1 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,319 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This 2 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: is Col's Week in Review with Ryan col klaig Here's cal, 3 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: a famous grizzly bear and Grand Teton National Park, died 4 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: last week after being struck by a car, and the 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: accident has garnered international media attention. Grizzly number three ninety 6 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: nine roamed the Yellowstone ecosystem for nearly three decades and 7 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: at the time of her death was thought to be 8 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: the oldest reproducing female grizz in the area. She is 9 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: believed to have had eighteen cubs during her twenty eight 10 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: years on earth, and the secret to her longevity also 11 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 1: her fame and the not so secret demise. She didn't 12 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: crack the TikTok algorithm, she did hang out around people. 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: She became a well known tourist attraction because she, unlike 14 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: most Grizzlies, was often seen roads in Grand Teton. Researchers 15 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: believe this apparent fascination with roads, cars, and people helped 16 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 1: keep male Grizzlies away, who might otherwise have killed her 17 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: cubs and injured her. Unfortunately, as with most tragic heroes, 18 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: the secret of her fame became her undoing a Wyoming 19 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 1: driver reported that the bear stepped right out in front 20 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: of him and he didn't have time to stop. Investigators 21 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: say there is no evidence the driver was speeding or 22 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: on a cell phone. So even though three ninety nine 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: fans might be upset, most are chalking this up to 24 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: an unfortunate accident. And when I say upset, I'm not exaggerating. 25 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: Wildlife activist and Jackson resident Ann Smith told the outlet 26 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: Wile File that quote, It's probably the hardest thing I've 27 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 1: ever had to deal with in my life, and I'm 28 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: eighty three years old. I'm still getting messages from friends 29 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: who've said I just can't stop thinking about her. I 30 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: can't stop crying. Smith continued when Jackson friend messaged her 31 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: to say that her entire office stopped working and that 32 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: nobody could do anything. A candlelight vigil was organized last 33 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: Saturday in honor of Grizz three ninety nine on the 34 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: Jackson town Square. It was reportedly well attended. Just as 35 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: a reference, World War Two started eighty three years ago. Today, 36 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: Marines raised the flag on Sarabaci. Seventy three years ago, 37 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: atomic bombs were dropped. The Berlin Wall went up and 38 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: came down race riots, elections assassinations nine to eleven, and 39 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: then Bear three ninety nine was killed by a vehicle. 40 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: This week reptiles, public lands, citizen science, and so much more. 41 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: But first I'm going to tell you about my week, 42 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,639 Speaker 1: And my week wasn't bad. But your nelk its head 43 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: currently steaming in a pot on the porch. Funniest part 44 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,399 Speaker 1: of the hunt was I was in a unit where 45 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 1: the only thing you cannot shoot is a spike elk, 46 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: and this particular bowl has a spike on his left 47 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: side and a six point antler on his right side. 48 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: I was in a thick burn lots of standing dead 49 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: timber blowdown tall brush cinothis, which made picking out individual 50 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: elk tough to as they kind of milled around and 51 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: slept and would disappear when they'd lay down and reappear 52 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: when they stood back up. In fact, it was darn 53 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: right frustrating to find a bowl in the pile of 54 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: cows and calves. Despite being inside two hundred yards and 55 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: knowing that the bowl was in the mix, I could 56 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: hear his quiet little bedtime bugles and could smell the 57 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 1: darn thing. Finally, through my binos, I see a six 58 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: point bowl, step out from behind the only green tree 59 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: on the slope. I dropped my binos back into the pouch, 60 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: pick up my rifle, which I'd set up on top 61 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: of my backpack on a bipod, all of which were 62 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: on top of a waist high log, which was the 63 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: only way I could get a rest and be able 64 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: to see above all the brush. So I was in 65 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: like a very erect knealing position trying to get above 66 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: all the crap for a clean shot. Now, at this 67 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: point things were looking good. Like I said, I'm real close. 