1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: From Mediators World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: Kel's we can review with Ryan kel Kell in now 3 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: Here's Kel. A proposal is now under consideration by the U. S. 4 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: Department of the Interior that would prevent the hunting of 5 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: moose and caribou in two areas Game Management Unit twenty 6 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: three and A in northwest Alaska. Anyone not meeting criteria 7 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: as a subsistence hunter in those areas will not be 8 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:44,599 Speaker 1: able to hunt. Those areas are roughly sixty million acres 9 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: in size, meaning that these federal public lands would be 10 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: closed not just out of state hunters, but also to 11 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: any Alaska resident who is not a subsistence hunter. Here 12 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: is one of the many catches you'll find when researching 13 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: this topic. Subsistence is defined by the State of Alaska 14 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: as customary and traditional uses of wild resources for various 15 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: uses including food, shelter, fuel, clothing, tools, transportation, handicraft sharing, barter, 16 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 1: and customary trade. However, federal and state laws currently differ 17 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: in who qualifies for participation in subsistence fisheries and hunts. 18 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: Under federal law, rural Alaska residents qualify for subsistence harvesting 19 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: since nine, all Alaska residents have qualified under state law. 20 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 1: That's taken from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website, 21 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: now from the BLM website. The statement is quote the 22 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: customary and traditional uses by rural Alaska residents of wild 23 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: renewable resources for direct personal or family consumption as food, shelter, fuel, clothing, tools, 24 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: or transportation. Basically the same statement as the State of Alaska, 25 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: but it's li's rural in there long way of saying 26 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: same but different. Actually what I call f print. Cariboo 27 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: numbers in this area are well inside a healthy range, 28 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: and non subsistence hunting makes up just two and a 29 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: half percent of the total annual harvest, which begs the 30 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: question what is the motivation behind the closure? Biology or 31 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: social science? Alaska Fishing Game is fighting in court against 32 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: a similar special action denying access to non subsistence hunters 33 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: in another part of the state Game Management Unit thirteen, 34 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: which we've already covered on an earlier episode. The Northwest 35 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: Arctic Subsistence Regional Advisory Council making this proposal sites air 36 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: travel to and from the area as a major disruptor 37 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: of the Cariboo migration. If they can shut it down 38 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 1: the limit the primarily nonresident or traveling resident hunters from 39 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: flying in, and the migration will continue down faster to 40 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: the subsistence hunter and make for easy pickings. That's the 41 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: theory anyway, but biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish 42 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: and Game don't agree that hunter transportation services are to blame. 43 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: Even still, several areas within units have been reserved only 44 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: for subsistence hunters. Much of this beef comes down to 45 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: geographical resentments. We can all relate to the feeling that 46 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: outsiders are ruining our spot, whether it's other hunters turning 47 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,679 Speaker 1: up in that honey hole or hipsters invading our favorite bar. 48 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: I'm not trying to make light of this situation, and 49 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: the history of Indigenous people in this area makes resentment 50 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: easy to understand. And then there's about a dozen other 51 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: layers of resentment we could get into. But the bottom 52 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: line is this. The North American model of conservation isn't 53 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: supposed to run on resentment. It's supposed to run on biology, science, 54 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:55,839 Speaker 1: and dollars. Biologists need to make the decisions about how 55 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: many animals can be taken. Locals, especially those close to 56 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: and dependent on a resource, should absolutely be considered first 57 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: when tag and opportunity allotments are decided, and non locals 58 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: who spend on licenses, tags, transportation gear and the rest 59 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: that provide funds to manage these animals and their habitat 60 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: should stay in the game until a situation arises that 61 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: says there is not enough. And this situation is not 62 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: that we're just in a sticky wicket. Sticky wicket. Very 63 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: few of the people listening to this will ever be 64 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: able to fly up to Alaska and hunt caribou and moose, 65 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: But right now we daydream occasionally that