Bear Grease

MeatEater

The Bear Grease Podcast with host Clay Newcomb delivers compelling storytelling through documentary-style episodes exploring the culture, traditions, and history of rural America. He’ll dive in deep with hunters, biologists, anthropologists, and hillbillies to learn about human nature and our ancient connection to the land. Bear Grease explores unique people, topics, and stories that reveal the incredible value of life lived close to the land. Part of the MeatEater Podcast Network.

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491 episodes
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Episodes491

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Jul 26, 2023 · 1 hr 7 min
Ep. 130: The Mississippi River - The Delta (Part 2)
On this episode of Bear Grease, the second in a series on the Mississippi River, host Clay Newcomb guides you through the story about the settlement of the Mississippi Delta, the people of the area, and the challenges that shaped their identity. We’ll be veering out of the river into its floodplain because, as William Faulkner said, “To understand the world you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” Once again we’ll be leaning on author Hank Burdine, New York Times Best Selling author John Barry, and a new voice to Bear Grease--a dear friend raised in the Delta--Mr. Earl Jasper. This is as unique a Bear Grease episode as we’ve ever made. We really doubt you’re going to want to miss this one! Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 21, 2023 · 24 min
Ep. 129: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Hauling Hay
What do hay hauling, Sunday clothes, and bobwhite quail all have in common? You might not believe it if anyone else told you, but you can believe it when Brent does. It’s summertime in Arkansas and if those cows are gonna eat when it’s cold, someone’s got to be sweating when it’s hot. Well, at least they used too. Join Brent as he navigates hauling hay, the calamity of cooling off before the job is done, and his experiences with how the whole process affects wildlife. There’s some history and wildlife management stuff in this one, but no math. We promise. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 19, 2023 · 1 hr 15 min
Ep. 128: BEAR GREASE [RENDER] - Thalweg, Flintface, Landbridge, and a River Quiz
On this episode of the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb is joined by the usual suspects, Brent Reaves, Misty Newcomb, and Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker, as well as by veteran Terrell “Thalweg” Spencer and Clay’s longtime friend Ryan “Flintface” Greb. The crew talks about Jeremiah Johnson, the finer points of watermelons, a seemingly indestructible bear, and some catfish noodling. Clay also quizzes the crew on their retention of information gleaned from the first Mississippi River podcast episode and discusses everyone’s favorite parts, including the sound of Hank Burdine’s trim switch and the sheer power of waterways. You’ll wanna stick around for some sketchy river stories from the crew. We doubt you’re gonna want to miss this one. Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 14, 2023 · 27 min
Ep. 127: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Know Your Trees!
This week on the show, Brent's drawing on his history in the big woods of Arkansas to make the case that everyone -- from foresters, firewood cutters, hunters, and anyone in between -- ought to know their trees. Join him as he walks you through using tree identification skills to make the most out of his hunts, avoid extra labor in his firewood collecting, and shut up the high school loudmouth. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 12, 2023 · 1 hr
Ep. 126: The Mississippi River - Strong Brown God (Part 1)
On this episode, Clay Newcomb is taking us to what some Native Americans call the river beyond any age and others call the Father of Waters. He’s talking about the Mississippi river. To understand the river and its impact on America takes a diverse cast of storytellers. New York Times best selling author John M. Barry will be our guest, along with author Hank Burdine and a fellow by the name of Will Primos. We'll also be joined by two Army Corps of Engineers: David Biedenharn, a hydraulic engineer, as well as fisheries biologist Jack Killgore. We might even hear the words of Mark Twain and T.S. Elliott. This has been a long time coming and Clay is on a personal journey to understand the significance of this American river on this country and on his life. The current will be swift and muddy, but we really doubt that you're gonna want to miss this one... Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 7, 2023 · 26 min
Ep. 125: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Watermelons
Watermelons? Yep, watermelons. Today on the show, Brent pontificates on the finer points of summer's favorite fruit. Where do they come from? How the heck can you have a seedless watermelon? How do you pick the very best of the bunch? Stick around and Brent is gonna spell it out for you. In the words of self-described watermelon aficionado Clay Newcomb (not a joke), you're not gonna want to miss this one. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 5, 2023 · 1 hr 19 min
Ep. 124: BEAR GREASE [RENDER] - The Final Word on David Crockett
