1 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This 2 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: is Cow's Week in Review with Ryan cow Kalaig. Here's 3 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 1: cal Michigan deer hunters, What is going on? Are you okay? 4 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: The Associated Press reported last week that at least three 5 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: hunters have died of heart attacks within a forty eight 6 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: hour span, two of whom appear to have been trying 7 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: to drag away a heavy deer. Even though we've all 8 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: felt like having a heart attack trying to haul out 9 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 1: a heavy animal, this appears to be an uncommon level 10 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:48,200 Speaker 1: of mortality. The medical examiner for Bay Midland, Tuscola, Aeronak, 11 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 1: and Lasco Counties told the AP that he's never seen 12 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: anything like this before. The men were ages fifty seven, 13 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: sixty five, and eighty three, and they all died in 14 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: Aeronach and tuscol accounties. I know what you're thinking. For 15 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: those of you who do unconventional e scouting, you might 16 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: want to pay attention to coroner's reports from here on out. 17 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: Correlation between big, heavy deer and heart attacks seems to 18 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: be something worth noting. The same medical examiner said that 19 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: he believes the state DNR should require proof of a 20 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: physical for hunters looking to get a license. I suspect 21 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: most Minton State hunters would respond to that with the 22 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: Michigan Hello. But you already know that a little extra 23 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: exercise ain't gonna hurt you, especially if your deer hunting 24 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: isn't much more than a short walk to the box blind. 25 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: Maybe start a little cardio routine a month or two 26 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: before the season starts. You might not need to traverse 27 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: the rocky mountains to get yourself a nice buck, but 28 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: you never know what Mother nature might throw your way. 29 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: Its best. As the Boys Scouts say, to be prepared. 30 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: This week, We've got frozen kiddies, the mailbag, ducks, deers, 31 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: and so much more. But first, I'm gonna tell you 32 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: about my week, And my week was super fun. Max 33 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: Barta and I had joined a bunch of awesome folks 34 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: for three days of duck hunting led by Foul Planes 35 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,559 Speaker 1: Outfitters in Kansas as part of Meat Eater Experiences. Even 36 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: though the November weather was mild, we got into some 37 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: really good bird action. The stories were great, the people 38 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: were great, the food was fantastic. It was a really awesome, 39 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: great program. Any hunting camp you go to you're gonna 40 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 1: meet a mixed bag of people, different ages, backgrounds, from 41 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: different parts of the country. We had Louisiana, Texas, Michigan, Arkansas, Connecticut, Montana, Kansas, Iowa, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, Virginia, 42 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: just to name a few. Seventy three years old at 43 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: the top end, maybe twenty four on the bottom end. 44 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: The group got along awesome, demonstrated fantastic gun safety, good communication, 45 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: respect for the game. You just can't ask for much more. 46 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,679 Speaker 1: Big thanks to Chase and Megan and the whole crew 47 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: at Foul Planes for making that such a success, and 48 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: a huge thanks to everyone who joined us. We plucked 49 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: a lot of birds, went home with some fantastic table 50 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,359 Speaker 1: fare and a bunch of new stories and a larger 51 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: hunting fishing network, and we only buried one rental minivan 52 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,239 Speaker 1: in the mud. So very thankful for all of that. 53 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: Hope everyone listening had a fantastic Thanksgiving and got out 54 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: and enjoyed the out of doors. My Thanksgiving tradition is 55 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 1: to go hunting. We throw down hard on the food, 56 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: just like you do at home, but we keep it mobile. 