we'll get there, 66 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: you know, one of these days. So we're more invested 67 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: in making sure those animals are still there for a 68 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: long time. If this proposal goes through on the heels 69 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 1: of Game Management Unit thirteens closure to non subsistence hunters 70 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: on federal lands, a disturbing trend and a bad precedent 71 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: will be set and we could potentially see other areas 72 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: closed for social reasons, not biological reasons. This episode of 73 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 1: the Weekend Review will air after the public comment period 74 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: for the proposal is officially closed. Sorry about that. I 75 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 1: like to try to keep it weekly, but I gotta 76 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 1: get out in Turkey hunt. You know, however, the Department 77 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: of the Interior won't make its decision for a few 78 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 1: more weeks, so you still have time to weigh in. 79 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: If this is the first time you're hearing it, Sam 80 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: Longren wrote a fantastic deep dive on this issue. Head 81 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: over to the Meat Eater website not only to read 82 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: that piece, but also to find the link that will 83 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: take you to where you can comment on Special Action 84 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: Request wus A twenty one dash zero one for units. 85 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:46,919 Speaker 1: If those forms have been closed by the time you 86 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: hear this, don't give up this an important issue. Go 87 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: to back Country Hunters and Anglers and submit a letter 88 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: on this issue through their handy dandy web form. In addition, 89 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 1: I would call the Department of Interiors Acting Policy Coordinator 90 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: Robin Levine or right to the Acting Coordinator at Robin 91 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: r O B B I N Underscore Levine L I 92 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: V I N E at f W S dot G 93 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: O V. That's an intro call to action for you. 94 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:23,679 Speaker 1: This week, we've got alligator around up, listener emails, whales, 95 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: and so much more. But first I'm gonna tell you 96 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 1: about my week and my week as well as this 97 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: podcast is brought to you by Steel Power Equipment, maker 98 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: of the world's finest chainsaws. Whether you're earning a living 99 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: in the woods or just brownie points in the backyard, 100 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: the awesome people at Steel have something for you. Go 101 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: to www dot Steele USA dot com and find a 102 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: dealer near you. Just back from visiting my good buddy 103 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: Johnny all Red with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Foundation. Out 104 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,080 Speaker 1: there in Tennessee, we chase turkeys with daniel prue It 105 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: and chef Michael Hunter. You should follow Danielle and Mike 106 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: on Instagram and prepare to drool. Also, if you are 107 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: in the state of Tennessee and have a few bucks 108 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: to spare for wildlife and conservation, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Foundation 109 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: is as efficient of a nonprofit as you will find, 110 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: of every dollar donated goes into the program, not towards 111 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: administrative costs. So if you're interested in supporting wildlife and 112 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: keeping it local, check out Tennessee Wildlife Resource Foundation. On 113 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: our way home from Tennessee, we stopped and spoke with 114 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: one of the business owners that supports t w RF, 115 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: all of Sinclair Chocolate Company on Fatherland Street in Nashville, Tennessee. 116 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: Duck fat caramels. I do not like sweets, but duck 117 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: fat caramels I can get behind. They don't stick to 118 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: your teeth. And the owner there, Scott, is a fun 119 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: fellow to talk to. And as for the turkey woods, 120 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: they were great. We picked Morrel's wild garlic, lots of 121 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: ticks and picked up three turkeys and three days. Can't 122 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: ask for much more. I picked up my bird by 123 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: utilizing a classic creek bed sneak maneuver. After he hung 124 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: up at about eighty yards. Instead of coming directly into 125 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: Michael and I had set up like the hens that 126 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: had pitched out of the roost tree above us, he 127 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: came in at a sneaky ninety degree angle, which gave 128 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: him a perfect look at two cameo clad tree stumps 129 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: with shotgun silhouettes pointed ominously toward two hand turkeys, one 130 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: of them real, the other the Dave Smith variety. When 131 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: he turned his back, I slid into the creek and 132 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 1: got back within calling distance, and, as luck would have it, 133 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: in between him and some Tom's he was