1 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This 2 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: is Cow's Week in Review with Ryan cow Calahan. Here's 3 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: cap there is a Cooper's Hawk flying around the Los 4 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: Angeles area that might have an untreated alcohol problem. In 5 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: June of last year, a twenty five year old LA 6 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: resident named Caesar Gustavo Diaz captured a juvenile Cooper's Hawk 7 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,639 Speaker 1: at a park between La and Anaheim. All hawks are 8 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: protected in America and it's illegal to capture any species 9 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: without the proper permits. But it's what Diaz did next 10 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: that had the media buzzing. In a recently surfaced video 11 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: posted to YouTube, Diaz records himself pouring a buzzball down 12 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: the bird's throat. If you're familiar with this modern marvel, 13 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: a buzzball is a ready to drink cocktail that comes 14 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: in a small plastic ball. It's that thing that you 15 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: look at in a gas station and you go, please, 16 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: nobody put this in your body. They have fun and 17 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: fruity names, like a lot of Colada and Grapes gone Wild. 18 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: The flavor Diaz had selected was lime rita, and the 19 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: average alcohol by volume is a solid thirteen and a 20 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: half percent the average juvenile. Cooper's Hawk only weighs about 21 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: a pound, so I suspect that bird was in no 22 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: condition to fly, But his wild afternoon in the park 23 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,199 Speaker 1: was about to get even crazier. In another screen grab 24 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: from the video, the bird appears to be served marijuana 25 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: unwillingly as well. Now it's easy to joke about a 26 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: boozy bird, but this was no laughing matter for the 27 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 1: California Department of Fish and Wildlife. They launched an investigation 28 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 1: after viewing the video and served five search warrants to 29 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: get to the bottom of it. Diaz was already in prison, 30 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: no big surprise, on unrelated charges, but that didn't stop 31 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: the La County DA's office from prosecuting. In February of 32 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: this year, Diaz entered a no contest plea to misdemeanor 33 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: animal cruelty. He was sentenced to twelve months of summary probation, 34 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: forty five days in the La County Jail, twenty days 35 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: of community labor. He has to complete a twenty four 36 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: hour session of animal cruelty counseling. He'll be given a 37 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: five year probation on possessing animals, tenure, firearm prohibition, and 38 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: pay two hundred and twenty dollars in fines and fees. 39 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: As for the hawk, Diaz claims he released it before 40 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: being taken into custody. Nobody knows whether the birds survived 41 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: his run in with Hooch, but if it did, it 42 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: didn't have a pleasant morning. Why does this matter, you ask, well, 43 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: hawks are still an effective modern tool for the control 44 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: of pigeons, starling's, rats, and even crows in our big cities. 45 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: For whatever reason, even in the quote liberal city centers 46 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: in places like Portland, let's say, hunting often comes under attack, 47 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: but when used to mitigate nuisance animals, one of the 48 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: oldest forms of hunting, falconry appears to be socially acceptable 49 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: as long as the public at large sees less crow 50 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: and pigeon poop on their vehicles and soff sidewalks. This week, 51 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: we've got bears, crime, and high fences. But first I'm 52 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: going to tell you about my week. We wrapped up 53 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: the Old Black Bear Banansa and Bentonville, Arkansas. Had some 54 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: good quality time with Old Bear Nukem and Brent Reeves. 55 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: Mister Reeves was on the microphone all weekend and I 56 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: did not realize until the end of Saturday. How at 57 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: home that man is entertaining and keeping people engaged. We 58 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: gave away a ton of starter guns from Daisy and Umraks. 59 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: Lots of very happy kids left with a new BB 60 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: gun or an air rifle from the old Black Bear Bonanza. 