Steve and Clay Talk Wolf Trapping

[@stephanievaladez4882]

Trapping is a sacred tradition in my opinion. It's an awesome skill and I'm proud to teach it.

[@mtnman6942]

A very tough subject to publicly discuss. When I first watched your wolf trapping video it took me back to the early 1980’s when I carried traps and pelts for my buddies that worked their trap lines, and being a deckhand on commercial fishing boats on BC’s coast. I didn’t even give it a thought until I saw that you were discussing it in this video. Thank you for handling this sensitive subject in a way that only Meateater could respond. Thanks from a 69 year old outdoorsman. 👍

[@dillon26]

Two bonus drops as of late? Hell yea

[@jameshawkins5707]

Can we make this bonus drop a regular thing! This I like!

[@fishnwildlife]

I like these deeper dive, story follow-ups. Good stuff.

[@bruceking2574]

Clay, I hope you don't feel any remorse about the video! It was great!! Dedication and hard work and it's legal. People who don't know or understand will never get it. I wouldn't do it but i hav turned soft in my 70's on killing most critters except the one that taste sooooo goooood, which leaves me with a lot of options. GREAT VIDEO!

[@bunttom9007]

Just like the Foxworthy episode, Steve one on one with a guest is the best podcasting you guys have done.

[@tysonrobertson8824]

Excellent podcast with some great points mentioned. Thank you for talking about this and sharing your thoughts!

[@iankeever15]

Steve talking about intellectual dishonesty is gold.

[@user-yr6gy7mh3q]

My favorite episodes are these style, post episode interviews.

[@jero1918]

Hey everyone who likes hunting. Join HOWL! Help fight these environmental extremists. Wolves need managed. Thank you guys for discussing one of the best practices for wolf management.

[@tomwinterfishing9065]

He’s a good lad, Clay. Love all of his content. Plus I own the only ‘Believer’ cap in England 😏👌

[@alejandrooreilly5404]

loving rhis new pod cast steve

[@carterwgtx]

I’ve always liked MeatEater because of the lack of “bro culture” and bloodthirstiness (for lack of a better way to describe it) that so much outdoor media has. Most places it’s all about the trophy rack, or how they laid out the food plot to attract the perfect animal. On properties with so many trail cameras they’ve literally picked out the animal they want to kill at the beginning of the show with deer densities so high supplimental feed is required to prevent starvation. All that other stuff contributes to the intellectual dishonesty you described. This shows real approach to the animal and the place is very refreshing even if I don’t always agree.

[@mgb1974]

Great high level discussion Gents.

[@mattkane2178]

Brilliantly executed

[@mikewyd53]

The problem with the re-introduction of wolves in the Rockies is twofold: 1) there were native wolves already there, that were completely in tune with that environment. 2) the wolves that were reintroduced are McKenzie Valley wolves, a much larger and pack focused sub species. Canis Lupis Irremotis, the native subspecies, were smaller and did not run in large packs. They were not very vocal and extremely shy, so did not provide viewing opportunities or marketing opportunities for animal rights groups. The entire program was about money and votes

[@PSSKDerby]

Great video guys!!!

[@Frank-kc3xs]

Visit northwest Wyoming and let’s walk elk trails that are void of elk tracks. Let’s go on the beartooth and glass willow flats that void of moose. Deer habitat that used to have deer . Then tell yourself how great the wolves are

[@wuhan8014]

Bullshit. Drama queen over here.

[@brettprice5600]

That was a stupid reply. That situation occurred because the wolves were not managed.@@wuhan8014

[@Nathan-jw2ul]

Nope he's right wolves kill just to kill. They'll kill an animal and just leave the whole thing just to go and kill another one. There's a reason they we almost extinct. It wasn't for meat or fur it's because they were killing machines depleting our resources. There can't be a balance of predator and prey in this day and age we've infringed on that.

