Should Yellowstone's Buffalo Roam Free? | The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 643

[@tylerdurden4377]

Love to listen to Meateater on Spotify during work. Fantastic show. Also Rinella appearing on Joe Rogan is a must listen for sure

[@Dream-season]

Are you zero hedge?

[@damiankildare9230]

As a PA resident, I'd like to see elk throughout the state (not just the small central region) as well as upstate NY (ADKS region). No doubt there would be serious competition with whitetail for habitat.

[@fishduckdog]

Same for Minnesota.

[@user-sj1kq5kb2l]

I cannot find the episode you mentioned where you talked to the representative from the American Prairie reserve. I would like to listen to it. Can you provide a link to it?

[@shawnrasmussen9994]

It would be great if they could call them game animals and start seeding them into the checker board land

[@isaac.m.martin]

Love the podcasts, thank you for the insights and education they provide.

[@alexandercluster3003]

Haven’t watched this yet but I know it will be a good one. This is one of the most heated debates in all of the wildlife/hunting/conseravtion space. Cowboys vs conservation. That’s what it really should be called.

[@JamesClark-lw6sw]

BULLSH*T.

[@JaydanMueller]

I’d rather have cowboys across the west than subdivisions and development

[@alexandercluster3003]

I’d rather have Bison and no humans.

[@osar2870]

@@alexandercluster3003no humans? You wouldn’t exist so why would it matter to you?😂

[@Sean-i4r]

I just wish the government would stock the whole country with Buffalo

[@JamesClark-lw6sw]

Not possible unless you want to be a vegan or live only on fish ,chicken and pork.

[@tinosmo1]

@@JamesClark-lw6swor buffalo lol

[@chickenfishhybrid44]

Wouldnt last. Idk why some seem to think we can recreate the state of the US before Europeans got here but also basically keep our modern living standards and habits. Fantasy shit

[@W4114C3]

I wish the government would go pound sand

[@ufknsuk]

Leave the Billy goats alone

[@TylerLoftis-e9y]

Got bison here in Florida too

[@fishduckdog]

Awesome podcast! Thanks for having him on! You guys are doing an amazing job rounding out 2024 with some very interesting guests! Thanks for all you do to educate the masses! Happy 2025!

[@thejrayhjr]

Crazy listening to the podcast for 30 minutes, hearing the guest finally talk.

[@graywoodfoxwell1931]

I think that is just their general formula. The guys catch up and talk some shop, and then they dive into it with the guest. It kind of threw me off at first, but I don't mind it.

[@gregmulfort9577]

First timer?

[@alberk7290]

I could listen to another 2 hours of this conversation! No need to wrap it up.

[@tazmo2004]

Trying to understand the brucellosis thing. If a beef cow is immune after the first infection and that calf is aborted, the immunity isn’t passed to the next calf if the mother is immune?

[@jesseerickson5346]

No

[@jesseolsen7033]

I appreciate what you would be hoping for with free roaming bison. However, there is some bias in your discussion here. With all due respect to the biologist, including into the discussion an expert in zoonotic disease like brucellosis such as a wildlife or ruminant veterinarian would help to clear up some of the misinformation or missing information about disease transmission and the economic risk not just to the rancher but to interstate and US export of beef. The economic impact would be huge. Also, bison can and would intermingle and interbreed (beefalo) with cattle,... elk don't. This creates an issue of who owns what and who can hunt what. Its far more complicated than an "inconvenience".

[@lukeseib4667]

Duck hunting has been banned in Queensland (Australia) for years, all based on emotional decisions, never science.

[@Eric-dr5bj]

That's too bad. Feel free to come to North America to participate. They are well managed and plentiful

[@FryingTiger]

Come to Michigan! Lots of waterfowl to shoot in spring and autumn.

[@dorifuto2280]

I like the banter. But it gets a little long. Let's get to the core. Love it nonetheless thank you

[@fivesevendevin9304]

Hi meateater crew this decision around bison brings up many points particularly in my home state of Oklahoma where we currently have the Wichita Mountains NWR a large number of Hunter managed game including Elk and Deer but Bison are not Hunter managed . All Hunter managed species in the NWR are on draw out only hunts and in limited areas. Bison however are only managed thru being sold off by NWR which understandably brings in revenue for ODWC. But for years hunters and conservationists have been pushing the ODWC for limited draw Bison hunts on the NWR with no prevail. My father has been particularly interested in this subject for as long as I can remember and even been to several ODWC meetings to only bring up this point but never gotten a clear response. I understand this specific NWR is famous for its Bison heard but do not understand the push back for hunter management. Curious on what thoughts y’all might have on the subject?