61 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: I'll tell you personally, having that Daisy Red Rider BB 62 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: gun was absolutely essential to my firearms skill development. Two 63 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: hundred bbs in a lever action provide a lot of repetition, 64 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: site acquisition, hand eye coordination outside time. What could be better? Parents, Well, 65 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: you also need a place to use those guns of 66 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: any kind, any caliber, which is why we need open 67 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: space and public lands. By the time you are hearing this, 68 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: I'll be back in DC making the rounds at the 69 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: Senate to talk HJR. One point. That's the use of 70 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: the Congressional Review Act to ascend the mineral withdrawal in 71 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: the Rainy River Watershed. Downstream of where this mineral withdrawal 72 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: currently is is, of course, the Boundary waters Canoe Area 73 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: Wilderness and Voyagers National Park. I'll be honest, there are 74 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: a lot of people who have said for a long 75 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: time that we cannot win this one. The paint is 76 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: nearly dry, but this is a fight worth fighting. Often 77 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:39,720 Speaker 1: when people come out of the woodwork tell you can't win, 78 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 1: those are the ones that you should really dig in on. 79 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: In my experience, this is our nation's clean water. This 80 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: is national security, the health of a nation at stake, 81 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: Not to mention a robust outdoor recreation economy that ranges 82 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: from church camps and outfitters to hotels, restaurants, tackle shops, 83 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: and gas stations. I'm gonna tell you the question I'm 84 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: gonna ask, and all I want out of today's podcast 85 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: is that you consider this question and ask a question 86 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: of your own to your senators right now on this subject. 87 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: My question is this, explain the return on investment for 88 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: the American people. Why is it in our best interest 89 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: to jeopardize twenty percent of all the fresh water in 90 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: the United States Forest Service system in order to allow 91 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: the development of a Chilean owned copper mine. That copper 92 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: Mind cannot be operated without environmental risk due to runoff 93 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: most typically sulfuric acid from their proposal to dry stack 94 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: copper or on the site. You mix the oxidation of 95 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: copper and water, you get sulfuric acid. It runs off downstream. 96 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,119 Speaker 1: We're not talking about a magical watershed where water doesn't 97 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: follow the flow graph. The current annual economic impact of 98 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: visitation of boundary Waters, Wilderness Area and Voyagers National Park 99 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: averages one billion dollars annually. Should Twin Medals proceed, we 100 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: are looking at some positive GDP level bump. At best. 101 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: The mine has a forecasted run of twenty years and 102 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: will provide an average of twenty jobs per year. If 103 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: the federal government, as represented by you, Senator, should take 104 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: this position, Can you please explain why globally private industry 105 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: is rapidly taking the opposite position of investing in clean 106 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: water as a community across the globe. For example, the 107 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 1: Investment Fund Water Asset Management has invested three hundred million 108 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: in farmland across Colorado, California, Arizona, and Nevada, specifically to 109 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: secure senior water rights. Greenstone Resource Partners purchase land in Sibela, Arizona, 110 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: and later sold the associated Colorado River water rights to 111 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,679 Speaker 1: the town of Queen Creek for a fourteen million dollar 112 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: gross profit. Crown Columbia has spent at least four point 113 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: seven million dollars acquiring smaller farms in Washington to secure 114 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: water rights for future redistribution to municipalities and large scale farming. 115 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: Harvard Management Company acquired California vineyards and associated water rights 116 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: to capitalize on the region's substantial groundwater reserves. Bill Gates 117 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: paid one hundred and seventy one million dollars for fourteen thousand, 118 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: five hundred acres in the Columbia River basin for its 119 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: ten thousand, five hundred irrigated acres and associated water value. 120 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: Global asset managers have assembled portfolios worth hundreds of billions 121 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: of dollars by acquiring water utilities, treatment plants, and desalination facilities. 122 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: Blackstone holds a water infrastructure portfolio valued at fifteen plus 123 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: billion dollars. Brookfield Asset Management manages over twelve billion dollars 124 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: in water related infrastructure. KKR has invested eight plus billion 125 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: in water treatment plants and solutions. American Water Works, the 126 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: largest US private water utility, continually invest billions in water 127 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: infrastructure upgrades and system acquisitions across forty six states. Northwest 128 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: Natural Water, a subsidiary of Northwest Natural Holding Company, has 129 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: invested more than one hundred and ten million since twenty 130 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: twenty one to acquire private water. Total private equity deals 131 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: have doubled since twenty fifteen, and it's estimated that globally 132 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,199 Speaker 1: there has been twenty two trillion dollars invested in securing water. 