1 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This 2 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: is Cow's Week in Review with Ryan cow Calahan. Here's cal. 3 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: If you love running trail cams, the New York State 4 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: Department of Environmental Conservation needs your help. The agency just 5 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: launched a new program they're calling Snapshot New York. This 6 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: program asks hunters, wildlife watchers, and other outdoor enthusiasts to 7 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: upload photos from their trail cameras. State biologists will use 8 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: this data to better understand wildlife populations and make well 9 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:49,319 Speaker 1: informed management decisions. They're particularly interested in getting data from 10 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: private land. Over sixty percent of the state is private, 11 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: so biologists aren't able to access a majority of the 12 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,319 Speaker 1: wildlife habitat. They've divided the state into about forty five 13 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: hundred grids, and they're hoping they'll get enough volunteers to 14 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: have as many cameras in each cell as possible. If 15 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 1: you don't have your own trail cam, the program will 16 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: offer cameras you can rent. All you have to do 17 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,040 Speaker 1: is download the Snapshot New York app and upload your 18 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: photos every two weeks. That will hopefully generate millions of photos, 19 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: and I assume the New York Department of Environmental Conservation 20 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: will analyze them using some kind of AI software. Anyone 21 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: can participate, even if they have no prior experience using 22 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: trail cams, though I imagine they're really counting on hunters to 23 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: step up. If you live in New York, I'd encourage 24 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: you to participate. This is a cool opportunity to be 25 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: a part of what could be a groundbreaking way to 26 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: collect data on a massive scale. I'll be very curious 27 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: to see what the New York Wildlife Agency is able 28 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: to find out in the months and years ahead. Big 29 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: thanks to listener Ryan Sinclair for sending that one. In 30 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: This week, we've got cutbait. Diamonds aren't forever, but the 31 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: chemicals are. Utah lawsuit update and so much more of it. First, 32 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: I'm going to tell you about my week, and my 33 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: week was totally different. I was in class, which is 34 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: odd for me, especially when it's not like a policeman. 35 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: Dated this time in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, I was attending a 36 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: few days of Army War College. My buddy and fellow 37 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: BHA board member Jeff Jones, very soon to be Colonel 38 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: Jeff Jones, and Brand Spank, a new graduate of Army 39 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,799 Speaker 1: War College asked if I'd be interested in attending. There's 40 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: an application process, a selection process, background check, and then 41 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: you're in. I should also mention there's a dress code, 42 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: which you may imagine I don't do well with. My 43 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: interpretation of formal business, casual and casual is not that 44 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: of others. I've come to realize the heavy lifting of 45 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: two years of class is essentially wrapped up for the students. 46 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: Graduation is at the end of the week. We the 47 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: civilian guests, dropped in the Sunday prior to the week, 48 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: and then we popped out Thursday, which happens to be today. 49 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: Got up at three forty five Pennsylvania time, recording here 50 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: from sunny Bos Angelus. During these couple of days, we 51 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: got to quote, get to know the Army and each other, 52 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: lots of great discussion. In the seminar I attended Seminar 53 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: twenty four, we had primarily colonels and soon to be colonels, 54 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: many of which are Army, but also a marine, a 55 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: Space Force soldier which is called a guardian, and airman 56 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: nsa State Department Foreign Services, and then you know the 57 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: couple of US civilians sitting in I should also point 58 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: out that in other seminars there'd be like some foreign 59 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: students Allied nations in attendance for War College as well. 60 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: The whole purpose of this, well, I guess the whole 61 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: purpose of a civilian in attendance such as myself is 62 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: you get to get a little visibility behind the curtain, 63 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: so to speak, some transparency into our quote war machine 64 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: or peace machine, whichever way you choose to look at it. Specifically, 65 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: why I was selected could be a diversity answer. You know, 66 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: they want primarily civilians without prior military experience to attend, 67 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: who may you know, provide some perspective in class they 68 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: wouldn't typically get. And then ideally, you know, fall goes 69 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: well you speak favorably of your experience there at Army 70 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: War College. You know, they depend on funding as well. 71 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: There's a huge professional networking opportunity here. There's definitely