March 31, 2025 • 25 mins
This week Cal talks about stealing state wildlife and getting noticed by Elon Musk. State legislation you need to know, and Executive order mineral withdrawal.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This
is Col's Week in Review with Ryan cow Calahan. Here's
cal A Pennsylvania woman is taking the state Fish and
Game Commission to court after she says they illegally took
her illegal pet, whitetail deer. The deer dubbed Baby, was
(00:32):
removed earlier this month from the home of Tammy Sheary
in Fayette County, PA. Wildlife officials said it was illegal
for Shari to keep a white tail deer as a pet,
which is true because of the law, but a video
of the deer being dragged into a game warden's van
went viral online and even the ubiquitous busiest man in
(00:53):
the world, Elon Musk, decided to weigh in. He posted
on X authorities need to stop doing this. He doesn't
exactly what he means, but most people take it as
a reference to the peanut the squirrel incident. Peanut was
confiscated and euthanized by New York wildlife officials last year.
Shehery claims that she adopted the deer as a fawn
(01:15):
from apparently a deer adoption agency. We don't know. Story
is still out she's gone through all the necessary paperwork,
but not with the state of Pennsylvania and vaccinations to
keep the deer as a pet. There's also a petition
circulating online that claims Baby is a certified emotional support animal.
Wildlife officials apparently disagree, but we'll find out for sure
(01:36):
on April three. Surey's charges have been dropped, but she's
not dropping this issue. The Bring Baby Home campaign has
raised a whopping three thousand dollars, and she's suing the
Game Commission, and she's using the funds to take the
Game Commission to court. The initial hearing is scheduled for
April third, which, if Baby's X feed is to be believed,
(01:58):
is the day we'll finally get some answers. Let us
know what you think should our public wildlife be up
for adoption? Askcl at the meaeater dot com. This week,
(02:22):
we've got legislation mineral mandate crime in the mail bag.
But first I'm going to tell you about my week.
And my week has been spent wishing I was fishing.
It was normal wintry spring weather here in the Greater
bos Angels metropolitan area. Then bang, everyone's wearing shorts and
it's seventy one degrees. Of course, by the time you
(02:42):
listen to this, it should be snowing again. Highlight of
my week was going up to the state Capitol, Helena, Montana.
It's the fourth quarter of our state legislative session and
a couple of really concerning items have been popping up.
House Judicial twenty four, which is a motion to have
the state of Montana to join Utah's lawsuit which disputes
(03:03):
the ability of our nation to own Bureau of Land
Management land. The hearing started late. I admit I had
a drive ahead of me, so I snuck out after
giving testimony. But apparently ninety people, the vast majority of
whom were representing themselves as individuals on behalf of what
(03:23):
they believe the best interest of their home state to be,
gave their testimony in opposition of the motion to join
Utah's lawsuit. The ten folks slash interests signed up to
give testimony in support of joining the lawsuit ultimately chose
not to give testimony. I like to think because all
of us were so darn persuading in our arguments. Big
(03:44):
thanks to everyone who took the time to show up.
It does matter, It does make a difference. Another one
very concerning to me, House built six seven to six
would provide for the sale of one point two five
million acres of Montana state land their current leaseholders based
on really just the fact that the leaseholders want them,
(04:05):
and it would make things more simple for the leaseholders.
And that's a big difference between state and federal lant.
State lands are managed for profit on behalf of the shareholders,
which would be the school systems. Federal lands and this
is something we need to fight for quite obviously are
managed for the benefit of all the people. There is
(04:26):
a ton going on at this point in the game
with all the states that are still in session. Heck,
even if you are not in a state that is
in session, your fish and game could be in a
regulation setting period. We're writing management plans. In short, please
remember that this podcast does not cover at all. The
purpose is to perk up your interest and understand that
(04:49):
stuff is happening that affects you and your kids and
generations after them. This affects your ability to hunt, fish, live, recreate,
so you better get involved. After all, if you don't,
someone will do so on your behalf, and you may
not like how they do it. Moving on to the
legislative desk, the Utah State Legislature approved a bill that
(05:12):
increases non resident hunting license fees by one hundred percent.
The fee hikes were included in a massive budget bill
that passed both the House and Senate unanimously. A non
resident archery bull tag jump from six hundred dollars to
twelve hundred dollars, a non resident general season deer tag
went from four hundred dollars to eight hundred dollars, and
(05:33):
a non resident limited entry big horn sheep permit jump
from twenty two hundred dollars to forty four hundred dollars.
This is just the latest in a trend among many
states to make it tougher for non residents to get
out in the woods. Speaking of trends, the Idaho State
Legislature is considering a resolution that calls on the federal
(05:53):
government to transfer the Camas National Wildlife Refuge to the
Idaho Department of Fishing Game. They say in co operating
the wildlife refuge into the neighboring state Wildlife Management Area
will make for more effective management. Specifically, they say the
federal permitting process to clean the Camas creek is too
cumbersome and slow, and the state process would get the
(06:14):
creek cleaned more quickly. This may remind you of a
similar resolution we covered in Wyoming that calls on the
federal government to transfer all its holdings to the state.
