00:00:02 Speaker 1: From Mediators World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is Cal's weekend review, presented by Steel Steel products are available only at authorized dealers. For more, go to Steel Dealers dot com. Now here's your host, Ryan cal Callahan. As many as two thousand common carp were found dead earlier this month than a southern Minnesota lake. The culprit Herpes coi herpes virus, or KHV, is a type of herpes that infects carp species, but Minnesota anglers don't have to stop kissing their catches or pretend they didn't or don't or would never. Ever, KHV hasn't been shown to infect humans or other types of fish. Minnesota d n R biologists say the outbreak was likely caused by someone who released a pet, goldfish or coi into the lake or a connecting waterway. Coi and common carp can both get in affected with KHV, and goldfish can be asymptomatic carriers. Signs of kh V include white or gray lesions on the gills, hemorrhage on the skin, and sunken eyes. Because I know you're wondering, the Minnesota d n R does not mention anything about red bumps or itchy blisters on those big, beautiful carp lips. The virus was first confirmed in Minnesota in two thousand nine in a backyard Koi pond. Since then, there have been outbreaks killing thousands of fish in Lake Ellison, Albert Lee Lake, and other southern Minnesota lakes. That's right, one less thing that makes us human special. We can't even keep herpes to ourselves. No word yet on whether Minnesota DNR plans to require carp to wear masks, get vaccinated, or take ninth grade sex At this week, we've got wildlife, crime, the fishing desk, and wildfire. But first I'm gonna tell you about my week. And as I mentioned, I made a trip down to Little Rock, Arkansas for the Steel Timber Sports National Championships. If you're unfamiliar, and no surprise if you aren't, this sport literally grew out of skill competitions held in logging camps way back in the day, is when the bulk of the work was done without the aid of machinery, just acts and saw. A couple of things really impressed me first, and this is not meant to be any sort of slight. These athletes are incredibly dedicated to a sport that isn't all that well known or watched or publicized. But despite the low audience numbers, these athletes are well athletes and dedicated. You know. Of course, the stuff that we think of is like standard athletic dedication staying in shape. But then you throw in the fact that each one of these people needs a pile of wood to cut in order to practice the individual disciplines, and you get into some different realms of commitment. Like you know, if you're a runner, you might have a box of tennis you show up at the house. Well, if you're into logging sports, you might get a logging truck that shows up to the house us with a load of eighteen inch diameter logs just to train for one season. There's lots of intensity, drive focus out of these folks, but also a lot of teamwork leading up to the individual events. Yeah, these people are competing against each other, but I heard from more than one athlete that they help each other out because they want their competition to be at their best when they beat them, which I really appreciated. Great way of thinking. Really great crew. Would love to catch another event soon. There's all sorts of logging competitions that go around at state fairs and stuff like that. Starting tomorrow, the Lumberjack World Championships are actually going on. That'd be July. So this podcast isn't going to do any good, but you can always go to the Steel Timber Sports social media pages and see some of this stuff highlighted. It's also out there on the YouTube. Super cool, really fun in person check come out if they're anywhere near you. Next up, some hot off the press's legislative news. The North American Grasslands Conservation Act was just introduced today. You've heard me talk about this one a bunch, but now it's real. Introduced this morning by Senator Ron Wyden and co sponsors Senators Michelle F. Bennett and Amy Klobuchar. If past, the Grasslands Act will provide funding and education for tribes, private landowners, and states to keep grasslands working while being preserved. A big part of this bill is based around the fact that grasslands, with their incredibly deep roots systems, are very effective carbon sinks. While the tops of native prairie grasses can be grazed and burned, the roots systems that store carbon remain. Those same deep roots helped break up the prairie soils and create a much more drought tolerant landscape. On the hunting side of things, tall grass not only makes fat cattle, it makes her big antelope, elk, mule, deer, white tails, prairie chicken, say your grouse, songbirds, pollinators, and the list goes on and on from there. Total grassland birds have declined by more than since nineteen The lesser prairie chicken, which is a game bird that we hunters are supposed to give a hoot about, and that hoot is a you know, grouse reference, is heading for extinction do primarily to habitat loss, and it's happening on our watch. I'm excited about the introduction of this bill. I am calling my representatives