Ep. 727: Backpack Hunting for Alaskan Black Bears

Summary

Episode Summary: Ep. 727: Backpack Hunting for Alaskan Black Bears

Introduction

In Episode 727 of The MeatEater Podcast, host Steve Rinella delves into the intricate world of backpack hunting for Alaskan black bears. Joined by fellow hunters Evan Falker, Conrad, and Rick, the episode provides an immersive exploration of the challenges, preparations, and exhilarating experiences that come with pursuing black bears in the rugged terrains of Alaska. This deep dive not only highlights the practical aspects of backpack hunting but also shares personal anecdotes and valuable lessons learned from their recent expedition.

Preparation and Packing

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the meticulous packing and gear selection essential for a successful backpack hunting trip in Alaskan wilderness. The hunters emphasize the importance of balancing weight with functionality, a critical consideration when traversing remote areas.

Rick shares his experience with packing lists, stating, “I kept wanting to sing my new song about Chili just to show people that it's not like that big of a deal… Rifle man gonna make his final stand” (04:06), highlighting the sometimes overlooked details in their packing strategy. The conversation underscores the subjective nature of packing, as Evan remarks, “I have the ability in my mind to be like, that'll work for me. That won't” (05:40), emphasizing personalized gear choices based on individual needs and hunting styles.

Conrad adds, “I brought really ultra light rain pants… I think I should have just brought thicker rain pants as wind protection” (09:57), reflecting on the importance of weather-appropriate clothing. The hunters discuss the trade-offs between ultralight gear and the necessity for durability in harsh conditions, ultimately advocating for a well-thought-out packing list tailored to the specific demands of backpack hunting in Alaska.

Hunting Experiences

The hunters recount their adventures in the Alaskan wilderness, detailing encounters with diverse wildlife and the unpredictable nature of bear hunting. Steve shares, “We saw more wildlife on this trip than a bunch of stuff I'd never laid eyes on” (35:06), illustrating the rich biodiversity they experienced. They mention sightings of caribou, moose, wolves, and notably, black bears, painting a vivid picture of the expansive Alaskan landscape.

Evan adds, “We saw a caribou, doll sheep, a moose, wolves, grizzly, black bear...” (35:25), emphasizing the variety of wildlife and the dynamic environment that adds both excitement and challenges to the hunt. The hunters discuss the strategies employed during their pursuit, the stealth required, and the patience needed to successfully track and harvest a black bear.

Gear Insights

Detailed discussions about gear reveal the hunters' preferences and the practicalities of each item in the field. Steve mentions struggling with his sleeping pad: “I didn't see the like the, the blow up bag and I was trying to blow it up with my mouth and I was like oh this is not gonna work” (28:19), sharing a humorous yet insightful moment about preparing for nightfall in the wild. This anecdote underscores the importance of mastering gear setup before embarking on such demanding hunts.

Evan discusses his water system, noting, “Liters and a half Nalgene bottle and two of those collapsible like Platypus bottles” (16:15), highlighting the necessity of efficient hydration solutions. Conrad speaks about his sleeping setup, stating, “A nice tent, nice sleeping bag, good sleeping pad… Sleep is super important after big long days” (25:51), emphasizing the critical role of quality sleep systems in maintaining energy and focus during extended hunting trips.

The conversation also touches on the use of specialized clothing, with Conrad mentioning, “ExoPad and our Golly sleeping bag, 20-degree bag, super warm” (26:02), showcasing the balance between warmth and mobility. The hunters debate the merits of different materials and layering systems, aiming to stay comfortable and prepared for unpredictable Alaskan weather.

Insights and Lessons Learned

Throughout their narrative, the hunters share valuable insights gleaned from their expedition. Rick reflects on the impact of prolonged daylight, saying, “The sun being out all night… It made my legs get kind of sticky because I sweat a little bit” (13:37), discussing the physiological challenges posed by Alaska's extended daylight hours during certain seasons. This awareness leads to practical suggestions, such as using boot top long johns to stay comfortable in the sleeping bag.

Evan emphasizes the importance of adaptability, stating, “What I wish I had brought the lightweight at like orange atlas gloves for the rainy days” (15:56), pointing out gear modifications that could improve future hunts. The hunters collectively agree on the necessity of flexibility in their plans and gear to accommodate Alaska's variable conditions.

Conrad shares a pivotal lesson: “I forgot Long Johns this trip… I realized it on the drive” (25:32), underscoring the importance of double-checking gear lists to ensure all essential items are packed. This moment of realization serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of backpack hunting and the need for thorough preparation.

Personal Anecdotes and Camaraderie

Interwoven with practical discussions are personal stories and moments of camaraderie among the hunters. Steve reminisces about his early hunting experiences with his father, saying, “I was a coon hunter… My first hunting dogs… I was 15 when I was really into it” (38:06), providing a heartfelt glimpse into his lifelong passion for hunting and outdoor pursuits.

The hunters also engage in light-hearted banter, such as when Rick shares, “One thing I would have done better… like a pair of boot top long johns” (12:27), adding humor to their reflections. These interactions highlight the strong bonds and mutual respect within the hunting community, reinforcing the episode's themes of dedication and shared love for the wilderness.

Conclusion

Episode 727 of The MeatEater Podcast offers an engaging and comprehensive look into backpack hunting for Alaskan black bears. Through detailed discussions on gear, personal experiences, and insightful lessons learned, Steve Rinella and his fellow hunters provide listeners with a rich understanding of what it takes to embark on such a demanding adventure. The episode not only serves as a practical guide for aspiring backpack hunters but also celebrates the deep connections forged in the pursuit of wildlife and the natural world. Whether you're an experienced hunter or new to the concept, this episode delivers valuable knowledge and inspiring stories that underscore the profound rewards of backpack hunting in Alaska.

Notable Quotes

• Rick [04:06]: “I did a good job on that one.”
• Evan [05:40]: “I have the ability in my mind to be like, that'll work for me. That won't.”
• Conrad [25:32]: “I forgot Long Johns this trip… I realized it on the drive.”
• Steve [35:06]: “We saw more wildlife on this trip than a bunch of stuff I'd never laid eyes on.”

These quotes encapsulate the essence of the hunters' experiences and the candid reflections that make this episode both informative and relatable.

Transcript

[Steve Rinella]

This is an Iheart podcast.

[Unknown]

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[Lake Pickle]

Hundreds of thousands of buffalo that used to call the eastern United States home? Or what caused the rise and fall of bobwhite quail? Backwoods University, hosted by me Lake Pickle is the latest addition to the beargrease Feed on Meat Eaters Podcast Network. Together we'll seek out a deeper understanding of wildlife, wild places, and the people who dedicate their lives to conserving both. After all, you can't love what you don't understand. Search bear grease on Apple, iHeart, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast and hit that follow button to enroll in Backwoods University. Now.