This Idaho resolution is much smaller in scope, and it
describes a specific reason the transfer might make sense. But
like what we saw in Wyoming, this resolution doesn't have
any real power. It tells the federal government what the
(06:36):
state thinks, but it can't dictate what the Feds will do.
In Connecticut, HB seven two three one would authorize hunting
on Sundays, and several bills would authorize a limited black
bear hunt, including HB five zero two to one. In
HB five two six one, I counted roughly a dozen
(06:57):
bills addressing black bear in Tike Big thanks to listener
Stephen Apgar for sending those in. A Texas state Rep.
Was forced to backtrack earlier this month after he filed
a bill that would have abolished the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department. State Rep. Pat Curry filed the bill because
he said he's frustrated with how the Wildlife Agency regulates
the captive deer industry. His bill would have disbanded TPDW
(07:22):
and transferred their authority to other state agencies. But the
backlash was swift and severe. Several of you sent me
this bill, and outdoor groups banded together to lobby against it.
As a result of this understandable outrage, Curry announced last
week that he does not plan to move forward with
the bill. He said quote House Bill four nine three
eight was filed as a mechanism to shine light on
(07:44):
the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and to bring Texas
Parks and Wildlife Commissioners to the table to discuss proposed
regulations on the deer industry in Texas. While this bill
might have ruffled some feathers, I believe the conversation was
necessary and I appreciate tpwd's willingness to work with me
for the benefit of all Texans. Ruffled some feathers is right.
(08:08):
It was widely reported that Curry has close ties with
the deer breeding industry, and it was obvious to everyone
that he didn't have the best interest of Texans at heart,
unless those Texans were behind a high fence. She got
joy asked speaking of backtracking Wildlife officials in Michigan are
thinking about reversing a decision that shortened the state's year
(08:31):
round coyote hunting season. As we reported at the time,
the Michigan Natural Resources Commission voted four to two in
March twenty twenty four to ban coyote hunting from April
fifteen to July fifteen. They did this not because the
coyote population was struggling or for any other wildlife management reason. Instead,
they worried about public perception of hunting female coyotes while
(08:53):
pups are still around. The Michigan United Conservation Clubs condemned
the move, and we spoke to two reps from that
organization in episode two sixty three. But the MUCC did
more than just talk. They filed a lawsuit, and now
the Commission is reportedly considering a measure that would reverse
last year's decision. Will keep you posted as that story progresses.
(09:15):
HB three nine three to two State Oregon instructs the
State Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt rules that prohibit
a person from taking a beaver on waters or watersheds
that are classified in a certain manner, or on public
land that is within the watersheds. Or within two hundred
feet of the ordinary high water mark of the waters.
Not sure how many you folks know about beaver, but
(09:38):
it's pretty darn hard to trap them if you can't
get within two hundred feet of water. Washington SB five
five eighty three thirty eight percent increase in fees for
hunting and fishing licenses moved into the House from the
Senate straight out of Florida BHA. The FWC will be
hosting listening sessions April, second, third, and fifth around bringing
(10:00):
back the black bear hunt. Show up and advocate for
access to wildlife in Florida. Missouri HB five sixty three
free licenses and permits to landowners with five acres or more.
Tags can be used by family members and even non residents.
That's right. You don't even have to vote in the
(10:22):
state of Missouri to get the benefits of HB five
sixty three. This sounds like a big loss of revenue
for the state of Missouri and makes it incredibly hard
to manage public wildlife. If you live in the Missouri state,
you have better pay attention to HB five sixty three.
Iowa House File eight sixty six would declare geese all
(10:44):
geese as nuisance animals. I'll just leave it at that.
Iowa water fowlers and bird watchers better get involved there.
Moving on to the Trump desk, the Trump administration issued
a new executive order last week aimed at ramping up
mineral extraction from coast to coast. Much like the executive
(11:06):
order we covered two weeks ago about timber harvesting, this
order argues that we must increase mining to meet the
demands of national security. The order is titled Clearly Enough
Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production. It begins quote,
our national and economic security are now acutely threatened by
our reliance upon hostile foreign powers mineral production. It is
(11:30):
imperative for our national security that the United States take
immediate action to facilitate domestic mineral production to the maximum
possible extent. For this reason, this order directs the heads
of federal agencies that oversee mineral extraction to identify extraction
projects that are currently pending approval. They are then to
identify projects that can be immediately approved and quote take
(11:54):
all necessary or appropriate actions within the agency's authority to
expedite and issue their relation event permits or approvals. The
order will fast track current projects wherever possible, but it
also sets the table for future projects to be approved.
It directs the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Bergham, to
identify all federal lands known to hold mineral deposits and reserves.
(12:15):
Then it directs Burgham to quote prioritize mineral production and
mining related purposes as the primary land use in these areas,
consistent with applicable law. As if that's not concerning enough,
the order also directs the heads of other agencies, like
the Secretaries of Defense and Agriculture, to identify as many
sites as possible on federal land that may be suitable
(12:38):
for leasing or development, or the construction and operation of
private commercial mineral production enterprises. To help grease the skids
on these commercial mining operations. It also directs the Small
Business Administration to ensure that public assistance programs are available
for these private entities. In other words, it directs taxpayer
funded programs to help jumpstart mining operations on federal land.