and asking them to co sponsor this one. More incentive for keeping the family farm or ranch intact. More tools in the toolbox for habitat Go to act for Grasslands dot org for more information. Once you get it, please contact your representative and ask them to co sponsor the North American Grasslands Conservation Act. Moving on to the crime desk, a poacher in Ohio was sentenced this month to ten years in prison after he shot and seriously wounded an Ohio Department of Natural Resources officer investigating a dear poaching complaint. Forty five year old Brian Lemming pled guilty in August to a federal weapons charge. He was already serving time for felonious assault, evidence tambering, and misdemeanor hunting charges. Prosecutors said in court documents that Lemming fired a shot intended to flush a buck out of a wooded area, but the bullet struck and wounded Ohio Department of Natural Resources officer Kevin Bear spelled b e Hr. Believe it or not, The story gets worse from there. When Lemming realized he'd struck the officer, he refused to render aid and fled the scene. Later he denied pulling the trigger. Bear spent eighty days in the hospital, thirty of which were in the intensive care unit. Lemming did not have a valid hunting license, was trespassing on the property, wasn't allowed to own a firearm due to a previous domestic violence charge, and did not have a bear tag. Again, the officer's name is Bear. Anyway, there can be a big difference between a poacher and a hunter, something I always tried to keep in mind when I run into a conservation officer. These folks never know who they're walking up to or what situation they're stepping into. It's not just fishing and hunting licenses they deal with. A Montana man has lost his hunting privileges for sixteen years and been forced to pay fines exceeding six thousand dollars for poaching mule deer and leaving the carcasses to rock. Nineteen year old Brandon Read pled guilty in Yellowstone County to a raft of charges, or maybe I should say an ocean liner of charges. These included four counts of unlawful possession of deer, two counts of wasting game, and three counts of hunting during a closed season. Prosecutors say that on October two, Read shot two mule deer at night using a spotlight and moved the carcasses to a BLM recreation area. He cut off the horns and removed the backstraps. Then, after he'd trashed the campsite, left the rest of the animal to rock. He did the same thing to a third deer he shot on private property, and game Warden's later found a fourth deer they believe Read killed in case you're wondering, and I know you are, Reid did not have a hunting license and he shot the deer well before mule deer season had begun. Moving up to beautiful British Columbia, officers with the Row Canadian Mounted Police, which if you've ever listened to Coulter Wall that song where he wakes up in a snow bank next to a car marked r C M and P, that's what he's talking about. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Anyway, the r C M and P arrested several people after finding a month old fawn in the backseat of their car. The young mule deer buck was severely dehydrated, but conservation officers believe he will be just fine. I know he'll be surprised to hear this too, but the Mounties found drugs in the car along with the fawn, kind of the Canadian version of a cocaine hippo the mule deer buck. Sticking with international wildlife crime, the ringleader of a Welsh ammon and trout poaching operation was recently fined about seventy five thousand dollars for illegally harvesting nearly one thousand sea trout and over three hundred salmon. Emlyn. Rees operated the poaching ring for seven years between two thousand thirteen and two thousand twenty. Wildlife officials say his actions resulted in the loss of an estimated six hundred and eighty six thousand salmon eggs and more than two million sea trout eggs. Law enforcement knew about the extent of his crimes because he kept a detailed record of every fish cop including its weight. They described his crimes as staggering and said they represent quote a significant and unsustainable loss of breeding potential. Rees avoided jail time despite being convicted of illegal fishing three times in his past, and only had to pay a nominal one dollar fine. He'll have to repay his total remainder of seventy four thousand nine dollars when he comes into money or assets in the future. But given this guy's history, I'd say that's going to be a real uh slow day of fishing. But considering they popped this guy in part due to his note taking skills, maybe they could get him on board as a fishery technician. Jumping over to Oregon, game wardens with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife charged a couple named Chris and Stephanie Lardy with shooting into a fleeing elk herd last year. They fired thirty forty shots from their vehicle and killed five elk illegally, including two calves. They left all five animals to rock. They were convicted in order to pay a fine and had their hunting licenses suspended for three years. Chris Lardy will also spend six days in jail and was forced to write an apology