just wanted to cure my curious nature. How far 125 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: did the dog run? Did we really cover all the 126 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: cover that we saw? Those types of things? I know, 127 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: it's very techy. We beat brush and the four to 128 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: six inches of snow dropped on us from the tall 129 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: sage and Russian olive until we were soaked. Snort retrieved 130 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: her first quail, then another, and after gritting out and 131 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: stomping through as much cat tail as I could handle, 132 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: she flushed a hand pheasant, then a rooster, which held 133 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:13,119 Speaker 1: very tight until that little lab knows broke its comfort zone. 134 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: Snort did everything right, and I was out of position, 135 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: already moving past, and I just flat out missed my 136 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: only opportunity of the day. It was gone. After another 137 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: couple hours slogging through and falling in half frozen marsh, 138 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: we decided to give the dog's a break and drive 139 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: to another spot with the heater or cranked full blast 140 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: because we were soaked. Her first glance at the new 141 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: zone was not all that promising, but we were running 142 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: late on time and gave it a walk anyway. Immediately 143 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 1: we were flushing hands and finding more tracks in the snow. 144 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: After a couple of miles, we were walking in between 145 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: groups of cover in the sage and Snorts circled a 146 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: loan sage brush twice, then started to walk away, then 147 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: thought better of it, turned around and circled the scrawny 148 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: sage brush again. Then she looked up at me, very confused, 149 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: I said, bird. Snort jammed her head under the snow, 150 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: and a hen pheasant erupted. These birds were holding tight. 151 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: About five yards later another stage brush and another ham. 152 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: Twenty yards beyond that, another ham, and finally, after talking, 153 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:23,439 Speaker 1: laughing and stomping around, a rooster launched out of the 154 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: snow with lab nose on its tail. Casey's dog Maud 155 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: found that one and Casey made a great shot and 156 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,960 Speaker 1: we finally had our trophy bird. This is the type 157 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: of situation where if one guy connects it's a team victory, 158 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: and the dogs were working great. We stopped and took 159 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: pictures of it like it was a six point bull. 160 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 1: Newly motivated, we hiked on and on and again, smashed 161 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: cat tails and waded over our boot tops and bogs 162 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:55,319 Speaker 1: and did not flush a bird. Eventually, Snort, smelling something good, 163 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: waded into a muddy crops of cat tails and came 164 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: out with a hand blue wing teal, which she delivered 165 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: to me and was none too happy when I threw 166 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: it into the air catching releases. Apparently not her thing. Eventually, 167 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: as the sun was getting low and the tempts were 168 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: moving back into the low single digits, Snort came out 169 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: of the brush with a hen pheasant. Again. When this 170 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: bird was released, Snort was very unhappy. Now things were cold, 171 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: everyone was tired and wet, and we headed for the truck. 172 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: We were hunting, but definitely at a faster pace. As 173 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: we neared the warmth of the vehicle, Casey and Maud 174 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: swung left, Snort and I swung right. Eventually, Snort and 175 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: I popped up on the two track road and started 176 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: walking in case He's way. A giant, cold Idaho desert sunset, 177 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: which was absolutely gorgeous, was interrupted by fresh pheasant tracks 178 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: and wing marks from where the rooster had to be. 179 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: A rooster right had emerged from the cover onto the 180 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: road and beating us. Snort followed his back tracks into 181 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: a depression that was filled with tumble weeds covered in snow. 182 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: This was a small dog and deep cover. She would 183 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,719 Speaker 1: disappear with her nose down and barely be visible when 184 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:08,959 Speaker 1: she would pause to look up at me, and when 185 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: she'd look up, her expression read birds in here. Perfectly timed, 186 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: Casey and Maud showed up on the bottom end of 187 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: this mess of cover, working slowly towards the truck. I 188 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,839 Speaker 1: moved parallel with them, and we had Snort in the middle. 189 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 1: Snort was hunting, but if you didn't know any better, 190 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: you'd have thought she'd lost her car, keys or contact. 