(13:03):
But wait, there's more. The order also invokes the Defense
Production Act, or DPA, which gives wartime powers to the
President that allow him to control domestic industry in the
interest of national defense. You may remember back in twenty
twenty two when the Biden administration invoked the DPA to
accelerate the domestic manufacture of clean energy. In this case,
(13:27):
the President empowers the Secretary of Defense to use the
authority under Section three three of the DPA to advance
domestic mineral production. Section three three allows the President to
take certain drastic actions to encourage mining, such as guaranteeing
loans and waiving certain statutory requirements. Everyone who understands the
(13:48):
value of public lands are concerned about this executive order
for several reasons. First, it might open the door to
mining operations that huge coalitions of individuals and groups and
businesses and lawmakers have fought for years to oppose, like
Bristol Bay and Boundary Waters. These mining projects have been
(14:11):
studied for decades, and the potential harm to wildlife and
habitat industries are drinking water outweigh the potential benefits for
the general public. Even More fundamentally, the order reverses the
multi use mandate that has dictated public land management since
the Federal Land Policy Management Act FLIPMA commonly came into
(14:36):
effect in nineteen seventy six. Mining is one of those uses,
and there have been many extraction projects on federal land
over the years. Hunters understand this, and I think most
of us are fine with mining operations as long as
they don't significantly impact sensitive habitat, wildlife, drinking water in perpetuity,
(14:57):
and they clean up after themselves. This isn't about opposing
minds on principle, which is what you'll hear from some
different environmental groups. But this executive order makes mining the
primary land use on all federal land where valuable minerals exist,
rather than balancing multiple uses. This would give mining precedents
over grazing, timber harvest, and yes, recreation. This isn't how
(15:19):
federal lands have been managed up to this point, and
it seems to me like a decision should require approval
from the people's representatives in Congress. If there's a silver
lining to this whole situation, it's that there's a big
gap between saying we want more mines on federal land
and when the drills and heavy equipment start growing. Minds
(15:40):
still need to be profitable. Just because a piece of
BLM land has oil or copper or cobalt doesn't mean
it's economically feasible to go grab it. Individual projects can
also be challenged in court. There are laws governing how
these projects get approved and how they move forward. If
the administration or a mining company runs a foul of
these laws, the project can be delayed or defeated. This
(16:03):
move to make mining the primary use of federal land,
for example, seems to contradict what's clearly laid out in
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. That might be
a place where opponents can have some success. Of course,
we'd rather not rely on the courts. We'd rather put
so much pressure on our elected officials that they have
no choice but to reverse these decisions. That might be
(16:24):
wishful thinking when it comes to the Trump administration, which
has made the mineral extraction a priority from day one.
But our members of Congress can still act. I'm sure
there are things in the works to put some guardrails
around this, protect our public land, and we should try
to support those guardrails. So another good reason to know
your representatives and know their staff, make those phone lines ring.
(16:46):
Moving on to the crime desk, if Florida man is
being accused of using a kid to help him steal
thousands of dollars worth of fishing rods. Local media out
of Inglewood, Florida, reports that forty two year old Mark
Steltzer has been charged with stealing fishing rods from at
least four residents over the last few weeks. But he
didn't work alone, please say. He exploited his girlfriend's son
(17:07):
into helping him, and the kid was caught on security
cameras walking away from a recreational fishing charter with five
or six rods in tow. When deputies rated Steltzer's home,
they found sixty five hundred dollars in fishing rods and
reels that the man had painted in an attempt to
make them less traceable. The kid who helped him has
been described as a child, but in the video he
looks a little older. I'm not saying he wasn't exploited,
(17:29):
but that's a tough spot. Mom's boyfriend making you do stuff. Anyway,
Let's get the anglers back. They're stolen property and encouraged
Steltzer's girlfriend to dump this dude like a bag of
hot chum in the Gulf of Mexico or sorry, America whatever,
and Alabama man has finally been brought to justice for
(17:51):
poaching in Wyoming after being on the lamb for twenty years.
Fifty three year old Kenny Craig, not be confused with
the weight loss company of a similar name, lived in Lifesite, Wyoming,
all the way back in ninety eight. That fall, he
illegally killed a five y five buck mule deer on
a habitat management area near Riverton. He was hunting with
a general deer license in a limited quota unit and
(18:13):
then tried to use his brother's limited quota license to
validate the buck. He also lied about being a Wyoming resident.
He claimed he had been living in the state for
at least a year, but he'd only been there for
three months. Game Wardens issued Craig a warrant to appear
in court, but he fled to Alabama. He managed to
avoid the Cowboy State for the next two decades, but
unfortunately for old Craig, there is no statute of limitations
(18:35):
on wildlife crime in Wyoming. He was arrested during a
traffic stop in Cook County last year, and he pled
guilty to the poaching crime. As part of a plea deal,
he was ordered to pay four hundred and ten dollars
in fines and court costs, along with one thousand dollars
in restitution for the illegally taken buck. His hunting, fishing,
and trapping privileges were also suspended for three years. I'm
(18:56):
reminded of the American folk tune God's going to cut
You Down was famously covered by Johnny Cash. You can
run on for a long time, but sooner or later,
your luck will run out. An American woman who went
viral earlier this month for snatching a baby wombat from
its mother in Australia, is speaking out. Sam Jones, who
(19:18):
describes herself as an outdoor enthusiast hunter and wildlife biologists,
sparked an online firestorm after she posted a video of
herself running with a baby wombat down a street at night.