57 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: Tried to get a tag or two filled and hopefully 58 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: grab some more birds along the way as well. Hey, 59 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: big thanks to everyone for listening and writing and calling 60 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: your elected officials on top of writing in here to 61 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: make sure we got all the latest news. And thank 62 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: you for joining and contributing your time, your talents, and 63 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: your cash to the conservation orgs we mentioned here on 64 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: the show as well. Conservation takes a village. Thank you, 65 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: Thank you. Moving on to the animal science desk, what 66 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: does a saber tooth din't look like? We can guess 67 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: based on skeletal remains, but now we don't have to. 68 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: That's because back in twenty twenty, paleontologists in Russia extracted 69 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: a mummified kitten from the permafrost. That team of researchers 70 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: just publish their findings in the academic journal Nature, which 71 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 1: means for the first time ever, scientists have analyzed the 72 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: appearance of an extinct mammal that has no analogs in 73 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: the modern fauna. The cub was extracted from the upper 74 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: place to Seine permafrost on the bad Earika River in 75 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: remote area of northeastern Russia. The kitty sickle was estimated 76 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: to be about thirty three thousand years old, but scientists 77 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: said it was about three weeks old at the time 78 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: of its death, and was then flash frozen. Not all 79 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 1: of the kitten survived the last thirty millennia under ice, 80 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: but we do have its head, fore legs, paws, shoulders, 81 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: and torso extending back to the sixth rib. Much of 82 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: the hair remained intact, along with its nose, ears, and 83 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: many of its teeth. The complete study is available free online, 84 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: and it's worth looking up to see the images. We'll 85 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: post a link over at the meaeater dot com forward 86 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 1: slash cow. Scientists were most interested to see how this 87 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 1: ancient cat compared to its closest modern relative, a three 88 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: week old lion. I'll spury all the measurements, but here 89 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: are the highlights. The muzzle of the sabertooth is obviously 90 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: quite different from a lion, has a much larger mouth 91 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: opening and smaller ears. Its neck is what the researchers 92 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: describe as massive. It's longer and more than twice as 93 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: thick as a modern lion cup, which researchers say is 94 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: due to its quote large volume of muscles. The mummies 95 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: four limbs are eighteen to twenty three percent longer than 96 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 1: a lion cubs, but based on what was preserved of 97 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: the mummies torso its body would have been about the 98 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: same length or even a little shorter. This, they say, 99 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: matches up with what we thought we knew about adult 100 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: sabertooth cats as compared to lions. Researchers also noted that 101 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: the coat color is quite a bit darker than a lion's, 102 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: though I'm unsure how they could tell that the colors. 103 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: You know, the colors stood the test of time. The 104 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 1: ancient kitty was covered in short, thick, soft, dark brown fur, 105 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: with hair about twenty to thirty millimeters long. The fur 106 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: on the back and neck is longer than on the legs. 107 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: We've been seeing several of these kinds of stories a 108 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: year for the past decade or so, and I'm here 109 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: for it. It's good info. We found a wooly rhino 110 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: in twenty fifteen, a mammoth calf in two thousand and seven, 111 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 1: a bison in twenty eleven, and an ancient bear in 112 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:27,799 Speaker 1: twenty twenty plus. I'm sure a whole bunch of stuff. 113 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: It just doesn't get reported. Climate change has had many 114 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 1: bad effects, but uncovering ancient animals from melting ice isn't 115 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: one of them. All We need now is a frozen 116 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: sloth and we'll have the complete cast of ice age. 117 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: The movie that is, Finding thirty thousand year old kittens 118 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: is fun, but contracting mercury poisoning is not. How's that 119 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: for a transition. Researchers from the University of Minnesota, the 120 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 1: US Geological Survey, and other agencies published a study last 121 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: week that found that the presence of invasive zebra muscles 122 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: leads to highigher levels of mercury and freshwater fish, and 123 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: it's not a small increase. Adult walleye and lakes infested 124 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: with zebra muscles had seventy two percent higher mercury concentrations 125 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: than in lakes without the invaders. In yellow perch, the 126 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: mercury concentrations were at one hundred and fifty seven percent higher. 127 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: Zebra muscles are an invasive mollusk native to Eurasia, which 128 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: coincidentally is also where that saber tooth kitten was found. 