Bear Grease

On this episode of the Bear Grease, Clay and Misty Newcomb host a couples edition of the Render featuring Josh “Landbridge” and Kristy Spielmaker, as well as Terrell “Thalweg” Spencer and his wife, former Rice Queen of Cross County Arkansas, Carla Spencer. The crew talks about Tim the Squirrel Dog’s recent and uncharacteristic exploration of the trash and is then joined by Bear Newcomb, who tells...

What could a teacher, a trip to the principal’s office, a promise to an 11-year-old girl, the classic children’s book, “Where the Red Fern Grows,” and a hair salon all have in common? It’s a story that took Brent 46 years to live and about 15 minutes to tell. Come along with him this week as he navigates through that tale and others on how being respectful can be an investment, and a saving grace....

On this episode of Bear Grease, the second in a series on the Mississippi River, host  Clay Newcomb  guides you through the story about the settlement of the Mississippi Delta, the people of the area, and the challenges that shaped their identity. We’ll be veering out of the river into its floodplain because, as William Faulkner said,  “To understand the world you must first understand a place lik...

What do hay hauling, Sunday clothes, and bobwhite quail all have in common? You might not believe it if anyone else told you, but you can believe it when Brent does. It’s summertime in Arkansas and if those cows are gonna eat when it’s cold, someone’s got to be sweating when it’s hot. Well, at least they used too. Join Brent as he navigates hauling hay, the calamity of cooling off before the job i...

On this episode of the Bear Grease Render ,  Clay Newcomb  is joined by the usual suspects,  Brent Reaves , Misty Newcomb, and Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker, as well as by veteran  Terrell “Thalweg” Spencer  and Clay’s longtime friend Ryan “Flintface” Greb. The crew talks about Jeremiah Johnson,  the finer points of watermelons , a seemingly indestructible bear, and some catfish noodling. Clay also...

This week on the show, Brent's drawing on his history in the big woods of Arkansas to make the case that everyone -- from foresters, firewood cutters, hunters, and anyone in between -- ought to know their trees. Join him as he walks you through using tree identification skills to make the most out of his hunts, avoid extra labor in his firewood collecting, and shut up the high school loudmouth.  C...

On this episode,  Clay Newcomb  is taking us to what some Native Americans call the river beyond any age and others call the Father of Waters. He’s talking about the Mississippi river. To understand the river and its impact on America takes a diverse cast of storytellers. New York Times best selling author  John M. Barry  will be our guest, along with author  Hank Burdine  and a fellow by the name...

Watermelons? Yep, watermelons. Today on the show, Brent pontificates on the finer points of summer's favorite fruit. Where do they come from? How the heck can you have a seedless watermelon? How do you pick the very best of the bunch? Stick around and Brent is gonna spell it out for you. In the words of self-described watermelon aficionado Clay Newcomb (not a joke), you're not gonna want to miss t...

On this episode of the Bear Grease Render,  Clay Newcomb  is joined by the usual suspects -  Brent Reaves , Misty Newcomb, as well as Kristy and Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker. The crew starts off talking about a catastrophic energy that Misty suffered after thinking about sneezing, or maybe long days of quilting,  Brent's affinity for Bream , as well as an update on Banjo and whether or not he’ll b...

On this week's episode of THE This Country Life podcast, our buddy Brent talks us through one of his absolute favorite things -- bream fishing. He covers everything from catching the little buggers to what may be his  real favorite part of the process (that would be eating them). So listen up and get the crickets ready, you're not going to want to miss any of this!  Connect with Brent and  MeatEat...

On this week’s episode of Bear Grease, the final episode in our series on David Crockett, Clay Newcomb takes us on a deep dive into Davy’s death at the Alamo. He’ll look not just at the pop culture versions from John Wayne and Walt Disney, but also history’s best understanding of what really transpired. We’ll learn that it was far more important in US history than you might think. Clay talks with ...

Welcome back to This Country Life. This week on the show, our buddy Brent is gonna tell you all about frog gigging, one of his favorite summertime activities. He's gonna cover everything from the end of your spear to the end of your fork. Brent's also gonna touch on regulations, and just what becomes of the folks who throw the regs to the wayside. If you've got a body of water with some bullfrogs...

