1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: From Mediator's World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: Kel's we Can review with Ryan kel Kell in now 3 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 1: Here's kel Strange seeds from China, Uzbekistan and other origins 4 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: are invading the US. Hundreds of households across the country 5 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: have been getting unmarked seed packages in the mail, and 6 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: those numbers are expected to grow. Reasons why these seed 7 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: packets have sprouted in people's mailboxes range from a terrorist 8 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,840 Speaker 1: plot to spread noxious weeds or invasive bugs that would 9 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: be a blight on our nation's agriculture, or possibly something 10 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: called a brushing scam, which is when a company sends 11 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: unsolicited products to people and then they generate reviews on 12 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: their behalf. Either way, state officials are urging those that 13 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: have received these mysterious seeds to keep them in a 14 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: sealed bag and call your local Department of Agriculture. Whatever 15 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: you do, do not plant them or throw them away 16 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: in a fashion that could allow the seeds to spread. 17 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: If you've had your head buried in the potting soil 18 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: and are coming to this thorny situation late, and maybe 19 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: you've already planted these mystery seeds, please heed the advice 20 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, which is as soon 21 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: as they come up. I recommend those plants be killed, 22 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: use some type of herbicide, spray them, and if anything 23 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: comes back, spray it. Do not let those plants grow. 24 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: The risk is too great. Sounds serious to me. If 25 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: you get unsolicited seeds in the mail, please do the 26 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: right thing and notify your Department of Agriculture. Prevention is 27 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: an easier solution than herbicide. Let's hope the Department of 28 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: Egg gets to the root of this issue quick. This 29 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: week we've got pebble mine, whooping cranes, and access. But 30 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: first I'm gonna tell you about my week. I know 31 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: everyone loves hearing about my Steel chainsaws, particularly those battery 32 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: powered saws that are clean, quiet, powerful and dependable. Well, 33 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: starting Monday, August ten, you will have one heck of 34 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: an opportunity in front of you. Only at the meat 35 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 1: Eater dot com we are having a fund raising access 36 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: providing auction. I have personally assembled my ms A two 37 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: twenty c battery powered saw. My good friends at Steel 38 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: are providing a full kit of personal protective equipment including chaps, gloves, 39 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: helmet system, glasses, and a duffel bag to hold everything. 40 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: They may even throw a couple of other things in there. 41 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: But wait, there's more. You could get it for half 42 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: price because this is an auction, but you know you 43 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: should pay beyond full price because this is a fundraiser 44 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: for access, all right, but wait, there's still more. I 45 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: am also throwing in an original bench made altitude knife 46 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: that has brought me a ton of luck in the mountains, 47 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: and a personal copy of a must have conservation book, 48 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: an entirely synthetic fish, and to top it all off, 49 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: my beloved public land owner, back country Hunters and Anglers 50 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: T shirt. I will even write a nice note on 51 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: the bar of the chainsaw. Just for you. We're auctioning 52 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: off Steven Ronnello's rifle and accuse deer mount that he 53 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: got with that rifle. Jannest Pitelis is throwing in the 54 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: backpack right off of his back, his lucky hunting cap, 55 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: and a couple other items. And for those of you 56 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: who want to support land access in a big way 57 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: and get something truly unique, we are auctioning off Doss Boat, 58 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: the original boat from season one of our Doss Boat 59 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: YouTube series. WHOA All proceeds are going to the purchase 60 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: of the Shiloh Pond property in Maine to provide more 61 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: hunting and fishing for America. If you don't want stuff 62 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: and you want to contribute, please go to High Peaks 63 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: Alliance and donate to them directly help us help you 64 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: get this done. It's a really good thing. The main 65 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: project is incredibly cool and as I've said right here 66 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: on this show before, of Maine's forest ground is privately held. 67 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 1: The entire state is private. They have currently a system 68 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: of de facto public access on non posted private ground, 69 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: but you know, times are