129 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: Muscles don't add mercury to lakes by themselves. Instead, they 130 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: create an environment that makes it easier for mercury to 131 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: be ingested by fish and humans. Gretchen Hansen, one of 132 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: the studies lead authors, explains how this works in an 133 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: interview with the Minnesota Public Radio. Mercury is discharged into 134 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: the air by power plants and other industries, and is 135 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: deposited into lakes by rain or snow. Elemental mercury isn't 136 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: too dangerous, but the bacteria in a lake converts it 137 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: to methyl mercury, which can be more easily absorbed by fish. 138 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: Zebra muscles form dense mats on the bottom of lakes, 139 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: which creates sediment without oxygen. This kind of environment is 140 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: ideal for bacteria, and the more bacteria, the more methyl mercury. 141 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: The muscles also suck nutrients out of the water, which, 142 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: combined with a lack of oxygen, may push walleye and 143 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: perch to feed closer to shore. There the fish have 144 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: the opportunity to ingest even more mercury. This study does 145 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: not argue that it's unsafe to eat fish from lakes 146 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: that have zebra muscles. Smaller and average sized walleye and 147 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: perch from lakes with zebra muscles were more likely to 148 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: exceed safe mercury levels, but they weren't all unsafe. While 149 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: I wouldn't eat lake fish every day, a perch fish 150 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: fry after a good day on the water isn't going 151 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: to kill you still, I think this study should provide 152 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: even more motivation for anglers to clean and dry their 153 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: boats in areas that have zebra muscles. These invasive molluscs 154 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 1: cause enough damage to ecosystems already, but now we know 155 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: that slowing their spread will help keep us and our 156 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: families safer and healthier. If you didn't need more incentive, 157 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,559 Speaker 1: big thanks to listener Stephan Hatt for sending us this story. 158 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: Moving on to the diraffe desk, the US Fish and 159 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: Wildlife Service announced last week that they are adding three 160 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:17,479 Speaker 1: subspecies of diraffe to the endangered Species list. These subspecies 161 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: are from West, Central and East Africa, and the Service 162 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: has concluded they are threatened due to poaching, habitat loss, 163 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: and climate change. The population for the three subspecies of 164 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 1: giraffe has declined approximately seventy seven percent since nineteen eighty five, 165 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: from twenty five thousand, six hundred and fifty three to 166 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: five thousand, nine hundred and nineteen individuals. The species has 167 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: been extirpated from numerous countries in West Africa, and only 168 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: six hundred and ninety West African giraffes remain. You might 169 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 1: be asking yourself why is the Fish and Wildlife Service 170 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: listing in animal not native to the US. It's true 171 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: that federal law only applies to people under US jurisdiction, 172 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 1: so the Service can't send agents to go after poachers 173 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: in Africa, for example, But as the US Fish and 174 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: Wildlife Service explains on its website, listing foreign animals offers 175 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,479 Speaker 1: a variety of benefits to the threatened or endangered species. 176 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:14,079 Speaker 1: For example, listing giraffes as endangered will help curb the 177 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: trade of giraffes and their parts, which, as we cover 178 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 1: all the time on this podcast, is often the motivation 179 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 1: behind poaching. If finalized, this rule will reduce illegal hunting 180 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: and trade of drafts by requiring permits for import into 181 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: the US, increase funding for species conservation in its range countries, 182 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: raise global awareness about the decline in giraffes, and provide 183 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:41,440 Speaker 1: limited financial assistance to develop and manage programs to conserve giraffes. 184 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,079 Speaker 1: The Service acknowledges that while trade is not the primary 185 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: cause of the decline of wild giraffe populations, it may 186 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 1: have an additive effect when combined with the main causes 187 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: of habitat loss and poaching. Of course, Americans who travel 188 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: to Africa to hunt and might one day want to 189 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: chase giraffe should pay careful attention and weigh in on 190 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: this rule. Regulated hunting remains an important part of the 191 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: African economy, not to mention a crucial wildlife management tool. 192 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: This rule should take hunters into consideration, even if the 193 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 1: general public finds draft hunting distasteful. It's worth noting that 194 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: even though there are only a combined twenty five thousand 195 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: individuals among these three subspecies, there are about one hundred 196 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:28,199 Speaker 1: and seventeen thousand giraffes in Africa. That's far less than 197 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: the estimated one million elk and moose in North America. 