[@JakeM25]

​@@wuhan8014because you've been there 🤡

[@joshgibbs6878]

Wolves are supposed to be in North America we just need to figure out how to manage them and find balance.

[@samsmith7150]

Great video Clay!!!

[@emilrernst]

So relevant in todays world. Wolves are a highly touchy subject in Denmark as well these days. They got killed off in 1813 but then reappeared in 2012. The EU has a total ban on wolf hunting and the numbers are rising everywhere. There is only 29 wolves in DK at the moment but they do have positive effect on deer numbers. The Roe deer, Fallow deer and Red deer haven't been affected by natural predation since 1813 - so the management has fallen to the hunting community ever since - which isn't effective enough. Only the red fox has been able to take some young. It's ''funny'' how similar and important the wolf topic is across the pond - more of these difficult management questions are highly welcomed! :)

[@dimensionsofearth]

Steve mentioned seeing wolves eating rotten salmon. I learned wolves actually prefer rotten salmon and often drag the dead fish into the woods so it can decay before returning to feed. Something about fresh salmon meat makes felines and canines sick.

[@danielrandolph9170]

My feelings is the wolf needs to be manage trapping and hunting !!! The livestock ranchers they have to prove their livestock kill was a wolf kill & that pretty tuff in most cases & if they can it takes up to 6mo to get reimburse for that livestock kill .& in some places the fishing & game needs to put a bounty the wolf !! Yall stay safe

[@stuffnsuch631]

Livestock needs reimbursed at 3 time the cost of market value. A living livestock is growing asset and is self managing. However when it becomes dead, there's alot of cost associated with replacement and reestablishing into an asset. There's not only a 3000$ cow but the trucking, tagging, vaccination, isolating, managing the animal to insure it will safely become a part of the herd and not just run away through fencing. It's not like a truck but more like an employee of the business.

[@joshgibbs6878]

​@@stuffnsuch631by that logic a rancher should charge grazing fees for every elk deer and antelope that runs across his place.

[@benagain7617]

Clay needs to give Steve just as much grief as Steve dishes out to Clay!

[@GregoryMcConnor]

When people say that their trapping helps the rancher, or protects their neighbors pets, they aren't "being intellectually dishonest" and implying that those are the entire purpose behind why they trap... They are just making an argument that they think will appeal to the people who say that they shouldn't be doing what they enjoy doing. Saying "they should go fix fencing if they only want to help ranchers" IS being intellectually dishonest... They aren't saying "I trap because I enjoy helping the ranchers." They're saying "I enjoy trapping. And I can help the ranchers by doing what I enjoy."

[@chiefskip8093]

Check out Clark McGayhe in Australia,trapping wild dogs.

[@craigcampbell7755]

Excellent perspective, and analysis of a very dynamic and important topic. I believe the science when they say it is important to have apex predators on the landscape. We as hunters are, quite possibly, the ultimate, apex predator. It would be a shame to see the ultimate apex predator off the landscape. (I live in Washington, and they've effectively removed us (hunters) off the landscape in a lot of cases. i.e spring bear hunts- hound hunting- baiting- and most trapping

[@mzanziman9150]

30min ago shoutout from Cape Town south africa 18h30

[@squatch2461]

Y'all were way too balanced and reasonable in this discussion.

[@samuel-nq6he]

Why

[@christopherch7307]

👍🐿👍awesome video

[@stuffnsuch631]

It would be nice to see interviews or conversations with people that actually live out amidst the ranges of wolves and grizzly. I suppose i assumed that meat eater crew would have an experience that would mirror that of farmers , ranchers, homesteads but I can see how that would be inaccurate. They would be quite similar to tourists that only dip their toe into the sea and claim they seen the ocean. Referencing Alaska that majorily uninhabited by humans to other areas where folks are making a living off the land isnt overly compatible. It appears that side of the conversation is lacking in the discussion. Its often a " it would be nice, but... Not in my backyard" however most places is some nice families back yard.

