1 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: On this episode released on Christmas Day twenty twenty four, 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: We're going back to revisit some iconic moments in the 3 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: last three and a half years of the Bear Grease podcast. 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: When I thought about what moments stood out to me, 5 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: I quickly just rattled off five right in a row 6 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:25,479 Speaker 1: without really even thinking about it. So today we're gonna 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: hear clips from Arizona cowboy Warner Glenn. We're gonna hear 8 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: from ninety year old East Tennessee bear hunter Britt Davis. 9 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: It's number two. We're gonna hear the account of Erskine's 10 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: death in eighteen forty one from a bear attack. The 11 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: fourth one, we're gonna hear from Stony Edwards talking about 12 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: the murder of his great uncle Carl Edwards. And lastly, 13 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: we're gonna hear a clip from the Donnie Baker episode 14 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: Donnie's from Missouri, and it's him talking about the moment 15 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: that he is legally killed a two hundred and nine 16 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: inch white tail. It's like the Bear Grease time machine. 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: We're gonna go back and it's gonna be a lot 18 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 1: of fun. And I really doubt that you're gonna want 19 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: to miss this one. And while you're listening, I'd like 20 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: to ask a favor of you. Email us at bear 21 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: Grease at the Meat Eater dot com and tell us 22 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:35,479 Speaker 1: your favorite bear Grease moment. My name is Klay Nukem 23 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: and this is the bear Grease Podcast, where we'll explore 24 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:43,919 Speaker 1: things forgotten but relevant, search for insight and unlikely places, 25 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: and where we'll tell the story of Americans who live 26 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: their lives close to the land. Presented by FHF Gear, 27 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: American made purpose built hunting and fishing gear that's designed 28 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: to be as rugged as the place that's we explore. 29 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: Warner Glenn is an eighty nine year old rancher from 30 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: southeast Arizona who's made his living as a cattleman on 31 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: his Malpie ranch, of which his southern fence line is 32 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: the US Mexican border. No kidding. Warner Glenn is also 33 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: a houndsman and a legendary dry ground mountain lion hunter. 34 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: Dry ground meaning they're hunting in the desert without snow. 35 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: That's why I knew him. He's got to be one 36 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: of the oldest still working line hunters and cowboys left 37 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: in America, known to put on twenty five hundred plus 38 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: miles per year on his mule. Even today, Warner is 39 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: one of the most humble, toughest, and hardest working men 40 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: that I have ever interfaced with, and you kind of 41 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: just get that sense when you're around him for a 42 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: few hours. This clip is from twenty twenty one, when 43 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: I asked him about a turning point in his life 44 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: when he got into some trouble with the law. This 45 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: clip was pulled out of episode twenty two titled American 46 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: Cowboy in Open Country Warner Glenn Part one. The fruit 47 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 1: of success almost always grows from the seed of failure, 48 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: and sometimes that part of the journey is overlooked. An 49 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: influential event in mister Warner's life took place in the 50 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: early nineteen eighties, long before the success of the Malpi 51 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: Borderlands Group, and I want to see if mister Warner 52 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: is open to talking about it. You got in a 53 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: tussle with one of the border agents. 54 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, I did. 55 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: Did that change the way you saw that you needed 56 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: to deal with people? Can you talk to me about that? 57 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 3: Well? Sure, you bet that did. 58 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: The kind of tell me the story and then tell 59 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: me how it affects. 60 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 3: I had a pretty pretty volatile temper when I was younger, 61 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 3: and a lot of stuff. But I did them that 62 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 3: I wouldn't do that day. I did my butt take 63 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 3: down anyway, I. 64 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: Don't know, you still look pretty wiry. 65 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 3: That fellow was. That fellow was out of line, no 66 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 3: doubt about it. He told me what he could do 67 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 3: in anywhere he wanted on my feet land and I had. 68 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 3: I couldn't do anything about it, and I told him 69 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 3: I thought it could, and he said, well, you sure can. 70 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 3: So I did. But anyway, it got me in a 71 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 3: big trouble. Yet, one thing about it. He was a 72 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 3: federal uniformed officer. My docture took him to the ground 73 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 3: and rubbed his head in the dirt. 74 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,039 Speaker 1: I mean, it was just a how old were you, 75 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: mister Warner? 76 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 3: Probably forty seven, forty eight? Okay, Well I could go 77 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 3: on and on about that, but that, of course, that's 78 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 3: a felony. Anytime you had touch a federal officer in 79 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 3: assault a federal officer, that's a fellay charged. And there's 80 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 3: no doubt about it. I did it, There wasn't and 81 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 3: I never made any excuse. I just told him why 82 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 3: I did it. And I didn't go to prison, but 83 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 3: I came that close. And also if you have a 84 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,280 Speaker 3: fellow in charge, you can't have a fire on him 85 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 3: for so many years, and it affects your way of life. 86 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 3: So just taught me, big boy, you better be careful 87 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 3: what you're doing. And they told me some of the agents. 88 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 3: They had an agent that dealt with things like that, 89 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 3: and they came and talked to me, and they said, 90 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 3: wonder what you should have done is gone to his 91 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 3: supervisor and let them take care of it. And I said, well, 92 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 3: now I can see that. At the time, I was hot, 93 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 3: I was tired, and this guy was telling me one 94 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 3: and he was standing on my private land and we 95 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 3: were talking about the effect of vehicle traffic over my 96 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 3: private land where there was no roads. I just figured 97 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,039 Speaker 3: that in my way of thinking, right then I had 98 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 3: a right to protect my problem too. But he was 99 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 3: but he wasn't a federal. I wasn't wrong, no doubt, 100 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 3: but so was he. And well, the way it turned out, 101 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 3: I didn't go to prison and they shipped him out 102 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 3: of here. Yeah, and it was, but it was a 103 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 3: thing that I wished I had gone about it well. 104 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: But what I take away from it is that later 105 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: you became very skillful in dealing with these people, and 106 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: that that event changed the course of kind of how 107 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: you were and how you worked with these Absolutely. 