wanting to 134 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: group back up with. I started calling to the Tom's 135 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: on the ridge above and ignoring his gobbles. Eventually, even 136 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: though he knew better, he came sliding in silent to 137 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: find that him that wasn't talking to him, but was 138 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: talking to the other boys, and that, my friends, was 139 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 1: all she wrote, the last mistake he ever made. Seven 140 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: nine shot t s s wicked on those birds. Moving 141 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: on to listener emails. Bowl kelp. Another great bowl kelp 142 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: and boozing combo is using the stipe to make an 143 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: organic and biodegradable beer bong that pairs perfectly with Mexican 144 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: beers since it's nice and naturally salty. Fresh kelp is 145 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: obviously best of all the things I've learned over the 146 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: years commercial fishing, this is one I thought I'd never 147 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: be prompted to share. We all learned something here today. 148 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: So next up, bear measure utes. My reference to Boone 149 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: and Crockett measure length is nose to occiput, which is 150 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: the back of skull, and width is cheek to cheek, 151 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 1: which are the temporal bones. And I screwed that up 152 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: and called it the occipital bone, which the occiput would 153 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: be the tip of the back of the head. So 154 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: when you measure a bear under the Boone and Crockett system. 155 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: You run from the tip of the nose to the 156 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: tip of the oxi put or the back of the head, 157 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: and from the outermost points on the cheek bones, which 158 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: would be the temporal bones. That one came in courtesy 159 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: of the sweary Angler on Instagram. She says she's a 160 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: science medical nerd who has a pain in her occiput 161 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:48,439 Speaker 1: today from work. He says, you can't aunt. Phil says 162 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: you can. Lastly, from trade. In your latest episode of 163 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: Cow's We Can Review, you gave a quick plug for 164 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: Clay Newcome's Bear Grease podcast. In describing the augural episode, 165 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: you said it was about mountain lions east of the Mississippi. 166 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: As a lifelong resident of Arkansas and someone in possession 167 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,719 Speaker 1: of various mapping services from on X to my grandfather's 168 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: old rand McNally atlas, I would like to point out 169 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: that Arkansas is most definitely west of the Mississippi River. 170 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: Thank you, Trey. Next up, we've got an American alligator 171 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: round up. A twelve foot long, four hundred and forty 172 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: five pound American alligator was just taken during a hunt 173 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:39,079 Speaker 1: on private land along the Edisto River in South Carolina. 174 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: The man who killed the gator wanted the meat, head, 175 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: and hide, which are all common trophy parts of a gator, 176 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 1: but the stomach contents turned out to be of trophy 177 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: status as well. Inside the gators stomach was a spark plug, 178 00:11:55,559 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 1: a bullet casing, lots of turtle shells, a few bobcat claws, 179 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: and five tags from dog callers. The owners of Cordrey's 180 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 1: butcher Shop and Robin Ll, South Carolina found a few 181 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: tags that were still legible, with one number that's still worked. 182 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: The previous owner of the dog tags confirmed that he 183 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: had lost some dogs while hunting the same area twenty 184 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: four years prior. What that gator wouldn't have given for 185 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: some silium husk or meta musel. Huh, twenty four year 186 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: gut ache? Maybe a good reason to second guess eating 187 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 1: deer hunting dogs. While looking at this, it came across 188 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: a few interesting gator facts for you. Alligator nests are 189 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: warmed through the decay of vegetation. The microbial breakdown of 190 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: organic material creates friction, which produces heat. In this case, 191 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: swamp grasses layered on and in between mud layers that 192 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: seal the eggs from the outside world break down and 193 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:59,320 Speaker 1: produce heat. If anyone listening has a compost pile, you 194 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 1: know exactly what I'm talking about, which is thermal decomposition. 