a 72 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: bunch of active duty officers I met that are going 73 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: to be retiring soon, so it's good for them to 74 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: rub elbows with some civilians, right, And the group of 75 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: civilians or very impressive in their backgrounds and careers just 76 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: kind of a funny deal. The very first two people 77 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: that I met, we were on the super late flight 78 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: getting in together. You get picked up by military personality, 79 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: you know, they take you to the hotel. And one 80 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: fellow was a professor through the BYU system who had 81 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: written a dissertation on the probability and likelihood of Russia 82 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: taking over Crime and the Baltic States. And he said, yeah, 83 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: so I wrote that seventeen years ago, and for the 84 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: last two years I've been very popular, and that's why 85 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 1: he was there. And then very impressive person from South 86 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: Dakota who was in cyber defense, civilian. She was actually living, 87 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,679 Speaker 1: working and I think from South Dakota, cybersecurity, cyber defense, 88 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: lots of accolades in her background. And then when they 89 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: were so why are you here? I was like, boy, 90 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: after meeting you two, I really do not know. But 91 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 1: I was there and it was great. The other networking 92 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: part of this would be I guess internal, right, So 93 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: if you think there's nsa state department, Department of Defense, 94 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: your military branch is all represented in these little broken 95 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: out classrooms, these seminars, that type of connectivity can really 96 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: come in handy down the road. So the war college, right, 97 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 1: is like you're teaching future leaders, you're investing in future leadership, 98 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 1: and then all that brain power gets split up once 99 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 1: again to the different branches, and they're different functions. But 100 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,720 Speaker 1: you can imagine as time goes on, there's a high 101 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: likelihood that these people are going to be working together 102 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: or adjacent to each other in some capacity. Once you 103 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: get high enough up in the military, it's pretty small 104 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: from what I've been told. So these connections help a 105 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: ton and communication and trust building down the road. About 106 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: two percent of our military achieves the rank of colonel. 107 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: Less than one percent make it to general. If that 108 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: helps it all. And yeah, colonel to general is like 109 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: the progression. In case you're wondering, that's just a little 110 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: tiny tidbit of one thing I learned at my week 111 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: in war college. Honestly learned way too much to talk 112 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: about here. Maybe I can coerce General Hill, the Commandant, 113 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: to come onto the podcast and do this a little 114 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: bit more justice. Another fun fact, you know, got to 115 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: like sit down and you know bs with the two 116 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: star general, which is not an experience I've had before. 117 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: General Hill over there is, you know, very gracious with 118 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: his time. I'm sure he didn't know me from Adam, 119 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: and a very impressive fella to chat with, and you know, 120 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: it's his job to talk to the civilians that week 121 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: and make a good impression. I'm sure so he definitely 122 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: did it, and it was again super impressive. To keep 123 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: this shorter, My biggest take home is there's just a 124 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: bunch of really impressive people assembled there. I can, for 125 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: the most part, only speak to my seminar again, Seminar 126 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: twenty four aka the Sickle Cell, which is an inside 127 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: joke I don't have time for, and then make assumptions 128 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: that there's a lot of other impressive people and the 129 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: other seminars impressive. How you may ask, Well, this may 130 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: not sound like much, but we went to a lot 131 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: of talks right by folks with serious bona fittis, and 132 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: then we would get in back to our seminars and 133 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: getting these big, thoughtful discussions, a lot of thoughtful discussions 134 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: based on some sometimes pretty prickly topics. And for me, 135 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: it makes me feel good as a tax paying citizen 136 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: that the folks getting up near the top of the 137 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:01,079 Speaker 1: big brass pile are smart, thoughtful people who have the 138 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: ability to listen, actually receive information and then offer their 139 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: own information in not absolute terms, info that comes from 140 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: experience and education, but also open to the idea that 141 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,679 Speaker 1: it can and should be peeled apart and examined. Our 142 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: seminar had achieved a level of trust that isn't very 143 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:27,839 Speaker 1: common in my professional experience, and that gives me