[@joshgibbs6878]

Alot of people in Alaska make their living off the land, they just do it in a different way, something much closer to the way the American Indian lived off the land, harvesting the fruits of fully functioning ecosystems. We should have modeled that in the lower 48.

[@bountyhuntharvest8729]

To me all the animals I hunt are sacred and the hunting of them is sacred and I am only sacred when I'm hunting

[@Clayman5577]

Trap - hunt- fish - live Only 3 reasons to speak. Kind , honest , nessesary. Life really is that simple . Anything that takes a battery , any person with a pen can complicate our wild world .

[@ggray19]

Some might call it intellectual dishonesty, but the attempt to speak to someone in their language/logic is full of pitfalls... but you're more likely to get the opposition to some middle ground with subtlety and describing motivations that hopefully speak to them more effectively than the reality of yours/ones comfort with the "conservation of wildlife" called hunting/trapping. I had a co-worker who showed some concern (I think to impress a girl) about not killing/eating a cow/beef being auctioned off for a local school organization, because "they" wanted to preserve the life of the animal at some form of reservation he had in mind. I explained the quickest way to decimate the population of cattle worldwide is to stop eating/consuming them altogether, and that before he dump this animal with someone to care for until it dies "naturally" presumably, he'd need to also need to include a bag of cash to cover the care for the next decade or two. I genuinely believe that would be the case, but it's also borders on intellectual dishonesty maybe, as what I really wanted to tell him involved how tasty that animal would be, and my plan for every cut. That said, who was being more intellectually dishonest? And is being intellectually uniformed a better place/approach? And how best is it to try and reach these folks?

[@stanleyshelby7460]

Steve, you have a really bad habit of interrupting someone speaking just because something came to mind-even on the Trivia 10 question Quiz. Try remembering what it was that was so important and waiting a bit until you can then submit it or say that reminded me of...whatever! Be courteous...thx.

[@theoriginalgangster2677]

That made only half sense too. just sayin

[@spencer1854]

Would like to hear from Steve and/or Clay on why they believe trapping of any kind is ethical or humane.

[@matthewseabolt7342]

Most jurisdictions, if not all of them, require traps w pads. padded traps don't cut into the legs so non-target animals can be released without harm. In my state of Georgia where foxes are still trapped, you can spring the trap on your finger and release it. It doesn't feel good but its far from damaging anything

[@sharkfin154]

Trapping is really the only practical way to harvest many species. Plus we have the best management practices that have shown us what types of traps are effective while leaving little to no damage to a creature.

[@to8860]

How do 4 wolves even pay for his fuel costs?

[@GregoryMcConnor]

They probably don't. Clay said his real business is crabbing. I'm sure it's comparable to somebody paying for a week long fishing trip that costs them more for the trip than they bring home in fish.

[@donavanmiller3824]

Hunting ground squirrels helps because when the cow breaks its leg in a hole, all that feed and work to get the animal to that point is useless when you have to destroy the animal because it’s lost it’s value in market. Steve is very informed on many things but ranching is not his strong suit 😂

[@DanGross9]

Great discussion. Thanks guys.

[@joshgibbs6878]

I've worked on large ranches and been around cattle all my life and I have to really contemplate if I can remember an instance of a cow breaking their leg in a prairie dog or goffer hole. It's really just a misnomer that gets spouted out by people who don't know any better.

[@rorynelson7548]

Man ya know the Coyotes haunt my dreams knowing they're out there killing fawns and injured deer, I could not even imagine having to deal with wolves. I believe humans are part of the balance of nature as long as we are balanced which is the job of DNR, GFP, whatever agency. We are part of the chain

[@DavidS-xg7il]

You're wrong, bringing light to what we do only brings negative pressure.

[@jrad9582]

I disagree, if we stay silent, then people who are categorically opposed to hunting, fishing, and trapping control the narrative. It's like chess, if you lose the initiative you come closer to losing the game with every move.

