Ep. 875: Grizz Attack, Mountain Lions Rebound, and a $44K Walleye

May 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

A grizzly attack in Glacier National Park ended in a fatality—the first in the park since 1998—while two brothers were mauled by a bear in Yellowstone but are expected to survive. In Minnesota, trail cameras captured the first confirmed mountain lion reproduction in the state in over a century. And in Iowa, a $44,000 tagged walleye was caught, brought in dead, and disqualified, sparking a debate about tournament rules that conflict with aquatic invasive species regulations. These were the dominant threads in a wide-ranging news episode that also covered a Montana congressional candidate who is a former smoke jumper, a massive duck overlimit bust, and the expansion of underwater spearfishing in Michigan.

Grizzly Attacks and Mountain Lion Recovery

Two separate bear incidents dominated the week's wildlife news. In Glacier National Park, a hiker was found dead fifty feet off the Mount Brown Trail, killed by a grizzly. It was the first fatal bear attack in the park since 1998. In Yellowstone, two brothers were mauled in a separate incident; both were airlifted to a hospital in Idaho and are expected to recover. Yellowstone's last bear fatality was in 2015. A large area of the park was temporarily closed to visitors following the attack.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of The MeatEater Podcast

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (03:09) **Episode Kickoff & Housekeeping** - The hosts preview the episode's stories: a former smoke jumper running for Congress, a $44,000 Iowa walleye, a grizzly fatality, and more.
2 (14:03) **Firewood Book & Spring Sale** - The hosts marvel at a book on Norwegian wood stacking and plug the Meat Eater store's spring sale.
3 (16:04) **The "Swan Patrol" of North Carolina** - A listener writes in about a group of elderly locals who are illegally trapping and relocating waterfowl on a private lake.
4 (19:37) **Interview: Sam Forstag, Smoke Jumper Running for Congress** - Steve interviews Sam Forstag, a Democrat running for Montana's 1st Congressional District, who has no political experience but a background as a smoke jumper and union leader.
5 (46:25) **Quick Hits: David Attenborough & Red Snapper** - The crew shares trivia about Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday and reports on expanded red snapper seasons.
6 (53:45) **Grizzly Bear Attacks in Montana** - Two grizzly bear incidents are reported: a fatal attack in Glacier National Park and a mauling of two hikers in Yellowstone.
7 (56:36) **Montana Duck Poaching Case** - Two men in Montana are charged with possessing 223 ducks over the legal limit after a game warden investigation.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Steven Rinella and the MeatEater crew discuss: Smokejumper Sam Forsag running for Congress in Montana; people getting weird about waterfowl in North Carolina; grizzly attacks at National Parks; spearfishing in Michigan; public land transfers in Alaska; a $44K walleye in Iowa; mountain lion populations rebounding; and more.

Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network

Steve on Instagram and Twitter

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.