191 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: She was moving so slow. After a few minutes, she 192 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: looked up at me and said bird. The next time 193 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: her head dipped a rooster emerged vertically from deep under 194 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: the snow and tumbleweeds. This bird had to go up 195 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: and up and up to clear the cover. My very 196 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 1: cold hands found the safety and swung with the now 197 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 1: horizontally moving bird and bang. Two old public land roosters 198 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: and a heck of a day, connecting with an old 199 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: buddy who likes to walk as much as I do. 200 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: And finally, as if we needed more, we moved over 201 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 1: to western Idaho, met up with an old buddy of 202 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: mine and got to actually hunt his private ground which 203 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: he typically doesn't hunt at all, and something he's put 204 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: a bunch of conservation cash into. As he would say, 205 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: all it takes is a million bucks and a lot 206 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: of time. We walked corn field which is laying out 207 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 1: there specifically for the birds, moved a ton of pheasants, 208 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: most of which flew up onto a steep sage and 209 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: snow covered hillside, and then we just walked the dogs 210 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: around in there, and Snort got a hunt behind two 211 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: pointing griffons, the three of them in an incredible team. 212 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 1: It was a very bad day to be a pheasant. 213 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: The birds that held were found Snorts confidence in her 214 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 1: nose is at an all time high and the damned 215 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: pheasant season is over. We got a short duck season, 216 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: a little bit longer goose season, and then it's just 217 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: seasonal bird dog depression until next season. Well brutal, and 218 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 1: that's the snort report. Moving on to the catch and 219 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: release desk, wildlife biologists have been running into an unexpected 220 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: problem in recent years. They can't get anglers to keep 221 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 1: enough black bass. If you were thinking I'm a large 222 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: mouth guy, not a black bass guy, well we're talking 223 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: to you. The black bass genus includes a large and 224 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:24,959 Speaker 1: small mouth bass. These species were pushed to the brink 225 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: of extinction in the nineteenth century, but in the early 226 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: twentieth century, anglers and conservationists worked together to save these 227 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: famous fish. They introduced laws to stop market fishing and 228 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: funded projects to conserve habitat Most importantly, they engaged in 229 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: any public relations campaign to turn black bass from a 230 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: food fish into a sport fish. That turned out to 231 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: be one of the most successful pr campaigns in conservation history. Today, 232 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: black bass anglers, again, we're talking large and small mouth 233 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: bass have been shamed for keeping their catch. On top 234 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: of that, large and small mouth have been castigated in 235 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: many areas as poor table fair taste like mud, you 236 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: can't eat them. Overall, that mindset has been beneficial to 237 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: black bass species, but some biologists worry that discouraging harvest 238 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: removes a key tool in their conservation tool kit. As 239 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: we pointed out many times on this show, hunters and 240 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 1: anglers help biologists keep habitat and populations healthy by removing 241 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: a certain number of individuals every year. If anglers refuse 242 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: to keep fish, it limits what biologists can do to 243 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: manage those populations. In Oklahoma, for example, state wildlife officials 244 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 1: are proposing a new regulation to encourage anglers to take 245 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: home more of their catch. Right now, anglers are only 246 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: allowed to keep black bass species if they exceed fourteen inches. 247 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: Under this new rule, anglers would be allowed to keep 248 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: fish smaller than fourteen inches, but would still be prohibited 249 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: from taking home more than one fish longer than sixteen inches. 250 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: The idea, according to biologists, is to remove more small 251 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: fish so that the population can grow more big fish. 252 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: Catching release has taken hold, and in a lot of cases, 253 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: has gone too far. According to Cliff Sager, senior fisheries 254 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: biologists for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, We're trying 255 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: to slowly steer the ship back into more balanced management, 256 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: he told. The Oklahoma Savior explained that the bass in 257 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: Oklahoma are fourteen inches or less. These small fish compete 258 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: for limited resources, which reduces fish growth. Encouraging anglers to 259 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: keep more twelve and thirteen inch fish should allow the 260 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: remaining fish to grow faster and larger. Now there is 261 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: some nuance to this topic. Not all black bass species 262 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: are thriving. The Guadalupe Bass, for example, was only recently 263 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: saved from the brink of extinction, and those recovery efforts 264 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: are ongoing in Central Texas. Heck, the local pond next 265 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: to you may be in recovery mode