1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: From Mediators World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: Cal's weekend review, presented by Steel Steel products are available 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: only at authorized dealers. For more, go to Steel Dealers 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: dot com. Now here's your host, Ryan cal Callahan browed x. 5 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: The largest and whitest spread of North American cicada broods, 6 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: which burrows up from the ground every seventeen years across 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: the eastern part of the country and makes everyone pull 8 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: the pillow over their head at night, is here. The 9 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: emergence is now in full swing. But y'all out there 10 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 1: from Georgia through Illinois and New Jersey probably don't need 11 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: a reminder. However, now is the time to turn lemons 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: into lemonade, or in this case, annoying clicking nuisances into 13 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: the shrimp of the land. That's right. This is a 14 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: show about enjoying nature's bounty. And if we get excited 15 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: about pulling crayfish out of the brook or shrimp out 16 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: of the ocean, we can also get excited about gathering 17 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: and cooking up cicadas. Anatomically speaking, the three are kissing cousins, 18 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: all just different kinds of arthropods, and among arthropods, cicadas 19 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: are particularly good eating, known as the truffles of the 20 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: insect world. So first things first, As with almost all game, 21 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: you have to get up early to harvest cicadas. You 22 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: want to get them in their tenoral phase, which means 23 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: the period after shedding their nymph casing, but before the 24 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 1: air and sun have hardened their wings and exoskeletons. The 25 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: ones you want to grab should look white or light green. 26 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: They start emerging right around and they'll often make their 27 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: way up trees to avoid other predators. Because there are 28 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: so many of them this year, you shouldn't have too 29 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: hard of a time locating them. Lots of brown nymph 30 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: carapaces under a tree is a good sign. Pick them 31 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: up by the back, drop them in a paper bag. 32 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: Once you have a bunch, put the bag in the 33 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: freezer for a couple of hours, and now you have 34 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,679 Speaker 1: your main ingredient. For the more adventurous, just pluck off 35 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: the wings and legs, whip up a little soy sauce 36 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: with ginger and lime, and eat the cicadas as is, 37 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: like insect sashimi. I myself would try a Maryland inflected preparation. 38 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: Get a big bowl ice water. Next, to your stove. 39 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: Fill a sieve with your raw cicadas. Lower them into 40 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 1: boiling water for about a minute and a half. Then 41 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: pull that sieve out and give it a quick dunk 42 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: in the ice bath. Then drain. Next, use a large 43 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: mixing bowl to cover them in olive oil, salt, and 44 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: a healthy coating of Old Bays seasoning. I said this 45 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: was Maryland inflected, right, Well, I can't hear my sale thing. 46 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: You're almost boosting a give sheet pets. Spread this skatas 47 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: out on a sheet pan, roast them at three twenty 48 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: five for twelve minutes, and you'll never go back to 49 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: serving pretzels at a party ever again, so long as 50 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: your next party isn't edule until two thousand twenty four, 51 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: which is the next time the East will have a 52 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: big cicada. Boom Broods thirteen and nineteen will be making 53 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: their appearance about that. If you're in a neighborhood that 54 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: has a bad case of keeping up with the Joneses, 55 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: you know you have to try this one footnote for you, 56 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: be on the lookout for the rare cicada whose bottom 57 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: half looks like a nub of chalk. These individuals have 58 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: been hijacked by massapora, a pathogenic fungus that causes the 59 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: lower half of the cicada's body to fall off, while 60 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: also producing large quantities of a compound called cathinone, which 61 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: is an amphetamine in the cicada's nervous system. This amphetamine 62 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: turns the already amorous cicada into an absolute maniac, driving 63 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: the host to a frenzied copulation with as many nearby 64 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: cicadas as possible. Of course, with a fungus plug where 65 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: their lower half should be, these cicadas have no working equipment, 66 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: and the copulating just serves to further spread the fungus. 