[@Nightman2152]

Nuke flexing with a copy of a book on bears that hasn't been released in the background. Everybody check out "Wild sports in the far west" Mr Newcomb knows a thing or two about picking books.

[@1bobharvey]

My personal opinion when it comes to hunting and trapping opinions for the general public is simple. It's an old attage your mother probably told you as a child "if you dont have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut". A lot of people seem to have strong opinions about a thing they understand nothing about. The only way to change that is to be well informed and politley correct thier ignorance. But more over, educating people as to the real reasons why you do what you do makes it a lot more palatable for john q public than when all they hear is disney and peta screaming "meat is murder" ect.

[@AaronPineyTree]

I think we have hang ups on predators because we are predators. We see ourselves as predators and seeing one is special bc we see ourselves. When we hunt them, we need to justify it, but truthfully as predators, we don't like competition. I think it's instinct and tribal.

[@dustinwaldron2010]

Michigan legislators have entered the chat 🤦🏽

[@flatsquatch]

He could have made it a one hour film...it was only 29min! Well watch or listen to a 2hr show...why edit out good content,..for brevity sake?😮

[@TheCimmerian6]

Why?

[@dannykass26]

You mean why have this elaborate podcast to basically reiterate “we make money off social media so stop bashing it”

[@TheCimmerian6]

@@dannykass26 Pretty much

[@dannykass26]

@@TheCimmerian6 I really wanted to hear about wolf trapping and instead had to listen to a proxy argument between the Rinella brothers. Hunting and trapping used to be fun

[@flatsquatch]

Clay's voice and his appearance don't match up.....

[@Eric-dr5bj]

Wolf hunting/trapping is a hard subject to morally justify. Other than the management of the species and to a lesser extent the fur, demand seems to be very low.

[@sharkfin154]

Even if it's low, it's still all being used.

[@ronperkins1687]

Wolves in Alaska always have value!

[@stuffnsuch631]

I think if you viewed it as predator vs predator and how they manage each other you may see it through a different lense. Like the grizzly eating black bears or the mountain lion getting taken out by wolves or the grizzly taking a harvest from a human, there's a push and pull war that's constantly in flux over the lands resources.

[@manuelwebe]

"Troffic cascades are a bogus concept" -Steven Rinella. Wow! This is the prime example of ignorance being the mother of all problems in human society. Hunters are in urgent need of some good ecological education for sure.

[@manuelwebe]

I appreciate the honesty of Clay about his experience trapping wolves. However, his rationale about killing lots of white-tailed deer (WTD) and killing wolves being the same but being taken out of context by society is understandable and appealing, but fundamentally false. As an animal ecologist, I can tell you that there is a huge difference in killing both species. WTD has been favored and benefited by humans as a species. The species is overabundant in most of North America as a result of agriculture, habitat change, and "management" favoring their population increases for human hunting. Wolves, on the other hand, had been exterminated in most of North America, and where they do exist (such as most of Canada Alaska, and some lower 48 states) are treated as varmints and heavily hunted and trapped for "management". Overabundant WTD are literally changing ecosystems in many lower 48 states by overbrowsing, dispensing invasive plant species, and increasing disease transmission at the ecosystem level (such as Lyme disease and many rickettsioses). Reintroduced wolves in Yellowstone, on the other hand, are bringing balance to an ecosystem that was completely out of ecological stability because humans exterminated wolves from it in the 1920s-1930s.

[@matthewseabolt7342]

Agreed however he's not trapping in Yellowstone. And in many areas wolves are overpopulated (i.e. parts of Minnesota)

[@rowdyhoundsman]

I agree with Mathew. Yellowstone is absolutely over populated with wolves and it has devastated the ecosystem rather than bringing it in balance.

[@Soondite71]

Yep. That’s pretty much what he said in the rest of the podcast.

[@FederalPacificEh]

Northern Minnesota is definitely getting overpopulated by wolves, but it was kind of sad to see so many “hunters” blame the wolves for so many deer dying over last years harsh winter. We had so many deer literally starve, we fed them but it wasn’t enough and the bigger does pushed the fawns away from the feed. We need population control for both, but not like some think.

