The Origins Foundation Podcast

Weekly Roundup 158 with Ashlee (Brittany) and Lake Pickle

Date: August 27, 2025
Theme: Conservation, Hunting Culture, Debunking Myths & The Latest News

Episode Overview

This week’s “Roundup” brings together Brittany (host, Ashlee) and special guest Lake Pickle—a well-known Mississippi outdoors communicator—for an engaging, candid, and at times humorous look at hunting culture, conservation, new regulations, and hot topics across the country. They delve into everything from turkey hunting traditions and debunked Mississippi “baiting” rumors to viral hunting TV shows, wolf management controversies, and the impact of the Gulf pogie fishing industry. Listeners receive a balanced blend of news, expert opinion, and storytelling rooted deeply in southern hunting heritage and scientific conservation values.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who is Lake Pickle? (13:03–18:59)

• Background & Career

  • Lake recounts his roots: grew up hunting and fishing in Mississippi, first turkey at age 12 thanks to a church friend.
  • Worked for Primos Hunting (9 years), starting “Speak the Language” podcast.
  • Now with OnX Hunt, co-hosts “Speak the Language,” and hosts “Backwoods University” on MeatEater’s Podcast Network.
  • Lake’s unique background: wildlife biology degree, significant industry experience, and strong communications skills.

• Podcast Direction

  • Early concept: biology-focused, shifted to always incorporate the impact of humans on wildlife.
  • Example: Lake’s episode on conservation icon Fannye Cook (Mississippi’s first professional wildlife biologist)—“I can't talk about a particular wildlife species or a process or a population without mentioning the influence that humans have on it, positive or negative” —Lake (16:13).

• Memorable Moment

  • Lake describes holding Fannye Cook’s original taxidermy displays at the Museum of Natural Science: “It was pretty wild because...it was crazy to just, like, hold one of those things that she used to do her presentation.” (19:36)

2. Hunting Traditions, Family, and Turkey Tales (2:03–6:34)

• Southern Turkey Hunting Traditions
  • Lake’s office mural of turkey tail fans—over 50, “a result of my wife saying, make it fit in one room.”
  • Brittany: avoids turkey hunting for the sake of marital balance; her husband is “fanatical.”
  • Youth perspective: Brittany’s sons (8 & 9) are obsessed with turkeys despite never harvesting one solo. The excitement and gear (“ghillie suit for his birthday”) far outweigh the kill itself.

3. Hunting Season Kicks Off & Social Aspects (10:01–12:24)

• Dove Season in Mississippi
  • Start date debate: always Labor Day due to tradition, regardless of biologist proposals.
  • Dove hunting is a major social event in the South: “Dove hunts in the south...are parties as much as they are hunts.” —Brittany (11:17)
  • Balancing family commitments (baseball vs. dove hunting): Brittany chooses the hunt, “I consider it work...it’s fun, but I can play the, well, that’s, you know, it’s work for me.”

4. Hunting Culture in Media—“Hunting Wives” (20:41–23:48)

• Critique of “Hunting Wives” TV Show
  • Brittany: “It is basically smut, I'm not gonna lie...they’re normalizing hunting...but the way they're doing it is so far from reality.”
  • Lake shares his wife’s reaction: “I don’t think I should have watched that. I don’t think I should watch that at all.” (22:39)
  • Upcoming reality version recruitment; hope for a more honest portrayal.
  • Caution: “Don’t watch the show if your kids are in the room.” —Brittany (22:18)

5. Viral News: The Mississippi Fake Baiting Post (24:03–26:59)

• A “news” post circulated saying public land baiting would be legal in MS. It was fake—poor spelling, format gave it away.
  • “The amount of people that believed that to be real...” —Lake (25:32)
  • State agency had to issue a public correction due to the frenzy, with some excited, others irate.
  • “If I want to put myself in a state of losing hope, I go read Facebook comments.” —Lake (25:44)

6. Debate: Baiting Whitetail Deer (27:18–32:13)

• Lake’s Stance: Against Baiting
  • Not beneficial to herds, more negatives than positives.
    • “I do not like baiting for whitetail deer in any...I don't think it's beneficial in the long run.” —Lake (27:18)
  • Pushback: “Oh yeah, yeah, very much so.” (28:14)—many believe it helps deer herds or increases hunting opportunities, but science doesn’t back those claims when most feed is corn/rice bran.
  • Important insight: The tradition of hunting, fairness, and “woodsmanship” risk being lost for newer generations exposed only to hunting over feeders.
• Habitat Management
  • Brittany: “Science has shown that food plots work just as efficiently and well as feeders... put the time and effort into managing your habitat.” (30:29)
  • CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) adds further risk; both agree the long-term health of populations matters more.