On this episode of the Bear Grease Render,  Clay Newcomb  is joined by the usual suspects -  Brent Reaves , Misty Newcomb, Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker -  as well as new render guest Andrew Scott Wills, Nashville songwriter and creative force behind  Hawken Horse . The crew starts off talking about Andrew’s interest in the American frontier and Mountain as well as what it’s like to be a profession...

Are you a duck hunter? Are you thinking about getting some buddies together for an A-1 guided experience? Well before you go, your buddy Brent -- a former Arkansas waterfowl guide himself -- wants to make sure you get the most out of your trip. On this week's episode, Brent's dropping an abbreviated masterclass on being the best client you can be and having a hunt so good, you and your buddies wil...

On this third episode, we’re navel deep into the life of America’s first celebrity backwoodsman, David “Davy” Crockett. We’ve learned there were four Crockett’s known by America – the bear hunter, the soldier, the politician and the martyr at the Alamo. We ended the last episode with Crockett leaving the military, but today things get dicey – Crockett became America’s first famous working class, p...

This week, our buddy Brent is offering you one of his secrets to making life long friends -- saying hi to strangers. In a world of social media and text messages, there's still a lot of power left in a greeting. You never know who you're saying hi to, or who they might become to you later.  Connect with Brent and  MeatEater MeatEater on  Instagram ,  Facebook ,  Twitter , and  Youtube Shop  Bear G...

On this week’s episode of the Bear Grease Render,  Clay Newcomb  is joined by  Misty Newcomb , Josh Spielmaker,  Brent Reaves , and Joe Wilson, founder of the  World Champion Squirrel Cook Off . The crew discusses the history of the Squirrel Cook Off, as well as the cultural significance and implications surrounding hunting and cooking small game. After fleshing out the finer details of, quite pos...

A man only gets so many dogs in his life, and picking the right ones is important. Whatever breed of squirrel-treeing, tail-wagging outdoor accomplice you've got your eye on, Brent's gonna tell you the tricks he uses to find the very best pups. On the fence about getting a squirrel dog of your own? Brent's got a couple stories up that might just sway you.  Connect with Brent and  MeatEater MeatEat...

On the last episode, we learned that David Crockett was America's first celebrity and that his identity was founded on being a bear hunter. We learned that there were four Crocketts that America knew: the bear hunter, the soldier, the politician and the martyr at the Alamo. Today, Clay Newcomb will dive into what he believes was the most important part of his life, his childhood in early life. The...

This week, Brent gives you the low down on how to field judge a restaurant in parts unknown. He also shares a couple stories about when you ought to just buy the whole role of bologna at the deli counter, why you should be suspicious of even your favorite foods on the menu, and how a young man's bad decisions on a night out don't begin and end with what he chooses to quench his thirst.  Connect wi...

On this week’s episode of the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb is joined by a veteran cast of characters: Brent Reaves, of  This Country Life  fame, Michael Rosmond of  Sunspot Lights , Ben Lagrone, and Jonathan Webster. The crew dives right in to talking about  America’s First Celebrity , David Crockett, dissecting the impact of Disney’s Crockett revival of the 50’s and its lasting effect on the...

This week, Brent gives you the low down on setting trotlines for catfish. As traditional as it is effective, trotline fishing has been around forever because it works! Setting one up is something you can do yourself, and Brent's here to walk you through it. He'll also share a cautionary tale about packing for an expedition, and a sad solution to forgotten taters. As Clay Newcomb might say, you ain...

On this episode, Clay Newcomb explores America’s first true celebrity. Built on his identity as a bear hunter, he was world famous during his lifetime and believed it came upon him by accident. All he did was play the part of himself, David Crockett. This Tennessee backwoodsman embodied the narrative of the self-made man and Manifest Destiny that became a national obsession and deeply influenced o...

This week on the show, Brent tells you everything he knows about choosing a vehicle to get around the backroads. We're not talking lifted trucks and shiny new dualies that'll go to the junkyard without ever having towed as much as a duck boat -- we're talking real, genuine country rides that are ALL about functionality.   Connect with Brent and  MeatEater MeatEater on  Instagram ,  Facebook ,  Twi...

On this week’s episode of the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb is joined by Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker, Brent Reaves, Malachi Nichols, Ben Lagrone, and Misty Newcomb. The crew discusses Josh’s new fly fishing boat, Brent’s successful new podcast “This Country Life” and Misty’s recent doctorate. Clay then recounts taking Banjo the Mule to be trained by an Amish family before turning the discussio...