The MeatEater

Get the grease hot! It's time to eat. This week Brent's talking about country cooking. That can mean different types of food in different parts of the country. The similarity, regardless of the food you're eating or how it's prepared, is the feeling you get when you're sharing it with family and friends. Ring the dinner bell and gather at the table! It's time for some "Country Cooking" on MeatEater's "This Country Life" podcast.

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The Gnome was on a mission to find the biggest bighorn ram in the mountains. He spent the last months of summer in the craggiest peaks of the backcountry, scouting and glassing for the full-curl of his dreams. He spent weeks clambering through boulder fields and scurrying over massive slabs of granite.

Around him, pikas chirped from the rocks and hawks soared on the updrafts around the peaks, letting out occasional sky-piercing cries. Other than the occasional flutter of an insect, it was fairly lonely up so high, but the Gnome could see for miles and miles. He’d found a few rams with horns that would appease a mortal man, but they weren’t what the Gnome was after.

The Gnome knew he’d have to go deeper and higher into the mountains to find his prize. He walked for days across rocky terrain, forded rivers, and climbed over passes until he was in the heart of the mountain range. There, he looked upon ManEater Mountain. It towered above him, casting a dark shadow into the valley below.

He set up a camp near a meandering mountain stream and planned his route for the next morning. He’d go up the peak that sat next to, and slightly below, ManEater. It was an easier climb, and he’d be able to get a good view of what was happening beneath the jagged peaks.

As the sun rose, the Gnome clambered up the steep, rocky slope. Every time his foot found a loose rock, a surprising number of earth-toned moths fluttered out from beneath it. He didn’t think too much of it and continued up, looking toward the next peak for a sign of sheep.

When he spotted the ram, he stopped dead in his tracks.

The top of the horns looked wider across than the Gnome’s hand. They curled down, almost to the brute’s nose, where they turned back on themselves and twisted into another, almost full curl. The ram then picked its heavy head up from munching on the sparse high country shrubs and looked across the saddle, directly at the Gnome.

He ducked down behind the nearest boulder, but in doing so, kicked loose a pile of scree. It tumbled down the mountainside, throwing a torrent of dust and debris in its wake. The Gnome cringed as he heard the ram huff, likely moving ground after witnessing the disturbance. But when the Gnome peeked over the rock, the ram was still lazily grazing. When he heard another huff, he realized it came from the other side of the ridge he was on, not the other peak.

The Gnome crawled over rocks to get a look at what critter was making the noise. But before he could breach the ridge, he was swatted to the ground by the massive paw of a grizzly bear.

Disoriented by the blow, the Gnome reached for his knife, but realized the sheath had come loose in his scramble; it wasn’t on his side. So he hurried to grab a sizeable rock that he could hurl at the bruin getting closer by the second. He threw the rock with all his force, but it phased the bear no more than a fly on a summer day. The boar reacted by grabbing hold of the Gnome’s shirt, lifting him with its massive jaws, and flinging him down the mountainside.

Dazed and dinged up, the Gnome felt around the boulders for something to hold onto. Wedged in between a couple of sizeable stones, the Gnome’s hand found purchase on what seemed to be a plastic handle. He grasped it, pulled, and a single trekking pole emerged from the rock like Excalibur.

This time, when the bear charged him, he swatted it on the nose with the stick. The bruin shook its head in annoyance but continued to pursue the Gnome, who parried every blow like a trained swordsman. When the Gnome finally won the upper ground, he leaped upon the boar’s back.

With one hand wound tightly in the long hairs of his hump, the other grasped the trekking pole and smacked the bear on the rump like a jockey with debts to pay. The bruin bucked and brayed in protest, but ran down the mountain regardless.

Near the bottom of the mountain, a river crossed their path. The Gnome took the chance and bailed off the back of the bear into the icy waters. Pleased to be free of the annoyance on his back, the bear quickly went back to flipping rocks and slurping up moths. The Gnome swam to the far shore, wrung the water from his clothes, gazed up at the peaks above, and began planning how he’d get to that ram without another grizzly rodeo.

Want to celebrate the Gnome in all his glory? Click here to get the Dirt Mythical Grizzly Rodeo Gnome T-Shirt. We’ll be dropping new shirts and stories every month to commemorate the Year of the Gnome.