68 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: I know the bulls there. He's got to step out 69 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: from behind this tree. But when I get behind my 70 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: rifle scope, instead of a legal six point bowl getting 71 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: ready to emerge from behind a tree, all I had 72 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: was a spike, which again is not legal. So after 73 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 1: waiting a minute, I put the rifle down and looked 74 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: for the legal bowl through my binoculars, and there, getting 75 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: ready to step out from behind the same tree at 76 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 1: only one hundred and fifty seven yards, is a six 77 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 1: point bull elk. So again back to the scope, look 78 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: through the scope, spike bowl not legal, Grab my binoculars, 79 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,720 Speaker 1: six point bowl legal. The tree the bull was biting 80 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: his time behind perfectly hid all but his long spike 81 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,840 Speaker 1: on his left side. It was confusing until he stepped 82 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: out and assured my brain that the spike and the 83 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: six were in fact one and the same seven point 84 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 1: you could call him. And down he went half a 85 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: mile up through a saddle and then down to a 86 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: trail two and a half miles up the trail to 87 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 1: the truck. I'll take that spike by six any day. 88 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: You don't look a gift horse in the mouth. People. 89 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: That was a hunt that consisted of six hours of 90 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: after work, driving, four hours of sleep, hiking by five 91 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: point forty in the am, bull on the ground by 92 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: two pm, and fully loaded in the truck a little 93 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: after nine pm. As I recall it. Anyway, big huge 94 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:27,799 Speaker 1: thanks to Brad Brooks for showing up for the hunt, 95 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: helping break down this bull and carry the sucker out 96 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: of there. And even more of a big thanks to 97 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: Brad Brooks for when we were done packing meat, declaring 98 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: mercifully that he had had enough elk hunting for the season. 99 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: So we slept in the next morning and both went home. 100 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 1: It was great. Now a lot of you and I've 101 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 1: done a terrible job of consistently promoting this, but I 102 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: love this type of citizen science projects. I had declared 103 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 1: that I was going to give some stuff away for 104 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: folks who submitted journal entries here to the Week in Review. 105 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: Quite a few of you did. I didn't want to 106 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 1: be biased at all, so I collected all of the 107 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 1: entries and they just randomly picked a couple of winners. 108 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 1: In fact, I'm going to pick one more, one extra winner, 109 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: just for fun. And then after I picked the winners, 110 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: I went back through and got some good excerpts of 111 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: each of these journal entries. Okay, so this started with 112 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 1: like a state program to record grouse numbers, right use 113 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: citizen science hunter reporting to determine grouse numbers. That was 114 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: pretty local, so I'd broadened it out to just folks 115 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: who submitted their journals in general, which is just good practice. 116 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 1: And if you've ever read Born under a Stump, you'll 117 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:52,559 Speaker 1: know that that lowly hunter journal can become big state 118 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,559 Speaker 1: science at some point. You just got to keep good notes. 119 00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:00,599 Speaker 1: So anyway, I have reached out to three of you 120 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: to let you know that you won and get me 121 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: your shipping addresses. Final Rise Bird Vest, which is the 122 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: vest that I use and think it's just the cat's pajamas. 123 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: It's a great great bird vest. And then cal Ammo 124 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: pouches from FAHF, which helps keep all your gear neat 125 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:23,119 Speaker 1: and tidy. Okay, specifically shotgun shells. So you know your 126 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: cardboard boxes deteriorate. You need someplace to keep those shells 127 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: from rattling around that is not the floor of your truck. 128 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: So these little pouches are about the same size. You 129 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: can fit two boxes Ammo in one. You can rip 130 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: the label on the top of your cardboard AMMO box 131 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: off and slide it in, or you could take just 132 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: a sharpie and write it on there too, So nice 133 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: little organize thing. Anyway, here's some examples. Congrats on our 134 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: big winners. You're gonna know who you are. You're gonna 135 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: get an email from the Ascal email and these submissions 136 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: do not necessarily reveal who the winners are, but listen up. 137 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: Trying a new spot further north, about twenty minutes into 138 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: the hike, I flushed my first grouse flew into a 139 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: tree fifteen feet from me at head height. The bird 140 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: just stared at me. Didn't seem like it would have 141 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: been very gratifying or sporting to whack it. I proceeded 142 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: to try to get it to leave the tree. Finally 143 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: it did, took a shot but missed, landed fifty yards 144 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: back on the trail, and boogied off into the forest. 