[Unknown]

This is the Meat Eater Podcast coming at you shirtless, severely bug bitten, and in my case, underwearless.

[Steve Rinella]

The Meat Eater Podcast.

[Unknown]

You can't predict anything. The Meat Eater Podcast is brought to you by First Light. Whether you're checking trail cams, hanging deer stands, or scouting for elk, First Light has performance apparel to support every hunter in every environment. Check it out at first light.com F I R-S-T-L-I-T-E.com welcome to the Meat Eater Podcast. We're. We're. We're. We're. You wouldn't call it broadcasting. We're recording in airplane hanger.

[Rick]

Airplane hanger?

[Unknown]

Yeah, next to a 206. If you guys if this was a better show we'd let you look that way. I argued in setting up that that is. Is way more interesting than over here. It's busy. Yeah. Well, if you could. If you. If they had done it the way I thought and you're watching on. On. You're watching the video on YouTube, you'd be looking at a big old welding project where there's like a frame of a cub getting all welded together and it's held up in this kind of jig apparatus to support the whole thing. And there's all kind of tools laying around and just looks awesome. But instead you got just a regular old plane. Still pretty cool.

[Steve Rinella]

Pretty cool plane.

[Evan Falker]

It's a good looking plane.

[Unknown]

It's good. There's nothing wrong with that plane. I'm just telling it's better over that way.

[Evan Falker]

Coolest part about that plane that people can't see is it says forestry on the wing.

[Unknown]

Okay. Join today by Evan.

[Conrad]

So cool.

[Unknown]

Join today by Evan Falker, who's on the show for the second time.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Do you remember what we call the last time you came on?

[Steve Rinella]

What was the name of it? Yeah, I can't remember.

[Unknown]

You did a good job on that one.

[Steve Rinella]

Oh, thanks.

[Unknown]

Um, I keep wanting to sing my new song about Chili just to show people that it's not like that big of a deal.

[Evan Falker]

What's not that big of a deal?

[Unknown]

Writing. Just writing songs. Whatever. Listen to this one. Listen to this one. Chili's rifle man gonna make his final stand. See how far I got on that?

[Rick]

It sounded like he almost forgot the second line.

[Unknown]

The second line was. I just repeat the first line. It was. Chili's a rifleman. Chili's rifleman. Oh, rifle in his hand Gonna make his final stand now you're hooked, dude. Because you know you're hooked because you're like, tell me more about the final stand.

[Rick]

But knowing you probably won't. You probably won't write anything more to it. I'd say. I'd say it's more of like a marching or hiking cadence.

[Unknown]

That's.

That's what I wanted while we were hiking it. We were fixing the hike when I came in.

[Evan Falker]

It took you about seven days to come up with that.

[Steve Rinella]

Or it takes time.

[Unknown]

Yeah. So my song, My song is faltering. And that's that what I want to do, though. So we're coming from. We're in this here aircraft hangar and we're coming from spending four or five.

[Steve Rinella]

Days, six nights at least six nights.

[Unknown]

Six nights doing like a little backpack based, fly in, airplane hunt and when we got into it, we. We had this argument about. I was. I was taking, like, I was playing devil's advocate on this argument where the guys here were talking about looking at packing lists. Okay. Someone looking at packing lists. And I was just, for no reason at all, assuming the position of someone who didn't think that was constructive.

[Evan Falker]

You just felt like arguing.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I feel like arguing. There's nothing. There's nothing, like, big to argue about. Rick hadn't said anything, like, totally stupid.

Did you bring your eye mask? That's the question. Did you bring your eye mask?

No. No. So. So I think what I was saying was this. I was saying it's very subject. It's subject. Highly subjective. Yeah. Because there's, like, things that work for people and things that don't work for people. And I was saying how I could go online and trick you guys and make a packing list for something that's coming up and then put crazy stuff on it and then laugh when you brought it. Yeah.

[Evan Falker]

Well, I was trying to tell you that I have the ability in my mind to be like, that'll work for me. That won't type thing.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah, that's a good reminder. I should bring that. It doesn't get dark.

[Evan Falker]

Yeah, that's a. I wasn't thinking of that. I should probably take that.

[Unknown]

So that's the attitude with which you approach packing.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah.

[Evan Falker]

Not like if I was watching yours and you're like, oh, I have a.

[Unknown]

I was gonna put down to bring a push broom.

[Evan Falker]

Yeah, push broom.

[Unknown]

Clean out your tent. Just like one of those little guys. Yeah.

Totally normal list. And then buried right in the middle of this is like a push broom.

[Conrad]

Keep a clean tent and see if people bring it.

[Unknown]

See, Conrad did not look at the list, and he used a sock to cover his eyes, which worked out pretty well.

Sleeping hardcore hat. So what I want to do. I want to do. I want to do a gear thing for a minute. What I want to do is not what you brought. Not what you brought, but if everyone can think real quick, you can raise your hand when you're ready. Not what you brought, but, like, so. So backpack hunting in June in the mountains in east central Alaska. Spring bear hunting. More like early summer bear hunting. Because, like, it starts turning to winter again in a couple months. You know, like September it'll snow. Right. It'll, well snow in August.

[Evan Falker]

It's like early summer in the valley.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Evan Falker]

Winter up, tops.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Not what. Not. Not what you brought. That you like. What do you. What was the thing you wish you had done different. Packing something you. You change should have brought, like, it packing insight. Oh, if you're ready, because I can go. I had time to know that I was going to do this.

I brought really ultra light rain pants.

Can you first give your credentials?

My name's Rick. I'm one of the camera guys.

Well, I'll do it better than that. When you're watching a nature. When you're watching a nature documentary and there's, like, some crazy thing happens, you're like, how in the world they ever film that? Rick did it.

No, I. No, I. I work on this show more than I work on nature documentaries.

But you do work on nature occasionally. Don't be mad. Yeah, his brother's doct.

Yeah, that's right. Morgan. This is your podcast. Shout out all your. Your buddies up there in hell.

Rick's parents are very proud of his brother.

Yeah. Ultralight pants.

No, I'm gonna get back to your credentials.

All right, well, I've been working on this show since 2016.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You've been working with us for a million years. Yeah. But sometimes, like, remember when you went to that golf course and you had to just wait there forever, waiting for a coyote to kill a duck or something? BBC.

BBC N. History Unit. Shoot.

So. And you just spent. You just spent a boatload of time waiting for a bunch of wolves to kill a moose.

Yep. Up for a Disney plus show with Bertie Gregory. So, yeah. Wildlife. Wildlife.

[Evan Falker]

Polar bears, which is cool. Film polar bears.

[Unknown]

Yep.

Yeah.

Where in the Hudson Bay, south of Churchill.

So, like I was saying.

