Wildlife for You

Daryl and Stephanne listen to audio clips from Old Man Johnson's recent field trip with Hashtag Hazel, and boy, do they have some doozy urban legends to dispel. We're willing to bet you heard of most of them... we just hope you don't believe them!

Daryl provides details on how he saved Stephanne from being run over by a full-on charging black bear. True story with real life blunders.

When it comes to bear safety, there is a debate on what is a better deterrent, bear spray or a gun. Stephanne and Daryl debate the pros and cons of each tool, and it appears to be much less of a debate after all.

Wildlife rehab is generally a good thing, but it's not without its own set of concerns. Stephanne and Daryl talk about some of those issues that most people don't consider. Don't worry, it's just something to think about.

Stephanne and Daryl expain the "pigsplosian" that has taken place across North America. Wild hogs, feral pigs, Eurasian boars... whatever you want to call them, they're bad but they're here to stay.

Ever hear of Zombie Deer Disease? If you did, forget it! The misinformation regarding Chronic Wasting Disease abounds. Stephanne and Daryl break it down for you so you get the truth about CWD, Not the extremes, the information in the middle.

Old Man Johnson and Ms. Hazel get into a lively debate about who truly pays for wildlife conservation. Daryl and Stephanne take it from there and give a much better history and outline on how wildlife conservation works and is funded.

Stephanne and Daryl help clear up some of Old Man Johnson's tales regarding "painters" screamin' down in the holler. Not only do they talk about where cougars are found in North America, but they explain why that deer up in that thar tree, likely wasn't put there by a cougar.

Old Man Johnson makes his first appearance and lets us know how he really feels about the return of the Gray wolf to the lower 48. Stephanne and Daryl unpack his comments to set the record straight on a few things that are often misquoted and misunderstood about Gray wolves.

Stephanne and Daryl lay the final groundwork of why Old Man Johnson can't be trusted. Besides humans being incapable of predicting all intended outcomes in nature, many folks have a hrad time understanding "science." The final stage is set before we dive into some legends, lore, and misunderstandings.

Yes, we know that deer looks hungry... but should you feed it? Daryl and Stephanne delve into the good and bad of feeding wildlife. Even some of those unintended consequences that you may not think about.

In this episode of the Wildlife for You podcast, hosts Daryl Ratajczak and Stephanne Payne discuss the reboot of their podcast after a four-year hiatus. They emphasize the importance of addressing misinformation in wildlife. The conversation delves into the science of hibernation, the differences between true hibernation and torpor, and the common myths surrounding bear behavior. The hosts aim to...

Did you know that red wolves were once one of the dominant Apex predators in the southeast? Sadly, the species is now hanging by a thread along the coast of North Carolina.

If you’re wanting to drive fast expensive cars and travel the world, run away. If you don’t mind being broke but extremely happy… boy, do we have a career for you!

Talking about bears in the news. We need to focus on solutions rather than problems,

Meg and Daryl talk to some aspiring young wildlife biology students who recently took part in the SWAP program. Don’t know what the SWAP program is? Well, listen to the podcast and find out. These promising young students are the future stewards of our precious wildlife resources.

Al... a big ol' Russian boar in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park spurs a discussion on not only pigs in the Park, but pigs in America.

The hardest lesson I learned was finding out my dad didn't really know everything there was to know about wildlife. In fact, he got a whole lot wrong! Daryl and Meg discuss some of those things they heard as kids and explain the truth about what is really going on.

Lots of people head to the Smoky Mountains and some of them actually get out of their car and hit the trails. If you want to be one of those people, listen to Meg who is a seasoned hiker in GSMNP.

Meg comes prepared to grill Daryl with a whole list of bear questions... and a turkey question to boot!

Last episode Daryl and Meg introduced you to the wonderful world of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This episode, they dive into a discussion about some of the amazing wildlife you will find there, and even some of the wildlife you won't.

"Wildlife for You" launches a new platform to help teach people about the amazing outdoors. We begin with where it all started for our long-time host, Daryl... at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He is joined by his good friend and all-around southern spirit, Meg Pelley, a volunteer at the National Park. They discuss not only the Park and tidbits about bears but also why the Park is so spe...

Daryl and Steph discuss a couple of high mountain adventures with ghosts and goats.

Noooo... we are not talking about Cape buffalo, were not even talking about the Buffalo Bills (sadly), we are talking about the American bison.

Wild pigs, feral hogs, Russian boars... Whatever you wanna call them... they’re awful for our ecosystem.