The MeatEater

Before 1850 the artist and naturalist John James Audubon was America’s most famous celebrity. His Birds of America was widely regarded as “the greatest monument ever erected by art to nature.” But like Thoreau, Audubon was also a witness to the growing destruction of wild America. That was particularly evident when he and his sons journeyed up the Missouri River in the early 1840s to finish Audubon’s book on the mammals of America. Stunned at the staggering diversity and abundance of wild creatures visible in the West, Audubon soon despaired at the wholesale (and to him) senseless destruction he saw, a disturbing insight into human nature on a continent Audubon loved and tried to preserve in paint and words.

Thank you to our sponsor Velvet Buck.

Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. YouTube, Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon.

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

Check out more MeatEater's American History audio originals "The Long Hunters" and "Mountain Men"

Subscribe to The MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop MeatEater Merch

Much of the Wyoming rangeland could soon be inhospitable to deer, according to new research from ecologists at the University of Wyoming. The culprit: an invasive Eurasian prairie grass species called cheatgrass. The fast-growing, ever-thirsty species poses multiple problems for deer. Not only does it provide extremely low nutritional value, but it also siphons water away from native rangeland grasses, changing the composition of the prairies and pushing deer off their preferred habitat.

The study, published in the Rangeland Ecology & Management journal, found that mule deer increasingly avoid rangelands as the density of cheatgrass increases above 10 to 14%. Once cheatgrass makes up over 20% of the available forage, deer tend to avoid those specific areas altogether. Even more striking, though, the researchers estimate that over half of the study area—the Powder River and Pumpkin Buttes regions near Buffalo, Wyoming—could experience significant habitat degradation due to cheatgrass within the next 20 years, if it continues to expand at the same rate it has been.

Essentially, much of the Western range could soon hit a tipping point. Beyond being the threshold for deer preference, a rangeland that is over 20% cheatgrass also experiences significant ecological changes. Similar research in Nevada and Utah’s Great Basin region (an area known for mule deer hunting) has shown that once cheatgrass exceeds 20%, grassland communities—and subsequently deer habitat—begin to decline sharply in diversity, productivity, and overall biomass.

From there, it’s a vicious cycle. Cheatgrass grows earlier in the spring than native grasses, so by the time the natives sprout, the cheatgrass has already sucked much of the moisture out of the soil. The invader also dries out early in the summer, typically by mid-July, creating an elevated fire risk and a prairie full of unpalatable grasses. Not even pronghorn or livestock will touch the cheatgrass.

“Think about finding a dry piece of cardboard on the road, and you pick it up and eat it, and you find out it’s got broken glass in it and it cuts your mouth,” said Brian Mealor, one of the University of Wyoming researchers, in a 2020 story highlighting his work. “You might get something out of it, maybe there’s some protein hiding in that cardboard box, but it’s not palatable to begin with, and it causes actual physical damage if you bite it.”

Thus, the parched cheatgrass remains until a wildfire tears through—burning hotter and faster than usual thanks to the cheatgrass fuel—killing plants like sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass that deer rely on for winter-range survival. It also makes subsequent fires more likely.

Other regional research conducted in southern Idaho’s Snake River Plain by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that a cheatgrass-dominated rangeland burns far more frequently than a native grassland—to the tune of once every five years. Historically, before cheatgrass, the frequency is estimated to have been between 60 and 110 years.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, the Wyoming researchers say. Treating grasslands with herbicides—a chemical called “indaziflim” being the preferred option due to its multi-year efficacy following treatment—is surprisingly effective at restoring rangeland health and allowing native grasses a chance to repopulate. Researchers estimate that for every three hectares of grassland treated with herbicide for invasives, about one hectare can be transformed from habitat that mule deer avoid to habitat that they highly prefer.

That sounds great in theory, but the practicality of treating hundreds of thousands of acres with an herbicide is far more challenging. In a MeatEater interview last year with Jessie Shallow, a biologist with the Mule Deer Foundation, Shallow noted that projects targeting cheatgrass must hit at least around 12,000 acres to be effective. With one acre costing about $40, according to one estimate, the price tag adds up quickly.

For ranchers, though, it’s often worth the cost, as a cheatgrass invasion can devalue rangeland by $10 per acre per year. But for cash-strapped land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, which manages 18.4 million acres of land in Wyoming alone, it’s a more challenging cost-benefit analysis.

Already, state and federal agencies have allocated millions of dollars annually toward invasive grass treatments, but far more resources will be needed to make a significant impact, is the general consensus among the ecology community. “We manage it with money,” concludes Shallow. To make that happen, it’ll ultimately be up to the legislators, but it could have a big impact on the quality of deer hunting across the West.

Hunters in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas have killed a bear likely responsible for fatally mauling a 60-year-old camper at the Sam’s Throne Recreation Area in Newton County last week.

MeatEater’s Clay Newcomb was closely involved with the attack investigation as well as the hunt for the bear, and he provided further detail about this unprecedented series of events.