great 144 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 1: confidence in those particular you know, military leaders or foreign 145 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: affairs leaders. Who knows what the NSA does? You know, Superspy, 146 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: I'm assuming tons more to say here, but we got 147 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: to get onto the news. Moving on to the men 148 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: Hayden desk, a new study is shedding light on the 149 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: impact of the commercial men Hayden fishing industry on game 150 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: fish populations along the Louisiana coast. Man hayden, also known 151 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:00,679 Speaker 1: as bunka or small forage fish fish that are used 152 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: to make fish oil, fish meal, and animal feeds. They 153 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: are caught using sane nets, which catch whatever happens to 154 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 1: be in their way. Recreational anglers have long complained how 155 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: these nets kill the fish thereafter, as in non bunker, 156 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: and this new study claims to put some numbers on 157 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: the bycatch problem. During the twenty twenty four fishing season, 158 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,679 Speaker 1: man Hayden boats in Louisiana were estimated to have killed 159 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: millions of non target fish species, including eighty one million croker, 160 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: twenty five million sand and sea trout, at least twenty 161 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: two thousand breeding size redfish, as well as other species 162 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: such as black drum and cow No's rays. The report 163 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: was funded by the Louisiana Legislature and researchers presented findings 164 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 1: to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. Chris mclouso, director 165 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: of the Center for Fisheries and Mississippi River Programs for 166 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, told Meat Eater that the 167 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: results of the study are concerning, particularly for the states 168 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: and battled red fish, and they confirm the worries of 169 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: anglers concerned about anecdotal sightings of dead game fish near 170 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: men haden boats. Quote, It's really hard to think of 171 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: any other fish and game management system in which things 172 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,079 Speaker 1: like this are allowed. We knew there was significant by catch, 173 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: but the industry always downplayed it. Now we have hard numbers. 174 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: Of course, bycatch isn't the only problem recreational anglers have 175 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: with the man hayden industry. As I mentioned, men haden 176 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: are forage fish, meaning their food for other bigger fish, 177 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: many of which we enjoy targeting and catching. Every man 178 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: hayden that gets caught by a commercial fishing company, many 179 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: of which are owned by foreign companies, is one less 180 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: fish that can feed a red drum, seatrout, croker, heck, marlin, tuna, whatever. 181 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,079 Speaker 1: The man haden industry downplaying the results of the study, 182 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,319 Speaker 1: They claimed in a press release that recreational anglers remove 183 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 1: nearly ninety seven percent of red drum every year. That's right, 184 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: the roden real folks catch ninety seven percent of red drum, 185 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: not the folks with the big giant nets. It is 186 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: true that recreational anglers in Louisiana catch millions of redfish annually, 187 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: but those fish are within the slot limit imposed by 188 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: the state to protect the declining population. The twenty two 189 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 1: thousand redfish cop by men haden boats are all breeding size, 190 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 1: which have a more significant impact on the fishery. It's 191 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: also unclear how the men haden harvest impacts the ability 192 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: of redfish to find food. If there weren't millions of 193 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: pounds of men hayden harvested every year, would Louisiana's redfish 194 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: population be doing better. No one knows for sure now 195 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: It's worth pointing out that the men hayden industry isn't 196 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: the only or even the primary cause of declining redfish numbers. 197 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: Chris maclouso told Sage Marshall in an article over at 198 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,839 Speaker 1: the Meat Eater dot Com that habitat loss along the 199 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: Mississippian overfishing the past decade have also precipitated a decline. 200 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: But considering these larger problems, by catch by men hayden 201 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 1: boats might be the straw that breaks the cammel's back. 202 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: That's a tough pill to swallow for Louisiana anglers, especially 203 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: since the latest round of regulations shrank the recreational slot 204 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,599 Speaker 1: and creole limits. If we have to make sacrifices to 205 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: keep the fishery healthy, it seems like the man haden 206 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: boats should have to as well. Keep in mind, these 207 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: fish get fished not just in the Gulf, but over 208 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: in the Chest Peak and all the way up the Atlantic. 209 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: Moving on to the Pea fast Desk, bad news to 210 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: New Mexico. Your state is home to some of the 211 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: highest concentrations of forever chemicals found anywhere in the world. 