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Spencer Neuharth

Spencer Neuharth
Spencer Neuharth is the director of web content at MeatEater, producer of Wired to Hunt, and founder of Rut Fresh. His writing has been featured in over a dozen magazines, including Field & Stream, Petersen's Hunting, and Men's Journal. His work is a reflection of his roots as a whitetail hunter and training as a biologist.

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Whitetail Deer

3 Men Cited for Poaching 34-Point Buck
Wardens recently concluded a three-month investigation centered around a 34-point whitetail that was poached this fall in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. Alex Laffey, Dion Laffey, and Eugene Heisler, all from Eau Claire, have been charged with multiple wildlife violations.
According to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Team Supervisor Robin Barnhardt, the agency received an anonymous tip in late November that the buck had been poached...

Waterfowl

Best Hunting Gimmicks Ever: Seasoned Shotgun Shells
A common angling refrain holds that some lures are better designed to catch fishermen than fish. Hunters are no less guilty. In this series, I’m going to highlight the greatest hunting gimmicks of all time. Some might make you feel nostalgic. Others might make you nauseous. My hope is that all of them give you a good laugh.
What if the second your shotgun pellets connected with a game bird, the flesh was seasoned and ready to cook? This absurd...

Freshwater

Video: Morning Show Fishing Segment Goes Terribly Wrong
Here’s a reminder of why Cal’s Week in Review is the best news source for all things hunting, fishing, and conservation.
This 2011 clip from Australia’s Today Show starts off fairly pedestrian. After an uncomfortable introduction and the kind of edgy innuendo you expect from a morning show, “shark expert” Paul Burt tries to catch a shark on live TV. I’m hesitant to use the title “shark expert̶...

Whitetail Deer

Best Hunting Gimmicks Ever: The Ground Grunt’r
A common angling refrain holds that some lures are better designed to catch fishermen than fish. Hunters are no less guilty. In this series, I’m going to highlight the greatest hunting gimmicks of all time. Some might make you feel nostalgic. Others might make you nauseous. My hope is that all of them give you a good laugh.
The grunt tube is one of the simplest, most effective calls in the hunting universe. Unlike an elk bugle system or coyote e...

Waterfowl

Reelfoot Lake Double Homicide Suspect David Vowell Found Dead
On Jan. 30, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced they recovered the body of David Vowell in Reelfoot Lake. According to the Tennessee River Valley News, Vowell was discovered by a hunting guide in an area locals refer to as Grassy Island. The 70-year-old suspect was accused of killing Chance Black and Zach Grooms while duck hunting on Jan. 25.
“He was located around 3 p.m., today, near the incident,” the Tennessee Bureau of...

Waterfowl

New Details Emerge on Reelfoot Lake Double Homicide
Earlier this week we reported on the death of Zach Grooms, 25, and Chance Black, 26. They were fatally shot by 70-year-old David Vowell while duck hunting on Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee.
New details emerged yesterday surrounding the incident. Jeffrey Crabtree, who was in the duck blind with Grooms and Black, witnessed Vowell shoot the two hunters. Crabtree told his story to Patrick Mudge, host of the Back to the Lodge Podcast.
“There was no...

Waterfowl

Authorities Searching for Suspect in Duck Hunting Double Homicide
UPDATE: January 27, 1:40 MT
District Attorney Tommy Thomas released more information today on the Reelfoot Lake shooting. He said David Vowell approached the three waterfowlers from a nearby blind and asked if he could hunt with them. Shortly thereafter, with no explanation, he shot Black and Grooms.
Crabtree, the third hunter, took the gun from Vowell and hit him with the butt of the firearm, knocking Vowell into the lake. Crabtree then threw...

Whitetail Deer

Photos: Record-Book Whitetail Found Dead in Ohio
Jason Kline has been hunting a once-in-a-lifetime whitetail in northwest Ohio for the last four seasons. That pursuit came to an end this weekend when Kline finally got his hands on the buck’s rack—but it wasn’t the conclusion he hoped for.

Kline found the long-expired buck while shed hunting on Sunday. The last time he’d seen it was in mid-October. “I figured he died since he just disappeared and was very visible in all...

Wildlife Management

Kansas Man Faces Jail Time for Poaching 60 Deer
John Blick Jr. of Sharon, Kansas, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison and ordered to pay $327,641 in restitution for poaching 60 whitetail and mule deer. The bust is the result of a multi-year investigation leading to a 139-count indictment. Additionally, the 28-year-old will lose hunting privileges for five years and pay $15,000 in fines.
Charges include numerous counts of criminal hunting, hunting with aid of a motor vehicle, criminal...

Anthropology

Fact Checker: Did Explorer Peter Freuchen Save His Life with a Poop Chisel?
Myths, lies, and old wives’ tales loom large in the outdoor pursuits. Here at MeatEater, we’re dedicated to separating facts from bullsh*t, so we created this series to examine suspect yarns. If there’s a belief, rumor, or long-held assumption you’d like us to fact check, drop us a note at factchecker@themeateater.com.
Claim
Peter Freuchen was a Danish traveler, author, journalist, and anthropologist. He’s most famous for being the 6-foot-7-inch...