1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: From Mediators World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: Cal's weekend review, presented by Steel Steel products are available 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: only at authorized dealers. For more, go to Steel Dealers 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:22,600 Speaker 1: dot com. Now here's your host, Ryan cal Callahan. Something 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: strange is happening in Washington, d C. And no, I'm 6 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: not just talking about the White House or Congress. Earlier 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 1: this year, a rabid fox nicknamed the Capital Fox, bit 8 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: eight people and a congressman before being captured and euthanized. 9 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: Now I'm not entirely sure why I separated eight people 10 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: from a congressman, as I'm sure the congressman is likely 11 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: a people too, but you can judge that on your own. 12 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: More recently, another rampaging fox broke into the flamingo exhibit 13 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: at the Smithsonian National Zoo and dispatched twenty five American 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: flamingos and a northern pintailed duck. This was the first 15 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: time a predator had ever broken into the exhibit in 16 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: its entire fifty year history, according to zoo officials. On 17 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: May two, zoo employees arrived at the exhibit in the 18 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: early morning hours in spite of fox slinking away from 19 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: the flamingo enclosure. Upon further investigation, Smithsonian officials found a 20 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: softball sized hole in the middle mesh surrounding the exhibit. 21 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: The exhibit had been inspected as recently as May one, 22 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: and nothing unusual was observed. The flock numbered seventy four 23 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,479 Speaker 1: birds before the massacre, which means the fox took out 24 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,199 Speaker 1: over one third of the birds by itself. You must 25 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: be used a step ladder. Flamingoes are extremely social and monogamous, 26 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: meaning they mate with one other individual for life, So 27 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: when the Smithsonian described the incident as a quote tragedy, 28 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: you can see where they're coming from, you know, like 29 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: what leg they're standing on, so to speak. Foxes aren't 30 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: the only wild credit terrorizing DC residence. A male turkey 31 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: has also been seen attacking people in Washington and in 32 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: nearby Maryland on the Anacostia River Walk trail. One resident 33 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: described riding his bicycle along the path when the turkey 34 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: jumped up towards his face and proceeded to chase him 35 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: around the trail. D C is home to between one 36 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: hundred and two hundred turkeys, according to a biologist with 37 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: the Department of Energy and Environment, but this is the 38 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: first time they've dealt with such an aggressive bird. Three 39 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: different state and local agencies from Washington, Maryland, and Prince 40 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: George's County are all on the hunt for the offending 41 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: foul and if any of those biologists are listening, I'd 42 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: be more than happy to offer my services. Turkey season 43 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 1: here in Montana closed on May sixteen, and I'm ready 44 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: to do my duty in defense of the nation's capital. 45 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: This week, we've got wildlife overpasses, turkey tales, avian bird flu, 46 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: mushroom and so much more. But first I'm gonna tell 47 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: you about my week and my week outside of the 48 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: Live Meat Eater podcast slash book release event we did 49 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: in Billings was spent turkey hunting. The book, if you 50 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: do not Know, tackles outdoor kids in an inside World, 51 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: which happens to be the title of the book, how 52 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: to get kids outside and enjoying nature when there is 53 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: so much driving them inside to stay connected through technology. 54 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: There's a super fun event. Had a bunch of family 55 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: in the crowd, got up early the next morning and 56 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: drove out Turkey Country where we had the most highly 57 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: successful turkey camp out ever. We hunted a mix at 58 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,559 Speaker 1: private and public land and the birds were seriously responsive 59 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: and seemed to have expanded their range. Two factors led 60 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: to consistent turkey harvest. One, the weather leading up to 61 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: the hunt was terrible turkey weather, rain and wind. We 62 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: showed up, however, two blue skies, no wind in sixty 63 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: degree amps. We didn't push the birds, well, let them 64 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: come to us. Normally, my turkey hunting is like my 65 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: elk cunting. I locate, try to get really close, then 66 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: call a whole bunch, and if I screw up that scenario, 67 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: I just keep walking until I find another one. This 68 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 1: time around, I cut out the sneaking in really close 69 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: part within reason. Of course, if we got a call 70 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: and response out of a bird we just set up, 71 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: we'd be real still and kill them with our butts. Honestly, 72 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: in some scenarios it seemed as if the further away 73 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: we set up, the faster the tom would come in 74 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: to investigate. We had a first time hunter with us 75 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,679 Speaker 1: and she managed to kill two birds, one of which 76 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: came in strutting through a wide open Montana prairie and 77 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: across a county road for over four yards. It was awesome, 78 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: And I know I've already mentioned this, but The four 79 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: ten shotgun, outfitted with a red dot on a pick 80 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: tenny rail and three inch TSS loads has been an 81 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: increa credible turkey killer this year. For these reasons. I 82 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: think the fact that the shooter is forced to keep 83 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: their head down to look through the scope is huge 84 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: for shot placement. The fact that the gun is so 85 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,039 Speaker 1: small and light is great for those folks who are 86 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: unfamiliar with toting shotguns through the Turkey woods. And the 87 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 1: federal TSS loads absolutely hammer the birds. Yes, they are 88 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: wickedly expensive. I ended up paying about ten dollars a 89 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 1: shot after shipping, spent thirty dollars tuning the red dot 90 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: to the pellet pattern, then spent sixty dollars killing birds. 91 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: I shot two in Oregon, my girlfriend shot two here 92 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: in Montana, and her nie shot two here in Montana. 93 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: And that niece is the first time hunter, and her 94 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: last shot was on a tom in the wide open 95 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,919 Speaker 1: at forty yards. He was on high alert with his 96 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: head full periscope. She made a great shot, dead bird, 97 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: handful of pellets from his beak to his crunkles. That 98 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: was a long shot for the four ten and it 99 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: worked out great this time. But I'd say that's the max. 100 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: As a result of this high turkey harvest week, my 101 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 1: home has been a sauna of turkey stock, a savory 102 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: version of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. You can lick the 103 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 1: walls here too, but instead of snowsberry's tasting like shnasberries, 104 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: the latex paint tastes like slow cooked turkey. It's like 105 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: that reverse it dislikely moving on to the updates desk. First, Wyoming, 106 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: four Hunters have been found not guilty of criminal trustpass 107 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: after the corner cross last year from one block of 108 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: public land to another. The six member jury in Carbon County, 109 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: Wyoming cleared the Missouri hunters of all charges after deliberating 110 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: for less than two hours. If you ask me, they 111 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: shouldn't have had to deliberate for more than five minutes 112 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: or at all. The men were charged with criminal trespass 113 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: for allegedly violating the airspace of a landowner when they 114 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: used a ladder to cross between two blocks of BLM land. 115 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: That's Bureau of Land Management, which is public land. While 116 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: corner crossing sounds innocent enough, the practice is unfortunately on 117 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: legally dubious footing, which is why this case has received 118 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: so much attention. The verdict here doesn't make corner crossing 119 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: legal in Wyoming or anywhere else. However, there is an 120 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: ongoing civil suit related to the same incident that was 121 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: recently moved to federal court. The outcome of that case 122 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: could affect the legality of corner crossing in all fifty states. 123 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: Next up Maine, where hunters have sued the state over 124 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: its ban on Sunday hunting. A bill to legalize hunting 125 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: on Sundays failed to pass a committee this year in 126 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: the Main state legislature, but hunters didn't give up. A 127 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: group called Main Hunters United for Sunday Hunting is backing 128 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: a lawsuit arguing that the Sunday hunting ban is unconstitutional. 129 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: In November of last year, Main has passed an amendment 130 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: and shrining a right to food in the state's constitution. 131 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: According to this amendment, manners have a natural, inherent, and 132 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: inalienable right to food, including the right to grow, raise, harvest, produce, 133 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: and consume the food of their own choosing. The couple 134 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: who's bringing the suit argues that banning hunting on Sundays 135 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: strips them of this right. Working Monday to Friday only 136 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: leaves one day of the week available to harvest wild meat, 137 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: which they say isn't enough time to feed their family. 