On October 2, the body of the Springfield, Missouri man was discovered outside his campsite with extensive injuries, including bite marks on his forearms and face consistent with defending against a bear attack.

The man’s family had contacted the Newton County Sheriff’s Department after losing contact with him two days earlier. The deputies dispatched to the scene discovered evidence of a protracted struggle as well as drag marks 194 feet into the woods. The state medical examiner later determined that the man’s cause of death was “animal mauling.”

Dogs were released to pursue the bear almost immediately, but with the trail more than two days old, the dogs weren’t able to pick up the scent. After the Sheriff secured the area, authorities with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) then set up several baited bucket and tube traps in hopes of catching the bear, as well as game cameras to monitor the scene.

The victim had taken photos of a juvenile male bear in his camp and sent them to his family earlier in the week, and so officials knew what kind of animal to watch for. The bite and scratch marks on his body were also consistent with a yearling bear.

On Sunday, October 5, the first bear that returned to the scene and appeared on the AGFC cameras matched that description, but wouldn’t approach any of the traps. On-call hunters scrambled to the campground and released their dogs once more, and this time the hounds were able to locate the trail immediately.

“Newton County Sheriff Glenn Wheeler, as well as Stacey Clark and Spencer Daniels of the AGFC deserve a ton of credit for how they handled this complex and demanding situation,” Clay said. “But the true heroes here are the competent houndsmen and dogs who trailed this bear. With so many acorns on the ground this season, the bear had no incentive to come into the bait in these traps. Without expertly trained dogs to go out and find him, that bear would still be out there, without a doubt. Within just 90 minutes of the dogs setting out after this bear, they had him treed. Simply outstanding work.”

Outside of this unique case authorized by the AGFC, pursuing bears with dogs is illegal in Arkansas. The local hound hunters involved in this chase exclusively go after hogs within the state, but they also legally hunt bears out of state, including in New Mexico and Virginia, where they honed the skills that were deployed here.

After the hunters killed the treed bear, his carcass was carried out of the woods in a body bag. The remote and difficult terrain prevented easier access, and the bear will undergo a full necropsy to discover any brain abnormalities that may have influenced his behavior. Sheriff Wheeler also added, “I feel extremely confident this is the bear we have photographs of from the scene of the attack. To be 100% certain, we will have to wait on possible DNA matches, but all indications are that this is the bear responsible for the fatal attack. This is a relief to me and the community, and I thank God for this outcome. This was a dangerous bear."

This incident happened just a month after a strikingly similar attack in Franklin County, Arkansas, just 50 miles northeast of the Sam’s Throne campground. On September 3, 70-year-old Vernon Patton was spreading gravel on a roadside when he was attacked by another juvenile bear and suffered mortal injuries. Black bear attacks are exceedingly rare in general, but for two people to be killed by juvenile bears so close together within such a short time is like lightning striking the same penny twice in a row.

As genuinely rare as these attacks are, however, it’s also a sign that we’re entering a new era in black bear management.

“The comeback of the black bear since its extirpation in the East had been phenomenally successful, which is cause for real celebration. At the same time, with more people than ever recreating in the outdoors, this tragedy should refresh our respect for the bear,” Clay said. “If a bear comes close and doesn’t seem afraid of you, holler, shout, get in your car, and leave. As a rule, black bears aren’t aggressive, but they have all the tools to turn deadly, so don’t get too comfortable.”

This week, Cal tells you about an attack squirrel with a penchant for older women, undercover agents tracking American poachers hiding in Canada, a spate of bear encounters in Ontario and Florida, and so much more.

Connect with Cal and MeatEater

To learn more and get involved with any Cal to Action, click here.

Cal on Instagram and Twitter

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

Subscribe to The MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop Cal's Week in Review Merch

Steven Rinella talks with Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke.

Topics discussed: Being red, white, and blue; from the military to politics; the fight for public lands; migration corridors; the Roadless Rule; delisting grizzlies; and more.

Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network

Steve on Instagram and Twitter

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

Earlier this fall, a hunter shot his first archery bull elk deep in the northern Idaho backcountry—and then accidentally stabbed himself in the leg while processing his kill. It’s the kind of freak accident that could befall any hunter. Here’s how it went down and the lessons from the harrowing experience.

Benjamin Wardell of Post Falls, Idaho, had been archery hunting for five or six years without accomplishing what many Western hunters consider to be the pinnacle of big game bowhunting: tagging a bull elk. On the second weekend of September, Wardell took his dirt bike up a ridge on rugged public land in Northern Idaho for a short hunt. On the morning of September 7, he hiked down from the ridge, located two bulls, but couldn’t get in range. He decided to hike back to his bike and head home to get ready for the work week.

“As I got back up to the top of the ridge, I heard this bull rip off a bugle less than 100 yards from me,” Wardell told *MeatEater. “I was like, ‘no freaking way!’”

Wardell was able to call the bull into range and took a shot at 10 yards with the bull quartering toward him. He shot it behind the shoulder, and the bull took off. Wardell knew he’d made a good shot on the elk but struggled to find blood. After three hours of searching, he spotted antlers sticking from a rocky area about 200 yards from where he shot it.