changing and a lot of 70 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: that stuff is starting to get posted. So it's critical 71 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: for folks who enjoy getting outside, being in the out 72 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,239 Speaker 1: of doors, as I like to say, that we start 73 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: identifying these chunks of ground and getting them into a 74 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: truly public circumstance. Next up, we're gonna take a quick 75 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: stop the correction desk. It's a tough one for me. 76 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: We're going to correct the pronunciation of John Muir's name. 77 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 1: Last week I mentioned the Sierra Club and their attempt 78 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: to address the faults of its founder, John Muir. Muir 79 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: is how we pronounce it in Montana, all Right, Phil 80 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: is going to help me out with this one. Muir, 81 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 1: your mirror, your mirror, your John Muir, John Moore mirror, 82 00:05:55,720 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: Sorry you saying it? How saying it? Mirror? John Muir, 83 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: John Muir, John Muir, John Moore. More. He's hopeless, Jess, 84 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: Come on, it's happy hour at the poorhouse and wings 85 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: are on me. Yeah. I think I nailed it on 86 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: that last one. Moving on heading north to Alaska? Are 87 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: a k desk if we want to get hip this one. 88 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: Courtesy of Sam Longdren. On July, the Trump administration's Army 89 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: Corps of Engineers released its final environmental impact statement regarding 90 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: the Pebble Mine, setting the massive Southwest Alaska copper and 91 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: gold project on track to receive the permits needed to 92 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:42,799 Speaker 1: break ground, perhaps within the month. Hunters, anglers, commercial fishermen, 93 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:46,799 Speaker 1: and area tribes have fiercely opposed the project for decades, 94 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:51,599 Speaker 1: but yesterday that chorus gained a loud and influential voice. 95 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 1: The president's eldest son, responding to a tweet from Nick 96 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: Eyer's former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, 97 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: Donald from Junior tweeted as a sportsman who has spent 98 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: plenty of time in the area. I agree on the 99 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: headwaters of Bristol Bay and the surrounding fisheries are too 100 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: unique and fragile to take any chances with hashtag pebble mine. 101 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: Don Jr. Is just one of millions of visitors to 102 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: Bristol Bay, but the only one who can call the 103 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: President Dad. So this is a really good deal. Got 104 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: a guy on the inside, so to speak. The Trump 105 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,679 Speaker 1: administration is still deciding whether to issue the critical Clean 106 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: Water Act permit, and could do so this month unless 107 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: the Commander in Chief decides to intercede. The last time 108 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: a scientific review process was completed was in two thousand thirteen. 109 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: The administration began the process of severely restricting the project 110 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: due to grave concerns about the possible impacts the project 111 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: would have, mainly on water quality and fisheries in the region. 112 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: The Trump administration getaway with those his findings and began 113 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: a new The latest analysis found that under normal conditions, 114 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: the MIND would not be expected to have a measurable 115 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: effect on fish numbers and result in long term changes 116 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: to the health of the commercial fisheries in Bristol Bay. 117 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: Now you tell me which part of that statement is scarier. 118 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: The fact that with one administration, the review says that 119 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: this is not okay. The next administration and analysis says, 120 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: oh no, it's totally okay. Why is there never any 121 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,319 Speaker 1: middle ground? But to back up a bit, I do 122 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:42,439 Speaker 1: think the scariest part of that last statement is normal conditions. 123 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: If you have ever spent any amount of time in Alaska, 124 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: what's considered normal is sometimes scarily subjective and always a 125 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: very broad definition. For example, I once climbed in the 126 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,319 Speaker 1: back seat of a super cub on a very blustery 127 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: day to look down own and see a bottle of 128 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: peppermint schnaps sticking out of the back of the pilot's seat. 129 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: When I notioned in the direction of the bottle to 130 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: the friends sitting next to me, who happens to be 131 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: an Alaskan resident, his face seemed to say, Hey, that's normal, 132 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: friends and neighbors, that's not normal. The pebble deposit, estimated 133 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 1: to be one of the largest golden copper loads on Earth, 134 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 1: sits on a high saddle dividing Upper Telaric Creek from 135 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: the south fork of the Coctouli River. The Telaric described 