letter and publish it in a local newspaper. I haven't seen that letter myself, but if anyone has a copy, I'd love to read it. Last one for you. In Kansas, nine people have been charged with wildlife related violations after a three year investigation by the camp This Department of Wildlife and Parks. The individuals are being charged with one forty separate violations in connection with poaching deer, one antelope, and eight turkeys, among other animals. Many of the animals were shot with rifles during archery season. According to a local media report, of the thirteen bucks scored, game Warden said the average antler size was one D seventy. The worst violator, a man named Tayton Water was hit with fifty eight charges, twenty two of which he pled guilty too. He was ordered to pay forty five thousand dollars in fines and won't be allowed to hunt for ten years. Moving on to the cat desk, two listeners wrote in recently to tell me about cities in Canada and Australia that are taking real steps to reduce the impact of free roaming cats, which are bad if you haven't been listening. Thanks to Chris Iliffe and Mike Albright for reaching out. Bass Coast Shire, which is a real place but sounds like a cross between Lord of the Rings and Florida tourist attraction, is actually a government area in Victoria, Australia. Anyway, bass Coast Shire has announced a seven ban on outdoor cats starting next July. Anyone caught allowing their cat to roam outside will be find one hundred and eighty dollars. The town council justified the move by pointing out that cats are a menace to the local wildlife, including two penguins. An ecologist also told local media that cats who are allowed to wander unconstrained twenty four hours a day, killing average of one and fifteen native animals every year in Australia. That wasn't enough to satisfy the Bass Coast Shire cat ladies. Over ten thousand people left comments on the local media stories Facebook post. One said this policy proves that Australia is the quote most insane country in the world. Another said the country is quote out of control. One suggested that instead of just keep cats indoors, people should spay or neuter their pets. Um for that idea, but I think this person might be confused. A cat minus its reproductive capability can still kill birds, lizards and small mammals. As the old outfitter would say, they aren't, you know, mating the critters to death. Another person named Rosalind wrote quote cats aren't the problem. Thieves, drunks, et cetera are. They cause more carnage and damage than a cat. I don't know what kind of drunks Rosalind hangs out with, but I can't say I've seen many who have tried to take a chunk out of a penguin. Toronto was also considering a proposal that would force cat owners to keep their pets on a leash while outside. Natalie carbon in the executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Center told the committee during recent hearing that the new policy would help cats as much as wildlife. Free range cats are at risk of being hit by cars, eaten by coyotes, and contracting diseases. Their life expectancy is one third bat of indoor cats. She also pointed out that a Canadian study from two thousand thirteen found that cats are the number one cause of death for songbirds, and it's not even close. Cat cause mortality was greater than all other causes combined, including glass buildings and habitat loss. Unfortunately, the proposal then pass The mayor said he wouldn't support it because it's a low priority and unenforceable. The Toronto Humane Society also told the Toronto son that it does not support an outdoor cat ban. They did not explain how leaving a cat outside is humane, or why birds, small mammals, reptiles, threatened, endangered, or otherwise do not make their list of animals they care about. Perhaps in response to that public pressure, the city councilor who proposed the measure reversed her motion last week. She said the city should instead focus on licensing and micro chipping cats. The feral cat problem is complicated. With any invasive species. People can disagree and good faith about how to remove them from the landscape, but the problem these policies are addressing is much more black and white. If you own a cat, don't let it wander around outside. There's no reason for it. Your cat will live longer, be happier, and cause less damage indoors. That sounds like a no brainer to me, perhaps even the humane thing to do. Moving on to a few quick updates from the legislative desk, the U. S. House of Representatives voted this month to pass a wilderness protection bill as part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act. The bill, sponsored by Colorado Representative Diana to Get, would permanently preserve more than one point six million acres of public land across Colorado, California, Washington in New Mexico. It would also add more than one thousand miles of river to the National Wild and Scenic River System. If the Senat approves it, the measure would be the largest land protection package Congress has ever approved as part of its annual defense bill. The protections could cover public land used by the military