What does a homemade boat, a mule-drawn wagon, and coon hunting all have in common? Guessing the name Brent would be the obvious answer, and you'd be correct. How they all relate to our host and hunting heritage is this week's topic on MeatEater's This Country Life podcast. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On The Donnie Baker Story (Part 1), we heard from Donnie Baker about the 2009 illegal killing of a 204-inch buck on the Fort Leonard Wood military base in Missouri. Now, we’ll learn about his punishment. You’ll be surprised by the severity of it. What’s most surprising, however, is the dark decade that followed in Donnie’s personal life. From car crashes, to world class rabbit beagles, to cancer, this story is shocking and tragic. We really doubt you’re going to want to miss this...

Brent's talking about cold fronts this week and one of the stories involves explosives. If you listened to the episode when Brent was battling beavers you know that he loves a good explosion. Well, this time he and his brother are fighting Old Man Winter. It's "Cold Fronts" this week on MeatEater's This Country Life podcast. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode Clay Newcomb is joined by Brent Reaves, Drew Stoecklein, Lake Pickle of OnX, Jordan Blissett of Open Season Properties, and Mike Amden. The crew discusses Clay and Brent’s recent 250-mile trip down the Mississippi River and Bear Grease's most recent poaching episode. Mike gives some insight into catfishing the Mississippi River, while Brent relays the frustrations of having Clay as the Cub Pilot of their SeaArk boat. The last section highlights many of the questions raised in...

Hi, Bear Grease listeners! MeatEater and iHeartPodcasts have teamed up for a riveting new podcast called God’s Country. Hosted by songwriters Dan and Reid Isbell, God’s Country is a rollicking weekly podcast that sits at the intersection of country music and the great outdoors. Don't just take our word for it, though. Check out this trailer and start listening now! Show Description: “God’s Country” with brothers Dan and Reid Isbell is a rollicking weekly podcast that sits at the intersection...

Brent's talking about some close calls with his four legged pals in this week's episode. From hungry Labradors to caving Treeing Walkers, it's canine pandemonium on MeatEater's This Country Life podcast. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, Clay Newcomb interviews Donnie Baker of Dixon, Missouri who was convicted of illegally killing a 204 4/8-inch white-tailed buck on the Fort Leonard Wood Military base in 2009. Donnie opens up about the details of the kill, how he falsified its location, and the unbelievable attention the buck received within the community. He then tells how he was arrested and interrogated by the Missouri Department of Conservation. This episode is a roller coaster that will make you think...

From homemade toys to hunting lights, Brent's offering up some examples of using what you can afford and have on hand. He also tells a story about one fellow's investigation into America's 51st state and it's not named Confusion. "Making Do With What You Have" is this week's episode of Meateater's This Country Life podcast.  Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clay Newcomb hosts Joe Wilson of the World Championship Squirrel Cookoff and singer, songwriter, and mule man, Hayden Powell who steals the show with his new song, "Montgomery County Shine." Topics discussed: that beeping in Clay’s office, Hayden’s history with music, the orogeny of the Ouachita Mountains, tips on beard trimming, making brisket look good in online photos, opinionated farriers and beekeepers, Clay’s new mule named "Slow Trap," slow wagon drivers, the history of why people...

If anyone could make a Christmas story out of fried eggs, hogs, and hunting pants, it would have to be Brent. He’s talking about presents received and ruined and a chance meeting that will warm your soul. It's the Season of Giving this week on MeatEater's "This Country Life" podcast. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're returning to a Bear Grease classic this week and remembering Daniel Boone. Originally released over two years ago in August 2021, the episode remains one of Bear Grease’s most talked about episodes. New York Times best selling authors Steven Rinella and Robert Morgan lead the conversation about Boone's legacy, as Clay Newcomb searches for the real story of the American icon. This is undoubtedly a Bear Grease classic! When you're done listening, be sure to go pre-order the new audio...

Grits, rhinos, monkeys, and ducks. That sounds like a game of Jumanji got out of hand down at the Cracker Barrel, but it's not. It's just another amalgamation of convoluted topics from a time in Brent's life that we think you'll find interesting, or at least entertaining. It's stories from the guide service this week on MeatEater's "This Country Life" podcast. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See...

On this episode, Clay Newcomb is joined by Brent Reaves, Gary “Believer” Newcomb, Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker, Kolby Morehead of Bear Hunting Magazine, Dr. Misty Newcomb, and Bear John Newcomb. Juju, Clay’s mother, also drops in to deliver cookies and a Christmas greeting. Brent tells about being at the MeatEater Live event in Kansas City. Clay talks about his and Steve Rinella’s new audio original, “MeatEater's American History: The Long Hunters (1761-1775).” Bear John tells his wild story...