136 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: to me as a sexy, sexy, big Rainbow Stream drains 137 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: into the massive Lake Iliamna. Lake Iliamna feeds the quee 138 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: Jack River and finally Bristol Bay. The Cooktoo Lee drains 139 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,599 Speaker 1: into the Mulchatna, a major tributary of the Nagac, the 140 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: Nish and the Quey. That's the hip Way, as saying, 141 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 1: Nishigak and quee Jack produced the majority of the Bristol Bay. 142 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: Sake I run the largest and most valuable wild salmon 143 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: fishery on the planet, generating a one point five billion 144 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: dollars sustainable economy and fourteen thousand good jobs every year. 145 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: The proposed MIND would carve a one mile wide, one 146 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: third mile deep hole in this wilderness landscape. According to 147 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: Mike heat Wall, a spokesman for Pebble, the project would 148 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: require building a gas pipeline all the way across cook Inlet, 149 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: a new port adjacent to Catnain National Park, an eighty 150 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: mile hall road to the mine, thirteen square miles of 151 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:36,679 Speaker 1: tailing ponds and facilities at the mine, and a two 152 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy megawatt power plant, all in order to 153 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 1: extract seventy million tons of rock every year. Even if 154 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: the Mind's tailing ponds never leak their toxic slurry, which 155 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: in this seismically active area many believe is an absolute certainty. 156 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 1: The development and road building would destroy the wild character 157 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: of the Bristol Bay region and to sturb and display 158 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: as much of its wildlife. The commercial fishing community aren't 159 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: the only ones who stand to suffer should this fishery collapse. 160 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: Several native tribes also depend on subsistence harvests of all 161 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: five species of salmon. Outside of salmon, just the shortlist here, 162 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: there's dolly Vardon pike, grayling lake trout, halibut, and some 163 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: of the world's largest native rainbow trout, not to mention moose, caribou, 164 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: brown bears, wolves, wolverines. I'm saying this region's got a 165 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: lot to offer. Trout Unlimited and many other conservation groups 166 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,359 Speaker 1: have been aggressively petitioning the White House and other politicians 167 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: about Pebble. On May, they delivered a letter to President 168 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: Trump signed by two hundred and fifty outdoors businesses and 169 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: groups and more than thirty thousand hunters and anglers, begging 170 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: him to deny the Clean Water Act permit. Alaska Governor 171 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,840 Speaker 1: Mike Dunlevy said that his state will also provide a 172 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 1: thorough analysis of the MIND proposal. Although he has expressed 173 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:05,959 Speaker 1: his support for the MIND in the past, both of 174 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: Alaska's U S Senators Murkowski and Sullivan have said they 175 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: are reviewing the Environmental Impact Statement document to see whether 176 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: it meets the high bar of scientific rigor and offers 177 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: adequate protection for Bristol Bay. Neither his outright condemned the 178 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 1: MIND in the past. Meat Eater Our business is just 179 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: one of the outdoors businesses asking President Trump to deny 180 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: the Pebble partnerships permits. Stephen Ronnella, my friend, the company 181 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 1: founder and leader, recently recorded a podcast with Donald Trump Jr. 182 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 1: He said, decisions important as this one should transcend economic 183 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: and political concerns, and this is a quote here. The 184 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: fact that folks from such a wide variety of backgrounds 185 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: and political persuasions are speaking out together against the Pebble 186 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: Mind gives me hope, and not just hope that will 187 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: finally defeat the Mind, but hope that partisanship does have 188 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: its limits and that certain ideals are more important than 189 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:11,679 Speaker 1: party affiliations. Lately, I've been pondering a theory or concept 190 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: that I'm going to call environmental nationalism. We have a 191 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: patriotic duty to protect our nation. Guarding her natural ecosystems 192 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,559 Speaker 1: is a major part of that end quote. If you 193 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: want your voice heard on this matter, one way to 194 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 1: do so is by visiting Save Bristol Bay dot org. 195 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: Once you're done there, go ahead and let your elected 196 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: officials know how you feel and that they should also 197 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: be urging the President to intervene on this one. For 198 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: more information, please go to the meat Eater dot com 199 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: and read this fine bit of journalism by Sam Longren 200 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: in its entirety. Moving over to the ever popular law 201 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: enforcement desk, a man named Constantine and an unnamed youth, 202 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: shot apparel, whooping grands and a Kadia Parish, Louisiana, May 203 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 1: of two thousand sixteen. At Katia Parish is just west 204 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:10,200 Speaker 1: of Lafayette, Louisiana. If a Katia Parish sounds familiar to you, 205 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,679 Speaker 1: it is probably because Acadia is home to the third 206 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 1: best selling Cajun record artist of all time, Sydney Brown. 