Yeah.

When you watch some animals do something, Rick probably filmed it.

Well, or. Yeah. Or I'm filming the guy filming it. You know, I'm in the.

He's in the mix.

In the mix.

Yeah. Okay, now you wish you would have brought.

Well, I was. You know, the weight we have to carry. Just a lot of batteries. So then you try to, like, go ultralight on everything else. So my rain pants were very thin, and I brought puffy pants, thinking, oh, you know, those will keep me warm if we go up high. But I think I should have just brought thicker rain pants as wind protection and not. Not bothered with the ultralight little ones. I mean, going through the alders, if it was wet, it would have been. Those pants wouldn't have survived.

So no puffies.

No puffies. Yeah. I had. I had one too many insulation layers. I can never. You know.

Yeah. When it's my turn, I'm gonna do something that I have dialed and something that I don't so go ahead and hit something that you think is something in your pro. Your general program that's dialed.

I think my using. I sweat a lot, and so it's humid and I use a synthetic, like that first layer synthetic, and then the rest of my stuff's wool. So I think that's the. Like when you. When we hike, we generally hike super fast and hard. And Steve's still wearing like all of his layers and his gloves, and I'm in like a T shirt, sweating, and so I think I got my. My base layer game suitable for me.

I didn't have you pegged as a sweaty man.

Oh, God. Just. If I just start thinking too hard.

Break out and sweat.

Yeah.

You know, we hike hard and we sit hard. Rick.

That's that.

Yeah, this.

This is the thing. So if you look at. If you look at like ultralight hiking lists, they're all made for hiking, stopping, and going to bed.

Yeah, that's a good point. We.

We do this thing where we hike really hard and then we sit in spots that you would never camp in because they' they're windy, you know, and you're exposed and you're not in your tent and you're not in your sleeping bag. So you have to bring more insulation layers than. Than somebody that's just doing like a fast through hike.

Yeah.

Situation.

Yeah, you're right. You get all worked up, then you sit, and then all of a sudden a while later, like, I'm freezing my ass.

Yeah. And you're not. Normally if. If it gets cold and you're through hiking, you're just. You're sleeping in like, your little comfy sleeping bag. We're just sitting out on a knob glassing for a couple hours, so.

Yep. So that's what you got dialed. Yeah. Okay, who wants to go next? We're saving Evan for last. Evan's still formulating his. So you got one already? Cuz he's. You're still. That was chilly.

[Evan Falker]

That was chilly.

[Unknown]

You. Cuz. Cuz Evan's still acclimating to the like, you're like a horse guy.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah. I haven't ever backpacked before.

[Unknown]

So you're still aggravating to all the, like, the fancy materials.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, but it's. It's nice. I mean, it's like. Oh, yeah. It's a lot less stuff to deal with.

[Unknown]

Okay, keep stewing on that.

[Steve Rinella]

Okay. Working on it.

[Unknown]

If you can put it into like a song form, it'd be great.

[Steve Rinella]

Limerick.

[Unknown]

Okay, Chili, go ahead. I think the oversight.

[Rick]

One thing I Would have done better. Like, I wasn't. I kind of knew, but didn't really fully grasp, like, the fact that, you know, how it would affect sleeping. Like, with the sun being out all. All night. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Talk about just how bright it is. Like, what activities could you do all night?

[Steve Rinella]

Whatever you do during the day.

[Unknown]

You could shoot a rifle. Yeah. At any distance. All night.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Evan Falker]

If you wanted to, you could go completely. You could flip your day completely.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Evan Falker]

Like, if you wanted to bear hunt from 6:00pm to, you know, 4:00am 4:00am, you know.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Be no different.

[Evan Falker]

You could do that and then sleep all during the regular day hours.

[Unknown]

That light out.

[Rick]

Yep. And so with that, like, the effect that the sun had on the tent, like when we were sleeping kind of. It wasn't like, terrible, but it kind of made it, like, a little warmer than what you would get. Or a lot warmer than what you get if you had, like, actual darkness. And so I found that when I'm in my sleeping bag, it got a little humid and like, my legs would, like, it'd get kind of sticky because he kind of sweat a little bit. So if I had to bring something would be like a pair of like, boot top long johns. So, like, my legs wouldn't stick together. And I hate. I like, absolutely hate that you got.

[Unknown]

Sweaty thighs is what you're saying.

[Rick]

Yeah, yeah, I got sweaty and I. I'm a pretty light sleeper and anything that's wrong, like, will wake me up or make me. Cause me to move.

[Unknown]

So.

[Rick]

Yeah, I probably would have done that. That was my thing. But on the flip side, the thing that I think I did really well was like, my sleeping system set up was like, you know, like, had. I had one of those Nemo accordion pads, and then I had a Nemo or a Therm. A rest inflatable pad. And that was like. And like. Plus my nice sleeping system. That was pretty dialed, actually. My sleeping system saved your ass.

[Unknown]

I'll get to that. Okay. That's my oversight. Yeah.

Save Steve's life.

So I forgot what you got dialed.

[Rick]

The sleeping. My sleeping setup.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah. Which is what I don't have dialed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what you're talking about, like, that feeling you get of everything sticky inside your sleeping bag after a few nights. I wear those. I sleep in those aerowol boot top ones. Boot top super thin arrow wool boo top ljs. Because it keeps you from getting that feeling like you're glued to the. Yep. Fabric of your bag.

[Evan Falker]

I hate that.

[Rick]

And Seth, that's the Way Seth was. We shared tent and he had those on. I'm like every night I just get jealous.

[Unknown]

I'll sleep in an arrow wool top. Yeah, I guess. Yeah, so I don't stick all gluey to my bag.

[Evan Falker]

Lightweight top. Yeah, same.

[Unknown]

Thanks for sharing, Chili. You're welcome. I'm ready. Okay, go ahead.

[Evan Falker]

I did not bring gators on this trip.

[Unknown]

Oh. Which? Oversight.

[Evan Falker]

Oversight. I just forgot them.

[Unknown]

I, I. So it sounds like someone's reading a bad packing list.

[Evan Falker]

Well, it was on the packing list. I just, I actually had them set out and then I just forgot them. Gators would have been nice. And another thing.

[Unknown]

Did I give like a Y right?

[Evan Falker]

Well, stream crossings. It rained half the time. Over half the time.

[Unknown]

Yeah. There was a 48 hour rain stretch.

[Evan Falker]

Yeah, you're going through thick alders and willows and you just end up with wet pants. So I wish I had gators. And then I wish I would have brought the lightweight at like orange atlas gloves for the rain rainy days. Oh, because I soaked out my leather gloves.

[Unknown]

That's a good point, man. That's a good point.

[Evan Falker]

Yep.

[Unknown]

I've done that in the past on rainy, rainy stuff. But yeah, you'd bring like rubber commercial fishing gloves.