On this episode of the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb is joined by the usual suspects - Brent Reaves, Misty Newcomb, as well as Kristy and Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker. The crew starts off talking about a catastrophic energy that Misty suffered after thinking about sneezing, or maybe long days of quilting, Brent's affinity for Bream, as well as an update on Banjo and whether or not he’ll be up for sale. Afterwards the crew dives into Crockett’s travels through Arkansas on his way to Texas and Davy’s death at the Alamo - as well as an informal poll of the crew’s opinion of how he died. You’ll want to stick around to hear which famous Musician is a die hard Crockett and Alamo collector and enthusiast. We really doubt you’re gonna want to miss this one… Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 30, 2023 · 26 min
Ep. 123: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Bream Fishing
On this week's episode of THE This Country Life podcast, our buddy Brent talks us through one of his absolute favorite things -- bream fishing. He covers everything from catching the little buggers to what may be his real favorite part of the process (that would be eating them). So listen up and get the crickets ready, you're not going to want to miss any of this! Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 28, 2023 · 56 min
Ep. 122: David Crockett - The Alamo (Part 4)
On this week’s episode of Bear Grease, the final episode in our series on David Crockett, Clay Newcomb takes us on a deep dive into Davy’s death at the Alamo. He’ll look not just at the pop culture versions from John Wayne and Walt Disney, but also history’s best understanding of what really transpired. We’ll learn that it was far more important in US history than you might think. Clay talks with Wade Dillon, James Crisp, and of course, New York Times best-selling author, Robert Morgan about what led Crockett to Texas and what really happened at the Alamo. Did Crockett die fighting or was he executed…and why do we care? We really doubt you’re going to want to miss this one… Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 23, 2023 · 21 min
Ep. 121: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Frog Giggin!
Welcome back to This Country Life. This week on the show, our buddy Brent is gonna tell you all about frog gigging, one of his favorite summertime activities. He's gonna cover everything from the end of your spear to the end of your fork. Brent's also gonna touch on regulations, and just what becomes of the folks who throw the regs to the wayside. If you've got a body of water with some bullfrogs near you (and you probably do), you're not going to want to miss this one. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 21, 2023 · 1 hr 6 min
Ep. 120: BEAR GREASE [RENDER] - Nashville Music and Crockett Quiz
On this episode of the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb is joined by the usual suspects - Brent Reaves, Misty Newcomb, Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker - as well as new render guest Andrew Scott Wills, Nashville songwriter and creative force behind Hawken Horse. The crew starts off talking about Andrew’s interest in the American frontier and Mountain as well as what it’s like to be a professional songwriter before he plays a live rendition of “The Ballad of Warner Glenn” a song written by Clay and recorded by Hawken Horse. Afterwards the crew dives into the second edition of the Bear Grease Pop Quiz where they discuss topics like David Crockett’s political nickname, his near death experience in Alabama, and other topics from last week’s episode on Davy. You’ll want to stick around to hear what song the crew closes the show out with. We really doubt you’re gonna want to miss this one… Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 16, 2023 · 22 min
Ep. 119: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Duck Camp Etiquette
Are you a duck hunter? Are you thinking about getting some buddies together for an A-1 guided experience? Well before you go, your buddy Brent -- a former Arkansas waterfowl guide himself -- wants to make sure you get the most out of your trip. On this week's episode, Brent's dropping an abbreviated masterclass on being the best client you can be and having a hunt so good, you and your buddies will be hugging over a pile of greenheads. Just don't hug Brent's brother -- more on that later. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 14, 2023 · 1 hr 13 min
Ep. 118: David Crockett - The Blunder (Part 3)
On this third episode, we’re navel deep into the life of America’s first celebrity backwoodsman, David “Davy” Crockett. We’ve learned there were four Crockett’s known by America – the bear hunter, the soldier, the politician and the martyr at the Alamo. We ended the last episode with Crockett leaving the military, but today things get dicey – Crockett became America’s first famous working class, populist politician. We’ll look into when David Crockett’s wife died, learn of his folksy campaign style, see his feud with Andrew Jackson - and his opposition to Old Hickory’s Indian Removal Act of 1830 - and ultimately see Crockett’s biggest political blunder that eventually lead his death. We’ll even talk with Robert Morgan about Crockett’s influence on Abraham Lincoln. We really doubt you’re going to want to miss this one.... Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 9, 2023 · 23 min
Ep. 117: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - The Power of 'Hello'