67 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: Scientists call these sex craze cicadas salt shakers of death, which, friends, 68 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: is a sentence I have never constructed until now. Don't 69 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: let the idea of mass apora scare you away from 70 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: gathering and eating cicadas. The fungus affects very few individuals, 71 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: and those individuals with that white fungus plug are easy 72 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: to spot and avoid, and the blanching process I described 73 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: earlier would kill any stray spores on normal looking specimens. However, 74 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: I will add that the news that this fungus produces 75 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: quote amphetamine compounds, which obviously have a energetic and amorous 76 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: response in the cicada, should not heighten your interest in 77 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,679 Speaker 1: consuming the infected bugs. Don't eat them, is what I'm saying, 78 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: and you should probably know a different strain of the 79 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: same fungus creates psilocybin, the same compound in psychedelic mushrooms 80 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: in yearly cicadas. All I'm saying is I will not 81 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: be held responsible for anything that happens to you if 82 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: you run out and eat bag folds of massapora infected cicadas. 83 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:17,799 Speaker 1: I will, however, be looking for you in the news 84 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: cycle as your house party will definitely be making headlines. 85 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: I am a golden God. This week we've got bison updates, 86 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 1: access as well as so much more. But first I'm 87 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 1: gonna tell you about my week. In My Week, as 88 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: you know, is sponsored by Steel Power Equipment. The very 89 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: first outfitter I ever worked for, my hunting mentor, Larry 90 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 1: Pendleton of Lone Tree Outfitting, died of cancer at seventy four. 91 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: I drove over to see him just a week before 92 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: he passed, and we got to look through old photos 93 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: and talk about a bunch of old stories, many of 94 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: which were older than me. As we went through the photos, 95 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: we could not find a single one of us together. Well, pardon, 96 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 1: we were the ones taking the pictures, he said. Along 97 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,679 Speaker 1: with my first cup of coffee, we shared my first elk, 98 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 1: a cow, my first bowl elk, my first mule deer. 99 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: Larry taught me not only to shoot, but to practice 100 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: shooting the big game calibers. We were packing around. He 101 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: carried a three hundred wind mag he called Birdie, while 102 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: in the mountains a two seventy. On the prairie. He 103 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 1: taught me how to glass through a repetitive game of 104 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: all right, part how many do you see? Or see 105 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: that dough on the bald hillside next to that juniper? Well, 106 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: what else is there? He taught me how to track 107 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: and how to still hunt. He showed me how to 108 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: shoot long distance pre range finder, but also how if 109 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,919 Speaker 1: you tried, there were a lot of shots to be 110 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: taken on deer and elk under one hundred yards, and 111 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: to make the effort to get as close as you can. 112 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 1: Every time we killed bowls in their beds on those rainy, 113 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: windy days by, as the old outfitter would say, going 114 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: and getting among them, many a hunt would commence with well, 115 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: let's go get among them, usually said, after taking a 116 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: drag off a hand rolled cigarette and a long silent 117 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: stare at the smoke curling up out of his nicotine 118 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: and tar stained fingers. Took me a long time to 119 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: realize he was checking the wind, not lost in some trance. 120 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: Of course, now I think it was both. He'd stare 121 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: at that smoke seeing which way the wind would take it, 122 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: but at the same time it was a solemn moment 123 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: with just himself in prelude to the potential death of 124 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: another critter. He showed me how darned happy a camp 125 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: can be with a good bird dog, how to take 126 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: your time and pick the drakes out of a bunch 127 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: of mallards. We found a pile of mallards on an 128 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: old water catchment one day. The wind was a steady 129 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: fifteen to twenty, and as we scared the birds into 130 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: the air, we both fired three shells. Mine pop pop 131 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: pop and his Pop Pop Pop. I had three empty 132 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: shells and one Susie Mallard. Larry had three empty shells 133 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: and three drake mallards. Take your time and pick out 134 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: the drake's part is what I heard. What he said 135 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: was as he looked at my loan Susie, and he 136 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 1: walked away with his three pretty mallards. He said things like, well, 137 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: I wonder what the poor people are having tonight. When 138 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: we sat down to a meal, it didn't matter if 139 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: that meal was a catfish pulled from a trot line 140 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: behind camp with a side course, a road killed rattlesnake, 141 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: or the rare store bought piece of fatty beef. Eggs 142 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: were typically swimming bacon grease until almost hard, and more 143 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: often than not, ducks. Cotton tail sage, and sharp tail 144 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: grouse were cut into strips covered an alpine touch seasoning, 145 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: which he bought by the egg full and dropped in 146 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: hot canola oil with spuds the only word he ever 147 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: used for potatoes. This man was not perfect, although I 148 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: certainly thought he was. We disagreed on some things, we 149 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: didn't see eye to eye on some others, but we 150 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: spent hours in the dark together with the cottonwood fire 151 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 1: turned to Cole's talking about it all to me. At 152 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: least he was open with his screw ups, parts of 153 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 1: his life that he wished he could have done in 154 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: a different manner. His hand to mouth living is a 155 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: primarily public land outfit in Montana, the scrappiness of his 156 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: income when not guiding, the missed birthdays and holidays with 157 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 1: his children, the mangled knees and ailments that came with 158 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: what many considered an unconventional lifestyle. LP. You were tough 159 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 1: but kind, frugal but giving. When you found out I 160 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: wasn't planning on going to prom, you said, well, that's 161 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: too bad. Part I was gonna let you take the 162 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 1: tea bird what I remember number as a restored nineteen 163 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: sixty thunderbird coupe, a project he had acquired that left 164 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: my jaw on the floor as it was the only 165 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: thing I ever noticed as a selfish expense, something not 166 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: related to outfitting or ranch work. I UH found a 167 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: date pretty quick. Larry was embarrassed about his quote Billie 168 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 1: Bob Teeth and quietly proud about a master's and wildlife 169 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: management gained through a thesis that required long nights of 170 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: watching badgers by spotlight with a red lens while working 171 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: on the kill floor at a slaughter house all day. 172 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: I got to very much enjoy the look on the 173 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: client's faces over the years, as one per week would 174 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: inevitably ask so how many animals do you think you've 175 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: killed in your career? Larry was incredibly patient. He answered 176 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: thousands of my questions starting when I was thirteen, and 177 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,199 Speaker 1: he didn't know me from Adam. Another one of his sayings, 178 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,120 Speaker 1: he didn't know me, but he put up with me, 179 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: treating him as a combination outdoor life, field and stream 180 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: anything outdoors, Google machine. He fueled my fire for the 181 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: outdoors when he didn't have to. He taught me by example, 182 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: in reference to past encounters and mistakes, huh, well, been there, 183 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: done that. He would always say, it did not matter 184 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,439 Speaker 1: my age or place in life. If we were meeting 185 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: in person or checking in on the phone, he would 186 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: always end the conversation with, okay, part thanks for the call. 187 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: You'd be safe. So thank you, old outfitter, you be safe. 188 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: Members of the American Indian Caucus of the Montana State 189 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 1: Legislature recently appealed to the U. S. Department of the 190 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: Interior to restart the effort to expand wild bison territory 191 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,439 Speaker 1: in the state. Dis appeal to the FEDS comes after 192 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: Governor gen Forte scuttled an earlier state level restoration effort 193 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: and horse by both his predecessor Steve Bullock and David Bernhardt, 194 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: the Interior Secretary under President Trump. Having no bison plan 195 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: at all in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem is not an option. 196 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: The shaggy behemoths have been reproducing without problems and surviving well. 197 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: Their population inside Yellowstone Park grows between ten and seventeen 198 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: percent every year. That means between six hundred and nine 199 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,959 Speaker 1: hundred additional animals. When those animals run out of room 200 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 1: to graze inside the park or just choose to leave, 201 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: they walk out and become the state's problem. In recent years, 202 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 1: some of those excess animals have been transported to other 203 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: parts of Montana, including the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, where 204 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: there is a growing bison herd managed by the Fort 205 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 1: Peck tribes. Although the previous restoration plan didn't specify exactly 206 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: where bison range would expand the Fort Peck herd would 207 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: be one obvious place. There's also a smaller herd in 208 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,079 Speaker 1: the Blackfeet Nation, as well as one in the patchwork 209 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: of parcels put together by the A p R, a 210 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: project that aims to return land to as close to 211 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: native grassland as possible in abandoning the existing Plan G 212 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: and fourte sided with the property rights groups and ranchers 213 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: adjacent to these areas who worry that larger bison herds 214 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 1: will outcompete cattle for grazing turf and potentially spread brucellosis 215 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: to livestock herds. Brucellosis is not the condition affecting certain 216 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: Bruce Springsteen fans who cannot stop chanting his first name 217 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,960 Speaker 1: at concerts, which I find highly annoying. It's a bacterial 218 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: infection that causes pregnant cattle to miscarry, and ironically, it 219 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: was first spread from domestic cattle to bison in the 220 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: early nineteen hundreds. Nowadays, about fifteen percent of female bison 221 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem could potentially spread the disease, 222 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: but there's never been a confirmed case of brucellosis being 223 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: transmitted from bison to domestic cattle. Part of the reason 224 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:58,080 Speaker 1: for the low brucellosis numbers is it's not that easy 225 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: to transfer. An unin affected animal has to come in 226 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 1: contact with the afterbirth what we always referred to as 227 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: a b of an infected animal. But another reason is 228 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: that millions of dollars and a ton of work has 229 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: been put into testing both cattle and bison, extensively keeping 230 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: bison and cattle away from each other and destroying any 231 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: bison who test positive before they can transmit the disease. So, 232 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: if no bison have ever given brucellosis to cattle, is 233 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: it an overreaction to prevent a wild herd from returning 234 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: to more of its historic range in Montana? Or has 235 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 1: it never happened because our intense efforts have prevented it 236 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 1: The way pilots work hard to prevent plane crashes. You 237 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: don't want to start throwing wrenches into jet engines just 238 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: because it's never happened. Right, And although bison have never 239 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: caused brucellosis infection, wild elk have, so would more wild 240 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 1: bison cause more infections. The previous plan, which was developed 241 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: over the course of ten years, had detailed guidelines specific 242 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: ffically for preventing transmission. For example, we talked earlier about 243 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: excess Yellowstone bison being moved to other parts of the state. 244 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: Before that happens, those bison remain in strict quarantine for 245 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: several years before they are declared fully free of the 246 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: disease and ready to be moved. It would be those 247 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: disease free animals that would establish the larger wild herds. Fencing, testing, 248 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: and other protocols were outlined in detail. The full environmental 249 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: impact statement for the plan ran to two pages, so 250 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: that eases the disease mitigation question, but it doesn't do 251 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: much for the competition question. You can understand that ranchers 252 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: who are trying to make a living by raising beef 253 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: on the prairie don't want to share that prairie with 254 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: another large grazer. Keep in mind, almost all of this 255 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: country has elk, deer, antelope, even bighorn sheep grazing already. 256 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: The g AND four to decision puts a moratorium on 257 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,600 Speaker 1: any future state bison restoration for ten years, which is 258 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:01,479 Speaker 1: why those Montana legislators we men earlier from the Blackfeet 259 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 1: Nation are appealing to the federal government. Secretary Holland could 260 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: start a national bison restoration plan that would most likely 261 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: run right through Montana on federal ground, not state ground. 262 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: Don't expect any of this to go away overnight or 263 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: to leave anyone fully happy sticking with bison. Grand Canyon 264 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: National Park has also suffered some problems related to bison 265 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 1: and the overpopulation of bison in recent years. Damaged to 266 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: archaeological sites, overgrazing, a vulnerable habitat, and more waste than 267 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: the park's waterways can handle. This fall, the Park Service 268 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: in Arizona Fishing Game are allowing a bison hunt inside 269 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: the park for the first time. Before you get too excited, 270 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: the application period to become a so called skilled volunteer 271 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 1: closed on Monday the fourth, and forty five thousand people 272 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: applied for twelve spots. Those lucky few were notified this 273 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: past week, and I'm going to bet that those twelve 274 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: volunteers all to have their meat packing crew dialed in. 275 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: There are no vehicles or pack animals allowed in the park, 276 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: so once that animal is on the ground, you're responsible 277 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:11,680 Speaker 1: for getting all that meat and hide back to civilization 278 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,159 Speaker 1: on your back across many miles at over eight thousand 279 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 1: feet of elevation. Happy labor day to some, that's the 280 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 1: happy labor, But the knees they