to conduct testing as well as areas used by hunters and anglers. The House has passed the measure five times in the last two years, and each time the Senate has rejected it. To learn more about the bill, google di get That's d E G E T T E Wilderness Bill. The Pennsylvania Game Commission voted recently to move forward with a proposal from the Bureau of Wildlife Management to reintroduce American martins to the state. Also known as pine martins, American martins were extirpated from Pennsylvania in the early twentieth century thanks to the fur trade and deforestation. They're part of the weasel family, and they prey on amphibians, reptiles, insects, birds, and small mammals. Some hunters worry that this reintroduction could harm already struggling turkey populations, but that fear appears to be unfounded. Tom Keller, furbearer biologist for Pennsylvania's Wildlife Management Bureau, told local media that he can't find a single turkey in any of the diet analysis literature for the martin. What's more, he said research from states that already have martins revealed there was little impact to grouse and turkey populations. It's also worth noting that when the State Game Commission surveyed hunters on this topic, a half percent of hunters said they'd support them. Here in Montana, elk hunters are understandably up in arms after an advisory committee recommended forcing hunters to choose between rifle and archery seasons. The committee made the recommendation to reduce crowding and pressure on public land elk, but the proposal is receiving significant pushback. Under current REGs, hunters can purchase a general elk license along with an archery stamp. This allows them to participate in both the six week archery season as well as the five week general season. Some hunters choose one or the other, but many hunters participate in both, especially if they strike out during the archery season. It's also unlikely that making hunters choose between archery and rifle season would alleviate pressure during the general season. If given a choice, many hunters would likely choose to go after elk with a rifle or devote the entirety of their hunting days to a single stretch during the archery season instead of spreading out their time over the combined eleven plus weeks. Eleven of the twelve Advisory committee members voted for the proposal, but the committee can't change policy. Public hearings will be held, and it's possible the proposal is never even officially considered. Be on the lookout for when those public hearings are scheduled. Be a participant. Look at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website and make sure you are signed up for their newsletter. Moving on to the fishing desk, phishing participation has continued to rise even after a record breaking a year in According to a new report from the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, if you spend any time on the water in two thousand twenty you probably noticed more boats and people than ever before. That's because fifty four point seven million people participated in recreational fishing that year, the most of any year on record. But at the time, it wasn't clear whether those anglers would stay on the water long term or we're just board from being forced to work from home. According to this most recent report, fishing participation was down slightly in two thousand twenty one, but maintained the upward trajectory we've seen since two thousand fifteen. Fifty two point four million Americans fished in two thousand twenty one, which is a four and a half percent increase since two thousand nineteen. That increase has been driven in part by anglers who don't fit the traditional mold i e. Old white man. Slightly more young people, women, and Hispanic people fished in two thousand twenty one than in two thousand nineteen, and the increase was even greater among Black Americans. Four point one million Black Americans participated in fishing and boating in two thousand twenty one, a ten point eight percent increase from three point seven million in two thousand twenty. Particip Patient among women has also increased. Of all the anglers on the water, a full thirty seven we're women. That's the highest level on record. According to the report, summer is in full swing, which means it's a great time to get on the water. If you've been meaning to dust off the old fishing pole and land yourself a few lunkers. What the heck are you waiting for? Your state Fishing Game Agency has resources to get you started, and you can also check out the tools over at take me fishing dot org. There you can find fishing spots, buy a license, and get tips on gear and strategies. If you are new to angling, just remember that most folks are out there for fish, but also solitude. Be conscientious of people's space. The more remote the area you go, the more distance you should give someone. And yes, I'm even talking to you, Walleye and crappy anglers. Okay, I promise you. There's fish all over the fricking lake. It's not just off the back of the other person that looks like they're all are crappy angling. Okay, got it good? Moving on to the land access desk. A