133 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: Slap a Google in the old Google machine, and you're 134 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: not going to have to look long before you come 135 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: across a litany of headlines that sound a lot like this. 136 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: Wall Street investment firms buy uprights to scarce water throughout 137 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: the West. So again, I ax you, if it's so 138 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: good for us, why can't you explain it. We're not 139 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: here to talk about the political machinations of who's going 140 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: to lead what committee after the who's been lobby by who? 141 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:06,440 Speaker 1: Just tell us why is it so beneficial for the 142 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: American people to jeopardize our clean water and a robust 143 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: economy that is one hundred percent renewable in order to 144 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: allow the development of copper in an extremely sensitive watershed. 145 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 1: The development of that copper, which by the way, is 146 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: not going anywhere, it does not rot underground, When that 147 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: copper cannot be developed without dangerous and deleterious effects on 148 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: that water and that economy should be a pretty simple answer. 149 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:41,959 Speaker 1: If that's what they're voting on. If you disagree with me, 150 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: that's totally fine. I invite you to become a member 151 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. As a member, you get 152 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:51,959 Speaker 1: to keep me accountable. That's part of what you get 153 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: for your thirty five bucks. And through pulling across our membership, 154 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,199 Speaker 1: that's how we come across these good questions to ask. 155 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 1: As a self avowed public lands zelot, somebody who first 156 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: hand has benefited from the outdoors and countless ways. I 157 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: am still on Capitol Hill representing the membership Backcountry Hunters 158 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 1: and Anglers. So if you don't weigh in, you can't wrestle. Ideally, 159 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: we're gonna stuff this one back down the hole it 160 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,199 Speaker 1: came from, and all these folks who said it can't 161 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: be done are going to be like, oh geez, we 162 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: backed the wrong pony there, and maybe we'll have a 163 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:32,079 Speaker 1: few more buddies on the next one. Remember the point 164 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: of this whole darn podcast and all of these efforts 165 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: right is to get you involved, writing, in calling, in testifying. 166 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,079 Speaker 1: We're going to do a big fly in in April 167 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: with a bunch of BHA members. Get people connected with 168 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: their lawmakers in person, tell those personal stories, your end 169 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: user connection to the ground. This is grassroots from the 170 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: ground up to the ears and eyes of the lawmakers, who, 171 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: because of those jobs which are tough, got a lot 172 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: of empathy for you. Are very disconnected from our natural 173 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: resources and the opportunities that they provide. Is that simple. 174 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: If you're not willing to represent yourself, that's no big deal. 175 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: Just remember somebody else will be there doing it for you, 176 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: and you may not like how they do it. Moving 177 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: on to that old bear desk, it would hardly be 178 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: a new week without a new development in the fight 179 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: over the reintroduction of grizzly bears in California. This time around, 180 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: State Assembly Member Heather Hadwick is protesting Senate Bill ten 181 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: thirty five, which would require the California Department of Fishing 182 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:44,080 Speaker 1: Wildlife to develop plans for reintroduction of Ursus arctos horribilis, 183 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: the good old grizzer. Hadwick is urging that the state 184 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 1: already has its hands plentiful with its other apex predators, 185 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: and she is right. Mountain lions, black bears, and wolves 186 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:55,680 Speaker 1: are all making a life in the Golden State and 187 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 1: they're making it real interesting for others. But it is 188 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 1: very notable that none one of these species were physically 189 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: reintroduced to California. Neither mountain lions nor Ursus americanus were 190 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,439 Speaker 1: in fact ever absent from the state. Their numbers were 191 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 1: just severely reduced by the