145 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: This ends my Minnesota hunting trip. Also did some fishing. 146 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: They weren't very cooperative as well. Until next time Minnesota, 147 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,839 Speaker 1: next one. This is the first year I've really been 148 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: keeping a hunting journal, and I got to say I'm 149 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: a big fan. Didn't think I'd enjoy it this much. 150 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: It's definitely going to be something that I continue to 151 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: do in the years to come. I do a lot 152 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: of squirrel and dove hunting in the early fall season 153 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: and keep a record of where to go and when, 154 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: will hopefully result in some more consistent success. That's a review, 155 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: I guess, not an example. Here's another example. Found shiny 156 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: rocks probably not gold. You're probably right, scope got knocked loose. 157 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: Not sure when Howe decided to head home early been there. 158 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: Another example October sixth took all of the mules in 159 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: case shot and animal and rode miles away from camp. 160 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: Saw some rams and use since it was dry and smoky, 161 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: and saw noelk all day, rode back while it was 162 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: still daylight to camp so the mules could get water. 163 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 1: Thankfully made that choice because of Griz had destroyed both tents. 164 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: And finally, Mona flushed five woodcock, likely only two different birds. 165 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: Missed eight shots. Killed bird on the ninth a quartering 166 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 1: away left to right, shot number eight, improved cylinder, nice 167 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: female woodcock. Mona found the bird in tall grass after 168 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: a long search, but did not retrieve it for me. 169 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: I think I'll have to do some force fetch with 170 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: her this off season. Been there, Thanks everybody for sending 171 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: in your examples and participating. Hopefully you keep this going 172 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: even when you're not incentivized by me. Love you great job. 173 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: Like I said, our winners, there's three of you. You'll 174 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: be getting an email from me here. Most of you 175 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 1: should have all ready alrighty gang, Moving on to the 176 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:29,599 Speaker 1: python desk. Ask any deer hunter in South Florida and 177 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: they'll tell you that the Burmese pythons have done a 178 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: number on the local whitetail population. But it was unclear 179 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: whether these snakes, like coyotes, are praying mostly on fonds 180 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: or if they can fit a full grown deer down 181 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: their gullets. Now we have photographic evidence that not even 182 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: adult deer say from these giant reptiles. In a study 183 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 1: published last month and the journal Reptiles and Amphibians, researchers 184 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: published the first ever photos of a Burmese python devouring 185 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:57,199 Speaker 1: an adult whitetailed deer. Those photos are impressive and will 186 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: include a link to the study over at the meat 187 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,560 Speaker 1: eater dot com forward slash cow so you can check 188 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: them out for yourself. The snake's mouth is open so 189 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: wide that it looks like the top half of its 190 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: head is resting by itself on the side of the 191 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: deer's body. The bottom half of the head is out 192 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: of side it underneath the deer, and the researchers who 193 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 1: took the photos say the snake used its tail to 194 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: grab the deer's back legs and shove it into its mouth. 195 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: They found the snake when it had already consumed the 196 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: front half of the unfortunate ungulate, and it took another 197 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: thirty minutes to get the back half down its gullet. 198 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: This discovery is important because knowing the maximum size of 199 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 1: animal these snakes are capable of preying on helps us 200 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 1: understand what kind of management decisions need to be made. 201 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: The researchers admit that they don't know how often these 202 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: snakes take down in an adult deer. It takes a 203 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,079 Speaker 1: pretty large snake to swallow a seventy seven pound buck, 204 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 1: and even if the snake is capable of doing this, 205 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: they may not make the attempt very often. Still, knowing 206 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: the snakes don't just go after fawns means adult deer 207 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,280 Speaker 1: need protection as well. A high profile study like this 208 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: could also help fund further reads search. While studies have 209 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: been done using radio colored rabbits to determine the extent 210 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: of snake predation, no such studies have been done on deer. 211 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: It seems like these photos offer incontrovertible proof that we 212 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: need a better understanding of how these snakes are impacting 213 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,479 Speaker 1: the deer populations in Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades 214 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: National Park. Big thanks to listener Grant Bentz for sending 215 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:27,079 Speaker 1: us that story. Moving on to the public land desk, 216 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: bad ideas aren't so bad until they start getting contagious. 