198 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,559 Speaker 1: But there are still some African countries that contain enough 199 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: giraffes to hunt without making population level impacts. In fact, 200 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: that income, as we just said, could very well help 201 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: boost the population when applied appropriately. Moving on to the 202 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: shopping Desko, Christmas is right around the corner, which means 203 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 1: it's time to start thinking about gifts for your friends 204 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: and family. Thinking is probably what you have been doing. 205 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: You're getting closer to where you have to act, and 206 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: that's a reminder for myself. If you're anything like the 207 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: rest of us. You'll think all the way until December twentieth, 208 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: at which point you'll order something from Amazon and pray 209 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: to Santa it arrives on time. There's no shame in that, 210 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: at least not much. But a new report from the 211 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 1: Wildlife Management Institute warrens hunters and anglers to stay away 212 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: from some of the cheap outdoor gear you'll find online. 213 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: You might have found what you think is a screaming 214 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: hot deal on carbon arrows, but the reason they're so 215 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: cheap should worry all conservationists. A recent audit of what's 216 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: called excise tac leakage, conducted over the past year and 217 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: release this fall by the Government Accountability off US finds 218 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: that direct consumer foreign source fishing and bow hunting products 219 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: siphon off between six and seventeen million dollars annually from 220 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 1: the conservation fund their domestic competitors are required to support 221 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: through excise taxes. What does this mean? When you buy 222 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: those arrows at Cabela's or those companies charge the eleven 223 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: percent excise tax required by US law. The revenue from 224 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: that tax is then distributed to the states to make 225 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: sure you have deer and turkeys to shoot with those arrows. 226 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: But when you buy the arrows on Amazon, some of 227 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: those companies bypass that tax. That's great for your wallet, 228 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: but it's not so great for our state wildlife agencies. 229 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: The total amount of excise tax leakage equals a couple 230 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars per state. That's enough to pay the 231 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: salaries of two or three wildlife biologists, to build a 232 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 1: new shooting range, or contribute to a new public land acquisition. 233 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: Point is, if you're going to buy that perfect peace 234 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: outdoor gear for your nephew or yourself, go to the 235 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: store today and pick it up, or you know, order 236 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: it online from First Light FHF. Dave Smith, Decoy's cool 237 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,959 Speaker 1: companies like that. We shouldn't be rewarding companies that get 238 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,839 Speaker 1: around the best conservation system the world has ever seen, 239 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: which is, of course Pittman, Robertson, Dingle Johnson. Moving on 240 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: to the deer hunting desk. Last year I told you 241 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: about how Michigan and several other Midwestern states are trying 242 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: to get hunters to shoot more doughs. The deer population 243 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: in some areas is too large or too lopsided towards 244 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: female deer, and so wildlife agencies are begging hunters to 245 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: take a dough along with their annual buck. How is 246 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: that campaign going? Not super great at least so far. 247 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources just posted reporting numbers 248 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: for the first weekend of firearm deer season. Hunters have 249 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 1: taken just over sixty one thousand deer since the November 250 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: fifteen opener, but a whopping forty five thousand of those 251 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: deer were bucks. The high buck to dough ratio in 252 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: the beds of Michigan pickup trucks is concerning, especially as 253 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: the overall population of hunters continues to decline. Of course, 254 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: many