108 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, And really I respect the law enforcement. I mean, 109 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 3: there are some guys in law enforcement that probably don't 110 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 3: deserve to be there, but by and large I had 111 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 3: backed those guys, and part of that's just I kind 112 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 3: of learned. You know, they've got a they've got a 113 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,599 Speaker 3: job to do, and it's a tough one. I'm not 114 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 3: ashamed that that happened, but it taught me a good lesson. 115 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: You know, I deeply value that you can say that, 116 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: because a lot of times negative things happen to people 117 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: and it shapes them and makes them bitter and changes 118 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: their life for the negative. But what I respect about 119 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: your character is that that you know you can own 120 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: up to it. But I think it I think it 121 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: changed you for the better. 122 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 3: I'll tell you a little. I went and told Daddy 123 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 3: because I knew he was gonna he was gonna play out. 124 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 3: And he sat there and listen. After I through telling me, 125 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 3: he said, I didn't know, as you get a lot 126 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 3: to hit one of those best. 127 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: Man, your dad, he was taking your side, wouldn't he. 128 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: That's all good. Dad's supposed to do. I hope you 129 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: don't get the wrong idea about Warner. If you listen 130 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: to the series, you'd see why this was such a 131 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: wild moment because it was so out of character for 132 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: him to beat up a federal officer. But it highlights 133 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: the gritty underbelly of Western ranchers and especially those on 134 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: the Mexican border. I'll never interview another man like Warner. 135 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 2: Glenn. 136 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: I was forever impacted by his character, and for that reason, 137 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 1: he's in the Bear Grease Hall of Fame. Warner series 138 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: was episodes twenty two through twenty six. In this next clip, 139 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: I want to go back to East Tennessee in Cock County, 140 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 1: in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. This was just 141 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: a short interview. It wasn't even the main interview, but 142 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: we're speaking with eighty nine year old Britt Davis, who 143 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: is the father in law Bear Grease Hall of Famer 144 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: plot hound bear hunter Roy Clark, who you may remember. 145 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: This is on episode eight. It's way back in the 146 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: beginning in a podcast titled fifty Years in the Backer Field, 147 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: where Britt talks about his upbringing and chokes up when 148 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: he talks about his father's death. Mister Britt, how old 149 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: are you? 150 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 2: If I lived the second dead June, i'll. 151 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: Be ninety ninety. What year were you born? 152 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 2: Thirty one? 153 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: Nineteen thirty one, so you grew up you were? Were 154 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: you born in this hollow? 155 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,599 Speaker 2: Yeah? Right up a little there, about two miles. 156 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: Now what kind of work did you do your whole life? 157 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 2: Well? I farmed some, I log some, and I worked 158 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 2: about a year on this interstate down here, and then 159 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 2: I went to work for the county Road Department and 160 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 2: stayed dead, little retard. 161 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: Have you ever have you traveled much out of Appalachia? No, 162 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: you've stayed right here. 163 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 2: I went to Texas one time whenever Roy was an 164 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 2: army out there, and that's on the trip I ever made. Really, 165 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 2: I lived on up in the Gulf up third Well, 166 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 2: I'd say we was up for about four or five years. 167 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 2: So my daddy got killed up there, and I enjoyed 168 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 2: dead up our lord? 169 00:09:58,160 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 1: How did your father get killed? 170 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:01,680 Speaker 2: Of the log? The log rolled over? 171 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: Really? How old were you? 172 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 2: I was about twelve year old? 173 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 4: Wow? 174 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,679 Speaker 1: How did that impact your life? 175 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 2: Well, it made it rough on me for a while. Yeah, 176 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,839 Speaker 2: it was up there whenever they about the time it 177 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 2: started logging it, but he got killed. We left at 178 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 2: a long time before the gut loom. 179 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: So did you have to kind of were you the 180 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: oldest son his illness son, so you kind of had 181 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: to take care of your family? 182 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 2: Yeah? 183 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: Really, so was that a lot of responsibility for you then? 184 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 2: Yeah? We moved back home here up here, and my 185 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 2: grandparents hit me with it and I raised a crop 186 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 2: of the bicker and boughket a place where I lived. 187 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: M How old were you? 188 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 2: I'd say I was about thirteen? 189 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: Really, So you you raised a crop of tobacco when 190 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:08,719 Speaker 1: you were thirteen? Yeah, and bought a piece of property. 191 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:10,079 Speaker 4: Wow. 192 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: And that's the property that we went to earlier today 193 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: up at the head of this holler. 194 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 2: She gonna pull out here. 195 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: Yeah. 196 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, so you. 197 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: Bought that place when you were thirteen. Yeah, I'll be daring. 198 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 1: And so you've lived you've lived there your whole life, Yeah, 199 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: whole life. What What are your earliest memories, mister Britton? 200 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 2: Oh low, I can I can remember things back then, 201 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 2: buttering again now, really, I can remember a carrying me 202 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 2: and us is stopping and talking to our neighbors. That 203 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 2: was before we moved the good. 204 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: So that was in the nineteen thirties. Did your family 205 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: have a car that had an automobile? 206 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 2: No? 207 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 1: No, what how did you get around? 208 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 2: Walked? Walked? 209 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: You didn't everything you needed you could walk to get. 210 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, this little stores all around here, M three or four. 211 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 2: Well of the first I'd say it was in the 212 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 2: late thirties of the early forties. Before that, there's there 213 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 2: was a car in this country, Is that right? Yeah? 214 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 2: The doctor lived right up the older. 