On this episode of the Bear Grease Render, host Clay Newcomb goes live from the 2025 World Champion Squirrel Cook-Off. He’s joined by event organizer Joe Wilson, “The World’s Greatest Small Game Hunter” Kevin Murphy, social media cooking sensation Audrey Dresselle (@cooking_with_cajun), Brent Reaves, and Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker. Together, they dive into the festivities of the Cook-Off, swap small game hunting stories, and share their favorite squirrel dishes from the competition.

If you have comments on the show, send us a note to beargrease@themeateater.com

Connect with Clay and MeatEater

Clay on Instagram

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MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop Bear Grease Merch

On this episode of the Bear Grease Render, host Clay Newcomb goes live from the 2025 World Champion Squirrel Cook-Off. He&rsquo;s joined by event organizer Joe Wilson, &ldquo;The World&rsquo;s Greatest Small Game Hunter&rdquo; Kevin Murphy, social media cooking sensation Audrey Dresselle (@cooking_with_cajun), Brent Reaves, and Josh &ldquo;Landbridge&rdquo; Spielmaker. Together, they dive into the festivities of the Cook-Off, swap small game hunting stories, and share their favorite squirrel dishes from the competition.
If you have comments on the show, send us a note to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:beargrease@themeateater.com">beargrease@themeateater.com</a>
Connect with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/authors/claynewcomb">Clay</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/">MeatEater</a>
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Shop&nbsp;<a href="https://store.themeateater.com/collections/bear-grease-podcast">Bear Grease Merch</a>

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

Home to the Bear Grease podcast and Bear Grease Render show with Clay Newcomb, and This Country Life with Brent Reaves.

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. Follow up with the Render discussion show, where Clay interviews experts and brings together a cast of crew members to explore themes within the Bear Grease show.

Brent Reaves is a lifelong outdoorsman whose family roots go back over 150 years in the river bottoms of rural Arkansas. On This Country Life, he's inviting you into his home to teach you everything he knows about hunting, fishing, and the very best parts of country living. To Brent, country living is about living life on your own terms, or as he says, "beating the system." In each episode, Brent's going to tell you a story about a time he did just that, and teach you a country skill you need to know to do the same. So pull up a chair or drop the tailgate, Brent's got a thing or two he can teach you.

Part of the MeatEater Podcast Network.

Home to the Bear Grease podcast and Bear Grease Render show with Clay Newcomb, and This Country Life with Brent Reaves.
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. Follow up with the Render discussion show, where Clay interviews experts and brings together a cast of crew members to explore themes within the Bear Grease show.
Brent Reaves is a lifelong outdoorsman whose family roots go back over 150 years in the river bottoms of rural Arkansas. On This Country Life, he's inviting you into his home to teach you everything he knows about hunting, fishing, and the very best parts of country living. To Brent, country living is about living life on your own terms, or as he says, "beating the system." In each episode, Brent's going to tell you a story about a time he did just that, and teach you a country skill you need to know to do the same. So pull up a chair or drop the tailgate, Brent's got a thing or two he can teach you.
Part of the MeatEater Podcast Network.

Ep. 372: Render - Live from the Squirrel Cook Off

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8652b7e9-dbe8-4a8c-8563-b368015939d4/transcript

Bear Newcomb and Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker stage a Bear Grease hostile takeover and head to the river to do some fly fishing without Clay Newcomb. The two talk fly fishing, Bear’s river rafting abandonment, building Bear Grease YouTube Channel content, mule training, and the value of getting outside and simply “moseying” around.

Thank you to our sponsor, Tecovas.

If you have comments on the show, send us a note to beargrease@themeateater.com

Connect with Clay and MeatEater

Clay on Instagram

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop Bear Grease Merch

Bear Newcomb and Josh &ldquo;Landbridge&rdquo; Spielmaker stage a Bear Grease hostile takeover and head to the river to do some fly fishing without Clay Newcomb. The two talk fly fishing, Bear&rsquo;s river rafting abandonment, building Bear Grease YouTube Channel content, mule training, and the value of getting outside and simply &ldquo;moseying&rdquo; around.
Thank you to our sponsor, <a href="https://www.tecovas.com/">Tecovas</a>.
If you have comments on the show, send us a note to <a href="mailto:beargrease@themeateater.com">beargrease@themeateater.com</a>
Connect with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/authors/claynewcomb">Clay</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/">MeatEater</a>
Clay on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/clay_newcomb">Instagram</a>
MeatEater on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meateater">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MeatEaterTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAaa0mleeU128Ad5iM1RFIg">Youtube</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterClips">Youtube Clips</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterPodcastNetwork">MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube</a>
Shop&nbsp;<a href="https://store.themeateater.com/collections/bear-grease-podcast">Bear Grease Merch</a>

Ep. 471: Trout Grease - A Hostile Takeover

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/53a272bb-1cbf-4e83-aebc-b473001f81d4/transcript

Host Clay Newcomb along with Render crew members Dr. Misty Newcomb, Bear Newcomb and Josh "Landbridge" Spielmaker unpack Part 3 of the Civil War series with special guest Dr. Brooks Blevins. The conversation explores why people fought in the Civil War, how different generations have remembered the conflict, and what it means to discover your own family's connection to history.