195 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: The temperature of the nest not only determines how many 196 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: nestlings hatch, but what sex they will be when they do. 197 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: Low temps and high temps produce female alligators, whereas the 198 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: median temps between thirty one point five and thirty five 199 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: degrees celsius produce males. So you could say, or come 200 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: to the conclusion rather that males are more even tempered. Well, 201 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 1: the females, well, they can be both hot and cold. 202 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: And I'm just talking alligators to be clear. Primary predators 203 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:44,439 Speaker 1: of alligators are alligators. They're cannibalistic and territorial. As juveniles, 204 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:48,560 Speaker 1: they are targets of wading birds, snapping turtles, raccoons, otters, 205 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: and fish. If you are one of the select few 206 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: bass fishermen that own a baby gator swim bait, you 207 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: know what I'm talking about. As eggs, the mother gator 208 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: can crush them in the nest rack. Coons will dig 209 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 1: them up, as will hogs, otters, and bears. In some 210 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 1: states Florida and possibly Georgia, at this point, also have 211 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: the Argentine tego lizard and egg eating and digging invasive 212 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 1: species to contend with. The American alligator was listed on 213 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: the Endangered Species Act of nineteen seventy three despite years 214 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: of attempted state regulation, including the implementation of a license 215 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: and tag system and the flat outclosing of alligator hunting 216 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: in South Carolina ten years prior in nineteen sixty three. 217 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, federal 218 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: regulation through the Lacy Act increased penalties for the possession, sale, 219 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: and transportation of American alligator parts, and that is likely 220 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: what helped restore this species. After years on the s A, 221 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: the gator was downlisted to threatened in nine seven, and 222 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 1: South Carolina's first hunting season returned to the state in thirty, 223 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: two years after its closure. Alligators are currently present from 224 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: Texas east along the Gulf Coast, up the Mississippi River 225 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: into Arkansas and Oklahoma, around the tip of Florida, and 226 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: north to southern North Carolina, which is the only Gulf 227 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: state where gators are present without a hunting season. Oklahoma 228 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: just recently confirmed nesting of American alligators in that state. 229 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: There is no hunting season there, but they do have 230 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: a state record alligator car, which also has big teeth, 231 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: scaled armor, can breathe there, lives in much of the 232 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: same habitat and has been around unchanged for much of 233 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: the same time. That record car is two hundred and 234 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: fifty four pounds twelve ounces, over eight feet in length 235 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: and a girth of forty four inches. That is a 236 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: big old dinosaur fish, and by old I mean at 237 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: least one hundred million years as a species, which may 238 00:15:57,400 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: make it one of our better examples of If an 239 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 1: ain't broke, don't fix it. There are reports from the 240 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: state of North Carolina of eleven foot gators crossing roads 241 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 1: and of course snatching dogs from their owners leashes in 242 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: golf course housing developments. Georgia, where there is an alligator season, 243 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: reports a state record gator of fourteen feet one and 244 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: three quarter inches and seven hundred pounds. That gator came 245 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: out of Lake you falla which is famous for a 246 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: number of reasons, but I know it because of that 247 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: great James McMurtry song Choctaw Bingo. James, if you're listening, 248 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: and I know you are sorry to hear about your 249 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: pops for someone not knowing him, all I can say 250 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: is lonesome Dove and Cadillac Jack or classics. Yeah, I 251 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:45,479 Speaker 1: thought of As a writer of Alto I've been denouncing 252 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: cowboys and calling them fascists and uh, doing everything I 253 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: can to get away from being a writer about the cowboy. 254 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: But somehow it draws me back because it's such a 255 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: Central American image, central American western type. You gotta deal 256 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:04,479 Speaker 1: with the way, one way or another. Florida has a 257 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: separate category for weight and overall length, which in my opinion, 258 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,199 Speaker 1: as an attempt to let more people be a winner. 259 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: Isn't that nice? Of course, splitting categories like that does 260 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 1: create that coveted spot of overall champ for some hunter 261 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: to The Florida length record is a fourteen foot three 262 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: and a half inch male from Brevard County. The weight 263 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: record is from Orange Lake at thirteen ft ten and 264 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,120 Speaker 1: a half inches but one thousand and forty three pounds. 