215 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 1: He had to first tell me about how the doctor 216 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:26,560 Speaker 1: worked in this community. 217 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 2: He'd go around in the and he's with his horse 218 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 2: and people wanted to be doctored that tie read or 219 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,679 Speaker 2: a white flag on the mail walks, and. 220 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: Each he'd ride his horse up to your house and 221 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 1: knock on the door and say what's wrong. 222 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 2: And then he finally got a car, and it didn't 223 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 2: they do the same thing. 224 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: Do you ever remember being sick and him having to 225 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:53,319 Speaker 1: come to your house, the doctor on you? 226 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 2: Yeah? 227 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: Really, what would you have been sick from? 228 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 2: Maybe the strip the old or something like. 229 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 1: That, and he'd come give you some penicillin maybe or something. 230 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 1: That's what he doctored with penicillin. 231 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:06,679 Speaker 2: Wow. 232 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: When did electricity come back in here? 233 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 2: I'd say it was about fifty two or fifty three 234 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 2: before I got it. 235 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: So you were in your twenties before you had electricity. Yeah, 236 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: do you remember those days? 237 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah? 238 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: What would what would you do? Once it got dark? 239 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: Would you light the house with. 240 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 2: Lamp? 241 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: Or what kind of lamp? Was the coal burning? And 242 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 1: you would what would you do? You would sit around 243 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: with the family. 244 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 2: We'd just sit around and go to bed. I guess 245 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:37,959 Speaker 2: that's they finally got a radio. 246 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: Mister Britt. Do you remember when John F. Kennedy died President? 247 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 2: Yeah? 248 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 1: Do you remember where you were? Was that a significant 249 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,719 Speaker 1: where I was at where we are we enter. 250 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,199 Speaker 2: I was running the road rider over on Tom's Creek, 251 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 2: and I just fardy got a paste an old man's house, 252 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 2: and he come out and run up a little behind 253 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:04,839 Speaker 2: me and hollered at me and told me about. 254 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: Do you hear what they're saying, mister Britt? They're saying, 255 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: because because you were the only child, you've been spoiled 256 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 1: your whole life. Do you agree with that? 257 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 2: I wouldn't hardly say that. 258 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: I've never forgotten that. When Britt was thirteen years old, 259 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: he raised a crop of tobacco and bought a place 260 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: for him and his mother to live after his father died. Today, 261 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: mister Britt is ninety two years old and still drives 262 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: the roads listening to bear races in the fall. I'll 263 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: never forget that moment. This next clip is a little different. 264 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: It wasn't an interview, but it's a reading of the 265 00:14:56,160 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: first hand account of the German immigrant to America Gershtalker, 266 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: recounting the death of his hunting partner Erskine in eighteen 267 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: forty one. It's a wild story from episode four titled 268 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: Death of a Bear Hunter. There are too many of 269 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: Gershtalker's incredible stories to tell on this podcast, but I 270 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: want to tell you one that cut me to the 271 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: quick when I first read it. It involved a man 272 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: being killed by a bear in a creek drainage less 273 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: than twenty miles from where I live. I was shocked 274 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 1: and slightly offended that nobody ever told me this story. 275 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: I want you to hear the first hand account from 276 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: Gershtoker of the death of his friend Erskine. This is 277 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: an excerpt from the book Wild Sports, published in eighteen 278 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: fifty four. This story is taken out of context, so 279 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: there are some characters you'll need to know well as 280 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: Gershtalker's older American hunting partner and friend with hair as 281 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: white as snow. He said, Conwell lived in Arkansas. Wachiga 282 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: is a Cherokee that became a trusted friend and hunting 283 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: partner of Gershtalker. And you'll be introduced to young Erskine, 284 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: who Gershtalker had met some years before in the back country. 285 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: So we were off again before noon and gain the 286 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 1: source of the hurricane. Rode across the Devil's stepping path, 287 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: a narrow rock with a precipice on each side, left 288 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 1: the pilot rock on our left, and came towards evening 289 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: into the pine forest where we were sure of finding kindlers. 290 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: Descending the steep side of a mountain, we observed a 291 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: thin column of blue smoke by the side of the stream, 292 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 1: showing that some hunters were in camp there. We went 293 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: straight towards it and found it to be an Indian 294 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: camp in our former acquaintance young Erskine. Among them they 295 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: were Cherokees with three young chop tawls. These two tribes 296 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 1: being on good terms like ourselves, They were out bear hunting, 297 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: but it had better luck. A quantity of bear meat 298 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 1: was hanging about the camp and even the dogs would 299 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: eat no more. Casting ourselves down by the fire, one 300 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 1: of the squalls, for there were several women in the camp, 301 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: immediately cooked for us some bear, which we duly regaled ourselves. 302 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: Night came on, and soon we were all sunk in 303 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: deep repose. Early in the morning we began to move, 304 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: dividing into two parties for the better chance of finding game. 305 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 1: Conwell went with some of the Indians, amongst whom he 306 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: had found an old acquaintance, to make a circuit round 307 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: the pilot Rock, while Erskine and I, with three Cherokees, 308 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: proceeded to the sources of the frog Bayou. Knight found 309 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: us far from our camp, so we made one for ourselves. 310 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,159 Speaker 1: Where we were on the morning of February first, we 311 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: had hardly started ere we heard the dogs, which he could, 312 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: declared instantly that they were his brothers, and disappeared behind 313 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: the rocks without another word. As we stood listening, the 314 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: sound seemed to take a different direction. We ascended the 315 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: mountain as fast as we could to cut off the chase, 316 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: but found that we must have been mistaken, for in 317 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: a few minutes all was as silent as a grave. 