National Guard base in northern Michigan called Camp Grayling is asking to lease more than one hundred and sixty two thousand acres of additional public land and more than double the size of its footprint. The base is already the largest National Guard training facility in the United States. It covers one thousand acres of land and three thirty seven square kilometers of restricted airspace, but they say they need the additional property to conduct further training and electronics, cyber and space warfare. These types of exercises apparently require lots of space to keep from interfering with signals from other groups training nearby. The local hunters and anglers, not to mention, property owners and neighborhoods are understandably concerned. The new portions of the base would incorporate rivers and state lands used by residents to hunt, camp, and fish. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources would still manage the land, and the National Guard has said it won't close off public access. Officials have also said that no training exercise will come within fift feet of a river and waterway, but the military would have the authority to close off any portion of the woods at any time and without notice. Jake Visher, a local hunter and angler, told me this is what happens in portions of the current base open to hunting and fishing at random times unknown to the public. The lands will be shut off for military training operations, which can ruin trips for people coming into this area of the state. If approved, the military would receive a free twenty year leads to use the land, subject to annual review. They would help pay for tree trimming and invasive species management. If you live in northern Michigan, you should pay attention to this one. Whether you oppose it or support it, you should take the time to get informed and share your thoughts. Michigan Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments through an online map, which I'll link to in this episode description. I'd also in courage you to get in touch with Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Aikinger. He's the one who will ultimately approve the proposal, so he should know how local hunters and anglers feel. Staying in Michigan, a New York hedge fund that owns more than one hundred thousand acres of publicly accessible land is looking to sell thirty two of those acres for forty three million dollars. The properties are located in the northern reaches of Upper Michigan's keywan Op Peninsula. This area is currently accessible to hunters, anglers, hikers, campers, and mountain bikers, but new owners could restrict that access without notice. But there's good news. Local residents for the Keiwana Outdoor Recreation Coalition to raise money and get the word out. Then, the State Department of Natural Resources applied for a five million dollar grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. That money will be used to purchase as many acres as possible. The Nature Conservancy will be doing the same. There's more to this story, which in reading a great article on m live dot com, but I wanted to highlight it because it's a great example of what coalitions of people who care about wild places and wild animals are capable of. Forty three million dollars is a big chunk of change, but it looks like for now those thirty two thousand acres will be protected for future generations to enjoy. Moving on to the put out your Campfire desk. A fishing guide in his employer are being sued by the federal government for one million dollars for allegedly starting a fire that burned one seventy six acres in Alaska in two thousand nine. Thirty of those acres were on federal land. The suit alleges that Joshua McDonald, a guide with Groves Salmon Charters, started a fire on the bank of the Klatina River on the morning of July eight two. The Feds claimed that McDonald quote did not clear the land surrounding and under the fire, and that he did not completely extinguish the fire before vacating the area. They also note that there was a burn ban in place at the time. McDonald and his employer dispute those claims. They say that McDonald properly extinguished the fire, that the burn band had not been publicized. They also say that they weren't the last group to stop at that fishing hole that day. Now, I don't know what actually happened. Innocent until proven guilty and all that. But as the summer heats up, if it isn't hot enough already, we should all remember not to light fires unless absolutely necessary, and not at all during a burn band, and always put fires out properly, spread the coals out thin, and apply water until the sizzles are replaced by bubbles. Thirty acres of federal land might cost you a million bucks, not to mention lawyers fees. That's all I've got through this week. Thank you so much for listening, as per usual, right in to a s k C. A L that's asked Cal at the Meat Eater dot Com. I appreciate it. I appreciate you so right in and let me know what's going on in your neck of the woods. That's all I got for you. Thanks again. I'll talk to you next week. M.

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