[@O.P.ROFFROAD]

What does Bruce Willis got to do with elk and bison 🤔

[@loadeddog8015]

Now hunting has always been illegal in Tasmania Australia.

[@danielbroadley3646]

When will you guys make more meat eater episodes on tv

[@saor43]

Who makes the Blaze Orange rope hat that Seth is wearing in this episode?

[@frankiek733]

East Meets West Outdoors. Make Deer Camp Great Again Hat.

[@hatcha6639]

Here's something crazy, a lot of the red snapper or snapper in general at most restaurants, aren't even snapper. They're rock fish

[@oden010]

Have the developers of the Covid vaccine development a brucellosis vaccine

[@zeldarobinson3382]

pay attention to animals movements , it seems to me if the buffalo eep leaving yellowstone maybe the sense something about to happen that we people cant sense , , strange movement of animals and irds should be paid attention to ,

[@chrisdawson3859]

Volcano?

[@littleJohn6500]

if it is public land and you are taking someone there then it's open season. If they are taking everyone and there brother then maybe it's on them or maybe be a better judge of people. I don't care if I take a friend to a spot and they go there again without me on the contrary I hope they do go there that's why I showed them the spot in the first place

[@ricktoriousgamer]

Yea i don't understand the "spot " thing either unless it is privately owned otherwise kick rocks. Someone could be in the area without you completely by coincidence without having been shown, what's the difference?

[@Eric-dr5bj]

I agree. Most animals range is so big that a 'spot' could be an entire valley or mountain. Also they definitely time out after a few years

[@alisonfuchs8593]

Man you guys really don't get hunting culture. Sharing a hunting spot is sacrosanct and you don't ever share it with someone else without explicit permission. You also don't go back and hunt someplace you were shown without express permission. It's a significant aspect of hunting etiquette you all don't seem to understand. I'm a new big game hunter and I know this.

[@osar2870]

@@alisonfuchs8593you don’t understand the concept of public land huh? Man this generation is so entitled, if you want to own a piece of land than you have to buy it yourself

[@alisonfuchs8593]

@@osar2870 I understand the concept of public land likely better than you do. This is an issue of etiquette that your generation doesn't seem to understand. Do your own scouting and put the work in to find your own places to hunt. Don't sponge off other hunters' hard work scouting and actually get out there and find your own area of public land that has game.

[@clemmersmetalworx7012]

Or just get rid of the cattle and produce Bison and Elk . A lot more healthy

[@osar2870]

Yeah I’m sure that would work out well 😂

[@frankjerardenno2678]

Steve can't produce anything 🤣🤘🏽

[@Snowcloister]

Steve's home state of Michigan has restricted elk in Montmorency Township. Several instances a young male bull has broke from the herd and ventured out far south as Wexford county at which time the dnr located the animal and euthanized in order to retain the herd to one location in the state.

[@Dylan-jw8if]

Why aren't there many waterfowl hunters in Australia? Because the water if full of F*cking crocodiles and poisonous snakes!

[@osar2870]

How many people per year are killed from crocodiles and snakes in Australia? It’s much lower than you think

[@Dylan-jw8if]

@@osar2870 Right, cuz they stay out of the dangerous waterways. They aren't wading into creeks and ponds to retrieve ducks or sending their dogs into the water after birds because crocs.

[@mattvaandering]

could you please have another APR guest? i feel like you need to clear the air a little on their project...which i believe is one of the most significant conservation projects in north america, maybe the world

[@Huntnhammer]

Save the Cowboy! Stop the APR

[@robsargeant4737]

🦬

[@carterwgtx]

I can offer the opinion of most Americans - yes. Sorry ranchers, it’s time to share the federal lands in Greater Yellowstone with the wildlife that was there long before your great great grand daddy’s moved out there.

[@JamesClark-lw6sw]

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IT TOOK THE U.S. TO IRRADICATE BRUCELOSIS?