318 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: Once we thought we heard a shot, but we couldn't 319 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 1: be certain. We ascended to the highest terrace and walked 320 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: slowly on, looking out for fresh signs, and listening to 321 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: catch the sound of the dog below. Amongst the broken 322 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 1: masses of rock, they might be near without being heard. 323 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 1: Along the mountaintops, they are audible at a great distance. 324 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: It may have been two in the afternoon, and we 325 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: had seen nothing when bears grease raised his nose in 326 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: the air, remained for an instant or two in a 327 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: fixed position, then given a short smothered howl, dashed down 328 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: the mountain side. Listening attentively, we heard the chase coming 329 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,960 Speaker 1: down the Hurricane River. Erskine and called out triumphantly, we 330 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: shall have plenty of bear this evening, and dashed after 331 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: the dog. I was soon by his side. I must 332 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: observe by the way that we were both very hungry. Presently, 333 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: a bear broke through the bushes. A projecting rock stopped 334 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: him for an instant when Erskine saluted him with a ball. 335 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: He received mine. As he rushed past and disappeared. The dogs, 336 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 1: encouraged to greater efforts by our shots, and the stronger 337 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 1: scent followed him out. Bear's grease, who was quite fresh 338 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,880 Speaker 1: leading the van. Soon they came upon him and stopped him. 339 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: We rushed to the spot, without waiting to reload, and 340 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,439 Speaker 1: arriving in time to see the beast, excited to the 341 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 1: greatest fury, kill four of our best dogs with as 342 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: many blows of his paws. But the others threw themselves 343 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: on him with greater animosity, and if our rifles had 344 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: been loaded, we could not have used them. Just as 345 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 1: a large, powerful brown dog, which had furiously attacked the bear, 346 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: was knocked over, bleeding and howling, Erskine called out, Oh 347 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: save the dog, threw down his rifle and rushed on 348 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 1: with his knife among the furious group. I followed on 349 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: the instant. When the bear saws coming, he exerted still 350 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: more force to beat off the dogs and meet us. 351 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 1: Seizing his opportunity, my comrade ran his steel into his side. 352 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: The bear turned on him like lightning and seized him, 353 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:27,199 Speaker 1: and he uttered a shrill, piercing shriek. Driven to desperation 354 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 1: by the sight, I plunged my knife three times into 355 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: the monster's body with all my force, without thinking of 356 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,439 Speaker 1: jumping back. At the third thrust, the bear turned upon me, 357 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 1: seeing as Paul coming. I attempted to evade the blow, 358 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: felt a sharp pang, and sunk senseless to the ground. 359 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 1: When I recovered my senses, bear's grease was licking the 360 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: blood from my face. On attempting to rise, I felt 361 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: a severe pain in my left side and was unable 362 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: to move my left arm. On making a fresh effort, 363 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: I succeeded in sitting up. The bear was close to me, 364 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,919 Speaker 1: and less than three feet from him, lay erskine, stiff 365 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: and cold. I sprang up with a cry of horror 366 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: and rushed towards him. It was too true. He was 367 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:18,640 Speaker 1: bathed in blood, his face torn to pieces, his right 368 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: shoulder almost wrenched away from his body, and five of 369 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,640 Speaker 1: the best dogs ripped up with broken limbs, lying beside him. 370 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: The bear was so covered with blood that his color 371 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: was hardly discernible. My left arm appeared to be out 372 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: of socket, but I could feel that no bones were broken. 373 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 1: The sun had gone down, and I'd hoped that the 374 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: other hunters might have heard our shots and the barking 375 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 1: and howling of the dogs. It grew dark. 376 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 4: No one came. 377 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:50,679 Speaker 1: I roared and shouted like mad, but no one heard me. 378 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,160 Speaker 1: I tried to light a fire, but my left arm 379 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: was so swelled that I gave up the attempt. But 380 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 1: as it would have been certain death to pass the 381 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 1: night under the circums dances without a fire, I tore 382 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 1: away part of the back of my hunting shirt, and 383 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 1: the fore part, being saturated with blood, sprinkled some powder 384 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: on it, rubbed it well, and with my right hand 385 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 1: I shook a little powder into my rifle. Placing the 386 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: muzzle on the rag, I fired, blowing it up to 387 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: a flame. I piled on dry leaves and twigs, and 388 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 1: succeeded in making a good fire, though with great pain 389 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,240 Speaker 1: and trouble. Now it was dark, I went to my 390 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:29,679 Speaker 1: dead comrade, who was lying about five yards from the fire. 391 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: He was already stiff, and it was with great difficulty 392 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: that I could pull down his arms and lay him straight, 393 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 1: Nor could I keep his eyes closed, though I laid 394 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 1: small stones on them. The dogs were very hungry, but 395 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: it was impossible for me to break up the bear, 396 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 1: only ripped him up and fed them with his entrols. 397 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: Bear's grease laid himself down by the corpse, looking steadfastly 398 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: in his face, and went no more near the bear 399 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: and hoping of obtaining help, I loaded and fired twice, 400 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 1: but nothing moved. The forest appeared one enormous grave. I 401 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 1: felt very ill, vomited several times as well as I could. 402 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: I laid myself down beside the fire and lost all 403 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:22,440 Speaker 1: consciousness of my wretched situation. Whether I slept or fainted 404 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,679 Speaker 1: is more than I can tell, but I know that 405 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: I dreamed that I was at home in my bed, 406 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,919 Speaker 1: and my mother brought me some tea and laid her 407 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:37,400 Speaker 1: hand on my breast. Such an awakening as I had, 408 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: was worse than I could wish. To my bitterest enemy, 409 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 1: Bear's greased had pressed close to my side, lying his 410 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,199 Speaker 1: head on my breast. The fire was almost out, and 411 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: I was shivering with cold, and the wolves were howling 412 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: fearfully around the dead, keeping at a distance for fear 413 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,120 Speaker 1: of the living, but by no means disposed to lose 414 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: their prey. I rose with difficulty and laid more wood 415 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: on the fire. As it burned up, the face of 416 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: the corpse seemed to brighten. I started, but found it 417 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 1: was only an optical delusion. Louder and fiercer howled the 418 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: wolves and the dogs, of whom five were alive. Besides 419 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: bear grease answered them. But the answer was by no 420 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: means one of defiance, rather a lament for the dead, 421 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: partly to scare away the wolves, and partly in hope 422 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,439 Speaker 1: of finding help. I loaded and fired three times. My 423 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:29,880 Speaker 1: delight was inexpressible as I heard three shots in return, 424 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: I loaded and fired until all my powder was expended. 