[Evan Falker]

Yep.

[Unknown]

And just be like, screw it now, dude.

[Evan Falker]

Yeah, it's like they're not super heavy to where you're like, you know, too, too hot. But they're, you know, just enough to take the edge off and you just don't get your gloves wet.

[Unknown]

When I publish my gear list, I might put that in there. Yeah.

We'Ll read it. Seth and I will probably read that.

[Evan Falker]

And the thing I dialed was my water system, I think.

[Unknown]

Tell us more.

[Evan Falker]

Liter and a half Nalgene bottle.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Evan Falker]

And two of those collapsible like platypus bottles.

[Unknown]

No big old MSR bladder.

[Evan Falker]

Nope, nope. Just two of those. And I would stare like the stuff that I felt like I needed to stereo pen. I would just do that in the, in the Nalgene. And then the two platypus bottles were like my dirty water bottles. So I would fill those up and then fill up my big bottle and then I would stereo pen in that. And then the as I needed, I would take from the, the platypus bags dump into the Nalgene bottle.

[Unknown]

And then you're happy with that?

[Evan Falker]

Yeah, but I mean a lot of the stuff we drank from, we didn't, didn't need to.

[Unknown]

I didn't purify a thing the whole trip. We were higher than the beavers. Yeah. And we're just drinking water out of a glacier.

[Evan Falker]

That stuff that came out of that side drainage that we went up that you said was like the. The Grayling stream.

[Unknown]

Yep.

[Evan Falker]

That stuff was. Just seemed so pure.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Evan Falker]

The glacier river had a little bit of, like, silty cloudiness.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah, it had a lot of that. And, you know, I was bringing this up, and I shouldn't even bring it up, because I'm not. I'll bring it up with the caveat that I don't know if this is true. I feel like guys that live up here have told me that there's, like. That it's. That drinking too much of that. That it's not good to drink too much. That glacial till. Or they just don't like it. So when I'm with my brother Danny, they'll bring a. They'll bring a. Like a picture. Like a big collapsible dog bowl.

[Evan Falker]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Like. Like it's like a. Like a duffel bag that's made out of that. What the hell's the material? I'm trying to think of like a. It's like a duffel bag bucket. I don't know what the hell you call it.

[Evan Falker]

Just like a waterproof.

[Unknown]

Yeah, like a waterproof bag bucket.

[Evan Falker]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And they'll dip. He'll dip out of that 3, 4 gallons at night and then let it settle and then drink it in the morning. And in the morning, when it's not being agitated by flow, in the morning, it's just like a eighth of an inch of. Just clay. Yeah. Laying on the bottom of that stuff. They'll set it out at night just to let it settle, to not drink it. But I feel like they were telling. Someone was telling me something about that. It's not just like the. The. You shouldn't do that too much. I could be making that up. Yeah. So don't stop drinking glacial till based on what I'm telling you. Do your own research.

[Evan Falker]

Maybe. Maybe looking back, I would. I would probably like to have had a filter for that stuff instead of.

[Unknown]

Just to get the till out.

[Evan Falker]

Just to get the till out.

[Unknown]

Well, you run through your underwear.

[Evan Falker]

Well, you add more till.

[Unknown]

Scroll. Yeah, he has grow till. Yeah.

[Rick]

But no, that's.

[Evan Falker]

That's all I got.

[Unknown]

Hey. With all the economic craziness going on right now, prices are going up on just about everything. So being smart with your money isn't just a good idea. It's becoming essential in these times. But managing subscriptions, tracking spending, and cutting costs can feel overwhelming. Lucky for you Rocket Money takes the guesswork out of it so you can easily make smart financial decisions. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Rocket Money's dashboard gives you a clear view of your expenses across all your accounts so you can create personalized budgets with custom categories to help keep your spending on track. You can see your monthly spending trends in each category to know exactly where your money is going. Get alerts if bills increase in price, there's unusual spending activity, or if you're close to going over budget. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Download the Rocket Money app and enter my show Name the Meat Eater podcast in the survey so they know I sent you. And don't wait. Download the Rocket Money app today and tell them you heard about them from this here show.

Let's talk photos. Not just storing them, showcasing them. You've got images that matter. Whether you're a photographer, a business updating your followers, or just someone who wants to share life's moments the right way. So why hand them over to Big Tech's one size fits all cloud? Big tech companies are the fast food of photo sharing. Quick, easy, but not exactly gourmet. And what about your data integrity? Jalbum.net is the photo sharing solution that puts you in control. Want to host images on your own server? You can want a layout that actually reflects your brand or style. J Album's customizability is unmatched. And if you're a business sharing regular photo updates with your audience, this tool was built with you in mind. But don't just take our word for it. Over 230 million web pages have been created with Jalbum, and it's got stellar reviews on Trustpilot to prove it. So head to jalbum.net to download your free software and try it out. When you're ready to upgrade, use the code podcast for 20% off your photos, your layout, your rules. Jalbum.net Ever wonder what happened to the.

[Lake Pickle]

Hundreds of thousands of buffalo that used to call the eastern United States home? Or what caused the rise and fall of bobwhite Quail? Backwoods University, hosted by me, Lake Pickle is the latest addition to the beargrease feed on Meat Eater's Podcast Network. Together we'll seek out a deeper understanding of wildlife, wild places, and the people who dedicate their lives to conserving both. After all, you can't love what you don't understand. Search Bear grease on Apple, iHeart, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast and hit that follow button to enroll in Backwoods University.

[Unknown]

Now, Conrad, give your background. You never been on the show before. Have you met or even met you before?

[Conrad]

No, first time. First time on the Mediator podcast.

[Unknown]

But Brad Brooks has been on the podcast and you're his friend. Yep.

[Conrad]

I'm a old climbing buddy of Brad Brooks. I grew up climbing with him for a number of years. Started filming with him some of his hunts a couple years ago. Never hunted before. He was like, you want to go film some. Film some hunts? And I know you can keep up. And I was like, yeah, let's do it. And went out for about a week and a half on a rifle elk hunt. And I thought it was just awesome. Just running around in the woods. It's great. And then have been filming with him for a couple of years and then got connected with you guys with. Through Brad and then.

[Unknown]

Oh, so he's not pissed that you're with us?

[Conrad]

No, he's. I told him and he was like, oh, yeah, that's awesome. He. He connected me with Sam, and then my buddy Drew Smith is brothers with. With dirt, and he connected me with dirt and had a good conversation with him. And. And we have a lot of the same background. He fought fire, I fought fire. We were a year apart at a. In Neats Bay in Alaska. I worked up there in a hatchery and. And he was on a boat up there. So, yeah, here I'm. Here I am. And it's awesome.