265 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 1: The Alabama record was set in two thousand fifteen and 266 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 1: came out of the Alabama River with a monstrous fifteen 267 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 1: ft long, one thousand eleven pound gator caught in a 268 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:51,439 Speaker 1: sixteen foot boat. By the way, Mississippi claims a fourteen 269 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: ft one and a quarter inch seven hundred and sixty 270 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: six pound gator with a tail girth measurement of forty 271 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: three inches, which is the okay, the Arkansas state record 272 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,479 Speaker 1: gator was just claimed in the two thousand twenty season. 273 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:10,440 Speaker 1: That gator came out of Marissatch Lake outside of Arkansas Post, Arkansas. 274 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: Now I'm sure you don't need me to tell you 275 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: about Arkansas Post Arkansas. I mean you know it was 276 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: the first European settlement the Lower Mississippi Valley founded in 277 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: sixteen eighty six and was the Arkansas Territories capital before 278 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: folks were even talking about Little Rock. Anyway. This big 279 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: gator was taken with one of only thirty eight public 280 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: hunting permits and wade in at eight hundred pounds while 281 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:46,199 Speaker 1: measuring thirteen feet eleven and a half inches, which is 282 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 1: nice but not quite a fourteen foot or is it 283 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 1: the longest alligator on record? The overall title holder was 284 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: recorded somewhat unofficially in Louisiana. That gator measured nineteen feet 285 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: two in is long and had an estimated weight of 286 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 1: over two thousand pounds. This was however, reported in eighteen 287 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:11,159 Speaker 1: ninety and it's possible that this estimate grew over time. 288 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 1: Louisiana's second largest or modern day gator is thirteen feet 289 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: four inches seven hundred and sixty pounds. Finally, Texas claims 290 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: a fourteen foot, nine hundred pound gator taken in two 291 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: thousand sixteen. I'm telling you all of this because, well, 292 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,880 Speaker 1: it's awesome knowledge. I love knowing that there are reptiles 293 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: growing somewhere in the southeast that breach a thousand pounds. People, 294 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,679 Speaker 1: including myself, throw the word dinosaur around a lot. The 295 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: last dinosaurs probably roamed the earth about sixty six million 296 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: years ago. The American alligator or alligator mississippiensis, when compared 297 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 1: to fossils of alligators from five to twelve million years ago, 298 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: is basically the same and really old, but misses the 299 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: age of dinosaurs, unlike our friend, the alligator gar. Unlike 300 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: a lot of other species, we have lots of fossils 301 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 1: to compare modern day bones too. That's due to the 302 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: fact that alligators lose a lot of teeth. They're a polyphyodont, 303 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: which is what we would call a ten dollar word, 304 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,400 Speaker 1: but it just means their teeth grow, fallout and are 305 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: continually replaced depending on what the gator is up to. 306 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: They can produce and rotate through hundreds, even thousands of 307 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: teeth in a good long lifetime, while on its average day, 308 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:37,679 Speaker 1: that old gator may have as many as eighty teeth 309 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 1: in its mouth. They're also homodonts, which means, unlike us, 310 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 1: their teeth are all basically the same, all grabbers, conical 311 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: shaped teeth, no grinders. These fossils are very similar to 312 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:56,400 Speaker 1: older alligators that did go back further than twelve million 313 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: years ago, such as they're recently discovered dino sukus shwimmery 314 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:08,879 Speaker 1: we were, which of course came out of similar fossils 315 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 1: found in Alabama and Mississippi. Similar that is, but different 316 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: in many ways, especially scale. If you want to call 317 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:21,360 Speaker 1: a gator a dinosaur, you're talking about a gator with 318 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 1: teeth the size of bananas and an overall length of 319 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:30,360 Speaker 1: thirty three feet or more. The modern American alligator may 320 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: sport a tooth that goes as long as four inches 321 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 1: in length for reference, That, my friends, is the gator 322 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: that tussled with the dinosaurs and would unfortunately make those 323 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: modern state records seem undersized. The other fun thing to 324 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 1: think about. Is this dino gator swam right here in 325 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: Montana and New Jersey, which is kind of like that 326 00:21:56,040 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 1: old joke, where does a thirty three ft gator swim 327 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: wherever it pleases? That's been your American alligator round up. 328 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,360 Speaker 1: Hard to find a good gator round up anywhere other 329 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: than Cal's weaken review. Moving on their surveillance side effects desk, 330 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: scientists