hunters choose to spend their first tag on a buck. 255 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: They don't want to disturb the peace of the woods 256 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: by shooting a dough, or they just want to spend 257 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 1: their hard earned vacation days on antlers before they focus 258 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: on venison. Should improve in the coming weeks, but here's 259 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: your annual reminder. If you live in a state where 260 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 1: the wildlife managers are asking you to take more, does 261 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: do your bit? Producer Jordan Sillers still hasn't tagged out 262 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 1: on a buck, but he and his son both took 263 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: does last Saturday, congrassed. He a both, and he reports 264 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: having a grand old time, not to mention a freezer 265 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: full of venison with weeks to go in the season. 266 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: On top of that, Old Dougie Fresh Doug Duran got 267 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: himself what he would call a BGB big Giant buck 268 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: on Wisconsin's opening day. Several other bucks were harvested, and 269 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 1: I think an additional four doze on the bucks were 270 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 1: tagged as well. Old Doug's getting pretty soft though, because 271 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: he said he's seen twenty deer and just wasn't ready 272 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: to shoot. I'm not sure what percentage of that twenty 273 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: was actually like a legit shooting situation, but Old Doug's 274 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: trigger finger will probably start to itch here at some point. 275 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: Moving on to the crime dese, two poachers in Washington 276 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: State got busted last week with a whopping one hundred 277 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: and seventy nine pounds of Chandrall mushrooms. Per Maggie Hudlow, 278 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: riding over at the meaeater dot Com game wardens pulled 279 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 1: over two mails in a vehicle who said they were 280 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: quote just looking for mushrooms. The officer asked how they 281 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: got entry to the private property. They were on and 282 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: they explained they just waited for someone to open a 283 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: gate and drove in behind them. The officer asked how 284 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: many mushrooms they had, and they denied having any. When 285 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: pressed further, they admitted to having quote some, which turned 286 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: out to be the understatement of the mushroom picking century. 287 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: They search to the vehicle and covered a trove of 288 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: gold yellow fung guy weighing as much as an adult human. 289 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: The going price of Chantrell's would have landed the pair 290 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 1: about five thousand bucks. Instead, they got hit with trespassing 291 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: and poaching charges that could cost them even more than that. Also, 292 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: in case you're wondering, those delicious mushrooms didn't go to waste. 293 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: The shrooms were sold to a bar and the proceeds 294 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:06,399 Speaker 1: are currently being held by the court. Speaking of plant 295 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: poaching and staying in Washington State, a rare and endangered 296 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: tree has been cut down and stolen from the Washington 297 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: Park Arboretam in Seattle, according to the University of Washington 298 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 1: Botanic Gardens. Big thanks to listener Paul Finer for sending 299 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: us this story. Officials believe the tree a Tibetan cypress 300 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 1: with the scientific name Kapressus gigante was stolen by someone 301 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: looking for an exotic Christmas tree. These trees aren't native 302 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:34,719 Speaker 1: to North America and we're grown from seeds collected in China. 303 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 1: This particular specimen was about five feet tall and eighty 304 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: years old and looks for all the world like Christmas 305 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: tree in Charlie Brown's Christmas Special Cute, but it doesn't 306 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: even look like it could hold a single ornament. Anyone 307 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: with information about the tree theft is asked to contact 308 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 1: the UDUB Botanic Gardens at UW BG FAC at UW 309 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,119 Speaker 1: dot e DU. Tips are instructed to use the subject 310 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: line Merry Christmas, you filthy animal, just kidding one to ten. 311 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: Moving on to the mailbag desk, listener Bill Banks wrote 312 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,159 Speaker 1: in to tell me about a bill in New Jersey 313 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: that would restrict bird feeder use to reduce conflicts with 314 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,399 Speaker 1: black bears. The bill, known as A three six zero, 315 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 1: would not allow residents to place bird feeders between December 316 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: one and March thirty first. Between April one and November thirtieth, 317 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: New Jerseyans would have to keep the feeder at least 318 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,440 Speaker 1: ten feet off the ground and make sure the area 319 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: below the feeder is kept free of bird food. Birds 320 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: have terrible table manners, so I'm not sure how residents 321 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 1: will accomplish the latter. But those aren't the only restrictions. 