[Evan Falker]

I was. I kept calling dirt 2.0.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Conrad]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Sam. Sam called me that a couple of times too.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, that's.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Conrad]

And he recommended me, and I had never met him, so. That's awesome.

[Unknown]

Well, that might be like a. Garrett.

Did the vetting, so, you know, or.

Or didn't. Sounds like we had a 30 minute conversation.

He was like.

He was like, yeah, I'll put in.

[Conrad]

A good word for you. And I was like, man, I've never worked with you.

[Steve Rinella]

You don't have to do that.

[Conrad]

But I. I really appreciate it.

[Unknown]

I'm glad he did. It was a fun hangout.

[Conrad]

Yeah, super fun.

[Unknown]

Okay. Hit me with your. Hit me with your insights. Yeah.

[Conrad]

I forgot Long John's this trip. I. I wish you'd brought it up.

[Unknown]

Well, when I get to my thing, you'll know why you should have brought it up.

[Conrad]

Okay, well, I forgot Long John's. I realized it on the. On the.

[Evan Falker]

Steve's gonna be like, I Had too many long johns.

[Conrad]

I realized it on the, on the drive.

[Unknown]

Why didn't you say anything? Dude?

[Conrad]

I, I told Sam and she, and she was like, well, do we need to get you long johns?

[Evan Falker]

I said, no, I'm not.

[Conrad]

I didn't want to complain, just tough it out. But anyway, should have brought along John's and I probably would have brought an extra base layer for the top just for sleeping. With all this wet weather, it's nice to get in your bag and have dry clothes. So those are the two things I would have. Would have brought.

[Unknown]

And then what thing in your pack and thing feels like just totally tight.

[Conrad]

I think my sleeping system. Earplugs. Because I'm sleeping with Rick and he snores.

[Unknown]

Snoring all over.

Yeah. News to me. And I did not know this.

I didn't know that about you. Right.

It's developed recently.

[Conrad]

But a nice tent, nice sleeping bag. Good, good pad. Sleeps. Sleep for me is super important after big long days. So the more sleep I can get, the better.

[Unknown]

Blow up paddle.

[Conrad]

Blow up pad.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Conrad]

Exopad. And our golly sleeping bag. 20 degree bag, super warm. And then our golly 2p tent.

[Unknown]

Got it. Yep. And that's like the, the new fandangled floorless, single wall tents.

[Conrad]

Yep. Single ball, super waterproof. Got a little condensation problems when it's. When it's raining out. But every tent has that. Yeah, we didn't. We. Me and, me and Rick were throwing back and forth if we need to bring an insert. And when we came up here and saw that snow, we didn't bring an insert and just rolled all floorless and it was a pound to carry around in your backpack. So.

[Unknown]

That's nice.

[Conrad]

Yeah, that's super nice.

[Unknown]

Okay, you ready? You know, you don't have to do yours yet because I'm doing mine or you can do yours if you just get nervous. You want to get it over with.

[Steve Rinella]

Let's do it. Let's do it.

[Unknown]

You want to hit it?

[Steve Rinella]

So the thing that I. The only, the only thing that I missed when, when I was up there because you guys told me what to get or got got me rigged out was I wished I had some shoes to walk around camp in. Wish I brought that camp shoe. Yeah. If I could get away with something. Yeah. But just because putting your boots on after you've been in them for a while, which the boots were. Honestly I was talking about it yesterday. They're good. Like pretty comfortable boots but still kind of dread putting them back on to slip around to go do whatever you need to do around the camp. And as far as being dialed in, I was not dialed in but I had, I did wear. I can't take credit for being dialed in. Like I had. As far as my layers went, they were, they were good. I had or long johns the whole trip and two sets of like a T shirt over the long johns on top and pretty much slept in my clothes and brought like a couple pairs of socks to dry one and, and do the other gators and stuff like that. It was, I mean I, I can't think of a time I was particularly like the temperature or rain was bothering me, you know. And if you got cold you could put that extra layer of of rain rain gear on and you can stay pretty warm even sitting still.

[Unknown]

And you didn't blow up your sleeping pad till the third night?

[Steve Rinella]

No, I didn't know how to do it. I was sleeping on the ground. It was, it was pretty good. But like the sleeping pad's real, real good. I got in there and I, I didn't see the like the, the blow up bag and I was trying to blow it up with my mouth and I was like oh this is not gonna work.

[Unknown]

Defeated.

[Steve Rinella]

Laid down the ground again, man.

[Unknown]

All you gotta do is yell over to my tent area and.

[Steve Rinella]

But all worked out.

[Unknown]

That's good. Here's, here's my problem. I used to never use inflatable pads, sleep pads but the best thing in the world until. So I got mine real. I was kind of in like a little puddle for a while and I went to dry my bag and got some. Not even embers dude. Like ash. Put some burn some holes in my pad. I was trying to dry my pad and I burned some holes in my pad. Couldn't find all the sons of. Found one one night. Found another one the other night. Still one thing in it. And you realize that you put a lot of faith in those. You're putting a lot of faith in something that's pretty fallible. I mean they're great but they're fallible. And Rick was carrying a blow up pad and he had a little happy, a little Z rest. Ridge rest. One of those Z rest, I guess. Yeah.

Z rest.

Yeah.

Just in case you can use it as a pad when you're glassing.

But you said in case. Yeah, my thing. Yeah, yeah. And I don't like, I don't usually pack with a ton of in cases but those on dupe, you know, it's like oh, I got two sleeping bags in case Something happens to this sleeping.

And it is sort of the in cases. The problem with packing, if you bring all the stuff in case then you just have too much.

Yeah, yeah. But the blow up pad is a vulnerability. Chili brought a blow up pad and a under pad.

[Rick]

Yeah, I mean, because I didn't. I don't have a tarp like where.

[Unknown]

Like or like a footprint to lay.

[Rick]

Down like on the, just on the ground in between you and your. And your blow up mattress or blow up pad. So instead of just going to buy one sporadically, I just, I had this accordion Nemo foam pad, the one that we all use to kind of sit on the ground when we're glassing. Just a full length one. And I was like, well, I'll just use that on the ground. It's like, like 6, 7 ounces or whatever it is. Strap it to the bottom of my pack. Like it's not gonna. The footprint of it's not gonna like cause me to have to get a bigger bag or anything. So yeah, that was kind of my thinking. And it worked. It worked great. And luckily Seth had like a little plastic thing as well, so I could throw that down and yeah, it's just kind of just like a tarp.

[Unknown]

If not comfortable, more comfortable. Yep. Yeah.

[Evan Falker]

I brought a little chunk of before I left. It was like the last thing I grabbed was just a little chunk of plastic that I used to like cover my garden when it frosts. And I threw that in. I was like, ah, just in case, like I need to put something under my sleeping pad or whatever.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Evan Falker]

And then Chili ended up grabbing me a footprint from the storage unit, but. So I still had that and then.