are actively monitoring a gray whale off the coast 331 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 1: of Vancouver, Canada, who has developed an infection at the 332 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: site of a satellite monitoring tag it was stuck with 333 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 1: several months ago. To tag a gray whale, you pull 334 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:31,479 Speaker 1: up beside the forty ft long, thirty ton beheemoth and 335 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: shoot it with a dark containing a tracker about the 336 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: size of a lightsaber or you know, let's call it 337 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:41,479 Speaker 1: your standard framing hammer handle. With the vast majority of 338 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: whale tags, they stay embedded and unnoticed by the whale 339 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: for years. In this case, though, the state of the 340 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: skin infection and the fact that the whale was coughing 341 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:54,719 Speaker 1: up mucus concerned scientists enough that they darted the whale again, 342 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:59,160 Speaker 1: this time with antibiotics, which will likely be the next 343 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: step in co of a vaccine delivery. Although this particular 344 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: tag is causing a problem, the data we get from 345 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: tagging all kinds of animals is absolutely priceless. There are 346 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:16,439 Speaker 1: several species who wouldn't have survived without the information scientists 347 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 1: have collected for monitoring devices. Grizzly bears would arguably be 348 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: a great example. But nothing is perfect, and in biology, 349 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,639 Speaker 1: just as in particle physics, every time you study something, 350 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: you risk changing the thing you're studying. Female Australian zebra finches, 351 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: for example, were shown to be less responsive to the 352 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,439 Speaker 1: mating dances of male finches who had been fitted with 353 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 1: colorful tags. Those are some fashion conscious lady finches and 354 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 1: they ruined a great study. But back to the gray 355 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: whale off the coast of Canada. The infection around the 356 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: tag and the mucus production are expected to clear up soon, 357 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: but the animal will remain under observation for the next 358 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: several weeks. In the meantime, fisherman's friend is working on 359 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 1: a cherry cough drop the size of a snowmobile. Moving on, 360 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: congratulations to Wolfgang Kratzenburg of Verona, Kentucky, first for having 361 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: a great name and second for recently catching the Kentucky 362 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: State records sagay. The sagay is a hybrid of a 363 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 1: sagger and a walleye, too closely related but distinct species 364 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 1: of freshwater fish native to Canada and the Northern US. 365 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,399 Speaker 1: While while I typically stick to lakes, sager prefer rivers 366 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: and streams, and in recent decades, habitat disruption and rising 367 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 1: water temperatures have been hard on both, but the hybrid 368 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,679 Speaker 1: of the two has proven hardier than either original fish. 369 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: Sagay tolerates warmer water better and their eggs grow faster, 370 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 1: so Kentucky has been hatching and stocking lakes with sagay 371 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,640 Speaker 1: since two thousand thirteen. We've often talked about how tough 372 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 1: it can be to battle invasive hybrids mill foil tiger salamanders, 373 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:11,439 Speaker 1: burmese and indian python mixes, even invasive calorie pear trees. 374 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: When two species are able to team up and use 375 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: the most effective attributes of each other, survival rates go up. 376 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 1: In the case of the saga, this combo creates a 377 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:26,199 Speaker 1: fish that is just fantastic to go after. According to 378 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: the Kentucky Fish and Game Press release, Wolfgang and his 379 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: son Jeffrey put in a heroic struggle to get this 380 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:35,719 Speaker 1: whopper in the boat, which was only overshadowed by their 381 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 1: amount of effort to get the fish officially weighed. The 382 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 1: duo called ten different stores before finally finding a costco 383 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,479 Speaker 1: willing to move their trade certified scale out to the 384 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,200 Speaker 1: parking lot to record the official weight of nine pounds 385 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:55,479 Speaker 1: five ounces, eight point eight ounces better than the previous record. 386 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 1: So here's a hat tip to the Cats and Bergs 387 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 1: for a job well done, and also for what I 388 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: imagine were some extremely tasty fried filets. That's all I've 389 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 1: got for you this week. Thank you so much for listening. 390 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 1: As per usual, get ahold of me and tell me 391 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 1: what's going on in your neck of the woods by 392 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: writing in to a s k C. A L. Let's 393 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: ask Cal at the meat eater dot com. Thanks again 394 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:22,640 Speaker 1: and I'll talk to you next week.