Ep. 907: Yellowstone Wolf (Mis)Management, Betting on Wildfires, and Bears Ear

July 23, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In late July 2025, a 65-year-old man named Carl McDaniel was thrown eight feet into the air by a bison in Yellowstone, breaking his femur in four places. The incident, captured on video, became the most widely covered news story of the week—not because the man was reckless, but because the bison seemed determined to get him. That story is one of several developments the MeatEater crew walks through in this news roundup, which also covers a major rewrite of the Endangered Species Act, a beloved wolf pack that has wandered out of Yellowstone, Colorado’s new trapping limits, the push for permanent daylight saving time, and the strange rise of betting markets on wildfires.

The Bison Attack: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

The video shows McDaniel and his grandson watching a bison from what they estimated was 100 yards away—four times the National Park Service’s recommended distance. A pickup truck tried to haze the bison by honking, which only agitated it. The bison charged, and McDaniel, rather than running for himself, told his grandson to flee and tried to distract the animal. It worked too well. The bison chased him through the trees, tossed him, and then stood over him. Good Samaritans hazed the bison away, and emergency vehicles arrived within ten minutes.

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What you'll learn

1 (02:59) **News Preview & Bear Grease Bibs** - Hosts open the show; Steve announces the day's topics: Yellowstone bison attack, wolf drama, ESA changes, daylight savings, wildfire betting. Long segment on the long-awaited Bear Grease bibs launch and the "fighting" that went into their design.
2 (08:22) **Nate's Norovirus Survival Tip** - Nate shares his recent norovirus experience and a creative shower solution.
3 (10:34) **Matt's Reel Repair & Corrections Segment** - Quick shout-out to Matt's Reel Repair for fishing reel maintenance. The crew introduces a new "Interest-O-Meter" to time and rate listener corrections.
4 (12:59) **Correction: Teddy Roosevelt Nickname** - A listener corrects the hosts for calling Theodore Roosevelt "Teddy," as he disliked the nickname.
5 (13:51) **Correction: Wimbledon Venison Sourcing** - A listener from the UK clarifies that the venison served at Wimbledon is managed park venison, not wild-shot deer, and therefore does not help control the UK's wild deer population.
6 (16:53) **Correction: HOA Goose Culling** - A wildlife biologist provides context for the lethal goose removal at a Madison HOA, detailing years of failed non-lethal methods and an avian influenza outbreak.
7 (19:41) **Correction: Wolf Depredation Funding** - A listener corrects a previous segment on Wisconsin's wolf compensation program, explaining the source of funding changes based on federal protection status.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Steven Rinella and the MeatEater crew discuss: Monumental changes to Bears Ears, Wildfires on prediction markets, CO ain’t your trapping friend, Permanent Daylight Savings hunting, changes to the Endangered Species Act, and more!

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