Welcome to the final and triumphant chapter of one of the best wildlife comeback stories in the history of North America. From 1200 individual deer in Mississippi in 1929 to over 1.5 million in 2026, this story is one you don't want to miss. Including, the story of a first ever deer hunt on public land that involved over 3300 hunters, a vehicles lined up for miles waiting to check deer in!

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Welcome to the final and triumphant chapter of one of the best wildlife comeback stories in the history of North America. From 1200 individual deer in Mississippi in 1929 to over 1.5 million in 2026, this story is one you don't want to miss. Including, the story of a first ever deer hunt on public land that involved over 3300 hunters, a vehicles lined up for miles waiting to check deer in!
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The Backwoods University Podcast is about wildlife biology and the people who dedicate their lives to wild animals and their habitat. Guided by host Lake Pickle’s curiosity, you’ll hear insights from wildlife biologists and outdoorsmen, while gaining an intimate look at North American wildlife, their habitat, and the undeniable influence the human race has on them. This podcast is an efficient listen where you’ll learn from the experts so you can understand the wild. After all, you can’t love what you don’t understand.

The Backwoods University Podcast is about wildlife biology and the people who dedicate their lives to wild animals and their habitat. Guided by host Lake Pickle&rsquo;s curiosity, you&rsquo;ll hear insights from wildlife biologists and outdoorsmen, while gaining an intimate look at North American wildlife, their habitat, and the undeniable influence the human race has on them. This podcast is an efficient listen where you&rsquo;ll learn from the experts so you can understand the wild. After all, you can&rsquo;t love what you don&rsquo;t understand.

Backwoods University

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.

Bear Grease

Ep. 496: Backwoods University - Mississippi Deer History, Part 2

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/47e8fc74-2dc9-432a-a098-b4b401473dfd/transcript

What would you think of a whitetail deer herd that jumped from 1200 to over 1.5 million in less than 100 years time? That is exactly what happened in the state of Mississippi. We are joined by Mississippi Deer Program Coordinator, William McKinley who knows all the wild tales that make up this incredible wildlife conservation story.

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What would you think of a whitetail deer herd that jumped from 1200 to over 1.5 million in less than 100 years time? That is exactly what happened in the state of Mississippi. We are joined by Mississippi Deer Program Coordinator, William McKinley who knows all the wild tales that make up this incredible wildlife conservation story.
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Ep. 491: Backwoods University - Mississippi Deer History

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1c5692cc-bc7b-47c6-b190-b4a601735687/transcript

It's not every day that we see brand new hunting season get put into existence. This coming October the state of Louisiana will be having it's first ever hunting season for black bellied whistling ducks. It's an exciting time for hunters, but there's a much bigger story at play here. The black bellied whistling duck is historically a tropical species that occupied mostly central and south America. What are the implications of it expanding it's range into much of the southern and eastern U.S? Also, can a hunting season potentially be the much needed management tool that the state of Louisiana has been looking for?

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It's not every day that we see brand new hunting season get put into existence. This coming October the state of Louisiana will be having it's first ever hunting season for black bellied whistling ducks. It's an exciting time for hunters, but there's a much bigger story at play here. The black bellied whistling duck is historically a tropical species that occupied mostly central and south America. What are the implications of it expanding it's range into much of the southern and eastern U.S? Also, can a hunting season potentially be the much needed management tool that the state of Louisiana has been looking for?
Connect with <a href="https://www.themeateater.com/people/lake-pickle">Lake Pickle</a> and <a href="https://www.themeateater.com/">MeatEater</a>
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Ep. 486: Backwoods University - A New Hunting Season

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/aa06c6f2-c87a-489c-ba5d-b49b005db4a2/transcript

Humans eating crawfish is nothing new. In fact, in North America alone it's been going on for several thousands of years. However, the craft of deliberately farming crawfish is relatively new in the grand scheme of things. Jason Roberts, a Mississippi native, walks us through the story and process of starting up his crawfish farm. What all went into it, how he figured it out, what type of crawfish species he targets, and the unexpected harmony found between crawfish farming and waterfowl land management.

Connect with Lake Pickle and MeatEater

Lake Pickle on Instagram

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Humans eating crawfish is nothing new. In fact, in North America alone it's been going on for several thousands of years. However, the craft of deliberately farming crawfish is relatively new in the grand scheme of things. Jason Roberts, a Mississippi native, walks us through the story and process of starting up his crawfish farm. What all went into it, how he figured it out, what type of crawfish species he targets, and the unexpected harmony found between crawfish farming and waterfowl land management.
Connect with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/people/lake-pickle">Lake Pickle</a> and <a href="https://www.themeateater.com/">MeatEater</a>
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Ep. 481: Backwoods University - Farming Crawfish

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f1abb11a-d71d-40fb-aaca-b489013a2df2/transcript

Ep. 496: Backwoods University - Mississippi Deer History, Part 2

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