AI Summary
5 min readThe MeatEater crew covers a dense news roundup in this episode, anchored by a major legal opinion in New Mexico that could reshape how hunting tags are allocated, a detailed look at a cash-for-venison program on Nantucket, and a grassroots fight against a massive power line in Wisconsin’s Driftless area. The conversation also touches on ginseng poaching, a ballot measure in Colorado, and a playful segment on the merits of animal mascots.
New Mexico’s Outfitter Tag Set-Aside Ruled Unconstitutional
New Mexico’s Attorney General, Raúl Torrez, issued a legal opinion that the state’s 10% set-aside of hunting tags for outfitters violates the state constitution’s anti-donation clause. The opinion argues that the program transfers “exclusive access to a public resource without a constitutionally adequate consideration.” The AG’s office calculated that outfitters collectively pay about $150,000 in licensing fees, while the value of the tags they receive is roughly $15 million—a ratio the opinion calls a de facto gift to private entities.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:24) **Episode Kickoff and the Romero Proposal** - The hosts introduce the show's lineup and then dive into a listener-generated idea for reforming bonus point systems in hunting tag draws.
- 2 (12:59) **First Doctor's Note for Hunters** - The crew fulfills a promise from a previous episode by writing an official "doctor's note" for a listener who needs an excuse to miss school for deer hunting.
- 3 (18:49) **Trump Administration Seeks Public Input on Land Access** - The crew reports on a new BLM initiative, spurred by a Trump executive order, that actively solicits the public for tips on landlocked public parcels.
- 4 (29:03) **Spencer Digs Into Ginseng Poaching** - The crew examines a story about poachers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park who were caught with $3,500 worth of ginseng roots.
- 5 (41:32) **Colorado's Amendment 83 and Anti-Hunting Opposition** - The hosts cover a ballot measure in Colorado to make hunting and fishing a constitutional right, which is being opposed by a group funded by a prominent animal-rights activist.
- 6 (55:55) **Nantucket Will Pay You to Hunt Deer** - The crew dives deep into a story about a wealthy island paying hunters $150 per deer to combat a massive overpopulation problem.
- 7 (81:34) **New Mexico Attorney General Declares Outfitter Tags Unconstitutional** - The crew reports on a major legal opinion from New Mexico's Attorney General, stating that the state's 10% tag set-aside for outfitters violates the state constitution.
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Show Notes
Steven Rinella and the MeatEater Crew Discuss: an Appalachian Ginseng poaching bust; Nantucket will pay you to kill (and donate) deer; Trump copied our Land Access Initiative concept (just kiddin’); Turns out green decoys are real; New Mexico is gonna change who gets elk tags and who don’t; and more!
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