212 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: Big thanks to Jim Lane for sending this one. In 213 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: New research from the University of New Mexico has found 214 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: that Holoman Lake, in the southern portion of the state, 215 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: contains a massive concentration of forever chemicals, also known as pfasts, 216 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 1: which stands for per and polyfloral alkali substances. We've covered 217 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: this modern pollutant quite a bit on this show. Forever 218 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: chemicals are found in many waterproofing substances, and they're extremely 219 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 1: difficult to get rid of. Holloman Lake has such a 220 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: high concentration of them because just a little ways upstream, 221 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: the US military used to operate a firefighting training center there. 222 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: Fire retardant foam is made from pfast chemicals. The lake 223 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: was open to waterfowl hunters until last year, when initial 224 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: research indicated high levels of forever chemicals. And when I 225 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: say hi, I mean hi. Researchers tested everything the water, 226 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: the animals, and plants, and the results were troubling. The 227 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: lake water held the highest concentration of pfasts of any 228 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: water body in the world, ten thousand times greater than 229 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: the EPA's drinking water standards. Same goes for the plants, 230 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: with one plant composite sample earning the record for the 231 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: highest p FAST concentrations anywhere to date, the animals have 232 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: been suffering too. Researchers found a kill deer chick dead 233 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: near its nest, and when they tested it for forever chemicals, 234 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: found extremely high concentrations in its tissue. And I just 235 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: got to say, we shouldn't judge things by how cute 236 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: they are, but that little fuzzy ping pong ball on 237 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: toothpicks that we call a kill deer chick is pretty 238 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: darn cute. Concerns about hunters come up quite a bit 239 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: in this study. I've already mentioned that this lake was 240 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: open to waterfowl hunters until just last year, but researchers 241 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: also pointed out that waterfowl downstream of the lake and 242 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: in nearby areas could also contain high levels of the chemical. 243 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: As we all know, ducks and geese don't just stay 244 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 1: in one spot. I try to put a bunch of 245 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: them on my barbecue, which is concerning. Scientists also observed 246 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: a herd of ORX visiting Holoman Lake on a regular basis. 247 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: ORX can be hunted in New Mexico, so there is 248 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: the possibility that hunters might ingest contaminated meat. The scientists 249 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: are working with the New Mexico Department of Game and 250 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: Fish to evaluate that risk. And that is the million 251 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: dollar question, what exactly is the risk? No one wants 252 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: fire foam chemicals in their body, but how much will 253 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: it actually hurt you? There still aren't great answers as 254 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: to the long term effects of these chemicals if you 255 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: ingest them by the flesh of a fish or animal, 256 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: but I wouldn't eat it on a regular basis or 257 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: feed it to a child or pregnant woman. It's also 258 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,239 Speaker 1: important to understand that the highest concentrations of these chemicals 259 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: are in the liver. I love a liver pata as 260 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: much as the next guy, but if I harvest an 261 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: animal near a military base or industrial plant, I'll probably 262 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: give that one a pass. Moving on to the legal desk. 263 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: Remember last year when Utah filed a lawsuit with the 264 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: Supreme Court to force the BLM to sell about nineteen 265 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 1: million acres of public land. Most hunters and anglers didn't 266 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: get involved in the public land fight until earlier this year, 267 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 1: but if you were listening to this podcast, you know 268 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: that the lawsuit was really the beginning of this latest battle. 269 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: The Supreme Court declined to hear the suit, but they 270 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: didn't weigh in on the merits, meaning they didn't say 271 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: whether or not Utah had a good legal case. They 272 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: just said Mike and his buddies couldn't skip the lower 273 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,360 Speaker 1: courts and go straight to the Supreme Court. The justices 274 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: advised Utah to refile the case in a lower federal 275 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: court and allow it to work its way through the process. 276 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: A lot of us have been wondering whether Utah will 277 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 1: indeed follow the court's advice. Will they take another bite 278 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: at the apple or lick their wounds and go home. 279 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 1: We still don't know for sure, but a recent court 280 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: hearing has given us some clues. As reported in an 281 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: outlet called News from the States, representatives from Utah said 282 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: that they may refile the case, but it's not guaranteed. 283 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: Lance Sorenson, an attorney representing the state, told the court quote, 284 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: maybe the burning question is when will that case get refiled. 