425 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: As morning broke, I heard two shots not far off, 426 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: and soon after a third. A shipwrecked mariner hanging to 427 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,959 Speaker 1: the side of a plank could not raise his voice 428 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: more lustily to hail a passing ship than I did, 429 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 1: and joy upon joy, I heard a human voice and answer. 430 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: The bark of the dogs announced a stranger, and Wachiga 431 00:24:55,680 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: advanced out of the bush wall, he exclaimed. Staring at 432 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: the shocking spectacle, he felt poor erskine and shook his 433 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: head mournfully. He turned to me. I showed him my 434 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: swollen arm, which he examined attentively. Without speaking, Forming a 435 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,159 Speaker 1: hollow with his two hands and placing into his lips, 436 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 1: he gave a loud, piercing shout. The answer came from 437 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:20,440 Speaker 1: no great distance, and in a few minutes my old 438 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 1: dear friend Conwell and most of the Indians were at 439 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 1: my side. I grasped Conwell's hands sorrowfully and told him 440 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 1: in few words how it all had happened. The old 441 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 1: man scolded and said, it served us right. There's no 442 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:37,679 Speaker 1: greater danger in sticking a knife into a bear's paunch 443 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: when he's falling with the dogs upon him. But if 444 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: he has been thrown and then catches the sight of 445 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 1: his greatest enemy man, he exerts all his force to 446 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,920 Speaker 1: attack him, and woe to him who comes within reach 447 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 1: of his paws. It was all very well talking. He 448 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:56,879 Speaker 1: had not been present and seeing one dog after another 449 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,120 Speaker 1: knocked over, never to rise again, five minutes more and 450 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: not one would have been saved. And who knows whether 451 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: the enraged beasts would not have attacked us. Then meanwhile, 452 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: the Indians had been digging a grave with their tomahawks, 453 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,439 Speaker 1: wrapping the body in a blanket. They laid him in 454 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:18,880 Speaker 1: it and covered him with earth and heavy stones. Conwell 455 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: cut down some young stems and made a fence around 456 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: the solitary grave. I could not avoid a shudder at 457 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,920 Speaker 1: the quiet coolness of the whole proceeding, as the thought 458 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: struck me that the same persons under the same circumstances 459 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 1: would have treated me in the same cool way had 460 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: I fallen instead of Erskine. Like me, he was a 461 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: lonely stranger in a foreign land, having left England some 462 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: years before, and his friends and relations will probably never 463 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 1: know what became of him. Thousands perish in this way 464 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: in America, of whom nothing more is heard, and perhaps 465 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: in a few months the remembrance of them was entirely 466 00:26:58,280 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 1: passed away. 467 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 4: To the dead was. 468 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:04,200 Speaker 1: Quietly laid in the grave. Wachiga came with an elderly 469 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 1: Indian to look at my arm. Wachiga moved it while 470 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: the other looked steadfastly in my face. The pain was 471 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: enough to drive me mad, but I would not utter 472 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 1: a sound. Next, the Indian took hold of my arm, 473 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,200 Speaker 1: laying his left hand on my shoulder, and while Wachiga 474 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: suddenly seized me round the body from behind, the other 475 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:25,879 Speaker 1: pulled with all his force. The pain at first was 476 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: so great that I almost feinted, but it gradually diminished. 477 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: In spite of my resolve to show no signs of it, 478 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:36,879 Speaker 1: I could not suppress a shriek. Conwell soon after asked 479 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,200 Speaker 1: if I could ride on my answering yes, he helped 480 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 1: me on a horse, then throwing the bear's skin and 481 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 1: some of the meat on his own, we moved slowly homewards. 482 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: My sufferings on the way were very great, but I 483 00:27:49,960 --> 00:28:00,959 Speaker 1: uttered no murmur. I only longed for repose. That's one 484 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: of my favorite stories of all time. I get chills 485 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 1: listening to parts of it, and for that reason, Frederick 486 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: Gershtacker is also in the Beargreas Hall of Fame. We 487 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 1: did a series in twenty twenty two that was meaningful 488 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 1: to me called Genuine Outlaws. It was about two men 489 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,680 Speaker 1: from my hometown in western Arkansas named Blue Dell and 490 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: Charlie Edwards. They both passed on now but were notorious 491 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: turkey poachers, but also beloved people in our community. As 492 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: a kid, I was always a little bit confused by this. 493 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:44,760 Speaker 1: You know, did we like them or did we not? 494 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: Were they dangerous or were they friends? But this story 495 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: explores a bigger question of America's fascination with outlaws through 496 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: the story of these two brothers. This clip is from 497 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: episode fifty two and starts with game warden Jimmy Martin, 498 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: who chased the brothers his whole career, but the story 499 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 1: transitions to Stony Edwards, Charlie's son, talking about some deep 500 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 1: family history that might have helped tip their tendencies towards outlaw. 501 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 5: There are old time poachers that grew up in hard times. 502 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 5: Most of them did the ones that I ran across, 503 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 5: the hardcore matters that used mets and the rivers and 504 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 5: on the lakes, the hard time night hunters for deer, 505 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 5: you know, the bad turkey poachers, the bad daytime deer hunters. 506 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 5: They were all from old times when times was tough, 507 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 5: meat was hard to come by, and outlaw and was 508 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 5: just a way of life. Most of the old hard, hard, 509 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 5: hardcore poachers came from moonshiner families. 