might not thank you. 281 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: A bison relocation program, similar to the ill fated Yellowstone Effort, 282 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 1: was piloted in the Grand Canyon Herd in two thousand nineteen, 283 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: and since then, eight eight animals have been captured and 284 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: transferred to five American Indian tribes. This transfer was quicker 285 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: and much less complicated because there's no brucellosis in the 286 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: Grand Canyon herd. So even though this is a less 287 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: controversial bison situation, don't be surprised if you hear more 288 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: fighting about Grand Canyon bison before the year is out. 289 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:57,159 Speaker 1: Moving on to the access desk, the Biden administration recently 290 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,159 Speaker 1: announced a major expansion of hunting and fishing access on 291 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: National Wildlife refuge lands and waters. The proposal opens up 292 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: two point one million acres and ninety National Wildlife refuges, 293 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: as well as one National Fish hatchery. Seven refuges will 294 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: open to hunting and fishing for the first time, and 295 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: access will expand to more acreage in the remaining eighty three. 296 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: Here is just a sampling of some of the places 297 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: where you will soon be able to go match wits 298 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: with nature. The Green Lake National Fish Hatchery and Maine 299 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:30,719 Speaker 1: will open sport fishing for the first time. The Harbor 300 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 1: Island National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan will open to small 301 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 1: game hunting everything from rabbits and squirrels too skunks and 302 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: porkypines if that's your flavor, and to migratory bird hunting, 303 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: upland game hunting, and sport fishing. Existing deer and bear 304 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: hunting will expand to new acres. The Natchez River National 305 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: Wildlife Refuge in Texas, a state notably light on its 306 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:56,639 Speaker 1: public land hunting possibilities will open to white tailed deer, 307 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 1: farrell hogs, squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, beaver, coyote, and duck hunting. 308 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 1: This would open big game, upland game, and migratory bird 309 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: hunting on the refuge for the first time ever. That's 310 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: just scratching the surface. The full list is available on 311 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,880 Speaker 1: the Forest Service website, and I highly recommend heading over 312 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 1: there and feasting your eyes on it. The Biden proposal 313 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: would also reinforce a similar Trump era proposal to significantly 314 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: simplify the rules around hunting and fishing access in these areas. 315 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:31,119 Speaker 1: Many refuges have regulations distinct from those of the surrounding state, 316 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 1: which is a hassle. You are more likely to go 317 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: out for ducks on that stretch your refuge shoreline if 318 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 1: you don't have to learn a whole new set of 319 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 1: REGs to do so. Another win for hunting access. While 320 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: you're at the FWS dot Gov planning your next gallon 321 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: mule hunt on the refuge near you. Please do not 322 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: neglect the public comments section. After my quick scan of 323 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: the comments so far, it's neck and neck between this 324 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 1: is great, thank you and oh my god, you monsters, 325 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 1: so make sure to click comment and let them know 326 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: that you support this one. And even though bitter partisanship 327 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,920 Speaker 1: rules the headlines these days, this is one of those 328 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: conservation efforts that both sides have pulled for. Bill Clinton 329 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: signed the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, which specified 330 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,359 Speaker 1: hunting and fishing access as one of the elements necessary 331 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 1: to keeping the refuge is healthy. Then George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, 332 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: and now Biden administrations have all continued to expand refuge access. 333 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:40,720 Speaker 1: So do not let this rare harmony go to waste. 334 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,719 Speaker 1: Get out in a wildlife refuge system this fall and 335 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:48,640 Speaker 1: see where that duck stamp money goes. And remember you're 336 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: not limited to just one duck stamp. Buy one for 337 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: a friend this season. That's all I've got for you 338 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: this week. Thanks for listening, and thank you to Steal 339 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: for sponsoring this podcast. Take a look at steel dealers 340 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: dot com to find an authorized, knowledgeable steel dealer near you. 341 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: They have everything from pruning shears to pull saws to 342 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,920 Speaker 1: make your life in and out of hunting season easier. 343 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,719 Speaker 1: Most importantly, let me know what's going on in your 344 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: neck of the woods by writing him to ask Cal 345 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: that's a s k C a L. At the Meat 346 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: eater dot com. Thanks again and I'll talk to you 347 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: next week.