[Unknown]

Gave it to Chili.

What I got dialed is over the years on backpacking, over the years I have, I have pretty much eliminated any changes of clothes, extra clothes.

[Evan Falker]

Yep.

[Unknown]

With one exception. I keep in a dry bag the extra set of base layers. Extra set of thin base layers. I keep the dry and like this never touched them as much as it rained. I'd left them in there because it's like I leave them in there being like, if something bad happens, I can get in my bag, which I keep in a dry bag. I can get in my bag with dry stuff at night. But I've gotten over carrying any kind of extra anything. Well, I carry a pair of socks.

[Conrad]

One, just one extra pair.

[Unknown]

I carry one pair of socks because worst case, you wash a pair in a creek, put them on your back to dry. I got rid of all that kind of junk. Like, oh, I'M gonna have extra pants or I might want to change my shirt. I just, I have the one thing I'm wearing and like, you just get used to it. It's funky. You get over it. And I don't carry any kind of extra clothes. Except for those. Except for those LJ's that I have as an insurance policy or should a camera guy forget his ljs?

[Evan Falker]

Well, now I know I would have.

[Unknown]

Happily sent me my extra LJ's.

[Evan Falker]

I brought an extra, like, mid layer. Mid layer. And I never touched it.

[Unknown]

Yep. Yep.

[Evan Falker]

That's like the one thing I was like, I should have just left this.

[Unknown]

Behind because what, what happens when you do, when you bring extra clothes is there was mornings when I was like to myself thinking, man, I don't want to put them clothes on. But then you to put the other ones on, and then those ones are messed up too. And then now you just got whatever you get. So now dirty laundry with you. Yeah. Yeah. Instead of one pair of pants that are now dry because you wore them, now you got one wet ass pair of pants in your backpack. It just like, I just got rid of all that junk. Yeah. I kind of think, what's the coldest it could get? Have what's appropriate. So I had like a, like a airwool top, synthetic hoodie, Brooks down vest, or Brooks down jacket and Omen storm shelter rain jacket. That was it. Same thing on my same thing. Pants. The arrow wool pants, a pair of pants, and then the lightweight rain pants you mentioned.

[Evan Falker]

Brooks down vest. I brought one of those. And that's like, that's a hot tip in my opinion. It's like very compact, very tiny.

[Unknown]

It's like the size of a scrotum.

[Evan Falker]

Very lightweight. And it's like, it's just enough to like, take the edge off and like, keep your core warm.

[Steve Rinella]

It's.

[Evan Falker]

It's a great piece of gear.

[Rick]

I forgot I kind of messed up. Pro tip. When you're in the backcountry, don't forget a spork or a spoon, because then you might be left whittling one. And then your buddies might come up after three hours of whittling saying, I got two extra spoons.

[Steve Rinella]

You made a really good spoon. I made a nice whittled spoon too. You were having so much fun. I hated to ruin it.

[Unknown]

By the way, Chili, I got one. Oh, yeah.

I need to get my little spoon back.

[Rick]

Well, it's mine now, so.

[Unknown]

But it's too short.

[Rick]

It is too short.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rick]

Get a long one. Get a long Spoon.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah. They make the long dogs just for eating. Freeze dry. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. So, Evan, give me, Give me your. Give me your impressions, man. Like your, your just your general impressions.

[Steve Rinella]

That is like the prettiest country I've ever seen or as pretty as anything. It's more interesting seeing that glacier and like seeing. We. We saw more wildlife on this trip than a bunch of stuff I'd never laid eyes on. But as. As far as the camping part of.

[Unknown]

It, what we saw for the. For we, like, we hit all the.

[Evan Falker]

We had six.

[Unknown]

Yeah. So we had. We saw a caribou. Yep. Doll sheep. Yep. A moose. Wolves. Grizzly. Black bear. Yep. I think that's it.

[Rick]

So porcupine. Oh, porcupine today.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah. And you got caribou, huh? Yeah, that. That was interesting, man, to get to see all that stuff, get. See that many sheep. Like, I feel like not that many people get to even see those things. That was really neat to me. And just being there, being in that. That kind of a environment is. It's something that you. It's easy to spend a lot of time, like making excuses and not getting it done. Like, I'm really happy that I got to go and had a reason to go because it's like, really reignited my love for this stuff just because you. You just procrastinate and put it off and then don't get back on the horse, you know, and this was a good one. Like a really, really good trip.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Because you. You. So you were born in Oklahoma and spent your life in Oklahoma. And I remember you telling me that at one point in time you and your dad took. You took your horses and went out and you guys did western type hunting.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, we went, but just kind of.

[Unknown]

Just went and did it all.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah. Yeah, he and I, which my dad knows quite a bit about, about packing and, and really about hunting in general. And he took me up there and. And showed me, taught me a whole lot and really gave me like a love for. We had a great trip. You know, we were in the elk and we didn't come home with anything, but it didn't matter. You know, it was like we were so close. We had opportunities, we were seeing stuff and it was like. It was the wildest place I'd ever been. At that point in time. Everything just feels so. I mean, there's. It's easy to be hunting places that are easy to access and feel like it's not authentic enough for me to feel like I'm doing anything sometimes, you know, and when you get back into this stuff that not a lot of people get to see. It just feels more special to me and it's just got another, it's just another level and more of an experience. But yeah, I love this stuff. Like, I've never dreamed that I'd get to fly in on a super cub or be in one. Ever have a reason to be in one, you know, so it's cool.

[Unknown]

Well, I think I didn't know about the thing I didn't know about you from when we, when we spoke before and have just communicated over text message and whatnot is I didn't know that you got into coon hunting for a while.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, I was a coon hunter. That was my, that's what we did for a long time.

[Unknown]

And so that was the kind of dogs you brought up.

[Steve Rinella]

For the first dogs I really had, they were my first hunting dogs. Yeah, we had, I had a few different kinds of coonhounds. I had some, I had a pretty good plot hound and I, and I had a couple of blue tick dogs that would tree a coon. And I was, you know, I was 15, 14 to 16, probably when I was really, really into it.

[Unknown]

So like in your high school years, you're going out at night?

[Steve Rinella]

Oh yeah, yeah. Going out, man. I had two or three buddies that, that hunted and we'd go every night we could.

[Unknown]

And that was like before the quail thing, huh?

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, I kind of traded that for, for quail hunting.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Steve Rinella]

I went, I had one good hunt with, in front of a good dog in the hills and we, we killed birds. I think I might, I don't think I shot a quail in, in the timber for a year after that. Trying to, I mean, I had to learn how to shoot because it's, it's tough shooting and I just, it was hard and I fell, you know, fell in love with it and I had, I've still got dogs on my place that are descendants of that dog that I went on my first quail.