138 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,679 Speaker 1: Maine is the first state in the nation to pass 139 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: a right to food amendment, and depending on how this 140 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: case goes, it could be an effective tool for securing 141 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: hunting rights in other states as well. Moving on to 142 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:48,959 Speaker 1: North Carolina, bear hunters may have to wait to target 143 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: black bears in three of the state's bear sanctuaries. As 144 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:56,199 Speaker 1: we've covered previously, the North Carolina Wildlife Commission voted unanimously 145 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:01,080 Speaker 1: to approve a new rule redesignating twenty two bear sanctuaries 146 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: as bear management units and allowing hunting and three of 147 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: those units. Like much of the country, the North Carolina 148 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: black bear population is healthy and growing, and the commissioners 149 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: believe hunters could help keep that population and check. However, 150 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: state law requires the legislature to review any new rule 151 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 1: if it receives more than ten letters requesting the review. 152 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: According to Smokey Mountain News, the legislature received a packet 153 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: of letters totaling four nine pages, which will allow state 154 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: lawmakers to propose and discuss a bill prohibiting the rule 155 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: from taking effect. You already know my opinion on politicians 156 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: making wildlife management decisions, so I'll stay off the soap 157 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: box for now. A short legislative session began May four. 158 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: If you live in North Carolina, now is the time 159 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: to get in touch with your duly elected and ask 160 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: them to vote no on any bill blocking the new 161 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: black bear rule. Next up, and an international topic, actually, 162 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: the avian bird flu epidemic. We covered this topic in 163 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: detail in episode one four, and I'm sorry to say 164 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,319 Speaker 1: that the problem has gotten worse, much worse. As a 165 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: May second, over thirty six million poultry in thirty two 166 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 1: states have been affected by the epidemic, and we've seen 167 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: reported outbreaks in two hundred and sixty five counties. If 168 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: you want to check out the counties near you, you 169 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: can go check the CDC website at www dot c 170 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: DC dot gov and type in avian flu into the 171 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: search bar. It's looking like this round of bird flu 172 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:35,839 Speaker 1: is going to be even worse than the outbreak in 173 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: two thousand fifteen, which killed more than fifty million domestic birds. 174 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: We've also just seen our first human infection. Man in 175 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: Colorado who was involved in culling infected birds, tested positive 176 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,079 Speaker 1: for the flu in late April. He recovered after reporting 177 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: a few days of fatigue, and the CDC still maintains 178 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: that the risk to humans is low. The epidemic is 179 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: also affecting wild birds. About nine hundred wild birds of 180 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: tested positive for the disease, including a species with which 181 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,319 Speaker 1: we're all intimately familiar this time of year. Several wild 182 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: turkeys were found dead in Billings, Montana, last month, which 183 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: were the first known turkeys to have died of the disease. 184 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: Wild species are far less susceptible than domestic animals, but 185 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: they're still at risk of serious infection, and they can 186 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:23,199 Speaker 1: also carry the disease across state boundaries. If you find 187 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: dead birds, it would be a good idea to report 188 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: them to your state agency or d n R. To 189 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: leave you on a positive note here, The map Land 190 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:37,319 Speaker 1: Act officially became federal law on April nine after President 191 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 1: Joe Biden signed the landmark piece of legislation. The bill 192 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: will mandate and provide funding for federal land management agencies 193 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: to digitize their public lands data. This data will be 194 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: used by mapping companies like on x to make accessing 195 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: public land easier for hunters, anglers, and everyone who loves 196 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: the great outdoors. The legislation received massive bipartisan support in Congress, 197 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: but I'm still happy to see this one get across 198 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: the finish line. So call email or right you're elected 199 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: officials today and tell them thank you if they voted 200 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: in favor of the map Land Act. Moving on, local 201 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: hunters and Trappers and a remote village in Northern None 202 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,839 Speaker 1: of it are worried about their hunting grounds. But it's 203 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:25,559 Speaker 1: not climate change, habitat fragmentation or poachers that have them 204 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: up in arms, at least not at the moment. They're 205 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: worried about a pickup truck. An Arctic expedition called the 206 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: Transglobal Car