285 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: I can tell you it's under consideration, but it's not 286 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: guaranteed that it will even be filed again. And so 287 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,360 Speaker 1: as we stand here today, there is no federal lawsuit 288 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,160 Speaker 1: and there may never be one, which I think underscores 289 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: our argument that there's really no case here. Sorensen was 290 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: forced to give that non end answer because an environmentalist 291 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,120 Speaker 1: group called Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance has asked the court 292 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 1: to bar Utah from ever filing a similar public land 293 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: grab ever again. They say the lawsuit violated Utah state constitution, 294 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 1: and they want the District Court to rule now, even 295 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: before the state refiles it. The judge may have handed 296 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: down his decision by the time you listen to this, 297 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: But I'm going to go out on a limb and 298 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 1: say he'll side with Utah. Judges aren't keen on making 299 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: a ruling on a case that doesn't yet exist, even 300 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,680 Speaker 1: if it did exist just a few months prior. I'll 301 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 1: also make another prediction. Utah will definitely file the case again. 302 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,919 Speaker 1: Mike Lee's defeat in Congress may give them pause, but 303 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: I bet they think the Supreme Court is on their side. 304 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: If they wait, one of their allies on the bench 305 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 1: might die or retire. So I think we'll see this 306 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: case resurrected before too long. When they do, they'll try 307 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: to claim again that they want to transfer the land 308 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: from federal to state ownership. We're not taking away public land, 309 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:01,239 Speaker 1: They'll say, we're just letting the states manage it that 310 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: was a lie, then it'll be a lie in the future. 311 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: But now Utah has admitted it. Time for another legislative roundup. 312 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:14,919 Speaker 1: A lot happening lately as usual. A bipartisan bill titled 313 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act has passed 314 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:20,679 Speaker 1: the US Senate and is now on its way to 315 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: the House. The bill was sponsored by three Republican senators 316 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: from Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas, major red snapper fishing states. 317 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: It instructs the National Institute of Standards and Technology and 318 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 1: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a fast 319 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: acting test to determine the origin of fish suspected of 320 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: being poached. Alabama Senator Katie Britt and her fellow Gulf 321 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: state sponsors assert that Mexican fishing boats are entering US 322 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 1: waters to take advantage of the denser schools of red 323 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 1: snapper created by fishery protections. The poached fish are then 324 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: sold into the US market at lower prices, threatening the species, 325 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 1: undermining a maria and commercial fishing operators, and allegedly funneling 326 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: money to drug cartels. The bill references a rapid test 327 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: recently developed by scientists at Florida State University that confirms 328 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: whether a fish is a real McCoy red snapper. This 329 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: test reduces the species testing time from multiple days to 330 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 1: under two hours. But this bill might run into a 331 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: couple problems. First, although the Florida State test could catch 332 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: other fish species being sold as red snapper, it's not 333 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 1: clear whether it's possible for a test to determine where 334 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: a particular red snapper was caught. The genetics of a 335 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 1: fish caught in US waters are likely identical to one 336 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 1: caught off the coast of Mexico. Second, the Trump administration 337 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: has announced plans to cut one third of the annual 338 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of 339 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: the agencies who is supposed to develop the test and 340 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:53,119 Speaker 1: guide its deployment. Maybe the Illegal Red Snapper in Tuna 341 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,479 Speaker 1: Enforcement Act would add ammunition to the ongoing House effort 342 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:00,399 Speaker 1: to reduce the NOAH cuts to just six percent of 343 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 1: the current budget. No matter what, we'll keep our eyes 344 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 1: fixed on the Illegal Red Snapper in Tuna Enforcement Act 345 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: and see what develops. Staying on the high seas, Florida 346 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: recently enacted the so called Boater Freedom Act, which ends 347 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: the ability of state and local law enforcement to conduct 348 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,919 Speaker 1: routine boat searches unless they have probable cause to do so. 349 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 1: Until now, as in other states, the Florida Fish and 350 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:28,160 Speaker 1: Wildlife Commission could conduct cooler checks to make sure anglers 351 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: were fishing in season and abiding by catching size limits. 