[Unknown]

Is that right? Yeah, yeah. How many dogs you keep now? How many bird dogs?

[Steve Rinella]

The bird dogs. I, me and my buddy Phil, he's actually training on, on some right now. But I've got a, I got one wire haired dog that, that is mine that I've done everything on. And then we've got two, two pointers because I sold, sold one, so just some guys that needed one.

[Unknown]

Did you ever get into squirrel dogging?

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, I went and I had, we had some dogs. You know, we, we did a whole lot of that riding on like horseback riding. Shooting with like squirrel.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Oh really?

[Steve Rinella]

With a dog. And we did a lot of. Was a lot of fun. We had friends that had a. One really good dog and. But I never had. I never really had any that I can think of. Not on purpose, you know.

[Unknown]

And then you do you use your same dogs for waterfowl hunting dog.

[Steve Rinella]

I have those. Yeah. I have a versatile hunting dog that those draw tires. It's just the German bred wire hairs are. All of them will get in the water. But those are specifically, you know made to do everything. Like they've been breeding them pretty tight for a long time.

[Unknown]

You know, everybody's been training up their dogs to do now which kind of like bums me out but it kind of makes me jealous. Is got all these dogs now finding morels, man.

[Steve Rinella]

Now how do they. Yeah, that, that's interesting.

[Unknown]

These little tin looks like a chew tin with a bunch of holes in it. Put some morels in there.

[Steve Rinella]

So you want a point dog on that. You don't want. You don't want to flush though.

[Unknown]

I wish it was. It's like just yet another thing that demystifies the morale. Yeah, but it's yet another thing that demystifies the morale. Like them learning to cultivate morel should be illegal. Should be illegal to find them with a dog. But since it's not not, it's killing me that I don't have one of them dogs. My brother Danny went out hunting morels and he said they filled a bucket with a dog and he says dude, if that wild dog wasn't there, it would have been like. It would have been like a two or three. It would have been a two or three more l day.

Really?

Yep.

[Steve Rinella]

There's probably.

[Unknown]

He's a big mushroom hunter. He said there would have been yet another two or three morel search. He said the dog is like bing, bing, bing, bing.

[Steve Rinella]

You know, there's a bunch of gun. Gun shy dogs that you could probably turn into a morale dog. That's probably a good job for a bunch of sensitive dogs.

[Unknown]

I'm wondering if my dumb little dog.

[Steve Rinella]

Could probably take that out my kids.

[Unknown]

That's a nice dog.

[Evan Falker]

Knew how you talked about it wouldn't do for you.

[Unknown]

Well, here's what the dog does do. Like it finds. That dog is very good at finding red squirrels. And once it finds one and sees it, it's not leaving. But it doesn't notify you that it found one. So the morel dog that my brother Danny was out with doesn't notify you that it found a morel. It just stops doing anything and it stays there. He said you could probably teach it to bark. I don't know. I don't know if you can teach dogs to bark.

[Steve Rinella]

It's hard.

[Unknown]

But he said that dog just finds morale after morale after morale after morale.

[Evan Falker]

That's cool.

[Unknown]

I know. I kind of. It's like. But then you're keeping a dog for 50 weeks, for two weeks of action. Yeah.

[Steve Rinella]

He could have a second job.

[Evan Falker]

Some people just like having a dog.

[Unknown]

Because where are you gonna put it the rest of the time? Where are you gonna keep it the 50 weeks out of the year that you're not hunting much on your couch? This is an ad by BetterHelp. There's always been a stigma against guys seeking therapy for any kind of help. I think that's starting to change a lot as people realize that. That, like, seeking out therapy for problems you have can be pretty productive. Take something like this, like workplace stress. Like workplace stress can be enormous. And if you don't have anybody to talk to you about it and you don't feel like burdening your own family with your thoughts or anxieties about that kind of stuff, go talk to someone else. Right. To hear you out and give you a good, rational, dispassionate, objective view on what you're thinking and how you're dealing with it. Okay. BetterHelp has over 30,000 therapists. The world's largest online therapy platform. It works, too, because it's got an App store rating of 4.9 based on over 1.7 million client reviews. Better helps convenient, too. You can join a session with a therapist at the click of a button, helping you fit therapy into your busy life. Plus, you switch anytime. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Our listeners get 10% off their first [e-mail] Meater that's better help. H E L P.com Me Eater so tell me, tell me, tell me what's going on. Tell me what Give me some. Give. Give everybody some turnpike troubadours.

[Steve Rinella]

We put out a record is. Which was kind of a quick turnaround for us. We put out a record in April.

[Unknown]

What makes a quick turnaround?

[Steve Rinella]

Less than two years.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Steve Rinella]

You know, or sometimes we've gone like six or seven years between records. So that. That's pretty speedy.

[Unknown]

I was surprised. So when you guys made this album, I was surprised. You go in and and you kind of like. It's like a very intense two weeks and you come in like you got your ideas and your basics, but you're really like building it over two weeks.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, it's like a. Got a pretty good shell of a song and like an idea and. Exactly. You know, sometimes I'll have a lot of lyrics and just be sort of trimming them and just editing. And then sometimes it's. I come because like, sometimes in those high pressure situations, if you don't have to come up with just tons of material where you're just buried in like feeling like you're not going to make it, you can come up with one idea and complete it really quickly. And it's a good, you know, it has been in the past for me a good, good idea, like a good song. So yeah, we, we went in with just like iPhone recordings of 80% of it, 90% of it, and would just walk in the studio and flesh it out and play it, you know, and hopefully I didn't have to sing it that day. So I could. I'd sing like a rough track or hum of verse or whatever and then I'd go back and make sure that the lyrics were exactly how I wanted them.

[Unknown]

And then. I hadn't asked you about this till now. I was kind of waiting till now about the. You'd contact me at one point and you were looking for a picture of a deer in velvet for the album cover. Yeah, I never said why.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, it was. So there's like there are some animal images in that song. It's called on the Red river. And I thought we were looking for themes for artwork while we were in the studio. And I thought, well, what the hell, you know, so let's just put these images up. And like I mentioned a kelpie dog in that song, which is kind of a. Not the most well known animal in the world. And so I thought, well, I'll put one on the COVID So when people ask what it is.

[Unknown]

It'S easy.

[Steve Rinella]

It's easy on the COVID Yeah. And then I thought, well, I'll build off that, you know, and we've. So we used the imagery from that, that stuff and put it, put it there and sort of like an old, like kind of like the Wild America, like filter on it.

[Evan Falker]

Yeah, like the Marty stuff.

[Steve Rinella]

It looks like. Yeah, it looks like a Marty Stouffer stuff.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I got it. Yeah. And then that's been. That's out and everybody can go check it out. You guys are going to start touring soon.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, we'll go on like a real tour. We're going to do some stuff in. In the UK and then we come back over here and we do. I want to say it's. I told you it was more dates than it is. I think it's 20 something dates all over the US so.