322 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: The feeders must also be emptied and brought indoors every night, 323 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: and if a bear does gain access to the feeder, 324 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: residents must correct whatever let the bear gain access, or 325 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: take the feeder down with the in forty eight hours. 326 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 1: Bird enthusiasts are obviously all a flutter over this bill, 327 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: and it's easy to see why these restrictions seem tough 328 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: to follow. And even though I'm a big advocate for 329 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: not feeding wildlife, this bill seems deceptive. It's like the 330 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,360 Speaker 1: sponsors want to be able to claim they're not banning 331 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: feeders while essentially banning bird feeders. There are two reasons 332 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:24,119 Speaker 1: we're covering this here in the mail bag and not 333 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: over at the legislative desk. First, Bill sent me an 334 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: email from one of the birding groups that included a 335 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 1: meme that compares this bill to the Gestapo. It uses 336 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 1: the image of Hans Landa from inglorious Bastards who ask 337 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,120 Speaker 1: the viewer, you are hiding your bird seed under boards? 338 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 1: Are you not that's the kind of over the top 339 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: accusations this country needs more of. So, you know, bravo 340 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:50,879 Speaker 1: to wild Bird's unlimited of paramus. Nice work there. Second 341 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: bill includes a take that I hadn't considered. If people 342 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:57,120 Speaker 1: don't unintentionally feed bears, they want see bears as often 343 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,439 Speaker 1: around their homes. That's a good thing generally speaking, but 344 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: it also might have an unintended consequence. Bill says, quote, 345 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 1: if people don't see the bears, they won't advocate for 346 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:11,920 Speaker 1: a reduction in population aka hunting. He implies that rather 347 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: than a good faith effort to reduce bear human conflict, 348 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: this bill is actually laying the groundwork for revoking New 349 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: Jersey's newly reinstated black bear hunt. The powers that be 350 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: in New Jersey have never wanted the hunt, but residents 351 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: forced Governor Phil Murphy's hand after struggling with so many 352 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: problems with bears. If people have fewer problems with bears, 353 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 1: they may not be so vocal in supporting a bear hunt. 354 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 1: That's the theory. I'm not sure if I buy it. 355 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 1: That would be like saying that whatever waste management company 356 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: you use, once you use locking trash cans, so bears 357 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,640 Speaker 1: don't get into trash cans and saying like, well, yeah, 358 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 1: the garbage company is anti hunting. But I do think 359 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: it's understandable that New Jersey black bear hunters are suspicious 360 00:20:57,359 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 1: of anything that might threaten that hunt. They know what 361 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: it's like to have it taken away, and they're unwilling 362 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: to risk it again. I understand that for sure. I gotta, 363 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 1: let you know, being in a local fish and game 364 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: meeting where you know residents have stood up and said, 365 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 1: you got to get your LK off my property. Then 366 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: keep knocking my bird feeders down? What are you going 367 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: to do about it? So I got a lot of 368 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 1: sympathy for our wildlife managers as well, because you know, 369 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,400 Speaker 1: it's hard to have that conversation if folks don't come 370 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: to the common sense conclusion on their own. Anyway, that's 371 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: all I got for you this week. Happy Thanksgiving again, 372 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,919 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening, and big thanks to 373 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,120 Speaker 1: Jordan Sillers and Phil Taylor for working so hard on 374 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,239 Speaker 1: this darn podcast on behalf of you all. Thank you 375 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: so much. Let's keep her going in the new year too, 376 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,719 Speaker 1: only a couple more weeks away. Remember to write in 377 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,680 Speaker 1: to ask c Al that's Ascal at the meat eater 378 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: dot com let us know what's going on here neck 379 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: of the Woods. We appreciate it. Thanks again, I'll talk 380 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 1: to you next week.