352 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 1: This is just like a game ward and checking your 353 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:35,680 Speaker 1: bag or truck to see, for example, what you have 354 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: in there lead shot, steel shot, valid duck stamp, or 355 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: maybe one too many mallards. In defending the law, Florida 356 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: Governor On DeSantis compared the kind of routine boat check 357 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,160 Speaker 1: to a violation of personal autonomy, saying, quote, if you're 358 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: walking down the street, law enforcement can't just go up 359 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: to you and stop you and search you. Desanta seems 360 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 1: to be forgetting about Florida Statute nine oh one point 361 00:21:57,560 --> 00:21:59,959 Speaker 1: one point five to one, also known as the stop 362 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 1: and Frisk law, which allows for exactly that police can 363 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: detain any person if circumstances quote unquote reasonably indicate that 364 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: criminal activity might be taking place well short of the 365 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: voter Freedom Acts probable cause threshold. Now, I'm not weighing 366 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: in either way on stopping frisk. I'm just trying to 367 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,639 Speaker 1: see consistency in the application of law enforcement regardless of 368 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 1: whether or not a Florida resident owns a boat. Anyway, 369 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: Critics of the Boater Freedom Act reasonably worry about its 370 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: effects on fish poaching. Former Florida Wildlife Commission Officer Alan 371 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: Richard told the Miami Herald quote, bag limits are irrelevant 372 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: if you can't stop a boat and check them. This 373 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: one is already law on the books, so it might 374 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: be a couple of years before we're able to see 375 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 1: its effect on Florida fish populations. But taking away a 376 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 1: well established tool for conservation enforcement seems like a bad idea. 377 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:57,439 Speaker 1: We'll have to wait and see. The seemingly endless saga 378 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 1: of efforts to delist the grizzly bear from the endangereds 379 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 1: Act added another chapter. This week, the US House Committee 380 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: on Natural Resources past House Resolution two eighty one, which 381 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 1: directs the Secretary of the Interior to remove the Greater 382 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: Yellowstone Ecosystem population of bears from the ESA. That measure 383 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: will now go to a full vote by the House 384 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: of Representatives. I'm conflicted here. I one hundred percent agree 385 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 1: that the gye populations of grizzlies should be delisted. As 386 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 1: we passed the recovery target for bears a long time ago. 387 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: A population comeback like this is exactly what the ESA 388 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,639 Speaker 1: was designed to do. States should, of course manage hunts 389 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: for grizzlies with the same conservation science they apply to 390 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: any other species. At the same time, I've never been 391 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: a fan of elected officials enacting wildlife policy through legislation, 392 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: so this bill would establish a pretty dangerous federal precedent. Still, 393 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: the sponsors of the bill point to the Shenanigans of 394 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,679 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen, when they Fish and Wildlife Service ruled that 395 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: the grizzly should come off the list, just as they 396 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:01,359 Speaker 1: are rightfully authorized to do, but was then challenged in 397 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: federal court and delayed long enough for the Biden administration 398 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,679 Speaker 1: to come into office, and under new leadership, Fish and 399 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 1: Wildlife withdrew the delisting ruling for plainly political reasons. Taking 400 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 1: lessons from the court hold up. House Resolution two eighty 401 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: one would therefore remove judicial review from the grizzly ESA ruling. Again, 402 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: I am firmly for delisting these bears, but eliminating legal 403 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 1: review of wildlife law also seems like extremely dangerous precedent. 404 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: It's going to be interesting to see what happens when 405 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: this bill comes to the floor of Congress. Four Republican 406 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: members of the Natural Resources Committee sat out this vote, 407 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: which tells you that this issue is a real hot 408 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: potato for lawmakers in both parties. So it's by no 409 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:47,160 Speaker 1: means a sure thing that this bill would become law. Nevertheless, 410 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,159 Speaker 1: I get a bad feeling about managing wildlife by legislation. 411 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,040 Speaker 1: So even if you are an aspiring lower forty eight 412 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:56,360 Speaker 1: grizzly hunter like myself, you may want to encourage your 413 00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: reps to get the old grizzerbear delisted. The old FACI 414 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 1: Way House Resolution to eighty one may not be the 415 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 1: right path. Sticking with the bruin beet us. Rep. Shri 416 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 1: Tanadar of Michigan has introduced the Don't Feed the Bear's Bill, 417 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 1: whose name seems promising. Will this bill prohibit people from 418 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: feeding bears grain and molasses in their backyards? Will it 419 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:22,400 Speaker 1: provide funding for sealed garbage cans and bear hotspot states? 