from a recent 266 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: winter die off. Always read your regulations. Thirty nine point 267 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: three two million fishing licenses were sold in two thousand one, 268 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: compared to thirty eight point five million hunting licenses, so 269 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: you could say that fishing pays a few more bills 270 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 1: and license revenue. If there are too many small fish 271 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: and not enough big fish in a local lake, anglers 272 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: may stop purchasing licenses, and all you need to do 273 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: to prevent that is get off your bass and eat 274 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: more fish. Quick Side, known for you you hear a 275 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: bunch about cooking fish on the half shell, and the 276 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: salt water community. Your freshwater black bass species are perfect 277 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: for this preparation. Bleed your bass, keep them cold, then 278 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 1: take a stiff knife filet through the ribs. Then flay 279 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: off that bony rib section. I just use a pinch 280 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: of salt oil a little bit of pepper, Rub your 281 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 1: flats down, Place the unscaled skin down on a pellet 282 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: grill or any indirect fire you can come up with. 283 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: As long as it's real hot, close the lid, give 284 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: it about six minutes max. And you'll be able to 285 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: slide that meat off with a flickier wrist and all 286 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,119 Speaker 1: is right with the world. That is a delicious fish 287 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: if you want to. This is a very appropriate way 288 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 1: to make a blackened bass, which is basically what I 289 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,639 Speaker 1: just told you, but with a pile more seasoning. Moving 290 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: on to the wolf desk, Wisconsin's wolf hunting generated an 291 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:28,120 Speaker 1: avalanche of bad headlines in February of two thousand twenty one, 292 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: after hunters and trappers nearly doubled the states on nineteen 293 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 1: wolf quota in less than three days of hunting. In 294 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: October of two thousand twenty one, Dane County Judge Jacob 295 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,680 Speaker 1: Frost agreed with animal rights groups and put this year's 296 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: wolf hunt on hold. He argued that the Wisconsin DNR 297 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: had failed to develop and approve a permanent plan that 298 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: would govern wolf hunting in the state, and he took 299 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: issue with the lack of oversight on the rules the 300 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: DNR did impose at the time. He said the two 301 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: thousand hunt might still take place if these issues could 302 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: be resolved. However, defendants and plaintiffs in the suit just 303 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 1: agreed to a court schedule that wouldn't produce a final 304 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: ruling until after February this year, which is when the 305 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,120 Speaker 1: wolf season would have ended. Wolf hunters in Wisconsin will 306 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: have to wait until at least next fall. But this 307 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 1: isn't the only lawsuit holding up the hunt. Another federal 308 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: lawsuit is being brought by the Ojibwey tribes, and the 309 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 1: judge in that case has said he is prepared to 310 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: issue a ruling if the state reaches a decision. Furthermore, 311 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 1: environmental groups are currently suing the federal government for removing 312 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: gray wolves from the endangered species list. Even if the 313 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: state and federal suits are resolved, that decision could end 314 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 1: up prohibiting all gray wolf hunting nationwide. Wisconsin held its 315 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: first hunt since two thousand fourteen between February two and 316 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: February two thousand one. After those three days, hunters and 317 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 1: trappers had exceeded the one nineteen wolf quota. Hunters accounted 318 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: for two hundred eight wolves, while trappers accounted for ten. 319 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,959 Speaker 1: Wisconsin d n R estimated the total population in two 320 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 1: thousand twenty to be just over one thousand individuals, which 321 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: far exceeded the agency's population goal of three fifty wolves. 322 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 1: Even after hunters killed more wolves than the state anticipated, 323 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: the total population remains well over that goal. Next up 324 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: at the wolf desk. For the first time in seventy years, 325 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 1: a wolf killing of livestock has been recorded in the 326 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: state of Colorado. According to the Colorado Cattleman's Association, a 327 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: domestic calf, of course as a domestic calf, was killed 328 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 1: on December nineteen on a private ranch in Jackson County, 329 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: in the northernmost part of the state on the border 330 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 1: with Wyoming. The alleged wolf kill was investigated by Colorado 331 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: Parks and Wildlife or CPW, and District Manager Chris Middledorff 332 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: concluded quote the results of this investigation indicated wolf tracks 333 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: in the immediate vicinity of the carcass and wounds on 334 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:57,240 Speaker 1: the calf, consistent with wolf depredation. You may recall that 335 00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: at the same time that wolves have been tracked migrating 336 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,679 Speaker 1: into Colorado from Wyoming, Proposition one fourteen was passed by 337 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: ballot initiative ballot initiatives my favorite in two thousand twenty 338 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: calling for the state implemented reintroduction of wolves to Colorado. 