beginning of the twentieth century, 192 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: and wolves have repopulated California simply by walking there over 193 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: a number of generations from the population of Yellowstone wolves 194 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:24,239 Speaker 1: reintroduced in the nineteen nineties. However, unlike those other species, 195 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 1: grizzlies wouldn't be able to return to the state unless 196 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: they were brought in by people. Assembly Member Hadwick is 197 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 1: also the author of a twenty twenty five bill that 198 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: would have reinstated black bear hunting with hounds, which would 199 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: be a very good idea, but that bill has not 200 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: gone anywhere, even though public acceptance of bear hunting is 201 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: likely swinging our way, with California's population of black bear 202 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: soaring and showing no signs of slowing down. I don't 203 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 1: think Hadwick is going to single handedly shut down the 204 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: movement to reintroduce grizzlies to California, but her black bear 205 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,199 Speaker 1: bill points to part of the problem. No one involved 206 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: in the push for reintroduction is going to talk about 207 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: management through hunting if there's a similar population boom with grizzlies, 208 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,559 Speaker 1: and mixing together apex predators is never as simple as 209 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,079 Speaker 1: people might predict. For example, a twenty twenty one study 210 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: in the Mendocino National Forests found that as black bear 211 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: populations increased there, mounta lions lost their deer kills to 212 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: scavenging black bears more frequently. Very few mountain lions fought 213 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: back against the bears to save their kills, preferring instead 214 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,959 Speaker 1: to just take another deer. This led to even more 215 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: bear scavenging and then more lion predation on deer. In 216 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: bear dense areas, lions shortened the time between deer kills 217 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:34,839 Speaker 1: by one point three days. That's two hundred and eighty 218 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:38,719 Speaker 1: one more deer killed per lion per year. Would grizzlies 219 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: have a similar effect on the other predators around them? 220 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: I've watched old Mister Griz and Mama Griz put a 221 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: lot of effort into trying to eat black bears so 222 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 1: they could help reduce black bear numbers. Grizzlies did historically 223 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,439 Speaker 1: dominate California's Central Coast region, the area between what's now 224 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: San fran and Los Angeles, and kept black bears out entirely. 225 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: But when brown bears were extirpated from California nineteen twenty four, 226 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: black bears moved right in, eventually cooling off in swimming 227 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: pools and denning under bungalows. So would reintroducing grizzlies actually 228 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: help control the state's black bears. I'm giving these examples 229 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: just to say, if either side of the reintroduction debate 230 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: tells you that they know what's going to happen once 231 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: grizzlies return, they're wrong. I love grizzly bears, love black 232 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: bears too, love living in that country. But I can 233 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: tell you I had an epiphany when I had started 234 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: living in Idaho for a stint working there for First Light, 235 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: and Man, I did all the all the normal things 236 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: I was doing. I was running around, I was doing 237 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: lots and lots of camping by myself, or as the 238 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: hip kids say, solo camping, sleeping out of my backpack, 239 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: hunting elk and deer and bears, and picking mushrooms and 240 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: sheds and all the fun things. And eventually I did 241 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: notice that I was sleeping just fantastic in the state Idaho, 242 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: and it got me wondering. Yeah, it was just the 243 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: fact that part of my brain wasn't engaged all night 244 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: long in staying somewhat aware of twigs snapping in the night, 245 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: and those twigs could have been old mister Gris. Here's 246 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: some fun trivia for you. Ursus arctose. Ursus means bear, 247 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: probably knew that, and arctos means arctic. Probably knew that, 248 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: So you'd think like Ursus arctos would be like a 249 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: polar bear. But way back in ancient Greece, astronomers looked 250 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: up and identified the constellation of the Great Bear, which 251 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: we also see as the Big Dipper. From where they 252 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: were standing there in Greece, the Great Bear constellation was 253 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: always in the northern part of the sky, and their 254 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: name for bear was arctose, so