420 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: Maybe start a children's educational program about why you gotta 421 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 1: not leave food out, and you know, teach bears that 422 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: humans give you food. Alas, No, that's too lofty of 423 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: a goal. I suppose Tanadar's bill would instead prohibit hunters 424 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 1: from setting out food on federal public land with the 425 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 1: intent to attract black bears. Tanadar said the bill was 426 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,880 Speaker 1: primarily a safety measure to prevent bears from getting habituated 427 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: to human food, but federal public land isn't where bears 428 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 1: mainly get into conflict with people. The real drama unfolds 429 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: in subdivisions around the bird feeders, bulls, dog food, and 430 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 1: trash cans. In fact, state fishing game agencies use regulated 431 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: baiting to successfully manage black bear populations. We talk to 432 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 1: Meat Eater's resident bear guy, Clay Nukeom for comment. He said, quote, 433 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: Baiting bears allows hunters to be selective in their harvest. 434 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 1: I see it as a great tool for bear management. 435 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: They're chipping away at our methods. I ain't for it. 436 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:24,120 Speaker 1: Baiting gives hunters time to observe the bears coming into 437 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 1: the food source, allowing them to distinguish between a male 438 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 1: bear they can target from a female who might have 439 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: cubs nearby, and states often can't control bear numbers to 440 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:37,920 Speaker 1: maintain a healthy carrying capacity without allowing baiting. Tena Doar's 441 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: bill now heads to the House Committee on Natural Resources, 442 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 1: which will probably pose a significant hurdle. Still, we'll keep 443 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 1: our eyes on this one and sound the alarm if 444 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: it gets to a floor vote. Tough news out of 445 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,879 Speaker 1: South Dakota. After years of declining sagegrouse populations, officials have 446 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: announced that the native species has likely been extirpated from 447 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: the state. During its spring population survey this year, the 448 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: Game and Fish Department was not able to locate a 449 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 1: single sage grouse lek. A lek, by the way, spelled 450 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,680 Speaker 1: l e k, is defined as a group mating display 451 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: where several males exhibit their genetic superiority for prospective mates. 452 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: The term comes from the Swedish word lekka, which means 453 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: the relaxed play of children. The more you know. Through vocalization, streading, 454 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 1: chest puffing, even excreting scent chemicals, as in the case 455 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: of the Mediterranean fruit fly, the fellas in a lek 456 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,199 Speaker 1: try to convince the ladies to choose them. Lex are 457 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 1: distinguished from other mating displays because they don't demonstrate any 458 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,120 Speaker 1: material benefit to the female, like food or shelter. Female 459 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: sage grouse raise their young without help from males, so 460 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 1: they're just looking for a hunky dance partner, not a 461 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: long term provider anyway. Because male sage grouse come out 462 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 1: in the open and make a bunch of noise and movements, 463 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:54,800 Speaker 1: lex are the best place to observe and count them. 464 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 1: North Dakota Game and Fish Department upland Game Management Supervisor 465 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:02,119 Speaker 1: Jesse Kohlar told Iany News quote, It's not unusual for 466 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:06,159 Speaker 1: lex to blip out and reactivate when populations rebound, but 467 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: with our state population completely drying up, I don't expect 468 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 1: we'll experience those rebounds unless sage grouse disperse from Montana 469 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,439 Speaker 1: or South Dakota. Sage grouse have had a tough go 470 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 1: in recent decades as their habitat has been lost and 471 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:24,359 Speaker 1: fragmented by invasive plants, energy development, electrical transmission lines, and 472 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: residential sprawl. We talked about delisting grizzlies earlier, but it 473 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: could be time to list sage grouse under the Endangered 474 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:35,879 Speaker 1: Species Act. Seems like a tall order because sage grouse 475 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: don't typically go hand in hand with energy development, especially 476 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:44,800 Speaker 1: those darn wind towers, transmission lines, tall structures of any kind. 477 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 1: They won't nest anywhere near them. For an in depth 478 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 1: look at this issue, head over to the Mediator dot 479 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: com read Sage Marshall's fantastic recent article. Additionally, we'll have 480 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: my good friend Ted Cook of the North American Grouse 481 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:03,160 Speaker 1: Partnership on one of our interview episodes coming up here 482 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: real quick. As a special sign off, big thank you 483 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 1: to all of our men and women in the Arms services. 484 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 1: In whatever capacity you serve, you make set a high 485 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: bar for what a civilians called dedication and commitment. Hats 486 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: off to you. Appreciate you doing what you do. That's 487 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 1: all I got for you this week, right in. Let 488 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: me know what's going on in your neck of the woods, 489 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: and I'll talk to you again soon