Darkhouse Spearing with Author Jay Leitch – Modern Carnivore Podcast – (EP:049) In this episode of the Modern Carnivore Podcast Mark visits Jay Leitch at his home in northwest Minnesota. Jay is the author of the only book written on darkhouse spearing through the ice. It’s title “Darkhouse Spearing Across North America” and was last printed in 2001. Jay is the former Dean of the College of Business at North Dakota State University (NDSU). He has a Masters in Natural Resource Management and a PhD in Economics. Jay is a Vietnam War veteran and a passionate darkhouse spearing advocate. Enjoy the ..read more

Chronic Wasting Disease – New Diagnostics from Priogen – Modern Carnivore Podcast – (EP:047) In this episode of the Modern Carnivore Podcast Mark talks with Dr. Peter Larsen and Marc Schwabenlander from the startup diagnostics company Priogen. The company is on the cutting edge of diagnostics and testing for prions. Prions are the misshapen proteins that are the foundation of what’s called Chronic Wasting Disease. This disease affects many deer each year and it’s 100% lethal to the deer that gets it. For these reasons and more, the work being done by this organization is very important to the ..read more

Cecka and Lachelle’s First Turkey Hunt – Modern Carnivore Podcast – (EP:047) This episode of the Modern Carnivore Podcast is brought to you by Drift West. In today’s episode Mark heads to McCall Idaho with two friends who are new hunters. Cecka Parks is the founder of Minneapolis Meat Collective and Lachelle Cunningham is a chef and entrepreneur who wears many hats. They were invited by Ed Anderson to the No Business Lodge in McCall Idaho for a turkey hunt. After the hunt they discussed the experience and how Cecka and Lachelle see hunting in a new light. Get your FREE tickets to see Lach ..read more

Thwack-thwack go the flails on the wild rice I leaned into the long push-pole to send our canoe through the thick beds of wild rice in the creek in front of our hunting shack. The only sounds were the hissing of the rice stalks as they scraped the sides of the canoe and the thwack–thwack of the wooden sticks called knockers, or flails, held by my brother Ben as they gently knocked the rice grains from their stalks. Wild rice stalks standing in water The bottom of the canoe was beginning to fill with the green and magenta-colored grains. We were harvesting the rice in a similar manner to that ..read more

Pheasant Fest – Modern Carnivore Podcast – (EP:046) This episode of the Modern Carnivore Podcast, was done jointly with Rob Drieslein who is the Publisher of Outdoor News. Rob and Mark sit down with Land Tawney who is the President and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers as well as Katie McKalip who is the VP of Communications for the same organization. They caught up at Pheasant Fest 2023 which is an annual gathering put on by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. The conversation is about conservation and the current state of issues in our country. Topics include the Recovering America’s ..read more

Trevor Hubbs – Outdoor Feast Podcast EP:029 On this episode of the Outdoor Feast Podcast, Todd talks with Trevor Hubbs.  Trevor is the director of the Armed Forces Initiative with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.  He is fresh off a trip to the Boundary Waters with a group of service members from this organization.  The vision of the Armed Forces Initiative is “to provide members of the Military community with the knowledge, experience, and passion needed to be fully operational as hunters and anglers in the forest, on the water, and as conservation stewards for habitat and wild ..read more

Rue Mapp of Outdoor Afro – Modern Carnivore Podcast – (EP:045) In this episode of the Modern Carnivore Podcast, Mark is joined by Rue Mapp who is the founder of Outdoor Afro. Rue has a forthcoming book titled Nature Swagger. You can find it on Amazon, or anywhere that books are sold. The Outdoor Afro mission states that they “…celebrate(s) and inspire(s) Black connections and leadership in nature”. Since she was a young girl Rue has loved being in the outdoors. Her father had a ranch north of Oakland, CA where he would hunt, fish and invite others to stay with the family and celebrate life. Sh ..read more

Highbush Cranberries Highbush Cranberries are a native shrub of North America and they thrive primarily in moist forested regions of the northern US (and many parts of Canada). Here in Minnesota they grow in all areas, except for the southwest region of the state. You can find them in the edges of forests, or clearings, but I often find them next to streams or swamps of the north woods. Highbush cranberries (Viburnum opulus var. americanum) aren’t actually cranberries at all. They get their common name from the fruit which has an appearance like that berry which is cultivated and sold in groce ..read more

Fly Fishing the Midwest: The Time is Now Photo by Hansi Johnson. The Myth around Fly Fishing The mythology and hype about fly fishing in America have often been focused on several things.  First, trout are the premium quarry you fish for.  Second, is that good fly fishing is mainly found in the mountainous Western states. You can thank Brad Pitt and the movie A River Runs Through It for that. But what about fly fishing in the Midwest? There are obviously deeper reasons for these stereotypes, for one thing the trout is a worthy adversary. It can be hard to sneak up on a wiley trout ..read more

Self-Reliance – Modern Carnivore Podcast – (EP:043) In this episode of the Modern Carnivore Podcast, Mark sits down with author Clint Emerson. Clint is the author of a book titled The Rugged Life. It’s also referred to as “the modern guide to self-reliance”. We often talk about the different reasons that people are drawn to an outdoor lifestyle, and today’s conversation with Clint is all about self-reliance. Clint is a retired Navy Seal. He’s been in tight spots where you can only rely upon yourself and what you have near you. In this book he focuses on building skills that are part of being ..read more