After a multi-year break from the duck blind, Brent's back with a renewed passion for water fowling. He's gonna tell us how his lifelong journey in pursuit of waterfowl started, the story of his first duck, and how his love for hunting in the timber almost came crashing down on top of him. Gather round and someone hush that dog up! It's time for MeatEater's "This Country Life" podcast. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease...

Bear Grease has been a surprising and rewarding journey of almost three years. Today we’re going back to the beginning with Episode 1: The Myth of the Southern Mountain Lion, with a peek into the genesis of Bear Grease.There are two types of people in the South—those who’ve seen mountain lions and those who haven’t. Supposedly extirpated from the South, the native lion species has lived on through backwoods lore and many believe they’ve never left. But have they? Clay Newcomb explores the...

Brent's back with a continued line of thoughts and observations on the value of instilling some old school ways into today's modern way of thinking. From recognizing the value of a good rope to tying a knot that's lasted 48 years, we think there's plenty in here to think about and enjoy. Gather up the family, it's time for Old School Part 2 on MeatEater's This Country Life Podcast. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease...

On this week’s episode of the Bear Grease Render, your host Clay Newcomb is joined by Isaac Neale, Gary “Believer” Newcomb, Brent Reaves of “This Country Life,” Josh “Land Bridge” Spielmaker, and Dr. Misty Newcomb. Topics discussed include: an update on Brent’s horse Ken’s Reward, a great mountain buck that Josh had the opportunity to take, a poll on the Origin Story of the Plotts, as well as a full breakdown of the previous Bear Grease episode focusing on Plot Hound Royalty, Berry Tarlton....

Brent's going old school this week. We know, big shocker, right? He's a walking example of "old school", but he's got some interesting takes on his definition and some stories that we think you'll enjoy hearing. Stoke the fire and sit a spell, it's time for MeatEater's "This Country Life" podcast. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Bear Grease, your host Clay Newcomb, brings you this second part in our series on Plott Hounds and how they’ve been interwoven into the lives of the Appalachian people. Developed in isolation deep in the Great Smoky Mountains, the Plott breed was tailor made for the rugged landscape, its people, its bears. The folks who’ve dedicated big blocks of their life to this bear hound are called Plott Men and Women. If you cut them they bleed brindle and in the very niche hound world,...

Welcome to episode one of This Country Life! Today, we meet your host Brent Reaves: a family man and life long outdoorsman whose familial roots in rural Arkansas can be traced back over 150 years. As a way of introduction, Brent shares two of his favorite stories, taking us from schoolyard hi-jinx to riding out a lightning storm in a washed-out muskrat burrow. You're not gonna want to miss this addition to the Bear Grease lineup.  Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater...

On this week’s episode of the Bear Grease Render, your host Clay Newcomb is joined by Isaac Neale, Gary “Believer” Newcomb, Brent Reaves of “This Country Life,” Michael Rosmond of Sunspot Lights, and Chris Powell of Houndsman XP. Topics discussed include Brent’s horse “Ken’s Reward,” sunspot lights and the superiority of Coon Hunting lights, the Colorado ballot initiative to ban Mountain Lion, Bobcat, and Lynx with hounds, as well as the previous Bear Grease episode “Pure Americana: The Plott...

We never know where Brent’s going with these episodes and we’re not fully convinced he does either. This week he’s talking about everything from bucking horses to naming his kids. He’s like a metal man in a shooting gallery just running all over the place so, just jump in and hang on. “What’s in a Name” on MeatEater’s This Country Life podcast.  Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch https://gootf.com/ See...

On this week’s episode of Bear Grease, your host, Clay Newcomb, is bringing you the saga of the American Plott Hound - a story not without drama. Plotts are a breed of big game hound specializing in bear hunting. They were originally bred deep in the mountains of Southern Appalachia, specifically Haywood County, North Carolina. The breed, which carries the family name of Plott, was kept in isolation for nearly 150 years while being refined by the frontier mountaineers of Appalachia. The Plott...

Add beaver dam demolition to the list of off the wall things Brent has done so far in his tenure as a human. Seems only natural that someone who’s lived a life of adrenaline-filled danger would enjoy blowing up stuff. There’s something wrong with this guy. We’re fighting otters and dodging falling debris on this week’s This Country Life podcast.  Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch https://gootf.com/ See...

This week on the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb is joined by Ben Lagrone, Dr. Misty Newcomb, Gary "Believer" Newcomb, and "This Country Life's" Brent Reaves. The crew plays a song featuring banjo, guitar, shaker egg, and a set of spoons. They then turn their attention to discussing: Accidental discharges - shooting a mobile home and and a foot with a bow and arrow. Brent chasing a school bus with his dad's truck. Ben's biggest buck and Clay's issue with dog tracking for whitetail deer. And...