“I was super thankful and pumped that I found him,” Wardell said. “He was already stiff and covered in flies.”

Wardell rushed to field dress the bull since it was a hot day, and he didn’t want the meat to spoil. Having worked at a game processor in South Dakota, Wardell said he feels particularly comfortable skinning big game animals. But this time, something went awry.

“I was down on my right knee with my left knee straight and kind of downhill,” he says. “I was trying to open up the neck a bit. I was pushing my blade toward the skull on the underside of the neck when the knife slipped out. I stabbed that thing right into my leg. Instantly, my pant leg started turning red.”

Thankfully, Wardell didn’t hit an artery, and his pack with his med kit was right next to him. He quickly got out QuickClot and a tourniquet. He pushed the QuickClot into the open wound and used his hand to apply pressure with the tourniquet to limit the bleeding. But every time his hand slipped, the bleeding started again.

“It wasn’t squirting out like in the movies,” he says. “It was more like a glass of water being dumped out.”

Unable to move without bleeding profusely, Wardell called for help. His Garmin wouldn’t send out the SOS, but his iPhone 15 did. Then the waiting began. At one point, Wardell passed out. When he woke up, he was bleeding again.

“I was going through a psychological battle, like ‘you can’t die out here,” he said. “I was yelling at myself not to pass out again, being a weirdo. I was lying beside this dead elk, and there were flies and hornets everywhere.”

Wardell’s body went into shock, and he started shivering. But he stayed alert. Three hours after calling the SOS, a chopper from Two Bear Air Rescue arrived. Two Bear Air Rescue provides no-cost search and rescue support in Montana, Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Eastern Oregon. One of Two Bear’s staffers put a compression bandage and light tourniquet on Wardell’s wound, then helped hoist him into the helicopter.

The chopper pulled him from the backcountry and dropped him off with emergency services in a nearby town. Wardell was then transferred to Kootenai Health for treatment. In the meantime, his wife had rallied several of his buddies, who arrived at the scene of the accident. They collected his gear, finished field dressing the elk, and packed out all the meat, which meant a lot to Wardell.

“This was my first archery bull. It was a big deal that I finally freaking killed one. Then I was lying beside it for hours thinking I was going to lose the whole thing,” he said. “I was super fortunate I had some friends able to drop what they were doing to help out, and that my wife was a freaking stud and organized it.”

While the harrowing experience turned out OK considering the circumstances, Wardell said he would do several things differently in the future.

“I was rushed. I felt the pressure of trying to get this animal cooled off, so I didn’t lose the meat,” he said. “There was no reason for me to rush and push it. And I wasn’t paying enough attention.”

Additionally, Wardell says he plans to make improvements to his medical kit—and purchase a new tourniquet that he can better operate with one hand; the one he had with him required keeping pressure on it to maintain tension, which made for a dangerous situation when he feinted.

“If the knife hit four to six inches one way or the other, I might not be having this conversation right now. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to get the bleeding under control if I hit an artery,” he added. “It makes you consider if it’s worth hunting alone. That’s typically what I do, but it would’ve been way different and easier if I had someone else with me who could help.”

The votes are in, and we have a winner! Wisconsin has officially been crowned the “Best Whitetail State” after beating out Michigan with 54% of the votes.

With an estimated deer population of 1.6 million and over 6.6 million acres of public land, it’s no wonder The Badger State is a whitetailer's paradise.

Janis Putelis repped Wisconsin in this bracket and has a good reason why: “My favorite whitetail state is Wisconsin. It's got the hardcore deer culture of Michigan AND big bucks. It's also where I own deer hunting land, which I love to manage the habitat on. My connection to that 40 acres is stronger than ever. I can smell it just thinking about it. And although I grew up hunting Michigan and Wisconsin, Wisconsin is where we had our real deer camp. A deer camp is a special thing; I wouldn't be who I am today without that camp.”

Want to watch some Wisconsin whitetail action? Check out the videos below:

In this episode, Heather Douville harvests a seal during the herring spawn to make seal oil and to share traditional foods with her community. Presented by Work Sharp and Can-Am

Hosts Brody Henderson, Randall Williams, and Jordan Sillars talk with Mike Kautz of American Prairie about a recent land access victory, throwback to whitetails of their past, chat with Tyler Freel of the Tundra Talk Podcast about cartridge choice when hunting big game, and share their dream whitetail hunts.

Watch the live stream on the MeatEater Podcast Network YouTube channel.

Subscribe to The MeatEater Podcast Network

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

It's time to head to bear camp in Arkansas and Brent's hopes are high along with the temperatures. He and the regular cast of characters have repositioned themselves in a different part of Arkansas this year; the Ozark Mountains. We think you'll enjoy this one as Brent shows how a lesson he learned from his early days in law enforcement, applied to this bear hunt in the mountains of his native state.

Shop This Country Life Merch

Connect with Brent and MeatEater

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

Subscribe to the MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop This Country Life Merch

Shop Bear Grease Merch