She says she'd noticed the baby wombat, known as a joey,
on the side of the road and stopped to see
if it was okay, but she got close enough to
grab it, and I guess just could not help herself.
(19:39):
Jones can be seen on camera releasing the joey back
to its mother, who had chased her down. For some reason.
She decided this was a good idea and then a
better idea to post it. The backlash was about what
you'd expect. She says. She received death threats from all
over the world, and immigration officials in Australia said they
were reviewing her visa. EMUs and kangaroo are the official
(20:00):
animals of Australia, but I'd bet wombats are a close third.
Jones came back to the States before the Aussies threw
her out, but she's not going down without a fight.
She posted on Instagram that while it was a mistake
to pick up the Joey, the Australian government isn't much better.
She said, quote, while the Prime Minister wishes harm on
me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to
(20:21):
take a good hard look at what is currently being
done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces, the
lack of power for tens of thousands of assi's and
the treatment of its native wildlife. She does not explain
what she means in the quotes that have circulated online,
and the statement is no longer available on Instagram. I
don't think the Australian government plans to press the matter further,
(20:42):
but one official implied that she shouldn't bother applying for
another visa in the future. Last one for you. An
eighty one year old French hunter is on trial for
shooting and killing a protected brown bear and self defense.
Andre Reeves was boar hunting allegedly outside a designated high
hunting area when he was attacked by a brown bear
(21:02):
named Caramel. That's brown bear, not exotic answer. If you've
been covering these stories as long as I have, you
know that if a bear has a name, you're in
for a world of trouble. Reeves managed to fight off
the angry bruin and shoot it before it killed him,
but that was just the beginning of his trials. This
is a clear self defense incident, but animal rights activists
(21:24):
say it was actually his fault for being outside of
the hunting unit. I'll let you be the judge of
that one. I gotta say, though, If I'm eighty one
gets scratched up by a grizz while I'm out hunting
bore and live to tell the tale, I feel pretty
darn good about myself. Moving on to the mailbag, listener
Jacob Fraser from Alberta wrote in with the question he
(21:46):
wanted to pose about an amendment, which says, quote, a
person shall not be accompanied by a domestic sheep or
goats while hunting in an area prescribed in the regulation
as an area where doing so is prohibit. This provision
isn't talking about hunting goats, but hunting goats. If you
catch my drift, you know, these are pack animals that
(22:09):
you can take up with you to get into. You know,
places where traditional stocks sometypes can't go. Are Alberta elk
hunters bringing their goat herds into the mountains or sheep
herds into the mountains. No, these are pack animals. Anyway,
they could spread disease to sensitive wildlife like wild sheep
and goats, and that is the reason for the statute.
(22:32):
Listener JD. Collins wrote in to express some thoughts that
I think will resonate with a lot of American hunters
and anglers these days. JD is a certified wildlife biologists
in South Carolina, and he's conflicted about some of the
recent actions that have been taken by the Trump administration.
He says, quote, I, like many others right now, find
myself torn between certain aspects of Trump's agenda. I agree
(22:52):
with energy independence and immigration restrictions, but I make a
living relying on natural resources. Our company sits on both sides,
assisting permitting for developments, but also putting properties under easements,
conducting thousands of acres of prescribe burns on private properties,
and overseeing healthy forest management. I think most Americans would
actually be embarrassed by the inefficiencies and flat out incompetencies
(23:15):
of the FEDS. That's some big talk I have personally
observed over the past decade. So from that standpoint, I
agree with what a lot of Doze has done. On
the other hand, I am deeply disturbed by the idea
of cutting funding for research and grants on public lands.
I can't stand the thought of losing hunting opportunities on
our public lands due to development. Maybe I am still
(23:36):
in denial or just being naive, but I am still
holding out hope that Trump won't totally backstab the outdoor
community that helped him win this election. You're not alone there, JD.
That's what many folks are still hoping for. It's plain
to see that we're going to do some bleeding here
no matter what. The good news is that we can
do more than hope. It's okay to support some parts
(23:59):
of agenda and oppose other parts of an agenda. That's
how democracy works. Just need to get people to realize it.
If I'm talking to you on this podcast, I know
you're going to be the ones who write in and
call in and show up and testify. You're awesome. I
love you. What you can do is spread the word
and make sure that other people know that it's okay
(24:21):
to like one part of an agenda, and it's okay
at the very same time that you say, hey, I
love efficiency or strong border policies, but this thing on
the public land side of things you got all wrong.
That's all I got for you this week. Thank you
so much for listening. Remember to write into ask c
(24:42):
Al that's Askcal at the meeteater dot com. Let me
know what's going on in your neck of the woods.