they called all of 255 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: the world to the north of them arcticos, or land 256 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: under the Great Bear. That means that, literally speaking, the 257 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: term arctic circle means bear land circle, and similarly the 258 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: terms ursus arctos just means bear bear. So maybe next 259 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: time I bring up grizzly bears, maybe I'll say I'm 260 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: reporting from the bear bear desk. An arcdose would be 261 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: a pretty sick nickname for old bear. Newcom if you 262 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: think about it. Moving on to the crime desk, I'd 263 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: like to tell you that our opening story was the 264 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 1: only instance of people mistreating wild birds this week, but 265 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: if I did, I'd be lying. A listener named Anna 266 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: from Auburn University wrote in to tell me about two 267 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: students who were cited for picking up at Canada goose 268 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: by the neck. Twenty year old Carter Allen McCullough and 269 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: Jacob Daniel diaz As Dyas Junior were golfing at a 270 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: local club when they decided to have some fun with 271 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: the geese. They allegedly threw objects at the birds, and 272 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: one of them even picked up a bird by the 273 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: neck while the other filmed it. The incident was caught 274 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: on camera by another golfer, who posted the photos on 275 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: Facebook in an effort to find the offenders. That caught 276 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: the attention to game wardens, who issued the pair with 277 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: three citations following their investigation. The men that are being 278 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: charged with hunting without a license, hunting during a close season, 279 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: and hunting without permission. It's unclear whether any birds were 280 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: killed during the incident, but we do know that, ironically enough, 281 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,880 Speaker 1: one of these yahoos had a special license plate promoting 282 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 1: saltwater fishing, while the other had a plate supporting the 283 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: National Wild Turkey Federation Canada. Geese can be aggressive this 284 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: time of year as they protect their nests, so it 285 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: wouldn't surprise me if these guys were responding to some 286 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 1: of that aggression. But ringing the neck of a wild 287 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: bird is not the right move unless you're gonna eat it. 288 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 1: Don't play with your food, fellas moving up to knuck 289 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 1: Cland and Albernaman was hit with fines and penalties and 290 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: Beautiful birda claiming that his uncle was actually his brother. 291 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: Thanks to Nick Kretzweiser for sending us this story. Chance 292 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: Ryland Pollock pled guilty on charges under the Wildlife Act 293 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: for falsifying information in an application for a white tailed 294 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 1: deer hunt in Saskatchewan. This hunt is open to all 295 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: Canadian residents, but priority is given to applicants with immediate 296 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: family members living in the province for six hunting seasons 297 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: between two thousand fifty teen of twenty twenty four. Pollack 298 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: tried to gain the system by claiming that his uncle, 299 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: who lived in Saskatchewan, was his brother. I guess a 300 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:09,120 Speaker 1: brother will give you a better shot than an uncle 301 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 1: at drawn tags. He also applied on behalf of his girlfriend, 302 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: but claimed that she was his brother's daughter. In other words, 303 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: he claimed to be dating his own niece for a 304 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: better shot at drawn tags. I appreciate the dedication. It's 305 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:23,880 Speaker 1: not the craziest thing I've ever heard, but being more 306 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: comfortable with incest than losing a deer tag is definitely 307 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: up there. Anyway, the scheme worked until it didn't. Pollack 308 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: harvested a buck every year he lied on his application, 309 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: but now he'll be forced to surrender those six sets 310 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 1: of antlers. He also agreed to pay eighty four hundred 311 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: dollars in fines and will be prohibited from hunting in 312 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: Saskatchewan for two years. The Oregon State Police Fish and 313 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 1: Wildlife Division is asking for the public's help finding the 314 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: people responsible for poaching two bowl elk earlier this week. 315 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:57,239 Speaker 1: The de boned legs and heads of the animals were 316 00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: found where they'd been dumped off Mill Creek Road east 317 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: of Prime. It's unclear whether the animals were processed in 318 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: that location or if they'd been moved, but the antlers 319 