At the southern border, a new threat is creeping into the United States—and no wall can stop it. Enter, the New World screwworm: a small fly that lays eggs into open wounds of a bird or mammal, where the larvae feast on live flesh. If untreated, the wound will become infected and likely fatal.

The flies target almost all warm-blooded species—humans occasionally included—but the most common victims are deer and cattle. Wildlife experts are warning that an imminent invasion could have devastating effects on the populations of both animals. The risk to deer, especially, should be of concern to hunters.

“The raw pedicle left after antler shedding is very attractive to New World screwworms,” Terry Hensley, with the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab, told Farm Progress last month. “A lot of vital organs are very close to that pedicle, so it can be devastating.”

That devastation was witnessed once already in the 1950s, when a screwworm outbreak culled deer populations by up to 60% in some southern states, like Florida. In Texas, 80+% of the whitetail fawn crop was lost every year to screwworms, according to Jason Sawyer, Chief Science Officer at the East Foundation. (Listen to a full interview with Sawyer and Communications Director James Powell in Episode 383 of Cal’s Week in Review podcast.)

Newborn fawns are particularly susceptible because the open wound where the umbilical cord is severed after birth is a prime target for the flies. Bucks can also fall victim during the rut, when they sustain injuries from fighting.

Now, if you’re scratching your head wondering why you haven’t heard of screwworms before, it’s because they haven’t been present in the United States for nearly 60 years. The 1950s outbreak was successfully contained by what was, at the time, a novel technique: male flies were bred in captivity, sterilized by radiation, and then released into the wild. In Ryan Callaghan’s words, “We released millions of these little infertile dudes into the wild, but they were shooting blanks. Their attempts at procreation failed, and over the course of many years, the wild populations dwindled down to nothing.” By 1966, screwworms were considered fully eradicated from the United States.

However, south of the border in more tropical, Central American areas, fly populations remained viable. In 2024, reports of screwworm outbreaks began to surface in Panama, and then in Guatemala and Honduras. In the time since, the insects have continued to creep northwards. As of early June of this year, the flies were reported 700 miles from the US border, but there’s reason to believe they may already be in Texas by now.

Stopping the outbreak, though, is proving to be a tall task. Sterile fly production facilities in Texas, Florida, and Mexico were shuttered following the eradication success in the 60s. Only one breeding facility remains in Panama. In mid-June, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a $21 million federal investment to renovate fly factories in Mexico, and $8.5 million for a facility in southern Mexico. Soon, the USDA is expecting to supply 300 million sterile bugs per week.

Still, experts say that’s not nearly enough to stymie an outbreak. In that vein, the Texas Department of Agriculture has developed a screwworm flytrap and poison called “TDA Swormlure” that the department claims can kill 90% of screwworms upon contact. The system is currently being trialed in Panama, but according to the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, “the traps are expected to outperform anything else available.” The agency is also looking into the possibility of feeding ivermectin-laced food to deer as a preventative measure along the border.

In all, it’s going to take as many resources as possible to stop the flies from wreaking havoc on US deer populations. “If you look at the historical effort here, it was a combination of private landowners and organizations, conservation groups, livestock organizations, and the federal government that came together to create the solution,” Jason Sawyer said. “That’s where we see ourselves today, and this is what government is for—to safeguard the resources and productivity of the nation. It’s that sort of an issue.”

Hunters—especially those in the South—will likely be hearing more about the screwworm in the coming months.

Feature image via The Texas Wildlife Association Facebook.

Hunters have been trying to devise more efficient and effective ways to load gunpowder since Daniel Boone used a hollow animal horn to dump black powder down his muzzleloader. We’ve come a long way since those days, but the goal is still the same: load the correct amount of powder behind a bullet and in front of the primer.

Most reloaders of modern metallic cartridges use a powder dispenser (or “powder measure”) to achieve this goal. The original dispensers were mechanical. They require the user to operate a lever up and down, which rotates an internal drum that catches and dispenses a set amount of powder. More recent years have seen the rise of electronic powder measures. Most of these devices use an internal motor and scale to trickle the correct amount of powder onto a pan, which is then used to load each cartridge individually.