I appreciate it. Thanks again. We'll talk to you next week.
From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This
is Col's Week in Review with Ryan cow Calahan. Here's
cal A Pennsylvania woman is taking the state Fish and
Game Commission to court after she says they illegally took
her illegal pet, whitetail deer. The deer dubbed Baby, was
(00:32):
removed earlier this month from the home of Tammy Sheary
in Fayette County, PA. Wildlife officials said it was illegal
for Shari to keep a white tail deer as a pet,
which is true because of the law, but a video
of the deer being dragged into a game warden's van
went viral online and even the ubiquitous busiest man in
(00:53):
the world, Elon Musk, decided to weigh in. He posted
on X authorities need to stop doing this. He doesn't
exactly what he means, but most people take it as
a reference to the peanut the squirrel incident. Peanut was
confiscated and euthanized by New York wildlife officials last year.
Shehery claims that she adopted the deer as a fawn
(01:15):
from apparently a deer adoption agency. We don't know. Story
is still out she's gone through all the necessary paperwork,
but not with the state of Pennsylvania and vaccinations to
keep the deer as a pet. There's also a petition
circulating online that claims Baby is a certified emotional support animal.
Wildlife officials apparently disagree, but we'll find out for sure
(01:36):
on April three. Surey's charges have been dropped, but she's
not dropping this issue. The Bring Baby Home campaign has
raised a whopping three thousand dollars, and she's suing the
Game Commission, and she's using the funds to take the
Game Commission to court. The initial hearing is scheduled for
April third, which, if Baby's X feed is to be believed,
(01:58):
is the day we'll finally get some answers. Let us
know what you think should our public wildlife be up
for adoption? Askcl at the meaeater dot com. This week,
(02:22):
we've got legislation mineral mandate crime in the mail bag.
But first I'm going to tell you about my week.
And my week has been spent wishing I was fishing.
It was normal wintry spring weather here in the Greater
bos Angels metropolitan area. Then bang, everyone's wearing shorts and
it's seventy one degrees. Of course, by the time you
(02:42):
listen to this, it should be snowing again. Highlight of
my week was going up to the state Capitol, Helena, Montana.
It's the fourth quarter of our state legislative session and
a couple of really concerning items have been popping up.
House Judicial twenty four, which is a motion to have
the state of Montana to join Utah's lawsuit which disputes
(03:03):
the ability of our nation to own Bureau of Land
Management land. The hearing started late. I admit I had
a drive ahead of me, so I snuck out after
giving testimony. But apparently ninety people, the vast majority of
whom were representing themselves as individuals on behalf of what
(03:23):
they believe the best interest of their home state to be,
gave their testimony in opposition of the motion to join
Utah's lawsuit. The ten folks slash interests signed up to
give testimony in support of joining the lawsuit ultimately chose
not to give testimony. I like to think because all
of us were so darn persuading in our arguments. Big
(03:44):
thanks to everyone who took the time to show up.
It does matter, It does make a difference. Another one
very concerning to me, House built six seven to six
would provide for the sale of one point two five
million acres of Montana state land their current leaseholders based
on really just the fact that the leaseholders want them,
(04:05):
and it would make things more simple for the leaseholders.
And that's a big difference between state and federal lant.
State lands are managed for profit on behalf of the shareholders,
which would be the school systems. Federal lands and this
is something we need to fight for quite obviously are
managed for the benefit of all the people. There is
(04:26):
a ton going on at this point in the game
with all the states that are still in session. Heck,
even if you are not in a state that is
in session, your fish and game could be in a
regulation setting period. We're writing management plans. In short, please
remember that this podcast does not cover at all. The
purpose is to perk up your interest and understand that
(04:49):
stuff is happening that affects you and your kids and
generations after them. This affects your ability to hunt, fish, live, recreate,
so you better get involved. After all, if you don't,
someone will do so on your behalf, and you may
not like how they do it. Moving on to the
legislative desk, the Utah State Legislature approved a bill that
(05:12):
increases non resident hunting license fees by one hundred percent.
The fee hikes were included in a massive budget bill
that passed both the House and Senate unanimously. A non
resident archery bull tag jump from six hundred dollars to
twelve hundred dollars, a non resident general season deer tag
went from four hundred dollars to eight hundred dollars, and
(05:33):
a non resident limited entry big horn sheep permit jump
from twenty two hundred dollars to forty four hundred dollars.
This is just the latest in a trend among many
states to make it tougher for non residents to get
out in the woods. Speaking of trends, the Idaho State
Legislature is considering a resolution that calls on the federal
(05:53):
government to transfer the Camas National Wildlife Refuge to the
Idaho Department of Fishing Game. They say in co operating
the wildlife refuge into the neighboring state Wildlife Management Area
will make for more effective management. Specifically, they say the
federal permitting process to clean the Camas creek is too
cumbersome and slow, and the state process would get the
(06:14):
creek cleaned more quickly. This may remind you of a
similar resolution we covered in Wyoming that calls on the
federal government to transfer all its holdings to the state.