[@HaNsWiDjAjA]

When it comes down to it, hunters will of course prefer for prey species like caribou and moose to be somewhat overpopulated. If that meant keeping the number of wolves lower than whats naturally the norm then so be it. After all we are introducing artificial population pressure on caribou and moose by hunting them, it only made sense that we relieve some of that too by removing a few wolves. We need to be honest that all human activity on this planet will result in some disruption to nature. We kill billions of insects and rodents on our farmland every year so that we dont have to compete with them for the crops we want to eat. That is the same logic with managing wolf numbers. And the wolves themselves are instinctually programmed to eliminate competition as well. Since they were introduced to Yellowstone they have wiped out half of the park's coyotes and driven the cougars away from the productive valleys into the mountains. You might say that is just restoring the natural state of things, but does that mean that wolves has more right to the environment than human hunters? After all its hunters who fund a massive chunk of conservation effort in this country by buying tags. Shouldnt their interest matter a lot more than some utopian dream of undisturbed wilderness?

[@Ru4mx2]

So let me get this straight you think it’s a good idea to hunt animals to extinction not for me not for survival but for money. How well did that work out when we started hunting to Buffalo to extinction for the fur And the star of the American Indian. No real Hunter does that the person who has wolves for the thrill or for the belt is not a hunter he’s a psychotic murder asshole. For the record I have nothing for it against hunting for the meat but when you’re just hunting for the first, you’re not a real hunter.

[@joshgibbs6878]

No hunter wants to hunt anything to extinction because if his prey is extinct then he can no longer hunt it and thus he will go extinct.

[@graylobo133]

I guess dog trapping is fine too.

[@Soondite71]

Good point and cats. Feral dogs and cats are detrimental to wildlife.

[@jono.3000]

Feral cats are an ecological nightmare in Australia, and pretty much every major city is trapping/catching strays.

[@jacobvarner9022]

Wild dogs I see no problem. Wild cats I see no problem.

[@joshgibbs6878]

Totally fine

[@Ru4mx2]

Jesus Christ I am tired of the self-righteous assholes with sticks up their ass. Do they really believe they know more than God do they believe they know more than nature every time humans have been involved with nature it is never worked out well for nature it’s not our job to regulate nature balances itself out without humans. If you feel you have to murder an animal not for meat or survival, but for the thrill, then you’re a psychotic asshole and your friends and family should be concerned about their safety as well as society because you are a problem people who hunt for food Know how to live with nature to murder an animal, for the thrill means you have a psychological disorder

[@jacobvarner9022]

Good thing it wasn't just for the thrill. It was guys lively hood trapping, making money selling furs on a renewable resource. Quit letting feelings get in the way

[@joshgibbs6878]

Well humans are a part of not apart from nature we have a place in our ecosystems.

[@Bad.Pappy.Official]

As a professional meateater, hunter, outdoorsman, and model citizen, leave the wolves alone. It’s bad karma not to. 🐺

[@kylehamilton77]

Aren’t you full of yourself.

[@matthewseabolt7342]

What is a professional meateater?

[@wakeabyss]

A hunter and an outdoorsman that doesn’t understand wildlife management? The wolves are a menace here in Alaska. Moose and caribou populations are suffering because of the wolves and grizzlies.

[@ronperkins1687]

@@kylehamilton77big time he is!

[@jacobvarner9022]

It's renewable, the guy makes his living doing it. Get over it

[@joe-5D]

RIP Wolf

[@primal.outback7036]

Shame.. unsubscribed

[@ronin0096]

Genuinely curious for what reason?

[@mzanziman9150]

Why?

[@bruceking2574]

Awesome video, legal and a lot of work. See ya

[@thew8belt169]

Bye, Felicia.

[@Soondite71]

FEELINGS. Sucks to only be guided by them.