207 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: His album Noir Shall Say two Step Pastache to Nah Nah, Well, 208 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: I don't have to tell you is kind of a 209 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: big deal. Guarantee you, I got the pronunciation right on 210 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: that one. Why I do this to myself is you know, 211 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: because I love you people anyway. Constantine, after adamantly denying 212 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: his involvement in the killing of the cranes, eventually confessed 213 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: in two thousand eighteen. The judge just last Thursday handed 214 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: down an impressive penalty of a ten thousand dollar fine 215 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: plus an additional seventy five thousand dollars in restitution to Louisiana, 216 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: while life and fish five years probation and a suspension 217 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: of hunting and fishing privileges until three hundred and sixty 218 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: hours of community service have been completed. For the facts 219 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: of the case, according to the Department of Justice, made 220 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: twenty two thousand sixteen, Constantine and a juvenile, using twenty 221 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: two caliber rifles shot at a pair of whooping cranes 222 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: located in the field within a Kadia Parish, Louisiana. One 223 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: of the cranes, identified as L five fifteen, fell dead 224 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: in the field, and Constantine and his accomplice retrieved its carcass. 225 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: The other crane, identified as L three fifteen, flew too 226 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: far north into another field so that it could not 227 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: be retrieved, but investigators later recovered its carcass after retrieving 228 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: L five fifteens carcass, The pair noticed that had had 229 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: transponders on its legs and received information that the bird 230 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: was a whooping crane. I do want to interject real 231 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: quick here for my non hunting audience. No, it is 232 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: not considered normal, reasonable, or ethical to shoot at an 233 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: animal first and then identify it later. Moving on, Constantine 234 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: and the juvenile transported the carcass to the Juveniles residents, 235 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: where they severed the legs from L. Five fifteen carcass 236 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 1: and removed the transponders. They then transported the knife carcass, 237 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: severed legs and transponders along a nearby road, and discarded 238 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: the evidence. You heard it right. They threw away the 239 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: most expensive meal they're ever going to have a chance 240 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: to eat. The last person convicted of killing a whooping 241 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: crane prior to Constant in Louisiana was in two thousand fourteen. 242 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: That person was sentenced to fine and forty five days 243 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: in jail. Again. According to the Department of Justice, Lane 244 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: Thomas Thibodeaux was charged with one count of taking a 245 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: migratory bird for which there is no season, one count 246 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: of taking migratory game bird during closed season, one count 247 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: of taking migratory game birds from a motor vehicle, as 248 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: in he shot from a vehicle, one count of wanton 249 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,120 Speaker 1: waste of migratory game birds as in he didn't eat 250 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: the birds, and one count of taking game birds without 251 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 1: state hunting license. According to the guilty plea, Thibodeau shot 252 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: at a group of birds on November two, two thousand fourteen, 253 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 1: near Crawfish Pond and Vermillion Parish. The shot crippled the 254 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 1: whooping crane, which is protected under the Endangered Species Act. 255 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 1: Thibodeaux admitted to shooting and killing multiple ducks from the 256 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: driver's seat of a moving vehicle on a public road 257 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: during the close season. Thibodeau did not retrieve the ducks 258 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,199 Speaker 1: carcasses from the field, and he did not possess the 259 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: required Louisiana hunting license to step in here again, a 260 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: state hunting license and probably everywhere except for Texas, does 261 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: not give you the ability to shoot animals from a 262 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 1: moving vehicle and leave them to lay. A couple more 263 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: things we should break down in regards to these sentences. 