7. Wolf Management: Science vs. Media Spin (34:39–36:24)

• Montana Wolf Hunting Quotas vs. Recent Study
  • Montana increasing wolf tags due to rising numbers; simultaneous Guardian/NPR coverage of a study asserting wolf hunting does little to prevent livestock losses.
  • Lake: “You never want to put out an article...when I can skim it in five minutes and figure out where your biases are.” (34:39)
  • Study lacks alternative solutions; the media often frames issues narrowly or with bias.

8. Dove Population Stats & Good News (36:24–37:33)

• Texas reports strong dove populations: 5% increase over 2024, 28% above long-term average.
  • Lake (as a waterfowler): “If like the waterfowl population stats came out and we saw a 5% increase...the duck hunters would be dancing in the streets.” (37:14)

9. Hunters as Heroes: Main Highway Incident (37:36–39:20)

• Maine: Hunting guides in a U-Haul chased down a highway shooter, exchanged gunfire, assisted police.
  • Both hosts: Applaud the positive press for hunters, saying “we need all the good news we can take.”

10. Gulf Pogie (Menhaden) Bycatch Crisis (40:06–47:18)

• Study Reveals Massive “Bycatch” Numbers
  • 2024: 81 million croaker, 240,000 speckled trout, 22,000 adult redfish, and 25 million sand trout killed as bycatch by pogie (menhaden) boats.
  • Lake: “You can’t look at these numbers and just imagine like, okay, this has no effect on the rest of the Gulf.” (42:46)
  • Brittany: “Considering how tight the redfish seasons are and people...complaining about the numbers...to be allowing that much by catch...is shocking.” (41:58)
• Complex Industry
  • Long-running battle over regulation, buffer zones, and beach erosion claims.
  • Industry is crucial economically, but ecological concerns mount after this study.
  • Lake’s upcoming “Backwoods University” episode will cover issue in depth.

11. Turkey Stamp News—Win for Conservation (47:59–49:54)

• Mississippi Approved Its First Turkey Stamp
  • Lake helped push for it; stamp will directly fund turkey habitat projects.
  • Brittany: “And we kept trying to tell legislators, turkey hunters want this bill, sportsmen want this bill.”
  • Lesson: Positive, vocal engagement from hunters is crucial for passing these conservation measures.

12. Looking Ahead: Legislative Sessions & Conservation Watch (47:59+)

• Reminder for hunters to check licenses, monitor local regulations, and participate in commission meetings as legislative sessions approach.
• “We’ll start paying attention really closely...so that we can report back.” —Brittany

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the power of tradition:
  “Dove hunts in the south...are parties as much as they are hunts. It’s kind of a co sort of thing.” —Brittany (11:17)

• On authenticity in hunting culture:
  “Nobody dresses like they do. ...Most people I know don’t drink nonstop while they’re hunting. ...Like from the boat. I mean it’s just like these crazy scenarios. So I’m like, okay, can we get something real about this out here?” —Brittany on “Hunting Wives” (21:16)

• On misinformation and social media:
  “If I want to, like, put myself in a state of losing hope, I go read Facebook comments.” —Lake (25:44)
  “The actual Mississippi Department...had to come out and make a public statement and go, hey, this is fake.” —Lake (25:40)

• On feeding vs. habitat for deer:
  “You want them to have opportunity...but you don’t want to cut off your nose to spite your face…long term for the health of the species.” —Lake (28:14)

• On industry and data transparency:
  “It’s almost an out of sight, out of mind kind of thing...But if we had something that was causing this much...kill off above ground, people would be losing their minds over it.” —Lake on Pogie Bycatch (45:22)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 02:03-06:34 | Turkey hunting traditions & family stories | | 13:03-19:36 | Lake Pickle’s backstory & podcasting work | | 20:41-23:48 | “Hunting Wives” TV show: critique & pop culture | | 24:03-26:59 | Viral “baiting on public land” fake news incident | | 27:18-32:13 | Baiting whitetails: controversy & ecological cost | | 34:39-36:24 | Montana wolf hunting & media coverage review | | 36:24-37:33 | Texas dove population stats—good news | | 37:36-39:20 | Hunters as public heroes (Maine shooting story) | | 40:06-47:18 | Gulf pogie bycatch crisis explained | | 47:59-49:54 | Mississippi’s new turkey stamp | | 50:17-51:26 | Next podcast: mysteries of the Gulf Coast |

Overall Tone & Closing

The episode is grounded and accessible, filled with humor, regional pride, and a mix of skepticism and hopefulness about the future of hunting and conservation. Both hosts encourage critical thinking, active participation in conservation measures, and authenticity in representing hunting culture.

Closing:
Lake teases his upcoming podcast on Gulf mysteries; Brittany thanks him and celebrates the Southern accents, wrapping up with reminders about conservation action and responsible storytelling in hunting.

For More:

• Check out Lake Pickle’s podcasts: “Speak the Language” and “Backwoods University” (MeatEater Network) for deeper dives into the wildlife stories and Gulf coast issues highlighted here.
• Follow The Origins Foundation for future roundups and advocacy updates.