Along the way, the crew discusses Native American involvement in the war, the evolution of Civil War memory, family legacy, and the challenge of understanding the past without oversimplifying it.

Thank you to our sponsor, Tecovas.

If you have comments on the show, send us a note to beargrease@themeateater.com

Connect with Clay and MeatEater

Clay on Instagram

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop Bear Grease Merch

Host Clay Newcomb along with Render crew members Dr. Misty Newcomb, Bear Newcomb and Josh "Landbridge" Spielmaker unpack Part 3 of the Civil War series with special guest Dr. Brooks Blevins. The conversation explores why people fought in the Civil War, how different generations have remembered the conflict, and what it means to discover your own family's connection to history.
Along the way, the crew discusses Native American involvement in the war, the evolution of Civil War memory, family legacy, and the challenge of understanding the past without oversimplifying it.
Thank you to our sponsor,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tecovas.com/">Tecovas</a>.
If you have comments on the show, send us a note to <a href="mailto:beargrease@themeateater.com">beargrease@themeateater.com</a>
Connect with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/authors/claynewcomb">Clay</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/">MeatEater</a>
Clay on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/clay_newcomb">Instagram</a>
MeatEater on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meateater">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MeatEaterTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAaa0mleeU128Ad5iM1RFIg">Youtube</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterClips">Youtube Clips</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterPodcastNetwork">MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube</a>
Shop&nbsp;<a href="https://store.themeateater.com/collections/bear-grease-podcast">Bear Grease Merch</a>

Ep. 470: Render - Civil War Memory, Dr. Brooks Blevins, and Why We Remember

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/153b0066-b162-4092-bb66-b472017c2c21/transcript

Host Clay Newcomb continues his personal exploration of the Civil War with historian J.D. Huitt of The History Underground YouTube channel. J.D. surprises Clay with historical documentation of his own third-great-grandfather, Thomas Newcomb, a Confederate soldier from southwest Arkansas. As they continue through the history of the war, Clay attempts to answer one of the most challenging questions in American history: Why did ordinary people choose to fight?

The search for answers leads Clay and J.D. to the Fayetteville National Cemetery and the graves of Union soldiers who were scalped after the Battle of Pea Ridge. From there, they dive into the overlooked story of Native Americans in the Civil War, exploring why thousands of Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole soldiers sided with the Confederacy and the remarkable story of Stand Watie, the last Confederate general to surrender.

Thank you to our sponsor, Tecovas.

If you have comments on the show, send us a note to beargrease@themeateater.com

Connect with Clay and MeatEater

Clay on Instagram

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop Bear Grease Merch

Host Clay Newcomb continues his personal exploration of the Civil War with historian J.D. Huitt of The History Underground YouTube channel. J.D. surprises Clay with historical documentation of his own third-great-grandfather, Thomas Newcomb, a Confederate soldier from southwest Arkansas. As they continue through the history of the war, Clay attempts to answer one of the most challenging questions in American history: Why did ordinary people choose to fight?
The search for answers leads Clay and J.D. to the Fayetteville National Cemetery and the graves of Union soldiers who were scalped after the Battle of Pea Ridge. From there, they dive into the overlooked story of Native Americans in the Civil War, exploring why thousands of Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole soldiers sided with the Confederacy and the remarkable story of Stand Watie, the last Confederate general to surrender.
Thank you to our sponsor, <a href="tecovas.com">Tecovas</a>.
If you have comments on the show, send us a note to <a href="mailto:beargrease@themeateater.com">beargrease@themeateater.com</a>
Connect with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/authors/claynewcomb">Clay</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/">MeatEater</a>
Clay on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/clay_newcomb">Instagram</a>
MeatEater on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meateater">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MeatEaterTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAaa0mleeU128Ad5iM1RFIg">Youtube</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterClips">Youtube Clips</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterPodcastNetwork">MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube</a>
Shop&nbsp;<a href="https://store.themeateater.com/collections/bear-grease-podcast">Bear Grease Merch</a>

Ep. 467: Civil War - Part 3: The Scalped Soldiers and Why They Fought

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5ae67173-2cf6-4848-a884-b46c002307c6/transcript

Ep. 372: Render - Live from the Squirrel Cook Off

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