217 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: That appears to be what's happening with one of the 218 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: worst public land viruses infecting our nation today. Four Western 219 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: states have thrown their support behind a Utah lawsuit that 220 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 1: could transfer millions of acres of public land into private hands. 221 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: In an amicust brief filed last week, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, 222 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: and Arizona state legislatures endorsed Utah's request to have their 223 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: case heard by the Supreme Court. They argue that it 224 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: is unconstitutional for the federal government to hold land that 225 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: it has not appropriated ray specific purpose. They say national 226 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: monuments or national forests are fine, but they argue that 227 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: the BLM should be forced to dispose of its unappropriated lamp. 228 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: Huge swaths of BLM land and these states would fall 229 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: under Utah's definition of unappropriated. In Idaho, for example, seventeen 230 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: percent of that entire state, or more than nine million acres, 231 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,439 Speaker 1: would qualify. In Utah, that number is eighteen and a 232 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: half million acres. Proponents of this idea would have you 233 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 1: believed that these acres would simply become state parks and 234 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: recreation areas. Quote. If the federal government were required to 235 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: dispose of these lands, the state could own and manage 236 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: them and conduct the same sorts of activities that the 237 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 1: federal government currently does. Nothing would change, They imply, these 238 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: properties would still allow hunting, grazing, and extraction. They would 239 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: just be better managed under local state control. The problem 240 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: is that this isn't what would happen at all, at 241 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 1: least not in the majority of these acres. The keyword 242 00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: is disposed. The BLM's process for divesting itself of its 243 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 1: property is often done via auction, not a simple transfer 244 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:06,680 Speaker 1: of ownership to the state. Selling off BLM land in 245 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: an auction would allow private interests to swoop in and 246 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,679 Speaker 1: turn what was protected wildlife habitat or hunting grounds into 247 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: whatever those developers could imagine. The Amicus Brief authors point 248 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: out that the Constitution only allows a state to regulate 249 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: and dispose of public lands, not indefinitely retain lands within 250 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: a state, but they failed to acknowledge the reason the 251 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: framers did not feel the need to include a specific 252 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: retention clause. The federal government and therefore the American people, 253 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: already own the property. They need the power to dispose 254 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 1: of the land, but they do not need the power 255 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: to retain it because they already do. What is true 256 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: is that whether the lands ended up in private or 257 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: state hands, the states would be the ones that benefit. 258 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: The Amicist Brief filers admit as much when they say 259 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: a successful lawsuit would increase their sovereign authority to use 260 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: and develop land within their boundaries. It's not just about 261 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: doing a better job managing wildlife has habitat, It's about 262 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: getting their hands on public federal land they've always wanted 263 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: to develop, but so far haven't had a chance. While 264 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: state leaders in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, and Arizona believe 265 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: the current makeup of the Supreme Court gives them a 266 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: unique opportunity for success, their arguments are nothing new. Every 267 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 1: decade or so there is a renewed push to privatize 268 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: federal public land, and the current advocates are making the 269 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: same arguments they always have. One of the most common 270 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: is that private owners would do a better job managing 271 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 1: the acres currently under federal control. They point to the 272 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: wonderful way as many private landowners manage their properties to 273 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: try to convince their constituents that the same would be 274 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: true of the six hundred and forty million acres that 275 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: are currently in federal hands. But ask yourselves, is this 276 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: a fair comparison. Federal public land must be, by law 277 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: managed for many people pursuing many different goals, private land, 278 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: on the other hand, can be directed towards a limited 279 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: number of goals and can be controlled by a single person. 