This Idaho resolution is much smaller in scope, and it
describes a specific reason the transfer might make sense. But
like what we saw in Wyoming, this resolution doesn't have
any real power. It tells the federal government what the
(06:36):
state thinks, but it can't dictate what the Feds will do.
In Connecticut, HB seven two three one would authorize hunting
on Sundays, and several bills would authorize a limited black
bear hunt, including HB five zero two to one. In
HB five two six one, I counted roughly a dozen
(06:57):
bills addressing black bear in Tike Big thanks to listener
Stephen Apgar for sending those in. A Texas state Rep.
Was forced to backtrack earlier this month after he filed
a bill that would have abolished the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department. State Rep. Pat Curry filed the bill because
he said he's frustrated with how the Wildlife Agency regulates
the captive deer industry. His bill would have disbanded TPDW
(07:22):
and transferred their authority to other state agencies. But the
backlash was swift and severe. Several of you sent me
this bill, and outdoor groups banded together to lobby against it.
As a result of this understandable outrage, Curry announced last
week that he does not plan to move forward with
the bill. He said quote House Bill four nine three
eight was filed as a mechanism to shine light on
(07:44):
the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and to bring Texas
Parks and Wildlife Commissioners to the table to discuss proposed
regulations on the deer industry in Texas. While this bill
might have ruffled some feathers, I believe the conversation was
necessary and I appreciate tpwd's willingness to work with me
for the benefit of all Texans. Ruffled some feathers is right.
(08:08):
It was widely reported that Curry has close ties with
the deer breeding industry, and it was obvious to everyone
that he didn't have the best interest of Texans at heart,
unless those Texans were behind a high fence. She got
joy asked speaking of backtracking Wildlife officials in Michigan are
thinking about reversing a decision that shortened the state's year
(08:31):
round coyote hunting season. As we reported at the time,
the Michigan Natural Resources Commission voted four to two in
March twenty twenty four to ban coyote hunting from April
fifteen to July fifteen. They did this not because the
coyote population was struggling or for any other wildlife management reason. Instead,
they worried about public perception of hunting female coyotes while
(08:53):
pups are still around. The Michigan United Conservation Clubs condemned
the move, and we spoke to two reps from that
organization in episode two sixty three. But the MUCC did
more than just talk. They filed a lawsuit, and now
the Commission is reportedly considering a measure that would reverse
last year's decision. Will keep you posted as that story progresses.
(09:15):
HB three nine three to two State Oregon instructs the
State Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt rules that prohibit
a person from taking a beaver on waters or watersheds
that are classified in a certain manner, or on public
land that is within the watersheds. Or within two hundred
feet of the ordinary high water mark of the waters.
Not sure how many you folks know about beaver, but
(09:38):
it's pretty darn hard to trap them if you can't
get within two hundred feet of water. Washington SB five
five eighty three thirty eight percent increase in fees for
hunting and fishing licenses moved into the House from the
Senate straight out of Florida BHA. The FWC will be
hosting listening sessions April, second, third, and fifth around bringing
(10:00):
back the black bear hunt. Show up and advocate for
access to wildlife in Florida. Missouri HB five sixty three
free licenses and permits to landowners with five acres or more.
Tags can be used by family members and even non residents.
That's right. You don't even have to vote in the
(10:22):
state of Missouri to get the benefits of HB five
sixty three. This sounds like a big loss of revenue
for the state of Missouri and makes it incredibly hard
to manage public wildlife. If you live in the Missouri state,
you have better pay attention to HB five sixty three.
Iowa House File eight sixty six would declare geese all
(10:44):
geese as nuisance animals. I'll just leave it at that.
Iowa water fowlers and bird watchers better get involved there.
Moving on to the Trump desk, the Trump administration issued
a new executive order last week aimed at ramping up
mineral extraction from coast to coast. Much like the executive
(11:06):
order we covered two weeks ago about timber harvesting, this
order argues that we must increase mining to meet the
demands of national security. The order is titled Clearly Enough
Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production. It begins quote,
our national and economic security are now acutely threatened by
our reliance upon hostile foreign powers mineral production. It is
(11:30):
imperative for our national security that the United States take
immediate action to facilitate domestic mineral production to the maximum
possible extent. For this reason, this order directs the heads
of federal agencies that oversee mineral extraction to identify extraction
projects that are currently pending approval. They are then to
identify projects that can be immediately approved and quote take
(11:54):
all necessary or appropriate actions within the agency's authority to
expedite and issue their relation event permits or approvals. The
order will fast track current projects wherever possible, but it
also sets the table for future projects to be approved.
It directs the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Bergham, to
identify all federal lands known to hold mineral deposits and reserves.
(12:15):
Then it directs Burgham to quote prioritize mineral production and
mining related purposes as the primary land use in these areas,
consistent with applicable law. As if that's not concerning enough,
the order also directs the heads of other agencies, like
the Secretaries of Defense and Agriculture, to identify as many
sites as possible on federal land that may be suitable
(12:38):
for leasing or development, or the construction and operation of
private commercial mineral production enterprises. To help grease the skids
on these commercial mining operations. It also directs the Small
Business Administration to ensure that public assistance programs are available
for these private entities. In other words, it directs taxpayer
funded programs to help jumpstart mining operations on federal land.