Of course, newer isn’t always better. Mechanical and electronic powder throwers have costs and benefits, and the right one for you will depend on what cartridges you reload, what you use them for, and how much time you have to spend at the reloading bench.

But whatever you use, it has to work. The consequences of loading and firing an improper powder charge can be deadly, so you should think carefully about your decision and weigh the pros and cons of each.

The perfect powder thrower would be fast and precise and wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. But this world isn’t perfect, so you’ll have to choose two of these three categories.

For this comparison, I used the RCBS Uniflow mechanical powder measure and the RCBS ChargeMaster Supreme electronic powder measure. There are other styles and brands of dispensers, but these are two of the most popular for hunters loading rifle cartridges with a single-stage press. A progressive press opens up a whole world of automatic dispensers, but we’ll leave that can of worms closed for now.

Out of the gate, the mechanical measure has one obvious advantage: cost. The Uniflow is only about $100 while the ChargeMaster will run you north of $400. There are cheaper electronic measures that work just fine, and if you want to be precise on a budget, you can always use a trickler and a scale. But I don’t see any electronic powder measures for less than $200, which is twice what you’ll pay for most mechanical throwers.

A mechanical thrower will save you money, and it’ll save you time as well. If you set up your cases in a case holder, you can simply hold each case under the mechanical thrower, work the lever, and load each one. It takes maybe two seconds per case, which means you can do a full set of 50 in less than two minutes. Even adding time for double-checking the charge weight bumps up that time to about five minutes for 50 cartridges.

An electronic dispenser, on the other hand, can take 10 or 15 seconds to dispense each charge, depending on the model. The ChargeMaster Supreme works by trickling powder into the pan until it reaches the correct weight. It can do the first 90% of the charge very quickly, but the last 10% is slowly dispensed until the correct weight is reached. The “Learn” feature on this model cuts the time approximately in half by calibrating the dispenser to the powder you’re using. However, as you’ll see below, you sacrifice some precision by increasing the speed.

Quibbling over five or eight seconds might sound silly, but as any reloader can tell you, saving 10 seconds on each operation (sizing, trimming, loading, etc.) can add up over the course of 100 or 500 cartridges.

If your priority is to churn out many cartridges quickly, a mechanical thrower is the way to go. But if you care about maximizing precision and loading exactly the same amount of power in each case, an electronic dispenser will win almost every time.

That’s because it combines a trickler with a scale to dispense exactly the right amount of powder. If you’re willing to wait for it, you can make sure you have the same powder charge in every cartridge. Unless you weigh each charge from a mechanical thrower and either adjust it or put it back in the hopper and try again, a mechanical just can’t compete.

That being said, you might be surprised to learn how precise a mechanical dispenser can be. I dispensed 20 charges with my mechanical and 20 with my electronic using two different types of powder shapes: stick and flake. I used the electronic ChargeMaster on “Learn” mode to try to compete with the mechanical’s speed. As you can see, while the ChargeMaster held a clear edge with the stick shaped powder, the smaller flake powder was remarkably close.

Standard deviation expresses how much a set of data points depart from the average of those points. In this case, it’s expressed as a percentage (also called the “coefficient of variation”) because each dispenser was set for different charge weights.

Mechanical throwers have trouble with the larger, rod-shaped powder grains because they get stuck in the rotating drum. The lever sometimes catches on its way up and the resulting powder charge deviates more from the average. You could mitigate this issue by throwing another charge whenever that happens, but that slows down the entire process. Many popular big-game rifle cartridges work well with that kind of powder, so it’s something to keep in mind if that’s what you plan to reload.

But the mechanical dispenser held its own with the smaller, flaked powder. The weight spread was 0.01 grains larger, but the SD was nearly identical. The ChargeMaster is still more accurate if you’re willing to wait a few seconds longer, which isn’t a problem if you load a bullet in each case as the powder dispenses. Still, as someone who uses a mechanical dispenser for all my practice ammo, I was pleased to see how consistent those charges are.