280 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: So when somebody says private lands are managed better, my 281 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: response typically is, well, I should frickin hope so you 282 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: have the easiest job in the world compared to what 283 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 1: a public land manager has. Think of it this way. 284 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: Imagine two neighboring properties in a suburban setting. One is 285 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: occupied by a single individual, while the other is home 286 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: to a family with three kids. The goal of both 287 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: is to produce as much food as possible and maintain 288 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: an immaculate lawn. This is probably something that is very relatable, 289 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: I would hope to a lot of you. The single 290 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 1: individual can pursue those goals using the most efficient methods. 291 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: He or she can choose what animals to raise, what 292 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: vegetables to plant, and how to fertilize the lawn. The family, 293 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: on the other hand, has to balance many competing interests. 294 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: The kids want uh pigmy goats because they're cute. The 295 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: wife wants a miniature dairy cow, one of those little 296 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: Highland cattle that should be made to be food at 297 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: some point, but instead they just get to be little 298 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 1: you know. Vanity pets. The husband tries to keep the 299 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,919 Speaker 1: yard looking nice, but the kids need somewhere to play, 300 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: and so he sets up a swing set. The grass 301 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: doesn't grow under the trampoline, and the sun wears a 302 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: path to and from his archery target. The individual on 303 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: the other side of the fence does a better job 304 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: meeting the goals of more food and greener grass. But 305 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,119 Speaker 1: would anyone argue that the family should be forced to 306 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: transfer ownership of their lawn to the individual why because 307 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,120 Speaker 1: he does a better job managing it In the same 308 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 1: way federal ants that are managed for timber, livestock recreation, extraction, 309 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: green energy shouldn't be given away just because the farmer 310 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: or the rancher or the corporation on the other side 311 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: of the fence is doing a better job managing their 312 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: property to meet their goals, which, by the way, are 313 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: not the same as the goals of the land of 314 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: many uses are public estate Hunters aren't the only group 315 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: that should be wary of efforts to privatize federal lamp. 316 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,159 Speaker 1: Millions of Americans sports shooters rely on public shooting ranges 317 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,400 Speaker 1: to exercise their Second Amendment rights and hone their skills 318 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: and putting those opportunities at risk could have serious implications 319 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: for conservation funding. A twenty twenty one survey by the 320 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: National Shooting Sports Foundation found that while the majority of 321 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: sports shooters utilize private gun ranges, thirty nine percent shoot 322 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,679 Speaker 1: on public land mostly or at least half the time. 323 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: What's more, public land shooters report a better experience than 324 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: their private land counterparts. The survey found that fifty seven 325 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,640 Speaker 1: percent of public land shooters rate their experience as excellent 326 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: or good, while only forty percent of private land shooters 327 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: felt the same. That's likely because public shooting ranges address 328 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 1: the concerns that sports shooters report as being important to them. 329 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 1: The survey found that crowding is the number one consideration 330 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 1: when sports shooters select a range. No one wants to 331 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 1: visit a crowded gun range, and the large number of 332 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 1: public ranges allow sport shooters to spread out without overcrowding 333 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: any single one. Diminishing the number of public ranges, as 334 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: this lawsuit eventually would, should concern anyone who appreciates access 335 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 1: to a free range. Speaking of cost, the NSSF survey 336 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 1: found that cost is the top issue that impacts sport 337 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:22,360 Speaker 1: shooters enjoyment. Public ranges are free, and so state leaders 338 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: should be doing more to increase, not decrease, the number 339 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 1: of them. Jeopardizing access to public shooting ranges could have 340 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,719 Speaker 1: an even broader impact. Gun owners contribute over one billion 341 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: dollars to conservation every year by excise taxes on firearms 342 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: and ammunition, Limiting the opportunities for forty percent of sport 343 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: shooters could take a serious bite out of that funding, 344 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,640 Speaker 1: because without a place to shoot, it's unclear how many 345 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,919 Speaker 1: of those shooters will continue pursuing their hobby. Of course, 346 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: even if this lawsuit is successful, those nine million acres 347 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: in Idaho eighteen million acres in Utah won't turn into 348 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: condos overnight. Most of it would remain undeveloped, at least 349 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: in the short term. And the officials in these states 350 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 1: understand as well as we do that outdoor recreation is 351 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: a major part of their economies. But this Amaricist brief 352 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,679 Speaker 1: highlights the fact that for these state leaders, money is 353 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: the real motivation. They dedicate a large portion to explaining 354 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,919 Speaker 1: how federal lands siphon money away from state coffers, and 355 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: they want to see those billions under state rather than 356 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:27,160 Speaker 1: federal control. What they don't want to acknowledge is that 357 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: their residents own that land as much as the residents 358 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: of other states. Local ranchers, timber and mining companies benefit 359 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: from the BLMS multiple use mandate, and local outfitters make 360 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 1: a living guiding hunters. Federal public lands, in other words, 361 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: aren't a resource drain on a state and its residents. 362 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 1: They're a public benefit. But they might not be if 363 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 1: the BLM is forced to sell them off to the 364 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: highest bidder. They also don't acknowledge a little thing called wildfire. 365 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: The federal government funds firefighting at a way higher ratio 366 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:02,119 Speaker 1: than local state governments do. Bad fire season would bankrupt 367 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,959 Speaker 1: any of these states. Nobody mentions that, unfortunately, this idea 368 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: has spread beyond Utah. As we've already stated, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska, 369 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 1: Arizona are a part of this. In total, eleven briefs 370 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,119 Speaker 1: have been filed with the Supreme Court by various groups, 371 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: states and politicians, including Iowa, which spearheaded a brief signed 372 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: by attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, 373 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: South Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas. This is not new ground, people, 374 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: This is something that pops up, like I said, about 375 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: every ten years. And I have no idea why the 376 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:42,400 Speaker 1: sporting community has such small memories here, but a lot 377 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: of the vitreol I would call it that we're seeing 378 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: right now, we've already rehashed. I swear to you and 379 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: I will prove it to you that we can have 380 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: public lands and our Second Amendment rights. We have them 381 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,479 Speaker 1: right now. And the only reason we have them right 382 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: now is because for decades and day decades, people have 383 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:05,440 Speaker 1: stood up and reminded our politicians that we can have both, 384 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: and we should have both. That's not changing. This election 385 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 1: cycle is brutal, they all are. The only benefit gang 386 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 1: is that I can tell you that you got to 387 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: be a part of it. You can't sit back on 388 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: the sidelines. If your person wins, that's great. You got 389 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,120 Speaker 1: to keep them in check. If your person doesn't win, 390 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: guess what. You don't get to sit back there and say, well, 391 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 1: let's see how this works out for you, because it's 392 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,359 Speaker 1: going to affect all of us, including you. You have 393 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: to stand up there and say, hey, these things are 394 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: very important, and you got to do it over and 395 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: over and over again. There is no way that we 396 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,919 Speaker 1: have to sacrifice our Second Amendment rights in order to 397 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: get public lands. There is no way, no way that 398 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: we have to sacrifice our public lands in order to 399 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: keep our Second Amendment rights. That is a story being 400 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: told for the benefit of a few, not the many. 401 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 1: Moving on to the city's science desk, huge thanks to 402 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: everyone who sent me photos and screenshots of your Minnesota 403 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: upland bird hunting diary. Does my heart good to see 404 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: so many people doing their part to help manage those species, 405 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 1: and I love hearing about everyone's hunts. As I've already 406 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: told you, so, we have another citizen science opportunity for you, 407 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: but this time out of New York. Listener Jonathan Slessinger 408 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: sent me an email from the New York Department of 409 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,520 Speaker 1: Environmental Conservation asking hunters to study their gut piles. This 