This week, our buddy Brent is offering you one of his secrets to making life long friends -- saying hi to strangers. In a world of social media and text messages, there's still a lot of power left in a greeting. You never know who you're saying hi to, or who they might become to you later. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 7, 2023 · 1 hr 24 min
Ep. 116: BEAR GREASE [RENDER] - Squirrel Cook Off and Crockett Quiz
On this week’s episode of the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb is joined by Misty Newcomb, Josh Spielmaker, Brent Reaves, and Joe Wilson, founder of the World Champion Squirrel Cook Off. The crew discusses the history of the Squirrel Cook Off, as well as the cultural significance and implications surrounding hunting and cooking small game. After fleshing out the finer details of, quite possibly, the most important annual event in North America, Clay springs a pop quiz on the crew to discover whether or not they’ve been paying attention - see if you can keep up - and after an intense battle, crowns a victor in a narrow race. The crew then discusses some of their favorite parts of the previous episode which followed the childhood and young adulthood of America’s first celebrity, David Crockett. You’ll also want to stay tuned for Joe telling the story of his Donut Man from his podcast Cooking’ up a Story. We really doubt you’re gonna want to miss this one… Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 2, 2023 · 20 min
Ep. 115: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Squirrel Dogs
A man only gets so many dogs in his life, and picking the right ones is important. Whatever breed of squirrel-treeing, tail-wagging outdoor accomplice you've got your eye on, Brent's gonna tell you the tricks he uses to find the very best pups. On the fence about getting a squirrel dog of your own? Brent's got a couple stories up that might just sway you. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 31, 2023 · 1 hr 6 min
Ep. 114: David Crockett - The Early Years (Part 2)
On the last episode, we learned that David Crockett was America's first celebrity and that his identity was founded on being a bear hunter. We learned that there were four Crocketts that America knew: the bear hunter, the soldier, the politician and the martyr at the Alamo. Today, Clay Newcomb will dive into what he believes was the most important part of his life, his childhood in early life. They didn't put this part of his story on television and make cartoons of it to put on lunch boxes, but this period led him to be a soldier, which we're gonna talk about. We'll hear again from Cornell Professor, Robert Morgan and meet the man who's had one of Crockett's first guns, Betsy, in his family since 1803. We might even hear from the “greatest of all time” Michael Jordan. The way forward is complex. The truth is narrow and elusive, but Crockett's influence on American culture is foundational to learning why we are the way we are. We really doubt you’re gonna want to miss this one… Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 26, 2023 · 22 min
Ep. 113: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Where To Eat On the Road
This week, Brent gives you the low down on how to field judge a restaurant in parts unknown. He also shares a couple stories about when you ought to just buy the whole role of bologna at the deli counter, why you should be suspicious of even your favorite foods on the menu, and how a young man's bad decisions on a night out don't begin and end with what he chooses to quench his thirst. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24, 2023 · 1 hr 15 min
Ep. 112: Bear Grease [Render] - Three or Four Dogs ’til You’re Dead
On this week’s episode of the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb is joined by a veteran cast of characters: Brent Reaves, of This Country Life fame, Michael Rosmond of Sunspot Lights, Ben Lagrone, and Jonathan Webster. The crew dives right in to talking about America’s First Celebrity, David Crockett, dissecting the impact of Disney’s Crockett revival of the 50’s and its lasting effect on the childhood memories and adult identities of (not just) American men, before backing up to cover topic like good hunting dogs and how you’re closer to death than you realize; how to catch a live coon by the tail and what ever happened to Hoot. Clay then steers the conversation back to the Highlights of the previous Crockett podcast as well as what’s to come in the next episodes of this series on one of America’s favorite bear hunters, politicians, and folk heroes. And we bet you’ll wanna stick around to hear Brent and Clay pontificate on the fashion, comfort and practicality of the Bib Overall. I really doubt you’re gonna wanna miss this one… Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 19, 2023 · 25 min
Ep. 111: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Catching Catfish with Trotlines
This week, Brent gives you the low down on setting trotlines for catfish. As traditional as it is effective, trotline fishing has been around forever because it works! Setting one up is something you can do yourself, and Brent's here to walk you through it. He'll also share a cautionary tale about packing for an expedition, and a sad solution to forgotten taters. As Clay Newcomb might say, you ain't gonna wanna miss this one! Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.