[@JTPhilly15]

To think that you can offer the opinion of MOST Americans on almost anything seems a little misguided. I agree with Steve's point at the end that this feels like there has to be a way to figure this out. But sadly, MOST Americans probably don't care one way or another. While many would agree with the sentiment (much the same way Steve talks about EVERYONE being "pro-conservation" while having wildly different ideas about how to go about it), I still think that far more Americans care more about the price of their beef than they do about buffalo range expansion.

[@carterwgtx]

@@JTPhilly15 If you ask most people (which has been done by the FWS, NPS, and Forest Service - they do opinion polling about this) about buffalo being allowed to roam freely outside of Yellowstone the universal response is yes - where they differ is then, as Steve described, on the details. As for the price of beef or food or pretty much anything, most people don't have a clue about any of that.

[@carterwgtx]

@@JTPhilly15 And I'll cite my source for you as well (because you seem like a reasonable person). Without giving a link you shouldn't click on - google the Tulchin Research memorandum dated January 7, 2015 of 500 registered voters in Montana, the poll was paid for by Defenders of Wildlife, biases aside, the poll was conducted properly.

[@JTPhilly15]

@@carterwgtx thanks for this, that was interesting. I did a poor job in my previous comment. I am not surprised that when asked most people would support expanding the range of buffalo. What I should’ve said previously wasn’t that most people don’t care, it’s that most people don’t care in relation to things that affect their day-to-day lives. If you asked a voter (especially those outside of western states) to rank where this issue falls in terms of priority, it wouldn’t be very high. We just saw a result in the presidential election, however, that was due in no small part to the price of groceries. If a campaign against buffalo range expansion was mounted that stated it would increase the price of beef, I think it would be foolish to discount the power that statement would carry, whether it’s true or not. Ultimately, I’m with you in that I think we should absolutely figure this out. I would love to see more opportunities for buffalo hunting, even if I never have the chance to personally take advantage of those opportunities.

[@outdoorlife9410]

1st va

[@zeldarobinson3382]

Its Public Land and does Not Belong to any specific Hunter , No one has the right to tell anyone where they cant hunt on Public land because thats their spot ,as any game warden, you have no claim on any particular spots , first their stays you move on. and theats are illigal , and yes if you want it your way onX should stop saying where the game is , , greed is a funny thing , you want all the good and to hell with anyone else. and yes Buffalo should roam free , as all wildlife should and all Elk game farmers should be shut down, .

[@jesseerickson5346]

While I love buffalo and elk etc. I like to be able to afford to eat, So no farms should not be shut down.

[@jaysonsorensen594]

Hunting is a sport. It not a managment system. If it were managment. After hard winters the amount of tags would be cut in half, but it isnt. They just allow more and more hunters and blame technology

[@brandonspivey5282]

Two things can be true at the same time. Hunting is one of the best management systems we have now

[@TylerLoftis-e9y]

All the data in the world says otherwise and yet you’re smarter than the people that’s dedicated their lives to said research, incredible how long have you been a wildlife biologist?

[@brandonspivey5282]

@@TylerLoftis-e9y it's crazy that people who have never actually been outside and hunted in their entire life actually believe they know better than some of the greatest minds in the world when it comes to animal behavior and management of their numbers in the wild. And you know the dumbass didn't even watch the video. It's an hour-long podcast that was put out an hour ago. This comment is not even 30 minutes old

[@nra308]

Hunting is a way of life, Hunting is always about food. It's not sport. Stay in your lane HIPPY.

[@brandonspivey5282]

@@nra308 now don't go that far mate. Hunting is a sport for many people. People don't go to Africa and shoot leopards to eat them. A people don't eat taxidermy trophy hunting is a sport and it's okay to say hunting is a sport again. Two things can be right at the same time. Hunting is a wonderful conservation tool because we can coal populations that might otherwise become too bloated and then you have issues with diseases or it's even invasive species like wild hogs that have to be kept in check by us because we introduce them into the United States and then we killed all the big predators. Not that any predator unless it was starving to death is really going to go after a wild hog to begin with. Hogs have become such a problem in States like Hawaii and Texas there's an open season

[@ABACUSMBS]

One Pride

[@hatcha6639]

Here's something crazy, a lot of the red snapper or snapper in general at most restaurants, aren't even snapper. They're rock fish