For handgun cartridges or range ammo, a mechanical thrower is clearly the way to go. It’s cheaper, faster, and consistent enough that you won’t notice a dip in accuracy. And, frankly, if I don’t anticipate a shot beyond a couple hundred yards, I’d be comfortable using a mechanical thrower for that ammunition. At that distance, seven-hundredths of a grain isn’t going to make a lick of difference in a 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Win. As long as you verify the charge weight every 10 or 20 rounds, you can use a mechanical thrower for hunting ammo in some situations.

But maybe you’d rather not leave it to chance. If you care about extreme precision and want each cartridge to have exactly the same amount of powder, an electronic dispenser is the best option. I used a hand-trickler for a long time, and the ChargeMaster Supreme is so much faster and more convenient, I’ll never go back. It gives me the peace of mind to know that each charge is exactly the same, and all I have to do is hit a few buttons and it works automatically.

Modern powder dispensers may not have been much use to Daniel Boone in the forests of colonial America, but I’m grateful smarter people than me have figured out ways to keep charges safe, consistent, and effective.

Steven Rinella talks with Vance of Blackrock Aviation in Alaska.

Topics discussed: The risks a pilot takes; getting a feeling; visibility and wind; reading the water; the fantasy that you automatically know how to fly a plane; rinsing the plane every day; and more. 

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In this interview episode, Cal sits down with Jenny Lesieutre, President of Rangelands, Wildlife and Wild Horses, LLC. They cover how wild horses and burros came to live in the western U.S., why they can damage ecosystems, and how to manage them moving forward.

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This week on the show I’m running Troy Pottenger, of Whitetail Addictions, through our What Would You Do gauntlet, giving us insight into exactly how he'd handle some of the most challenging deer hunting scenarios I could throw at him.

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In this Spike Camp episode, Rich Froning and the crew dive into a recap of their conversation with Under Armour co-founder Kip Fulks, unpacking key insights on hunting and hustle. Plus, they break down the ultimate workout movements to build strength, endurance, and agility for concurring the rugged terrain of western hunting season.

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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently announced a slew of recent busts of illegal marijuana busts—and they included eye-popping wildlife infractions impacting some of the Golden State’s most iconic rivers.

According to a Facebook post, “during the week of August 11, wildlife officers with the CDFW Cannabis Enforcement Program executed search warrants in the Ukiah and Laytonville areas of Mendocino County to investigate the illicit cultivation of cannabis with impacts on sensitive fish and wildlife habitat.”

Mendocino County is north of San Francisco and includes some of the best hunting and fishing access for sportsmen in the populous Bay Area. But it’s also, apparently, a serious hotspot for illegal marijuana grows, which “is an escalating problem in California’s national forests,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Illicit weed operations offer criminals a way to sidestep the state’s taxes and regulations. They can be found on both public and private lands.

During the week of October 11, CDFW officials helped serve 21 search warrants to eradicate 46,000 cannabis plants and destroy 13,600 pounds of processed cannabis. During the process, they confiscated 13 firearms, a stolen vehicle, and two poached blacktail deer, including a doe.

Perhaps most concerning about the recent bust is the fact that the illegal grows relied on “19 water diversions, one of which was occurring on state lands,” from some of the state’s most famous steelhead rivers: the Eel and the Russian rivers. The Russian River was once one of the premier steelhead fishing rivers in the world, but impacts from logging, dams, water diversions, and development have left it a remnant of its former self. Meanwhile, the Eel River remains a decent wild steelhead fishery and will soon have two major dams removed, potentially improving the fishery’s long-term health.

In total, the recent bust led to 213 Fish and Game Code violations relating to impacts to the Eel and Russian rivers. Unfortunately, the issue is not new. “The true crime here is the fact that [the illegal growers are] killing off basically America's public lands, killing off the wildlife, killing off our water," U.S. Forest Service law enforcement agent Kevin Mayer told NPR in 2019. “This is stuff that, you know, it's not gonna repair itself."

Feature image via CDFW Facebook.

Modern whitetail hunters worship treestands like they’re God’s gift to deer hunting, but plenty of hunters have killed deer with their boots on the ground. Just because those old-timers who chain-smoked in red plaid decided to hunt at eye level doesn’t make it outdated.

