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
In 1875, James Wickham, an eccentric British scientist, hypothesized that whales could live in the Great Salt Lake...

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
Predators only kill out of necessity.
Origin
Take your pick here. From nature documentaries to animal...

The National Park Service released four gray wolves on Isle Royale in northwestern Lake Superior in October 2018 to start rebuilding the island’s severely inbred packs.
Three months later, a female from the foursome fled across Superior’s ice toward its home turf on the mainland 15 miles away. Was that wolf’s departure saying something about the NPS’s “genetic rescue” effort?
After all, one reason the NPS approved a five-year, $2 million plan to...

Hunting has been a staple of our consumption for millions of years. It has regulated our interaction with wildlife for longer than most can imagine. It has allowed our social structure to evolve and provided perspective on what it means to be human.
So why do we have this dilemma with hunting and killing? Why do hunters feel persecuted in today’s society?
The idea is widespread and it isn’t new. Take American writer, critic and philosopher Joseph...

Both hunters and archaeologists need to be able to properly read sign like tracks, that animals leave behind. But in the case of archaeologists, they may be looking for tracks that are thousands of years old. Recently, researchers in New Mexico’s White Sands National Monument uncovered some fascinating fossilized tracks that map out an ancient hunt that took place over 11,700 years ago, during the Ice Age.
In a remote backcountry area of White...

Beavers have been an important source of fur and food for thousands of years in North America. They were highly valued by Native Americans, colonial trappers and American mountain men. Even as demand for their fur has plummeted in modern times, beavers have continued shaping the landscape throughout North America. In fact, beavers alter their environments more than any other creature except for man. But whereas many of our modifications on the...