(13:03):
But wait, there's more. The order also invokes the Defense
Production Act, or DPA, which gives wartime powers to the
President that allow him to control domestic industry in the
interest of national defense. You may remember back in twenty
twenty two when the Biden administration invoked the DPA to
accelerate the domestic manufacture of clean energy. In this case,
(13:27):
the President empowers the Secretary of Defense to use the
authority under Section three three of the DPA to advance
domestic mineral production. Section three three allows the President to
take certain drastic actions to encourage mining, such as guaranteeing
loans and waiving certain statutory requirements. Everyone who understands the
(13:48):
value of public lands are concerned about this executive order
for several reasons. First, it might open the door to
mining operations that huge coalitions of individuals and groups and
businesses and lawmakers have fought for years to oppose, like
Bristol Bay and Boundary Waters. These mining projects have been
(14:11):
studied for decades, and the potential harm to wildlife and
habitat industries are drinking water outweigh the potential benefits for
the general public. Even More fundamentally, the order reverses the
multi use mandate that has dictated public land management since
the Federal Land Policy Management Act FLIPMA commonly came into
(14:36):
effect in nineteen seventy six. Mining is one of those uses,
and there have been many extraction projects on federal land
over the years. Hunters understand this, and I think most
of us are fine with mining operations as long as
they don't significantly impact sensitive habitat, wildlife, drinking water in perpetuity,
(14:57):
and they clean up after themselves. This isn't about opposing
minds on principle, which is what you'll hear from some
different environmental groups. But this executive order makes mining the
primary land use on all federal land where valuable minerals exist,
rather than balancing multiple uses. This would give mining precedents
over grazing, timber harvest, and yes, recreation. This isn't how
(15:19):
federal lands have been managed up to this point, and
it seems to me like a decision should require approval
from the people's representatives in Congress. If there's a silver
lining to this whole situation, it's that there's a big
gap between saying we want more mines on federal land
and when the drills and heavy equipment start growing. Minds
(15:40):
still need to be profitable. Just because a piece of
BLM land has oil or copper or cobalt doesn't mean
it's economically feasible to go grab it. Individual projects can
also be challenged in court. There are laws governing how
these projects get approved and how they move forward. If
the administration or a mining company runs a foul of
these laws, the project can be delayed or defeated. This
(16:03):
move to make mining the primary use of federal land,
for example, seems to contradict what's clearly laid out in
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. That might be
a place where opponents can have some success. Of course,
we'd rather not rely on the courts. We'd rather put
so much pressure on our elected officials that they have
no choice but to reverse these decisions. That might be
(16:24):
wishful thinking when it comes to the Trump administration, which
has made the mineral extraction a priority from day one.
But our members of Congress can still act. I'm sure
there are things in the works to put some guardrails
around this, protect our public land, and we should try
to support those guardrails. So another good reason to know
your representatives and know their staff, make those phone lines ring.
(16:46):
Moving on to the crime desk, if Florida man is
being accused of using a kid to help him steal
thousands of dollars worth of fishing rods. Local media out
of Inglewood, Florida, reports that forty two year old Mark
Steltzer has been charged with stealing fishing rods from at
least four residents over the last few weeks. But he
didn't work alone, please say. He exploited his girlfriend's son
(17:07):
into helping him, and the kid was caught on security
cameras walking away from a recreational fishing charter with five
or six rods in tow. When deputies rated Steltzer's home,
they found sixty five hundred dollars in fishing rods and
reels that the man had painted in an attempt to
make them less traceable. The kid who helped him has
been described as a child, but in the video he
looks a little older. I'm not saying he wasn't exploited,
(17:29):
but that's a tough spot. Mom's boyfriend making you do stuff. Anyway,
Let's get the anglers back. They're stolen property and encouraged
Steltzer's girlfriend to dump this dude like a bag of
hot chum in the Gulf of Mexico or sorry, America whatever,
and Alabama man has finally been brought to justice for
(17:51):
poaching in Wyoming after being on the lamb for twenty years.
Fifty three year old Kenny Craig, not be confused with
the weight loss company of a similar name, lived in Lifesite, Wyoming,
all the way back in ninety eight. That fall, he
illegally killed a five y five buck mule deer on
a habitat management area near Riverton. He was hunting with
a general deer license in a limited quota unit and
(18:13):
then tried to use his brother's limited quota license to
validate the buck. He also lied about being a Wyoming resident.
He claimed he had been living in the state for
at least a year, but he'd only been there for
three months. Game Wardens issued Craig a warrant to appear
in court, but he fled to Alabama. He managed to
avoid the Cowboy State for the next two decades, but
unfortunately for old Craig, there is no statute of limitations
(18:35):
on wildlife crime in Wyoming. He was arrested during a
traffic stop in Cook County last year, and he pled
guilty to the poaching crime. As part of a plea deal,
he was ordered to pay four hundred and ten dollars
in fines and court costs, along with one thousand dollars
in restitution for the illegally taken buck. His hunting, fishing,
and trapping privileges were also suspended for three years. I'm
(18:56):
reminded of the American folk tune God's going to cut
You Down was famously covered by Johnny Cash. You can
run on for a long time, but sooner or later,
your luck will run out. An American woman who went
viral earlier this month for snatching a baby wombat from
its mother in Australia, is speaking out. Sam Jones, who
(19:18):
describes herself as an outdoor enthusiast hunter and wildlife biologists,
sparked an online firestorm after she posted a video of
herself running with a baby wombat down a street at night.