It can be a great strategy when you need to move fast and stay flexible. Luckily, it doesn’t demand much. As long as you understand the wind direction, scent (definitely ditch the Camels), and you have a good grip on the terrain, you can get some of the best shot opportunities with your boots firmly planted on terra firma.

Whether you’re dealing with limited public land regulations or you’re tired of lugging gear up and down a tree, this guide will help you elevate your ground game.

When you don’t have a good climbing tree or the terrain offers limited shot opportunities, your best bet might be keeping your feet on the earth. Ground hunting allows you to move, adjust, and make quick decisions without lugging around a climber or worrying about a platform. You’re more likely to adjust your setup if you don’t have to break down your “mobile” setup. That also means you don’t have to worry about making a ton of noise attaching climbing sticks or a stand to a tree.

For this reason, hunting from the ground helps keep things covert. Climbers are notoriously noisy, and even the best climbing sticks can be loud if you’re not careful. I’ve ruined plenty of potentially good hunts with a tap of a bow on metal or the squeak of a rickety stand. On the ground, you can settle in quietly, make more natural sounds, and let deer come to you. It can also mean you don’t have to hike in two hours before daylight just to make sure the woods settle before shooting light.

Ground hunting also opens up terrain that treestands can’t touch, like narrow funnels, thick brush, steep creek bottoms, or rocky outcrops. And for public land hunters, ground hunting keeps you within the rules while still giving access to all the good spots, since regulations often limit permanent setups.

Unlike a lot of mobile hunting tactics, you don’t need fancy gear to hunt from the ground. No ladders, no heavy platforms, no back-breaking trips. You can move light and stay flexible. And when the weather turns wet or frosty, you don’t have to worry about slipping on steps or platforms.

Because you’ll be moving more than you would in a treestand, you’ll want to wear silent, lightweight clothing. Ideally, it should keep you comfortable while sitting, kneeling, or crouching for extended periods of time. It can be a good idea to bring something to sit on. Anything from a cut tarp to a cushion or lightweight stool works. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just enough to keep your backside off cold, hard dirt. Something with a bit of padding can make it easier to sit still for longer stretches. If you prefer kneeling shots, consider investing in some western hunting pants that include knee pads.

Beyond that, find a good spot. Wedge yourself against a tree, curl into a patch of brush, or tuck behind a log or boulder. Just make sure you don’t pin yourself in without any shooting lanes. Accessories like shooting sticks or pop-up blinds can help, but aren’t essential. Keep your pack light so you can move quickly and quietly if needed.

You can get away with a lot from the treestand, so you need to be hyperaware when you hunt from the ground. It doesn’t differ from treestand hunting when it comes to learning deer travel and feeding patterns. However, you should give more thought to your shot setup, since you’ll be at eye level with deer.

Of course, you still have to play the wind at ground level. A treestand mostly keeps your scent wafting above a deer’s primary detection zone, but on the ground, you don’t have that luxury. I learned that the hard way when I set up completely unaware that the wind was carrying my scent toward a deer trail I overlooked. The first doe that came through sounded the alarm for every whitetail in the tri-county area. Always, always, always check the wind. Setting up downwind is a safe bet, but if you can’t make that happen, consider moving to another spot. You don’t want the deer on edge when it comes time to make a shot.

Unlike treestand hunting, you have flat shot angles on the ground. However, you might have more brush or terrain to deal with, and deer can pick up even the slightest movement. That means shot selection is critical.

Focus on realistic windows, and don’t force a shot just because a deer pops into range. Take the time to position yourself so you have a clean lane and a solid angle. If you’re bowhunting, pick out spots where the deer might pass and allow you to draw your bow unseen. Scan your surroundings and try to imagine every scenario where a deer might travel; that way, you’re not surprised when that buck pops out in a different location. When it does happen, don’t rush the shot. Wait for a good opportunity or pass. Ground hunting rewards patience as much as precision.

Don’t think of hunting from the ground as a last resort. Instead, think of it as another tool in your box of hunting strategies. Sometimes treestands or “mobile” setups give us the false security of concealment, but they probably slow us down more than we realize. You’ll mess up hunting on the ground, but everyone does. But, with a little practice, you can experience the thrill of tagging a whitetail at eye level.