Expedition lost a modified four D F one 207 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: fifty through the ice on their journey from yellow Knife 208 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: to Remote Island in Northern Canada. The truck is currently 209 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: sitting on the ocean floor between the Tasmania Islands, according 210 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: to report from CBC News. As you might imagine, the 211 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: Local Hunters and Trappers Association is none too pleased. They 212 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: told the CBC that blooga whales, nar walls, seals, walrus 213 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 1: is an Arctic char migrate through that region and they're 214 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: a worried gas anti freeze, oil and other harmful chemicals 215 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: will leak out and contaminate their food. The truck reportedly 216 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: contains at least ten gallons of fuel, other chemicals, and 217 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: a backup generator. We live off the land. We're not farmers, 218 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: were hunters and gatherers, and we need our game to 219 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: be clean, said local hunter Jimmy Oh, that's Oh, in 220 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 1: place of his name, which I'm going to butcher. I'm sorry, Jimmy, Oh, 221 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: look italic. He goes on to say, we want it 222 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 1: cleaned out as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, that might not happen. 223 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: While the expedition leaders have said its quote very likely 224 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: they'll recover the vehicle, they can't do it until at 225 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 1: least the end of May when the ice is gone. 226 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: But as the ice starts to break up, the truck 227 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: is likely to be damaged by icebergs and leak even 228 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: more chemicals into the ocean. It's unclear exactly how the 229 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 1: truck broke through the ice. The expedition team had been 230 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 1: to that same spot five days prior, and when they 231 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: measured the ice it was fifty centimes thick. When the 232 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 1: truck sank, the ice had melted down to fifteen centimeters. Now, 233 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: aside from an incredible marketing opportunity for the Ford Motor 234 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: Company by you know, retrieving that vehicle and having it 235 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: magically start up on the ice and driving it away, 236 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: there's another opportunity here in the form of habitat. That 237 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: truck is just an artificial reef down there. Ocean is 238 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: a big place. Those oils and fuels and whatnot will dissipate, 239 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: and then you just got habitat down there in that 240 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: spacious four D F one fifty. There's probably gonna be 241 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 1: a big old black cod living in there. And if 242 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: I was Jimmy Oh, I'd mark that thing on my 243 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: GPS and be dropping some jigs down through the ice 244 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: next winter. Moving on to the mushroom desk, a pair 245 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: of Danish biologists claimed to have developed a reliable way 246 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: of growing black Morele mushrooms year round in an indoor, 247 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: climate controlled environment. These tasty mushrooms are a favorite among 248 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: foragers and chefs alike, but as metiator Spencer new Hearth 249 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: has covered on the eater dot com, Morel's are nearly 250 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: impossible to grow at home. Morel growing kits on the 251 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: internet are a gimmick and even professional mushroom growers have 252 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: so far been unable to grow these mycological mysteries in 253 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: any large quantities. That's because Morel's require a very specific 254 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: but mysterious set of environmental circumstances to convince them to 255 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: grow a fruiting body, the part we eat the thing 256 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: above ground instead of just my celium, which is the 257 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: root like network of underground filaments. In nineteen two, the 258 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: year of my birth, another important thing happened. A US 259 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: biologist named Ronald Or patented a successful technique to grow Morel's, 260 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: but in what must be the strangest incident mushroom growing history, 261 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: Or was murdered during a bosch mugging three months before 262 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: his patent was granted. I'm not saying it was a 263 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: hit by a threatened big mushroom entity, but I'm also 264 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: not not saying it was a hit by a big 265 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: mushroom to me, Mario anyway. In the forty years since 266 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: overs untimely death, no one has been able to replicate 267 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: his work, even though the patent has been publicly available. 268 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: That is, until Danish biologists Jacob and Carsten Kirk came along. 269 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: They managed to grow their first black morale mushrooms indoors 270 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: in two thousand five, and they've been optimizing that success 271 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 1: ever since. They've developed their own artificial morale soil and 272 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: figured out that correct combination of light, length of day, 273 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: and temperature. They also mysteriously claim that grass is a 274 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: part of the overall cultivation process, but they do not 275 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: provide any additional details. The result of their work is 276 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 1: a technique that grows big, good looking morales relatively quickly. 