264 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:08,719 Speaker 1: Is a sentence forty five days in jail and versus 265 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 1: a sentence of zero jail time and an eighty five 266 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: thousand dollar fine plus a bunch of community service you know, 267 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:18,679 Speaker 1: might pencil out for some people's tax brackets. Might be 268 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: better to spend time in the clink versus paying that out, 269 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: or it may be nothing to you to pay eighty 270 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 1: five thousand dollars. So I do want to point out 271 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,440 Speaker 1: that the median household income and Vermillion parish is only 272 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:33,439 Speaker 1: about thirty four thousand dollars a year. It's about thirty 273 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,720 Speaker 1: two thousand in Katia Parish. Those are household incomes, not 274 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: individual incomes. My mentioning of the earnings as additional context 275 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,439 Speaker 1: is in relation to the weight of the fines, not 276 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 1: in any way a justification of the killing of the wildlife, 277 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: just to say. And the other thing I should mention 278 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,160 Speaker 1: here and I can't believe I haven't yet, is whooping cranes. 279 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: If you don't know, our giant, awesome dinosaur birds that 280 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: stand about five ft tall and stretch their wings to 281 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: about seven and a half feet in width. They also 282 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 1: have a wide diet that can include small mammals, crustaceans, 283 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:12,439 Speaker 1: small birds, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as what we 284 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 1: would consider the normal bird fare of grains and vertebrates 285 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 1: and seeds. Some do speculate that the whooping crane actually 286 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: ingest more animal protein than the other crane species. In fact, 287 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:29,360 Speaker 1: one wintering location in Ransas, Texas noted that the crane's 288 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 1: primary food source were blue crabs. Now, although the whooping 289 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: crane is again a very big bird, whooping crane numbers 290 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:41,440 Speaker 1: likely were never very big. When it comes to birds, 291 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: we tend to think of them flying at some point 292 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: in the millions, but unless that happened prior to European 293 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: contact here in North America, the whooping cranes historic population 294 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,880 Speaker 1: at its height was only about ten thousand birds. These 295 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 1: cranes were reduced through the usual method of over of 296 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:04,360 Speaker 1: us in habitat destruction, to only about fifteen wild birds. 297 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: Even now, where we sit at the height of whooping 298 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: crane recovery, the entire population is only eight hundred or 299 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: so birds. That eight hundred number is the entire living population, 300 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 1: as in a mix of captive and wild birds. In 301 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:26,679 Speaker 1: order to grow these crane numbers from fifteen individuals to 302 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: eight hundred, it has taken serious slow work. Conservation efforts 303 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,400 Speaker 1: around the crane started back in the late nineteen thirties. 304 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 1: Independent groups, zoos, state and federal agencies have tried hand 305 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: rearing chicks in vitro fertilization, teaching migration by having juvenile 306 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: cranes follow ultra light aircraft that have been dressed up 307 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:53,440 Speaker 1: like cranes, humans dressed as cranes trying to act as 308 00:20:53,480 --> 00:21:02,679 Speaker 1: surrogate parents. They've re established migratory populations, they've re established 309 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: non migratory populations, and despite all of this effort, time 310 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: and money, the crane population continues to grow very very slowly, 311 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: and there are a bunch of years in there where 312 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 1: it didn't grow at all. All this to say, the 313 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:24,959 Speaker 1: restoration of whooping cranes is very hands on and very expensive. 314 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: According to the International Crane Foundation, it can cost around 315 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: a hundred thousand dollars to raise, release, and monitor one crane. 316 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,439 Speaker 1: Part of the reason for the difference in penalties is 317 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: the transportation factor. One of my most hated wildlife crimes 318 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 1: that have want and waste, which is leaving those birds 319 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 1: dead in the field does not violate the Lacy Act, 320 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 1: but like our para did with the hefty fine, going 321 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: out and retrieving a bird constitutes transporting of an endangered species. 322 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: Which does violate the Lacy Act, which you think about that, 323 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,199 Speaker 1: it's a little twisted shooting leaving a bird gets you 324 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:06,640 Speaker 1: less of a penalty than if you shoot and retrieve 325 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: what you shot. The other reason here is if you 326 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:14,639 Speaker 1: are a crane, Louisiana is a pretty dangerous place to 327 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:18,919 Speaker 1: hang out. Fourteen of the roughly one and forty seven 328 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 1: cranes that have been released in Louisiana have been consequently 329 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: shot in Louisiana, which is odd when you consider that 330 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: Louisiana historically at the highest population of whooping cranes in 331 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: the US, hosting both a migratory and a non migratory population. 