510 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 1: Old time poachers and moonshiners, remember those two things. The 511 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 1: first family member that I went to and I got 512 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 1: permission with Stony Edwards, the son of Charlie. I drove 513 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: out to the Big Fort community and found him at 514 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 1: the Big Fort Mall, which is a small gas station 515 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: that he and his wife run. I told him I 516 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: wanted to tell the whole story his dad and uncle, 517 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: and he agreed. He began by showing me a story 518 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 1: from nineteen twenty six. That's an interesting puzzle piece. Tragedy 519 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: literally struck the Edwards family. I'm reading from a laminated 520 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: newspaper clipping bound in a three ring binder. So this 521 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 1: is nineteen twenty six and it says officers shoot Carl 522 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 1: Edwards in Polk County. Carl Edwards was killed in Montgomery 523 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: County Sunday afternoon by a bullet fired by some member 524 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: of a posse that had just arrested two alleged moonshiners 525 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 1: and probably were searching for more or for anyone connected 526 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: with the illicit traffic. Edwards, twenty three year old resident 527 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: of Heath Valley, which is right in Polk County, was 528 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: shot and instantly killed as he drove his Ford car 529 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: homeward from a hunting trip in Montgomery County. A single 530 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: bullet fired by one of the posse's six officers and 531 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: said to have wounded Edwards's brother, kill the dog, and 532 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 1: then given Carl Edwards a mortal womb as he set 533 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: at the steering wheel. The tragedy occurred the Government Road 534 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: between Big Fok and Norman. So who was Carl Edwards? 535 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 1: To you? 536 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 6: He would have been my dad's uncle, Okay, my grandfather's brother. 537 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: So what were they doing? They were trying to get 538 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: away from No. 539 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 6: In all actuality, uncle Landy was only I think he 540 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 6: was only like ten. They had been coon hunting. They 541 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 6: had coon dog in the car and Uncle Landy was 542 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:48,360 Speaker 6: in the car and they were coming back and the 543 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 6: officers hollered for him to stop, and Carl hollered a 544 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 6: will at the bottom of the hill. Car didn't having brakes. 545 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 6: But you got to take the previous history into account 546 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 6: because they had been trying to catch him for years 547 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 6: and hadn't been able to so when he didn't stop 548 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:10,440 Speaker 6: on command, they opened fire. And of course this ad 549 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:14,240 Speaker 6: came from the newspaper, which I'm gonna say his bias 550 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 6: towards law enforcement at the time. It wasn't because those 551 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 6: men loaded my uncle up, drove him to my great grandparents' 552 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 6: house and dropped him on the porch when he was 553 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 6: shot dead. Yeah, they left him dead on the front porch. 554 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:28,840 Speaker 4: Wow. 555 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 6: Uncle Andy was shot through the ear. 556 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: He was just a kid. 557 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 6: He was ten years old. He was shot through the ear, 558 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 6: and of course it. 559 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 1: Killed his dad and his son in the car with 560 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 1: a coon dog. 561 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:41,960 Speaker 6: No, it was two brothers, two brothers. Yeah, they were 562 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 6: thirteen years apart. 563 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: Oh, I see, I see. 564 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 6: And the coon dog in the car and it. 565 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:50,400 Speaker 1: Was a coon dog. Okay, no, it did say it 566 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 1: killed the dog. 567 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:55,720 Speaker 6: It killed the dog, killed Carl and wounded in So Carl. 568 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 1: Was a known moonshiner and they'd been trying to catch him. 569 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 6: Well, you got to consider his His dad went to 570 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 6: Levenworth Prison for moonshining. So basically the whole family was 571 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 6: in the business. There's no way around it. Yeah, my 572 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,280 Speaker 6: great grandfather had seven sons. 573 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: And they all lived out here in the valley. 574 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 6: Yeah, right over there where I live now. We're still 575 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 6: on the original Edward's home plush. 576 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: The whole family was quote in the business of moonshining, 577 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 1: and the killing of Carl Edwards and his coon dog 578 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 1: in nineteen twenty six was a tough pill for the 579 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: family to swallow, and Uncle Andy, who was just a 580 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: child at the time, had a partly shot off ears 581 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 1: whole life. A week after the shooting. The six officers 582 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: involved would be charged with murder. Carl Edwards was Louis 583 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 1: Dell and Charlie's uncle, though he died before they were 584 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:57,640 Speaker 1: ever born. This is another newspaper clipping. Charges of murder 585 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,520 Speaker 1: have been made against six officers who were the posse 586 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,480 Speaker 1: that caused the death of Carl Edwards in Montgomery County 587 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 1: last Sunday afternoon. The six were Sheriff George how it 588 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:10,480 Speaker 1: names all their names. Ruben Edwards, a brother of the 589 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 1: man killed, was in Mina Tuesday, and stated that the 590 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,920 Speaker 1: accused officers had been summoned to court. I just wanted 591 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 1: to say this was a murder case, and I mean 592 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:24,240 Speaker 1: that in and of itself could lead to a family 593 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,760 Speaker 1: having some bad taste in their mouth for the law. 594 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:31,319 Speaker 6: If it hadn't been for Rube at that time, the 595 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:35,200 Speaker 6: other brothers would have killed all six officers. Rube stopped 596 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:37,879 Speaker 6: it and said that it would go to court. 