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: had been removed from both. It's also long past elk 320 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 1: hunting season and Oregon, so game wardens are treating this 321 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,120 Speaker 1: as a clear instance of poaching. If you know anything 322 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,160 Speaker 1: about this incident, you can claim a cash or preference 323 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: point reward if your tip leads to a conviction. Just 324 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: email tip That's tip at osp dot Oregon dot gov 325 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: to submit your information anonymously. Text messages have implicated four 326 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: Kansas men in a deer poaching scheme that game wardens 327 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: say span many years. Prosecutors alleged that Spencer Harshman, Brody Harrison, 328 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: Tyler Dickerson, and Michael Bachman used spotlights to kill deer 329 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: at night. All four are also being charged with the 330 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: commercialization of wildlife, which suggests they sold the meat or 331 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,959 Speaker 1: parts for profit. Harshman and Harrison are also being charged 332 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: with animal cruelty for chasing coyotes with an ATV, and 333 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:02,120 Speaker 1: Dickerson is being charged with recklessly firing a gun across 334 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: a roadway, among other violations. Court documents also reprinted text 335 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 1: messages between the group that indicate a conspiracy to commit 336 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,400 Speaker 1: these crimes. On November one, twenty twenty four, for example, 337 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,199 Speaker 1: Harshman texts the group, I need you bring quiet guns 338 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 1: big enough to kill deer. Dickerson replies copy that. In 339 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: another exchange, Bachman texts the group one down, seven hundred 340 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 1: and thirty six to go. Is it a murder spree? 341 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: That same day, Harshman says, better, hurry. Stuff is dying 342 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 1: left and right. I am cooking many steaks. We have 343 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:40,360 Speaker 1: guns and spotlights. The deer hunting will continue. All four 344 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:43,440 Speaker 1: have been charged, but are innocent until proven guilty. Their 345 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:47,639 Speaker 1: first court appearance is scheduled for later this month. Moving 346 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: on to the sturgeon desk, Lake sturgeon have been swimming 347 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: around North America for one hundred and fifty million years, 348 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 1: making them the most ancient freshwater species on our continent. 349 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: There are also some of the oldest and large just 350 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: individual fish. The US Fish and Wildlife Service reports that 351 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,439 Speaker 1: these incredible critters can grow seven feet long, weigh three 352 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: hundred pounds, and live one hundred and fifty years. It's 353 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: amazing that these fish are still around, and it's even 354 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: more amazing that we get to hunt them. The Lake 355 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 1: Winnebagos system in Wisconsin is one of the only places 356 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: in the US where it is legal to spear sturgeon. 357 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: The population there is strong enough to support a season, 358 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,440 Speaker 1: and this year's was one of the best. A grand 359 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: total of one thousand, five hundred and forty fish were 360 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:32,400 Speaker 1: harvested this year, which is up from just five hundred 361 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: the previous two years, but an increased harvest isn't caused 362 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: for concern. The season is closely monitored, and once the 363 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: quota is met, the season is ended. One of the 364 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: reasons Wisconsinites can enjoy this yearly tradition is because the 365 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,919 Speaker 1: fish are so well protected. At all other times of 366 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: the year. Sturgeon are prized by poachers for their caveat 367 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: which can sell for up to two hundred dollars per ounce. 368 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: Game Warden's patrol well known spawning sites each year, but 369 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: they can't be everywhere at once. That's where the Sturgeon 370 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: Guard comes in. The Sturgeon Guard is a volunteer group 371 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 1: of citizens who commit to patrolling these spawning areas. Like 372 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: most fish, sturgeon spawn near the bank when the water 373 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: temperature reaches a certain range that makes them vulnerable to poachers, 374 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,400 Speaker 1: especially because it's easy to identify the large fish as 375 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 1: they thrash around in shallow water. Sturgeon Guard volunteers don 376 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 1: reflective vess and walk along the shorelines on these popular 377 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,400 Speaker 1: spots to make sure there's no funny business going on. 378 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: Margaret Static, a DNR sturgeon biologist, told Fox eleven News 379 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 1: that these volunteers are a huge help in conserving this 380 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: amazing fish for generations to come. 381 