332 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:38,360 Speaker 1: And I know the Cajun folks that I know are 333 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:42,400 Speaker 1: big into history. You would think Louisiana's would consider these 334 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:46,360 Speaker 1: birds a bit of their culture and something to protect 335 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,199 Speaker 1: and be proud of. Now, I'm gonna jump back to 336 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:52,919 Speaker 1: the economics here, because it gets glossed over sometimes. It 337 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 1: costs roughly one hundred thousand dollars to raise a whooping crane. 338 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: The average median household income in the two parishes mentioned 339 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:05,440 Speaker 1: again is only about let's say, thirty two dollars a year, 340 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,439 Speaker 1: and the cranes eat a lot of the same things 341 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:12,119 Speaker 1: that people do. This doesn't justify the shooting, does not 342 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 1: justify the waste, but it does possibly suggest that part 343 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 1: of the crane program should be dedicated to finding ways 344 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: to encourage more local investment where the cranes and the 345 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:28,399 Speaker 1: people meet. Whoop, there it is hard to say that 346 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 1: with a straight face. Alright, Moving on to the interacting 347 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: with wildlife desk. Picture this. You're enjoying a lovely family 348 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: vacation just north of the border in Ontario at the 349 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 1: iconic North Star Village on the shore of historic Winnipeg River. 350 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 1: During the cool mornings, you're enjoying one of Canada's best fisheries, 351 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:52,879 Speaker 1: targeting walleye bass, northern pike and muskie. But in the 352 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,200 Speaker 1: afternoons it gets hot and you're looking to take a dip. 353 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: You confidently stride chest deep into the water near the doe. 354 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: Just another summer afternoon at the lake. Right. Kim Driver 355 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: is a seasonal regular at the resort and an experienced angler. 356 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: She never saw it coming. On July, Kim and her 357 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: husband Terry were taking the aforementioned mid day dip when 358 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: Kim felt a sharp pain in her leg. She thought 359 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,200 Speaker 1: it may have been a turtle she had seen swimming nearby, 360 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:28,400 Speaker 1: but it turns out that a near forty inch long 361 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: muskie had crashed into her calf and decided to take 362 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 1: a bite. She started flailing and punching as the fish 363 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 1: drug her under the water. I'll say that again, the 364 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: muskie drug a grown adult human underwater. When she came 365 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: back up screaming, there was blood everywhere, her calf was gashed, 366 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 1: and she had cuts on her hands from punching the fish. 367 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 1: This was clearly no casual encounter. Kim's calf now requires 368 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 1: plastic surgery that will take up to six weeks. Kim 369 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: said quote, I can't sleep at night. I have horrible nightmares, 370 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 1: and I wake up in a sweat screaming. It was scary. 371 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 1: I'll bet muskelunge as they're sometimes called, and as we've 372 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,639 Speaker 1: covered before, our ambush predators and can reach speeds of 373 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:22,120 Speaker 1: nearly thirty miles per hour in short bursts with flat, 374 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: hard heads full of ultra sharp teeth. These apex predators 375 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 1: shouldn't be taken lightly. That said, locals and most biologists 376 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:35,199 Speaker 1: insist that these attacks are extremely rare. There's still a 377 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: debate over whether muskies pose a real threat to other 378 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: fish and to humans. But if you're willing to have 379 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 1: this debate, I don't think you should have it with Kim. 380 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 1: I don't think you'd have a leg to stand on. 381 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:53,919 Speaker 1: As this debate continues, we're muskier, native, and invasive. We 382 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:58,680 Speaker 1: should just remember that every once in a while, maybe 383 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 1: in the lake next to you, that big trophy fish 384 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:13,439 Speaker 1: you are pursuing could decide to pursue you. That's all 385 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: I've got for you this week. Thanks a bunch for listening. 386 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 1: As you know, you can always get ahold of me 387 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 1: at a s k C a L. That's asked cal 388 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: at the meat eater dot com. Let me know what 389 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: I'm getting right, what I'm messing up, and most importantly, 390 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,439 Speaker 1: what's going on with you in your neck of the woods. 391 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: If you're loving what you're hearing, please tell some friends 392 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:39,480 Speaker 1: and most importantly, get outside. Thanks a bunch, I'll talk 393 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: to you next week.