597 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: And it'd be better off taking them to court than 598 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 1: killing them. 599 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:42,960 Speaker 6: But the brothers would have killed them, and they're lucky 600 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:43,680 Speaker 6: that they didn't. 601 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:49,960 Speaker 1: Later on, lucky is probably a good descriptor, because all 602 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 1: six officers would be acquitted of the murder charges they 603 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:56,399 Speaker 1: got off. None of them were convicted, nor was there 604 00:34:56,440 --> 00:35:00,320 Speaker 1: any recompense for the coon dog. This isn't the best 605 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:03,359 Speaker 1: way to gain the trust of the government's law men. 606 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,560 Speaker 1: I'd known Louis Dell and Charlie my whole life but 607 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:11,840 Speaker 1: this was the first time I'd heard this story of 608 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 1: their families past. Sometimes the reasons why people are the 609 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 1: way they are go way back, and I don't view 610 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:22,239 Speaker 1: that as an excuse for breaking the law. We've all 611 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 1: got things in our past that shape us that we 612 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 1: have to overcome. But the redemption in this story that 613 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,879 Speaker 1: I see today is that the Edwards clan do their 614 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 1: best to follow the law Outlaw and has kind of 615 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,759 Speaker 1: faded into the past for them coming from where they did. 616 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 1: I respect that The genuine Outlaw series was episode fifty 617 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:47,759 Speaker 1: two through fifty six. My buddy Steve Ranella says that 618 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:53,719 Speaker 1: it's his favorite Beargary series. Lastly, I'd like to go 619 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:58,280 Speaker 1: back to January to episode one eight, titled the Donnie 620 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: Baker Story Mayor. It was our most listened to episode 621 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty four and many people were struck by 622 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: Donnie's fourth right and it's about a dark time in 623 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:11,239 Speaker 1: his life when he illegally killed a two hundred and 624 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:14,840 Speaker 1: nine inch buck on the military base Fort leonard Wood 625 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:19,480 Speaker 1: in Central Missouri. Here's Donnie talking about the moment he 626 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:21,760 Speaker 1: saw the buck from his truck. 627 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 7: So as I as I kind of hit my brakes 628 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:29,600 Speaker 7: and it spooks him a little bit and he hops 629 00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,200 Speaker 7: down to the timberline. But when he gets to the timberline, 630 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:34,640 Speaker 7: in front of him are two really good bucks. It 631 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:37,439 Speaker 7: was a massive, huge eight point with a little bitty 632 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,839 Speaker 7: brow tines and a really nice ten. So I pulled down. 633 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 7: There's a running track there in some porta potties. So 634 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 7: I pulled down to those porta potties and I thought, right, 635 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:46,919 Speaker 7: I thought I could kill it deer right there. 636 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 4: And like I. 637 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,319 Speaker 7: Said, it was just kind of I don't know if 638 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 7: you ever when you was a kid shot at a 639 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 7: bird on a setting in a tree or something, just 640 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,319 Speaker 7: kind of and then when you do kill it, you think, oh, man, 641 00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:58,759 Speaker 7: that's kind of what I went through there. But I 642 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 7: knew it was an on hunting area. So I grabbed 643 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 7: my bow and just jeans and boots and well behind 644 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:09,279 Speaker 7: the porta potties up this little rise and there was 645 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:11,879 Speaker 7: a big old red oak that had died and fell over. 646 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:13,360 Speaker 7: And when I got to that red oak, I was 647 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:15,719 Speaker 7: considering if I should hunker down there or climb over it. 648 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 4: And as I'm as I'm contemplating that. 649 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:19,600 Speaker 1: So I mean, at this point, you've made a decision 650 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: you're illegally kill this. 651 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, and let me ask you this. 652 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 1: I mean, I think every human has experienced a moral 653 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 1: dilemma of being given an opportunity that they know is 654 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 1: wrong and them not taking it. 655 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:36,799 Speaker 4: Yeah. 656 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: But then there's like this this suck, this drawl, that 657 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:44,320 Speaker 1: something happens that all of a sudden you cross into 658 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:47,560 Speaker 1: a red zone and it's something flips. 659 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 4: Yeah. 660 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:51,160 Speaker 7: Well was at this time, Clay I had I had 661 00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:53,600 Speaker 7: seen I'd had twenty two in my truck multiple times 662 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:56,719 Speaker 7: from from squirrel hunting. When I've seen this deer. You know, 663 00:37:56,760 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 7: if if I had set out to poach this deer, 664 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 7: I mean, I could have shot it many times. But 665 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 7: when I saw that deer for the first time, I said, 666 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:07,799 Speaker 7: I've got to kill that deer. I mean, it just 667 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:10,000 Speaker 7: felt like that was almost a rite of passage for 668 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,160 Speaker 7: people who think that I was a good quality bow hunters. 669 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:14,200 Speaker 4: I was going to have killed this monster deer. 670 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 1: There's some profoundness in Donnie's honest, simple conclusion of his motivation. 671 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:25,680 Speaker 1: He was a twenty six year old man hungry for 672 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:29,320 Speaker 1: validation from the world around him, and killing a big 673 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:33,440 Speaker 1: deer with his bow was a pathway to gain respect. 674 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: I get it. I remember when the picture of the 675 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 1: first decent deer that I killed hung on the wall 676 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:43,839 Speaker 1: at the local bow shop, and I soaked up any 677 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 1: validation that I could get from anywhere. Validation for grand 678 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,000 Speaker 1: feats are important in a young man's life or a 679 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 1: young woman's life, but when they're stolen, the system is 680 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 1: cheated and it produces the opposite of what it's supposed to. 681 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,680 Speaker 1: It's supposed to identity and self confidence and a sense 682 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:05,960 Speaker 1: of worth, but what it actually creates is insecurity when 683 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:09,960 Speaker 1: it's stolen. But let's get back to Donnie. Here's what happened. 684 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 7: So when I knew where that deer was going to go, 685 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:18,920 Speaker 7: I knew it was illegal, but never really give that 686 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,600 Speaker 7: a consideration. Just the only thing I was saying about 687 00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:24,960 Speaker 7: is wanting to kill it deer. I needed to kill 688 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:27,600 Speaker 7: that deer some reason. I just thought that that's something 689 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:31,279 Speaker 7: I had to do. And as they get to that 690 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:33,200 Speaker 7: red oak, I'm considered, if I need to climb over 691 00:39:33,239 --> 00:39:35,360 Speaker 7: to hunker down there, and it's just a few yards 692 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:37,840 Speaker 7: off of it's a high line, and it's kind of 693 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:38,480 Speaker 7: it's pretty clean. 694 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:39,479 Speaker 4: There's a little brush there. 695 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:42,080 Speaker 7: As I'm I'm sure I'm moving around and I look 696 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:44,880 Speaker 7: up in that big ten is twenty five yards from me, 697 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,440 Speaker 7: staring at me. Well, he blows and takes off running, 698 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 7: and I thought, gosh, dang, I mean I blew that up, 699 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,320 Speaker 7: still not thinking, you know, hope nobody's seen me or whatever. 