Podcast Title: The MeatEater Podcast
Episode: Ep. 707: MeatEater Radio Live! Mountain Lions, Hot Gear Tips, and Freaky Sheds
Release Date: May 23, 2025
Host: Giannis Patelis
Guests: Bart George (Wildlife Program Director for the Kalispell Tribe)

Hunting Stories

The episode kicks off with Giannis Patelis welcoming regular co-hosts Brody Henderson and Corey Calkins to discuss recent hunting adventures and share personal stories.

Turkey Hunting Adventures: Giannis narrates a challenging turkey hunt where unexpected noises, possibly imitating coyote howls, startled them and disrupted their hunt ([07:04]). He recounts an instance where a mysterious noise caused both him and his daughter, Mabel, to become overly cautious, ultimately leading to a missed opportunity to harvest a gobbler.

• Giannis Patelis [08:31]: "She looks at me, I'm like, yeah, shoot another one."

Brody Henderson shares his experience of a successful turkey hunt, emphasizing patience and persistence. He describes how his son, Hayden, overcame initial hesitations to confidently take down a gobbler, reinforcing the importance of staying calm and focused during hunts.

Bear Hunting Highlights: Brody details his bear hunting expedition, where he successfully tracked and harvested the largest bear of his career. He highlights the challenges of long-distance tracking and the thrill of closing in on a bear, ultimately describing the experience as both rewarding and rigorous.

• Brody Henderson [26:07]: "That's the biggest bear I've ever harvested."

Family Hunting Dynamics: The conversation shifts to family hunting dynamics, with Giannis discussing his daughter's mixed reactions to processing a turkey. While his eldest son is proficient and eager, his daughter Mabel struggles with the more graphic aspects. This segues into a broader discussion on involving children in hunting and balancing encouragement with sensitivity.

• Giannis Patelis [37:42]: "But what I'm scared of is if I force it too much, then she’s going to be like, screw it. I don't need to kill a turkey."

Gear Talk

Transitioning to gear discussions, the trio delves into equipment essential for modern hunting and camping.

Solar-Powered Coolers: Giannis introduces a high-end, solar-powered cooler by Dometic, detailing its setup involving a solar panel and battery system. He praises its efficiency in maintaining cold temperatures without the mess of ice, though he questions its cost-effectiveness.

• Giannis Patelis [66:13]: "It's pretty sweet. It just takes out that element of dealing with the ice, wondering if your stuff's getting too warm."

Image Stabilizing Binoculars: Phil showcases the Sig Sauer Zulu 6 binoculars, highlighting their image stabilization feature which allows for steady viewing without the need for a tripod. He appreciates their compact size, making them ideal for younger hunters who may struggle with traditional binoculars.

• Phil [71:19]: "You have to wear a helmet in the backyard. Guaranteed you're going to need some band-aids."

Portable Air Inflators: Brody Henderson discusses the Zeus Air, a portable air inflator capable of handling everything from bike tires to truck tires. He emphasizes its multifunctionality, including jump-starting capabilities and USB charging, deeming it a vital addition to any hunter's toolkit.

• Brody Henderson [73:11]: "It's pretty amazing how much power is packed into this little kit right here."

Show and Tell

In this segment, hosts share personal items related to their hunting experiences.

Giannis's Buck Axe Mount: Giannis presents his axe-mounted buck antlers from a standout kill, describing the antlers' quality and the pride he takes in processing and displaying his trophy.

• Giannis Patelis [74:54]: "This is from a buck that I killed with the Element Boys in February of '24."

Phil's Moose Skull: Phil shares his first beetled moose skull, explaining the benefits of professional processing over DIY methods. He highlights the impressive size and intricate details of the antlers, expressing both admiration and a touch of humor regarding their display.

• Phil [81:16]: "This is my first and only bull moose, Alaska Yukon moose, brought in for a couple reasons..."

Interview with Bart George: Mountain Lion Research

Bart George, the Wildlife Program Director for the Kalispell Tribe, joins the show to discuss his recent research on mountain lions, focusing on flight initiation distance (FID) and hazing techniques to promote safe coexistence between humans and cougars.

Study Overview: Bart explains the impetus behind the study, driven by an increase in human-cougar depredations. Collaborating with a tech specialist, they developed a "sleep mode" collars integrated with Garmin technology to monitor cougar responses to human presence.

• Bart George [44:02]: "We started hazing the cat. We didn't really know what that looked like yet."

Methodology: The study involved collaring 50 cougars, with complete data on 41. They used human voice stimuli (specifically, MeatEater podcast audio) played at 80 decibels to test how cougars react over multiple encounters. The objective was to increase FID, making cougars more wary of approaching humans.

• Bart George [54:21]: "They learned to avoid us. It really indicated that the pursuit with the dogs can alter their response to this sort of benign stimulus."

Findings: Results showed a significant increase in FID from an average of 75 meters to 128 meters after repeated interactions. Conversely, control groups exposed to the same stimuli without hazing exhibited a decrease in FID, highlighting the effectiveness of consistent hazing.

• Bart George [55:50]: "The flight initiation distance increased from 75 to 128 meters by the fourth interaction."

Implications: Bart emphasizes that the research provides wildlife managers with a non-lethal tool to foster safer human-cougar interactions, potentially reducing the need for lethal control measures.

• Bart George [59:36]: "It's another tool for managers to consider when you have a landscape with lots of people and lots of cougars."

Listener Feedback and Contests

The hosts engage with their audience by introducing a "Hot Tip Showdown" contest, encouraging listeners to submit short videos sharing their best hunting, fishing, or camping tips. Three finalists will receive copies of the newly released paperback "Catch Crayfish Count Stars," and the winner will be awarded a special MeatEater knife.

• Giannis Patelis [80:38]: "Send your videos to radio@themeateater.com and we'll vote on them next week."

Policy Discussions

Towards the end of the episode, the hosts touch upon recent legislative developments affecting public land management.

Public Land Sell-Off Withdrawn: Giannis and Phil discuss the withdrawal of a controversial public land sell-off from a major bill, thanks in part to intervention by Senator Ryan Zinke and other Western congressmen. However, they caution that other protections, such as those for the Boundary Waters and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, remain threatened.

• Phil [93:58]: "There’s a couple of things that remained in that bill which aren't cool, which is Boundary Waters... protections in ANWR are being lifted."

Closing Remarks

The episode concludes with a banter-heavy segment where the hosts reflect on their lengthy discussion and tease future content, including potential new show formats and upcoming hunting adventures.

• Giannis Patelis [100:08]: "If you like hunting stories, make sure to write in and say. And put, you know, attention. Spencer. We love hunting stories."

Notable Quotes:

1. Giannis Patelis [07:15]: "That’s the way it is. Would I still do I love calling them in."
2. Brody Henderson [26:07]: "That's the biggest bear I've ever harvested."
3. Bart George [54:21]: "They learned to avoid us. It really indicated that the pursuit with the dogs can alter their response to this sort of benign stimulus."
4. Phil [93:58]: "There’s a couple of things that remained in that bill which aren't cool, which is Boundary Waters... protections in ANWR are being lifted."

Conclusion

Episode 707 of The MeatEater Podcast offers a rich tapestry of hunting narratives, practical gear discussions, and insightful wildlife research. From personal tales of triumph and tribulation on the hunt to innovative conservation strategies, the hosts and guest Bart George provide listeners with both entertainment and valuable knowledge. The interactive segments and policy debates further engage the audience, making it a comprehensive episode for outdoor enthusiasts and hunters alike.