410 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 1: isn't a call for better digestive health, though I'm sure 411 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 1: most of us could use it. Instead, the agency wants 412 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: hunters to set up trail cameras at the gut pile 413 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: after harvesting and field dressing a deer. They want hunters 414 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,199 Speaker 1: to record a few small details about the location of 415 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,159 Speaker 1: the pile and then send the photos to the New 416 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 1: York dec This is part of the agency's larger effort 417 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: to study the impact of lead projectiles on scavengers. The 418 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: state is still offering to pay for a box of 419 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: non LAED ammunition for rifle hunters, but now they want 420 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 1: to crowdsource data on how these scavengers actually use those 421 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:00,119 Speaker 1: internal organs. They want to know how long it takes 422 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: for scavengers to find them, how long gut piles persist, 423 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,919 Speaker 1: and differences based on habitat and location. The agency has 424 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,399 Speaker 1: a limited number of trail cameras that hunters can borrow, 425 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 1: though I'm sure they'd appreciate it if you used your own. 426 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 1: To sign up and volunteer, head on over to the 427 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: meadeater dot com forward slash cow, where we'll post a 428 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: link under this week's episode. Moving on to the crime desk, 429 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: quick update for you about a poaching story out of 430 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: Wisconsin we covered a few weeks back in episode three 431 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,360 Speaker 1: twenty two. I told you about three sixteen year old 432 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 1: boys and one adult woman who were being charged with 433 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: poaching over one hundred white tail deer, some of which 434 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,439 Speaker 1: they tortured before they killed. We still don't know the 435 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:40,879 Speaker 1: identities of the juveniles, but the woman has made her 436 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 1: first court appearance. Her name is Jessica Croning and she's 437 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: facing three misdemeanor counts contributing to the delinquency of a child, 438 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: illegal shining of a deer, and resisting a conservation warden. 439 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,160 Speaker 1: I didn't know contributing to the delinquency of a child 440 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: was an official crime, but I'd say we should be 441 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: looking for more adults for that than we are anyway. 442 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,400 Speaker 1: Documents obtained by Fox eleven News alleged that Croning knew 443 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: her son and two of his buddies were proaching deer 444 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: at night, but she did nothing about it. When neighbors 445 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 1: complained the police about the smell of rotting deer heads 446 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: in a trash can, she claims she didn't know they 447 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: were there. However, one of the juvenile's claims that Croning 448 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 1: knew her son was out shooting deer at night because 449 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: they used her car and her guns. Eventually, she admitted 450 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: to her part in the scheme and even said she 451 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: accompanied them at least once and held the flashlight from 452 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: the back seat, and this wasn't a situation of a 453 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 1: family and desperate need for food. The meat was never harvested, 454 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,560 Speaker 1: but the boys would frequently remove the deer's heads to 455 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:38,679 Speaker 1: make euromounts groaning. Is in trouble for spotlighting, but she'll 456 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:42,159 Speaker 1: likely be in even deeper water for destroying evidence. Prosecutors 457 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:43,879 Speaker 1: said that when she found out her son's phone had 458 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:46,360 Speaker 1: been identified in the search warrant, she chucked it off 459 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: a bridge. She quote said, the phone is long gone. 460 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 1: If you want it, go dig it out of the river, 461 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 1: and I smashed the phone. The boys were allegedly using 462 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: a twenty two caliber and seven millimeters rifles to shoot 463 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 1: the deer. Both rifles had the sea earal numbers scratched off, 464 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: and the police officers reported that it appeared they were 465 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,120 Speaker 1: scratched off recently due to the bright shiny metal where 466 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: the serial numbers had been located and metal shavings on 467 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 1: the stocks. I'm sure there will be more to report 468 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 1: on this one. We'll keep you in the loot. Election 469 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 1: day is bonus once again, and hunters could decide who 470 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: sits in the Oval office. This might sound hard to believe, 471 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: but there's a reason both the Trump and Harris campaigns 472 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 1: are going after the hunt vote. This year, they Democrats 473 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:31,679 Speaker 1: launched a coalition called Hunters Anglers for Harris Walls and 474 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:35,199 Speaker 1: the Republicans are targeting hunters and anglers in battleground states 475 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: like Pennsylvania. Why are both sides courting the hunting vote 476 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 