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:36,919 Speaker 2: When it comes to the sturgeon management, I mean, it 382 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,399 Speaker 2: really is a collaborative effort. And it is because of 383 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 2: all the collaborative efforts from Sturgeon Guard and all the 384 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,919 Speaker 2: conservation groups and the DNR that we have such a 385 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 2: great population out here. 386 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: If you'd like to become an official sturgeon guard, get 387 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,959 Speaker 1: in touch with the Wisconsin DNR at Wisconsin Sturgeon Guard 388 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 1: at gmail dot com. That's one word. If you've participated 389 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:00,159 Speaker 1: in this effort, we want to know about it. You 390 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: to sne email askcl that's Ascal at meteater dot com 391 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 1: or leave me a voicemail four oh six two two 392 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 1: zero six four four one. Moving on to one of 393 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: our Panhandle states, Idaho, we're seeing the aftermath of relaxed 394 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:20,440 Speaker 1: restrictions on high fence servid breeding and hunting operations after 395 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,680 Speaker 1: a series of public records requests by a conservation organization. 396 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: In March twenty twenty four, House Bill five ninety one 397 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,640 Speaker 1: became law, allowing captive ear and elk facilities to maintain 398 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 1: only single fence perimeters instead of a double fencing as 399 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 1: previously required. Authored by Representative Gerald Raymond, the bill also 400 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 1: allowed servid breeders whose herds had tested positive for CWD 401 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: to transport animals to other hunting facilities, which completely ignores 402 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 1: the primary vector for CWD spread to new areas. According 403 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,360 Speaker 1: to reporting by Outdoor Life, the consequences have been serious 404 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: and completely predictable. In late twenty twenty five and early 405 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 1: twenty twenty six, Idel Fishing Game had to call eighty 406 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: two wild mule deer that had hopped over or crawled 407 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: under the fence at the Juniper Mountain Ranch near Rexburg. 408 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:10,879 Speaker 1: Although there have been no documented cases of CWD at 409 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: the Juniper Mountain Ranch in particular, several other nearby operations 410 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,959 Speaker 1: have had several recent positive cases. In a statement, IDFG 411 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: said quote, there is no reliable way to test live 412 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: animals for CWD, and wild deer cannot legally be kept 413 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: in captivity. This difficult decision was made out of an 414 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:32,919 Speaker 1: abundance of caution to prevent any possible spread of CWD, 415 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 1: and in September of last year, a hunter on public 416 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,160 Speaker 1: land killed an elk that had escaped from the same ranch. 417 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: In October, an elk that had escaped from the Broadmouthed 418 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:45,679 Speaker 1: Canyon ranch, which is a high fence operation, was killed 419 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: on public land, which means it likely had contact with 420 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 1: public land animals, this time at Broadmouth Canyon. A moose 421 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 1: that had been similarly crossing fences in both directions, in 422 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: which was well documented for years, tested positive for CWD 423 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty four. Once CWD is active on the landscape, 424 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: it's almost impossible to get rid of prevalence rates we're 425 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: finding can be controlled with proper management. New York is 426 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 1: the only state ever to have eradicated CWD successfully when 427 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: it called hundreds of animals after a two thousand and 428 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 1: five captive deer outbreak in Oneida County. But in October 429 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, another outbreak was discovered at a captive 430 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,879 Speaker 1: operation in Herkimer County. Also coming down the pike in 431 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: Idahoa Senate Bill thirteen hundred, which would change how the 432 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: director of the state's Fishing Game Agency would get that 433 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:40,200 Speaker 1: job right now. The Idaho Fishing Game Director is appointed 434 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: by the State Fish and Game Commission, and SB thirteen 435 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: hundred would make it so that the director was directly 436 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 1: appointed by the governor. Right now, the governor signs off 437 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: on all the new members of the Fishing Game Commission, 438 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: So you may wonder what the big deal is. First, 439 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:00,199 Speaker 1: no more than four of the seven commission members can 440 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: be from the same political party. Second, there has to 441 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: be one member from each of the seven regions of 442 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,640 Speaker 1: the state. These guidelines make sure that no particular interests 443 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,439 