700 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:58,359 Speaker 7: And as I watched them cross Army Street, I look 701 00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:01,400 Speaker 7: back where they were, and a probably thirty five yards 702 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,799 Speaker 7: behind him, that bucks stand there staring right at me, 703 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:08,319 Speaker 7: wide open between he and I. I really believe if 704 00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:11,440 Speaker 7: he was a National Force wild deer, he'd have been gone. 705 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:12,000 Speaker 4: To you know. 706 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:16,080 Speaker 7: I shoot a single pin hha side and I had 707 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:17,799 Speaker 7: had an arrow knock. I knocked narrow forore. I set 708 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:19,560 Speaker 7: my bow on that red oak, trying to side where 709 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:21,560 Speaker 7: I was going to try to get. So I draw 710 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 7: my bow back and he's still just standing there. I mean, 711 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:25,600 Speaker 7: he's looking right at me. I know that if I 712 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:29,319 Speaker 7: can fall it into his front end, high success rate 713 00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:32,360 Speaker 7: killing him. And I put that pen right underneath his nose, 714 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:34,239 Speaker 7: just right about the top of his white patch and 715 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:34,920 Speaker 7: turn it blues. 716 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:41,680 Speaker 1: I wonder how long it took Adam, after sinking his 717 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:45,640 Speaker 1: teeth through the skin of the forbidden apple, to regret 718 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 1: his decision, the bite initiated a sequence of unretractable consequences. 719 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:56,520 Speaker 1: Man's always had a problem with laws, breaking them, that is, 720 00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:01,440 Speaker 1: But laws are the guideposts of societal security, designed for 721 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:03,920 Speaker 1: the well being of us. All the truth is is 722 00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 1: that everybody wants some form of law in their life 723 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 1: to protect them and their interests, even in a time 724 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:13,560 Speaker 1: in America where we're talking about liberty and freedom and 725 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:17,840 Speaker 1: laws take away all this stuff which I am generally 726 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:22,000 Speaker 1: absolutely in agreement with. However, I'm telling you we all 727 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:25,000 Speaker 1: love laws, but we like to cherry pick. The ones 728 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: that we'd like to break are the ones that infringe 729 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:31,640 Speaker 1: upon our personal freedom. And it's kind of bizarre. Human 730 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:38,360 Speaker 1: life is complex, society's complex. As I'm sitting here with 731 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:42,080 Speaker 1: Donnie hearing this story for the first time, I am 732 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:46,520 Speaker 1: struck with a palpable sense of remorse as the arrow 733 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:50,360 Speaker 1: drifts through the air and hits the buck just below 734 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 1: the throat patch. Later we'll learn that as a society, 735 00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:58,960 Speaker 1: we demand remorse from the people who've cheated the system 736 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:03,279 Speaker 1: ahead of myself. The buck has just been shot. 737 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,359 Speaker 7: The first thing I think is I shot him right 738 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:08,239 Speaker 7: in the front leg, and that was the first sick 739 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 7: feeling I got in bout. I thought, oh my gosh, 740 00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:11,759 Speaker 7: I just win that monster, dear, and shouldn't he been 741 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:14,759 Speaker 7: doing this? And that's still running through my mind when 742 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:18,799 Speaker 7: I hear him crash, and then reality starts setting in 743 00:42:19,239 --> 00:42:23,040 Speaker 7: good and grief. So I set my bow down, ease 744 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:24,600 Speaker 7: up to the eye, look around, make sure there's no 745 00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:27,520 Speaker 7: cars coming down the highway, and there's nobody really in 746 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:29,160 Speaker 7: that area at that time. Nobody had to run and 747 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:31,680 Speaker 7: trap where I was parking with him, So I instead 748 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:33,600 Speaker 7: of blood trailing him, I kind of stay out of sight, 749 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:35,839 Speaker 7: and I sneak down there where I thought I heard 750 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:39,120 Speaker 7: him crash and he's laying there dead, and to walk up. 751 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:40,759 Speaker 4: On him and grab his antlers. 752 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,799 Speaker 7: You should feel the most excitement you've ever had in 753 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:46,080 Speaker 7: your life, other than like one of your kids being 754 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:48,400 Speaker 7: born or something. And I kind of had the opposite feeling, 755 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:52,120 Speaker 7: and I immediately I thought, there's no way that I'm 756 00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:52,880 Speaker 7: going to get away with this. 757 00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:58,279 Speaker 1: The Donnie Baker series is one that you just have 758 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:02,440 Speaker 1: to listen to understand. The crescendo of the final episode, 759 00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:05,319 Speaker 1: number one eighty two left a lot of grown men 760 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:09,480 Speaker 1: in tears. How could a poaching story do that. It 761 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:13,920 Speaker 1: surprised me too. As I analyze these stories that stood 762 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:16,880 Speaker 1: out to me, there's kind of an odd theme at 763 00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:20,000 Speaker 1: least in three of them, and that is people breaking 764 00:43:20,040 --> 00:43:22,440 Speaker 1: the law. And I can see how it might be 765 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:26,440 Speaker 1: possible to miss the point. I don't claim to be perfect. 766 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:29,880 Speaker 1: I was raised by Gary Bilivernukam, who taught me to 767 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:32,680 Speaker 1: be a law Biden Feller, and to the best of 768 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:37,040 Speaker 1: my ability, I've lived by that code. But really, what 769 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:41,839 Speaker 1: I'm interested in these stories is the redemption. All these 770 00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:46,600 Speaker 1: stories have a heavy dose of redemption. I can't thank 771 00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:49,640 Speaker 1: you enough for listening to Bear Grease as we close 772 00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:52,080 Speaker 1: the year. I'm truly grateful for every one of you 773 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: that listen and support Brent and I on this Bear 774 00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:59,839 Speaker 1: Grease feet. Every Bear Grease episode feels like it takes 775 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:02,520 Speaker 1: shape on its own. It kind of forms up like 776 00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:06,520 Speaker 1: a cloud as I explore and research something I don't understand, 777 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:09,680 Speaker 1: and it honestly feels like it's out of my control. 778 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:14,839 Speaker 1: Sometimes people view creating content as something that they can 779 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:18,319 Speaker 1: completely control just by the decisions they make and what 780 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:21,520 Speaker 1: they do. This doesn't feel like that to me. I 781 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:25,919 Speaker 1: couldn't have scripted meeting Warner Glenn, or blindly walking into 782 00:44:25,960 --> 00:44:30,120 Speaker 1: Donnie Baker's home and watching and hearing that story unfold 783 00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:33,440 Speaker 1: before me just like it did, y'all. I couldn't have 784 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:36,960 Speaker 1: scripted the hair on my neck raising up as I 785 00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:39,120 Speaker 1: read the one hundred and eighty year old text of 786 00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:44,840 Speaker 1: Gershtok talking about erskin dying. Can I guarantee compelling stories 787 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:47,719 Speaker 1: that give us insight into human nature and our powerful 788 00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:52,319 Speaker 1: connection to wild places. I don't think I can, because 789 00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:55,799 Speaker 1: it's not coming from me. I didn't generate it. But 790 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:59,480 Speaker 1: I think these stories are fueled by something bigger, and 791 00:44:59,560 --> 00:45:02,680 Speaker 1: that give me faith that in twenty twenty five, the 792 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:07,280 Speaker 1: stories are just going to get better. Thank you again, 793 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:10,439 Speaker 1: really truly, thank you so much for listening to Bear 794 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:14,319 Speaker 1: Grease and Brent's This Country Life podcast. Hope everyone has 795 00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:18,400 Speaker 1: a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Keep the 796 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:21,080 Speaker 1: wild places wild, because that's where the bears live.