[Unknown]

So if you want to come check out.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, there should. It should be something to see.

[Unknown]

Dude, I'm going to make one of them. I'm gonna make one of those dates work and come out.

[Steve Rinella]

Hell yeah.

[Unknown]

So my wife's dying to come see you guys.

[Steve Rinella]

It'll be fun and I'll go along.

[Unknown]

So I'm gonna fly out and check out one of the shows, try to.

[Steve Rinella]

Let you know what's the ones that I know are best sonically or best to hang out in.

[Unknown]

Oh yeah, I don't want to catch you got like some town with a bunch of cousins and stuff in it. I need to. I need to find time where there's no one gonna be no cousins.

[Steve Rinella]

No cousins allowed.

[Unknown]

Yeah, man, I want to come see it bad. So you guys are going to Europe. Sometimes you tour and you're with other bands, but your tour is going to be like a turnpike troubadour tour.

[Steve Rinella]

This will be our headline, like.

[Unknown]

Headline tour? Yeah, when you go to Europe, you go. You do. You're part of a broader thing.

[Steve Rinella]

Yeah, we'll do a few headline and bar shows over there and then we'll be opening for Zach Bryant who's draws huge over there.

[Unknown]

Got it, got it. And you brought like a ukulele with you?

[Steve Rinella]

No, it's an old cool cowboy guitar. It's like a Marty Robbins. It's a Martin guitar. It's pretty cool.

[Unknown]

Yeah, tell me about that, man.

[Steve Rinella]

It's like a 40s model Martin that my. A guy that works with me named Sherman had this guitar and he said, hey you. You should start using that because it's easy. Easy to fly with. And then I. He wound up selling it to me. But it's a. I think Marty Robbins played one of these on some of those recordings.

[Unknown]

So it's your traveling guitar.

[Steve Rinella]

But yeah, it's just one I take. Can take everywhere because it's so small.

[Unknown]

Got it. Now you're gonna play some. Yeah, you can play the Red River.

[Steve Rinella]

I think so. I think that would be appropriate.

[Unknown]

And I got a mic camera.

Before you start, gotta tell you something funny. I've walked next to a million dudes singing a million songs out in the woods. It was so weird to hear dudes Singing a song who's like, like. Like really like a singer. Because I'm always like, yo, Neon, eat your money.

[Evan Falker]

Yeah, there's a lot of that that goes on these shoots.

[Unknown]

And you're like, sure, be nice to have a real singer here. I was like, take it away, Evan. I'll take a break for an hour, you sing us a little something.

[I]

There's a mid July white tail in velvet red as your old Chevrolet.

[Unknown]

And.

[I]

I was 16 when you wrecked it and we were lucky we both walked away. You could day work and scrape out a living. The work for which you had been born. You were quick with a laugh and forgiven and tied hard and fast to the horn. We had kelpies and good quarter horses we had wheat pasture, yearlings tied down you learn pain is the price of admission. And you're never done paying it down. Back on the Red river not hard to remember when your daddy would never get old Well, I saw the world from up on your shoulders I remember the view. When you live like we do Death doesn't leave with the best part you. On days off we'd help out our neighbors when we worked and we sweated for free and you'd earned every drink with your labor I'd sleep on your front seat too free and you'd call it a cure for a snake bite. You'd reach for a fifth of Old crow? Some medicine should get your head right. But when the symptoms were starting to show. Back on the red river not hard to remember when your daddy would never get old. I saw the world from up on your shoulders I remember the view. When you live like we do Death doesn't leave with the best part of you.

[Unknown]

Sam.

[I]

Cars lined up down the driveway. Haven't really been gone for two years. And I'd be on my third on a good day down the last bottle deer this Saturday started without you And I knew before I got the call. Now the red July bucks are in velvet. I'll tell you all about them this fall. Back on the red river not hard to remember when your daddy. We would never get old Well, I saw the world from up on your shoulders I remember the view. When you live like we do Death doesn't leave with the best part of you gotta look at the world from up on your shoulders And I remember the view. When you live like we do Death doesn't leave with the best part of.

[Unknown]

You all right, ma'.

[Conrad]

Am.

[Evan Falker]

Hey, it's good.

[Unknown]

Thanks, dude. All right. Catch them when they head out on the road. Turnpike troubadour is heading out when?

[Steve Rinella]

I think in July. It's in July.

[Unknown]

Coming up. Yep, coming up. Okay. Oh, this thing. I. I gotta, I gotta do my own little deal here. Oh. So season three, this is hot from Corinne. Season three of our kids podcast, Meat Eater Kids is out. So if you don't remember, the Way Me Eater Kids Podcast works is it's a three act show. There's like a history lesson, wildlife lesson. Whatever comes out in the beginning, I've done them. Clay's doing around right now. So it's like history and wildlife according to clay. Act 2 is for your kids. We start building that. We find animals that have like a wide, wide array of vocalizations and we start laying in the vocalizations like real recordings of real animals doing vocalizations. We start giving clues until you build up until where kids guess them. So if your kid's real smart, he'll guess it right away. If he needs help, it'll take him a while to guess. You can tell it's a way to suss out how well your kid's doing in his outdoor education. Then three, it's kids trivia. So kids, a gang of kids doing kids trivia. The objective is to for them to work together to work up a pot of money which goes to a conservation outdoor conservation group that benefits kids. So that, that's the Kids podcast. Season three is out now. The sea. The season dropped on June 30th. You can get episode two out today. So go listen and subscribe on the new Meat Eater Kids podcast feed and then go buy your tickets to go see Turnpike Troubadours. Now when you get your bear rug back, you can have that all laid out on stage. Is it going to tour with you?

[Steve Rinella]

It's too nice to take on the road.

[Unknown]

Okay, it's not on the road. So when you go, don't be surprised when you don't see a new bear rug. Doesn't mean he ain't got one. Evan Falk, return Bike Tubular. Thanks for going on the show, man.

[Evan Falker]

Thanks, Evan, buddy.

[Unknown]

Get your gear packed right? And blow your air mattress up, but don't pop it. Thanks.

[Lake Pickle]

Ever wonder what happened to the hundreds of thousands of buffalo that used to call the eastern United States home? Or what caused the rise and fall of bobwhite quail? Backwoods University, hosted by me, Lake Pickle is the latest addition to the Bear Grease Feed on Meat Eaters Podcast network. Together we'll seek out a deeper understanding of wildlife, wild places, and the people who dedicate their lives to conserving both. After all, you can't love what you don't understand. Search beargrease on Apple, iHeart, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. And hit that follow button to enroll in Backwoods University.

[Unknown]

Now this is an iHeart podcast.