277 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: The growing method produces four point two kilograms of mushrooms 278 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 1: over a twenty two week growing cycle, which is equivalent 279 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: to about ten kilograms per square meter or twenty pounds 280 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: of mushrooms per square yard per year. Only time will 281 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,439 Speaker 1: tell if the technique is commercially successful, but here's the 282 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: good news. You can go out this spring and find 283 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: some morrels for yourself. In an article titled how to 284 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: find Morrell Mushrooms in Every State, Spencer lists advice from 285 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:18,679 Speaker 1: experts around the country for finding these amazing mushrooms on 286 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: your own. Once you found some, I recommend Jenny Noyan 287 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:27,679 Speaker 1: Wheatley's recipe for Morrel's on toast. Moving on to the 288 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: infrastructure desk, the largest wildlife crossing in the world has 289 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: begun construction in California. The two d foot wildlife overpasses 290 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 1: being built across ten lanes of traffic on Highway one 291 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,439 Speaker 1: on one, and we'll connect the Santa Monica Mountains in 292 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,440 Speaker 1: southern California to the Simi Hills on the north side 293 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 1: of the highway. The overpass will be one and sixty 294 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,439 Speaker 1: five ft wide, and we'll be covered with soil and vegetation. 295 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 1: It will also include walls to help block light and 296 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 1: noise from the road, and of course, to make sure 297 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: drivers don't end up with the mule there or wild 298 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: pig on the hood of their cars. The crossing will 299 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: help a wide variety of wild species navigate the concrete 300 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: jungle of southern California. But mountain lions were at the 301 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: heart of getting this project to its final stage. State 302 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: and federal biologists were concerned the lion population in Santa 303 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: Monica Mountains was struggling with inbreeding and a lack of 304 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: genetic diversity. Without access to non related cats north of 305 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: Highway one oh one, the population was at risk of 306 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,480 Speaker 1: going the way of the Florida panther. The Florida panther 307 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,119 Speaker 1: is a subspecies of mountain lion and the only such 308 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 1: species remaining in the Eastern US thanks largely to historic 309 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: over hunting. The Florida panther was declared endangered in nine 310 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: and only about a hundred and thirty panthers remain in 311 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: the wild. Roads and other construction present a serious concern 312 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: to this small population because the access to unrelated mates 313 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,920 Speaker 1: is such an important part of maintaining healthy genetic diversity. 314 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: But back to the mountain lion population in the San 315 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: Monica Mountains, they aren't going as badly as the Florida panther, 316 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: but biologists have already seen signs of inbreeding. Dr Seth 317 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: Riley of the National Park Service told The Wall Street 318 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,400 Speaker 1: Journal that they've observed the kinked tails and poor sperm 319 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: quality that indicate genetic difficulties. Riley said that without some 320 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: kind of intervention, the negative effects of inbreeding could eliminate 321 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 1: the entire Santa Monica population in the next fifty years. 322 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: It will be interesting to see how effective this wildlife 323 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: crossing is at resolving the genetic diversity issue. If you 324 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: look at the map of the region, you'll notice that 325 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: the Simi Hills north of the Highway are themselves surrounded 326 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: by development. The Wallace Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, as it will 327 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: be called, maybe the largest wildlife crossing in the world, 328 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: but it's definitely not the only one. Wildlife crossings were 329 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: first developed in France in the nineteen fifties. The concept 330 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: was picked up by countries around the world. These crossings 331 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: are sometimes overpasses, like the one in California, but they 332 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: can also be tunnels or passes. One of the earliest 333 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: crossings in the US, for example, was constructed in Davis, California, 334 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: to allow frogs to pass under a road and reach 335 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 1: the wetlands on the other side. Since then, hundreds of 336 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:16,200 Speaker 1: crossings have been designed for a wide variety of animals, 337 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: including elk, deer, bears, lions, and even tortoises. We may 338 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 1: not know why animals cross the road, but these structures 339 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: make sure they get to the other side in one 340 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 1: piece and not on your you know, grill