Ep. 947: Are You Happy to See Me or Is That a Bird in Your Pants?

October 15, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Operation Nightcat and the $2,665 Bobcat Ring

The MeatEater news show opens with a bobcat poaching ring that is almost too pathetic to believe. Three New Hampshire corrections officers—Sherwood Doubry (48), Randy Inman (49), and Sherwood Doubry Sr. (72)—trapped and killed 41 bobcats between 2018 and 2022 in a state that has no bobcat hunting or trapping season. Their grand total haul over four years: $2,665. That's about $65 per cat. "They need to sharpen their pencils," Steve says. The scheme required them to ship the cats to a buddy in New York, who falsely claimed he caught them there, obtained CITES tags (required for spotted cats to prevent confusion with endangered species like snow leopards), and sent them to a Canadian auction house. The feds got involved because of the Lacey Act—the moment wildlife crosses state lines, federal jurisdiction kicks in. The men now face $20,500 in restitution and fines, plus federal sentencing in January. One of them even texted another: "I hope they don't start a bobcat season because that would lead to a lot of competition." They had a monopoly on illegal cats and didn't want it ruined by legality.

Blood Trails Season Three and the Chai Vang Case

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What you'll learn

1 (02:26) **Welcome & News Preview** - Steve introduces the news show with Jordan Sillars at the desk and previews the stories: a bobcat poaching ring, youth deer season roster changes, deer-vehicle fatality data, Delaware's CWD battle, and bird smugglers.
2 (06:33) **Operation Nightcat: Bobcat Poaching Ring** - Steve details a New Hampshire bobcat poaching ring involving corrections officers who illegally trapped 41 bobcats over four years.
3 (17:48) **The Lacey Act: Why Poachers Fear Crossing State Lines** - Steve and Jordan explain how the Lacey Act gives federal law enforcement teeth in wildlife cases.
4 (31:27) **Blood Trails Season 3 Launch** - Jordan promotes the new season of his true-crime podcast, Blood Trails, which premieres with eight episodes.
5 (41:50) **Youth Deer Season: Losing Senior Talent** - The crew discusses the upcoming youth deer season in Montana and the challenge of aging-out participants.
6 (47:43) **Legal Gray Area: Dispatching Wounded Deer at Night** - A listener writes in about a scenario where a hunter wounds a deer during legal hours but must dispatch it after dark.
7 (55:24) **Listener Question: Bathroom Breaks on All-Day Sits** - A listener asks how the crew handles bathroom needs during marathon tree-stand sessions.

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Show Notes

Steven Rinella and the MeatEater Crew Discuss: a songbird smuggler; are you smoking drugs or calling ducks?; the Chai Vang Massacre; a bobcat poaching ring; Steve as a big time anti-hunter; is Ambler Road the right move right now; and more.

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