A sow at six feet. Cubs overhead. A guide holding a hard line. The moment cracks open fast—and it never lets up from there. We break down what a charging bear is really saying: the pinned ears, the jaw clacks, the bluff rushes that test your calm and your conviction. Because out here, panic kills—and composure keeps you alive.

Then we dig into the work no one films. Thousands of pounds of bait dragged through thick Alberta timber. Barrels and beavers hauled deep to pattern sex and size. The long, quiet sits where ethics are measured not by what you take, but by what you let walk.

Predator management gets stripped of the politics and the pretty words. Bears and wolves multiply faster than moose and deer; spring calves and fawns don’t stand a chance without balance. “Let nature take its course” sounds noble—until the helicopters come, until the snares replace hunters, until the meat goes to waste. This is conservation rooted in data, discipline, and respect.

We revisit the spear hunt that broke the internet—and what it taught us about storytelling, perception, and earning trust in the middle, not the extremes.

And beneath all of it runs faith, family, and legacy. A 36-year marriage built on Jesus Christ. Kids raised to ask hard questions. Grandkids learning to shoot a .410 and skin what they take. A health scare labeled “a miracle” by pathology—and a peace before surgery that can only be called divine.

The conversation ends where it began: stewardship. Manage predators. Use the meat. Tell the story well. And always keep a warm place at the table for those who need it most.

If this hits home, share it with a friend, follow the show, and leave your take on ethical predator management—we’ll read the best on air.

To learn more about The Rivets and their outfit, visit: https://therivetco.com/ and follow their journey on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jennrivet_/?hl=en  and  https://www.instagram.com/johnnyrivet/?hl=en

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