1: more intentionally than in years past. To answer that question, 477 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: I think phil should pull up a little schoolhouse rock 478 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:47,679 Speaker 1: music just to get us in the mood. As your 479 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: body grows big and your mind. It's great to learn 480 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: because now just power. Presidential elections in our country are 481 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 1: decided by what most people call battleground states. There's nothing 482 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,120 Speaker 1: spec about these states, but unlike West Virginia or California, 483 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,399 Speaker 1: we don't know which candidate will win them. The battleground 484 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,120 Speaker 1: states change from year to year as the electorate changes, 485 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 1: but this year those states are Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, 486 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada. Pennsylvania is especially important. Many 487 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:20,400 Speaker 1: pundits and talking heads say that whoever wins Pennsylvania will 488 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: win the election, and I have no reason to think otherwise. 489 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,800 Speaker 1: If you're familiar with hunting demographics in our country, or 490 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: you listen to the media or trivia, you know that 491 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 1: more hunters live in Pennsylvania than in any other state. 492 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: This is incredible because The Keystone state is ranked fifth 493 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: in total population, but they boast nearly a million hunters. Pennsylvania. 494 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,639 Speaker 1: Hunters would be a good group to target in any election, 495 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: but Joe Biden won the state by only eighty one 496 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 1: thousand votes in twenty twenty. This year, Trump and Harris 497 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,119 Speaker 1: are essentially tied. If those polls are accurate, the winning 498 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:53,679 Speaker 1: candidate in Pa and the winner of the entire election 499 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:57,639 Speaker 1: could be selected by less than ten thousand people. Of course, 500 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,239 Speaker 1: there are lots of groups in Pennsylvania that have more 501 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 1: than a million people in them. Why are hunters special 502 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: enough that one Republican vote getter named them as the 503 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: most important voting block in the state. The reason is because, 504 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: according to some estimates, a whopping thirty percent of Pennsylvania 505 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: hunters aren't registered to vote. If that's true, nearly three 506 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 1: hundred thousand Hunters could be swayed to vote in either direction, 507 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,359 Speaker 1: which would be more than enough to win it for 508 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 1: either side. The same holds true in some of the 509 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,120 Speaker 1: other battleground states with large populations of hunters, such as 510 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: Michigan and Wisconsin. What does this all mean. For one thing, 511 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: it means hunters still hold a fair amount of political 512 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: power in our country. It's always a good sign when 513 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,959 Speaker 1: a national presidential campaign believes Hunters need to be courted. 514 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: It shows that even though Hunters make up an even 515 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: smaller percentage of the population, our thoughts and opinions still 516 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: matter because our vote is still powerful. But in order 517 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: for us to stay relevant, we need to exercise that power. 518 00:28:57,920 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: We need to show up on election day, but we 519 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 1: all need to hold our elected officials accountable in the weeks, 520 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 1: months and years after the election. If this sounds redundant 521 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 1: to you, I know it is. But baby, we're pounding 522 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: this message because we just don't want you to drop 523 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 1: off after this stinking election. Gang. We need you. We 524 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 1: need you to write and email and keep these folks honest. 525 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: That's the only way to exercise political power, particularly if 526 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 1: you don't live in one of these battleground states and 527 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: you're starting to feel like your vote doesn't matter. Our 528 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: votes not only give a candidate a cushy office in Washington, 529 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 1: d C. But it gives them priorities to pursue while 530 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 1: they're way more to this story, as you know, you 531 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: can get all the data in details in a fantastic 532 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 1: article by Jordan Sillers over at the meeater dot com. 533 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: This episode drops Monday, November four, and polls will close 534 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: at the end of the day on Tuesday, November five. 535 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:56,479 Speaker 1: If you're listening to this on the day it airs 536 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: and you still haven't voted, get your rear and gear 537 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: head to the poles. That's all I got for you 538 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: this week. Thank you so much for listening. Remember right 539 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: into a s K C A L. That's an ascal 540 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 1: at the meat eater dot com. Let me know what's 541 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 1: going on in your neck of the woods. Thanks again, 542 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 1: we'll talk to you next week.