She says she'd noticed the baby wombat, known as a joey,
on the side of the road and stopped to see
if it was okay, but she got close enough to
grab it, and I guess just could not help herself.
(19:39):
Jones can be seen on camera releasing the joey back
to its mother, who had chased her down. For some reason.
She decided this was a good idea and then a
better idea to post it. The backlash was about what
you'd expect. She says. She received death threats from all
over the world, and immigration officials in Australia said they
were reviewing her visa. EMUs and kangaroo are the official
(20:00):
animals of Australia, but I'd bet wombats are a close third.
Jones came back to the States before the Aussies threw
her out, but she's not going down without a fight.
She posted on Instagram that while it was a mistake
to pick up the Joey, the Australian government isn't much better.
She said, quote, while the Prime Minister wishes harm on
me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to
(20:21):
take a good hard look at what is currently being
done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces, the
lack of power for tens of thousands of assi's and
the treatment of its native wildlife. She does not explain
what she means in the quotes that have circulated online,
and the statement is no longer available on Instagram. I
don't think the Australian government plans to press the matter further,
(20:42):
but one official implied that she shouldn't bother applying for
another visa in the future. Last one for you. An
eighty one year old French hunter is on trial for
shooting and killing a protected brown bear and self defense.
Andre Reeves was boar hunting allegedly outside a designated high
hunting area when he was attacked by a brown bear
(21:02):
named Caramel. That's brown bear, not exotic answer. If you've
been covering these stories as long as I have, you
know that if a bear has a name, you're in
for a world of trouble. Reeves managed to fight off
the angry bruin and shoot it before it killed him,
but that was just the beginning of his trials. This
is a clear self defense incident, but animal rights activists
(21:24):
say it was actually his fault for being outside of
the hunting unit. I'll let you be the judge of
that one. I gotta say, though, If I'm eighty one
gets scratched up by a grizz while I'm out hunting
bore and live to tell the tale, I feel pretty
darn good about myself. Moving on to the mailbag, listener
Jacob Fraser from Alberta wrote in with the question he
(21:46):
wanted to pose about an amendment, which says, quote, a
person shall not be accompanied by a domestic sheep or
goats while hunting in an area prescribed in the regulation
as an area where doing so is prohibit. This provision
isn't talking about hunting goats, but hunting goats. If you
catch my drift, you know, these are pack animals that
(22:09):
you can take up with you to get into. You know,
places where traditional stocks sometypes can't go. Are Alberta elk
hunters bringing their goat herds into the mountains or sheep
herds into the mountains. No, these are pack animals. Anyway,
they could spread disease to sensitive wildlife like wild sheep
and goats, and that is the reason for the statute.
(22:32):
Listener JD. Collins wrote in to express some thoughts that
I think will resonate with a lot of American hunters
and anglers these days. JD is a certified wildlife biologists
in South Carolina, and he's conflicted about some of the
recent actions that have been taken by the Trump administration.
He says, quote, I, like many others right now, find
myself torn between certain aspects of Trump's agenda. I agree
(22:52):
with energy independence and immigration restrictions, but I make a
living relying on natural resources. Our company sits on both sides,
assisting permitting for developments, but also putting properties under easements,
conducting thousands of acres of prescribe burns on private properties,
and overseeing healthy forest management. I think most Americans would
actually be embarrassed by the inefficiencies and flat out incompetencies
(23:15):
of the FEDS. That's some big talk I have personally
observed over the past decade. So from that standpoint, I
agree with what a lot of Doze has done. On
the other hand, I am deeply disturbed by the idea
of cutting funding for research and grants on public lands.
I can't stand the thought of losing hunting opportunities on
our public lands due to development. Maybe I am still
(23:36):
in denial or just being naive, but I am still
holding out hope that Trump won't totally backstab the outdoor
community that helped him win this election. You're not alone there, JD.
That's what many folks are still hoping for. It's plain
to see that we're going to do some bleeding here
no matter what. The good news is that we can
do more than hope. It's okay to support some parts
(23:59):
of agenda and oppose other parts of an agenda. That's
how democracy works. Just need to get people to realize it.
If I'm talking to you on this podcast, I know
you're going to be the ones who write in and
call in and show up and testify. You're awesome. I
love you. What you can do is spread the word
and make sure that other people know that it's okay
(24:21):
to like one part of an agenda, and it's okay
at the very same time that you say, hey, I
love efficiency or strong border policies, but this thing on
the public land side of things you got all wrong.
That's all I got for you this week. Thank you
so much for listening. Remember to write into ask c
(24:42):
Al that's Askcal at the meeteater dot com. Let me
know what's going on in your neck of the woods.
I appreciate it. Thanks again. We'll talk to you next week.
Host
Cal Callaghan
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