339 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: Hard not to foresee a head on collision between those 340 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: two forces. Whether it's in Oregon, Idaho, Wisconsin, North Carolina, 341 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: now Colorado, you name it. More wolf news is coming 342 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: your way in two thousand twenty two, so hold onto 343 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: your seats. Next up the update desk, the Arizona trail 344 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 1: camera ban we told you about back in July has 345 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: now gone into effect, meaning that anywhere in the state 346 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: public land or private all year round, even for preseason scouting, 347 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: trail cameras cannot be used in the quote taking or 348 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,679 Speaker 1: aiding in the take of wildlife. You'll recall that the 349 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: stated reasons for this band was specific to the state's 350 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: lack of water, rather than the technology itself. Water sources 351 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: are extremely limited in Arizona, and game and fish saw 352 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:04,439 Speaker 1: a fair chase issue created when dozens of trail cams 353 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,680 Speaker 1: were focused on game animals that came into those few 354 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: water sources, many of them man made. In a wetter 355 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: state like Pennsylvania and Mississippi, this isn't a problem. Animals 356 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 1: can take a drink over a much wider area. We'll 357 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: see if more severe and frequent droughts across the country 358 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: widened regulations like this. Utah is now considering a new 359 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: trail camp band during hunting season. Montana, New Mexico, New Hampshire, 360 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:34,120 Speaker 1: Nevada all have bands for at least parts of the year. 361 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 1: Next up, Alaska Fishing Game recently released population numbers for 362 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: Western Arctic caribou, and the picture is not pretty. The 363 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,199 Speaker 1: herd shrank from about two nine thousand animals in two 364 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 1: thousand seventeen to one eight eight thousand animals today, which 365 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 1: is a twenty seven percent decline. Tom Gray of the 366 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,640 Speaker 1: Western Artic Caribou Herd Working Group, which conducted the studies, 367 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: said quote, it's around sixty animals per day that died. 368 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: This decrease is huge If this happens again two years 369 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:08,360 Speaker 1: from now, We're going to be really panicking. This could 370 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: have major consequences for an issue we've been tracking here 371 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: on the show for a while, the potential closure of 372 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: huge areas of public land and northern Alaska to non 373 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: subsistence hunters. No one has shown that outside hunters are 374 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: in fact causing population decline, but a dramatic drop like 375 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 1: this will certainly be used as an argument to close 376 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:31,120 Speaker 1: those areas. So what is causing the drop if it's 377 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 1: not hunters. According to several research organizations, one enormous factor 378 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: is the theme of delayed on set winter, which is 379 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: then delaying caribou migration, which in turn disrupts mating, feeding, 380 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: raising young, and hunting by subsistence groups until it gets cold, 381 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: caribou stay put. One measure of this change is when 382 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: the herd crosses the Kobuk River in northwest Alaska, and 383 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: Kyle Jolly of the National Park Service says quote, in 384 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 1: a span of ten years, the first animal crossing has 385 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: been delayed by two months, which is an incredible change. 386 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,159 Speaker 1: We'll be bringing you more on this story as the 387 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: meeting to determine the future of non subsistence hunting in 388 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 1: the area happens this April, and that's coming up fast. 389 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: That's all I've got for you this week. Thank you 390 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,919 Speaker 1: so much for listening. As per usual, if you're in 391 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: the need for a clean, quiet, powerful, battery operated chainsaw, 392 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: go to www dot steel Dealers dot com and find 393 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: a local, knowledgeable steel dealer near you. Look at you 394 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,120 Speaker 1: set up with what you need and they won't send 395 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 1: you home with what you don't. Aside from that, thank 396 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:44,919 Speaker 1: you so much to those of you who have written 397 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,639 Speaker 1: in to ask Cal that's a s k c. A L. 398 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: At the Meat Eater dot com to let me know 399 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: what's going on in your neck of the woods. So 400 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 1: don't stop. There's all sorts of good stuff the national 401 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: news misses and that's why I rely on you. Thanks 402 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:03,159 Speaker 1: for listening and keep it up. I'll talk to you 403 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: again next week. M