Speaker 1: can drown out all the others. And third, commissioners are 444 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 1: appointed for staggered terms of four years, which means these 445 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 1: certain members will still be serving even after the governor 446 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: who appointed them is no longer in office. All of 447 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: these overlapping protections give the Commission the independence to make 448 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: decisions that are good for wildlife, no matter which way 449 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 1: the political winds are blowing. This system was devised all 450 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: the way back in nineteen thirty eight. Some say it 451 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,320 Speaker 1: was a founding principle of the state of Idaho. It 452 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:37,439 Speaker 1: was ratified by the voters of the state with a 453 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: majority of seventy six percent. That's probably a number we'll 454 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,399 Speaker 1: just not see in politics anymore. It's one of the 455 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: reasons Idaho has so many thriving populations of the animals 456 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:52,199 Speaker 1: we love. Scrapping that system would be very shortsighted, especially 457 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: at a time when there are so many contentious and 458 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 1: important issues facing states. Just imagine how easy it would 459 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: be for governor up for election in a close race 460 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:04,880 Speaker 1: to install a phishing game director who would be sympathetic 461 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: to the interests of an important donor. We've got to 462 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,400 Speaker 1: keep that type of influence out of our wildlife management. 463 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 1: A detail of the CWD story we covered before underlines 464 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: just how important it is to insulate the director of 465 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 1: fishing game from politics. The owner of Juniper Mountain Ranch, 466 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 1: where all those animals cross the fences both in and out, 467 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 1: is former state Senator Jeff Sidaway, who spoke in favor 468 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 1: of the law relaxing captive servi to operation rules. Policy 469 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: and politics are mixing all the time, and so having 470 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 1: a fish and game director who can stay above the 471 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: fray is more important than ever. Idahoans, call your reps 472 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: and tell them to vote against SB thirteen hundred if 473 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: you want to keep politics out of your policy. Additionally, 474 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: as we talked about last week, open fields doctrine under 475 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 1: attack in Idaho, private property rights are sacred, but that 476 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: wildlife is public. If you remove state lands, which sometimes 477 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:04,640 Speaker 1: can be private. In the state of Idaho from the equation, 478 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 1: thirty percent of the state is private land, which means 479 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 1: in a highly highly migratory environment like Idaho is the 480 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: tops of those mountains are very rarely private, But that's 481 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,679 Speaker 1: where those creators are hanging out in the summer. In 482 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:24,160 Speaker 1: the winter they may be on private point is two 483 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 1: out of three chance those creators spend a heck of 484 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 1: a lot of time on public ground in comparison to 485 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: their private ground. Time doesn't matter which side of the 486 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,119 Speaker 1: fence they're standing on. Those are public animals and they 487 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 1: need to be managed by our public wildlife agencies. If 488 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: you don't think the open Fields doctrine is the way 489 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: to do that, what is the proper substitute for effective 490 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 1: wildlife management that doesn't become a handout and a step 491 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 1: into the privatization of our public resource by those with 492 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: large properties and bad ideas. That's all I got for 493 00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:59,240 Speaker 1: you this week. Thank you so much for listening. Remember 494 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: to write in ask c Al that's Ascal at themeateater 495 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: dot com. Let me know what's going on. In your 496 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 1: neck of the woods. You know we appreciate you one 497 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: last time. His Boundary waters deal is not dead. Please 498 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: run on over to backcuntry hunters dot org user action alerts. 499 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: Call right in. If it's not an economic and resource 500 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: question like I posed earlier, ask your senator appointed question 501 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: as to why the rescinding of a twenty year mineral 502 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 1: withdrawal and the Rainy River watershed benefits us more than 503 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 1: cold clean water for the citizens of the United States 504 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 1: and a one billion dollar renewable economy. Thank you so 505 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: much for listening. I'll talk to you again next week. 506 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:00,120 Speaker 1: M