or under 341 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 1: your tire. Moving on, A new report from a vase 342 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 1: spelled a v A a Z and online social advocacy 343 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: nonprofit claims that Facebook is a major player in the 344 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 1: wildlife trafficking market. You don't need to go to the 345 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: unsavory corners of the dark web to find endangered animals 346 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:53,240 Speaker 1: for sale, and just a few clicks of as researchers 347 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: found in the array of live animals illegally for sale 348 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: on Facebook, including posts about tiger cubs and African parent pangolins, 349 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: a rhino horn, and a marmoset monkey. In just two days, 350 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: researchers found one nine posts listing or seeking animals that 351 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 1: are threatened or endangered according to the Convention on International 352 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which 353 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: is of course sight ease for short. Facebook isn't alone 354 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:25,400 Speaker 1: in providing an easy to access platform for potentially illegal 355 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: wildlife trade, as Katie Hill discovered in a great article 356 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: over at the Meat Eater dot Com. Amazon, Etsy, eBay 357 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: have also had trouble prohibiting this content on their platforms. 358 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: Katie found siga antelope, Imperial eagle, taxidermy, and a stuffed 359 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: Siberian gray wolf all on Amazon, and since I know 360 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:50,359 Speaker 1: all of you wildlife traffickers out there wondering, no none 361 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: came with free today shipping. Different countries have different standards 362 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: for wildlife trade, but in the United States, the Endangered 363 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: Species Act hands out steep penal teas for violating these 364 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: international trade agreements. First time offenders can be hit with 365 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:09,159 Speaker 1: a fine, and repeat offenders can face a year behind 366 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: bars along with a seventy five thou dollar fine. Suffice 367 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: it to say selling a tiger cub on Facebook would 368 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: land in some serious hot water. A VAS suggests a 369 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: few things Facebook can do to crack down on illegal 370 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: wildlife trade. The organization recommends Facebook expanding its modern capabilities, 371 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: restricting search results, and making sure they're algorithms do not 372 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 1: suggest wildlife trafficking groups two interested users. Apparently this is 373 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: something that actually happened, but Facebook has nearly three billion users, 374 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 1: and wildlife traffickers are constantly devising new ways around the 375 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: company's modern techniques. It's also worth noting that a VAS 376 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 1: did not confirm that all posts they found were legitimate. 377 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 1: Some folks also post animal parts for sale without knowing 378 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: it's illegal. If you enjoy making head scratchers out of 379 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,199 Speaker 1: doesn't feat like meat eaters, own korin Schneider, you have 380 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: to be careful about selling your one of a kind 381 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: creations on Etsy. I was recently looking on Craig's list 382 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,119 Speaker 1: here in Montana and a set of elk legs that 383 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: have been turned into table legs were only forty bucks. 384 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: The legs would make a nice addition to you know, 385 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,680 Speaker 1: your table that you're working on for Mother's Day. And fortunately, 386 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: if you're in that sort of market, that type of 387 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 1: sale is actually legal under Montana Code as long as 388 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 1: the animal was taken legally. It's a complicated issue, but 389 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: what I've always said about poaching and wildlife trafficking still applies. 390 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: We focus on the supply side of the issue, but 391 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 1: we should also consider the demand side. The only reason 392 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 1: anyone would sell a stuffed wolf on Facebook is because 393 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:52,439 Speaker 1: they know someone out there will buy it. That's all 394 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,680 Speaker 1: I've got for you this week. Thank you so much 395 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:58,400 Speaker 1: for listening. Remember, if you're staring at snow here in May, 396 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,159 Speaker 1: you still got time to head to www dot steel 397 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 1: dealers dot com and find a local, knowledgeable steel dealer 398 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,159 Speaker 1: near you. They'll get you set up with everything you 399 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: need and they won't send you home with what you don't. 400 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: I just learned today that my favorite steel battery powered 401 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: chainsaws are seriously back ordered, So if you can find one, 402 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 1: snag it, because they are incredibly hard to find. Other 403 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 1: than that, be sure to write in to a s k, 404 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: C a L that's asked Cal at the meat eater 405 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 1: dot com and let me know what's going on in 406 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: your neck of the woods. You know I appreciate it. 407 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:46,120 Speaker 1: Thanks again, and I'll talk to you next week.