MeatEater

Bear Grease

Sports EN ↓ 483 episodes

The Bear Grease Podcast with host Clay Newcomb delivers compelling storytelling through documentary-style episodes exploring the culture, traditions, and history of rural America. He’ll dive in deep with hunters, biologists, anthropologists, and hillbillies to learn about human nature and our ancient connection to the land. Bear Grease explores unique people, topics, and stories that reveal the incredible value of life lived close to the land. Part of the MeatEater Podcast Network.

Author

MeatEater

Category

Sports

Podcast website

www.themeateater.com

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

Ep. 57: Bear Grease [Render] - Outlaws and Undercover Stings 08.06.2022

Clay, Misty, Josh, Brent, Isaac, and Gary talk about Clay's pawn shop of an office and his stack of most influential books before diving into Charlie, Louie Dale and Russ Arthur, the agent who went undercover with Louie Dale. They spend more time with the tension of liking someone (except Brent) while rejecting some of their actions as well as parsing out the nuanced differences between Poach...

Ep. 56: Genuine Outlaws - Covert Operations, Part 3 01.06.2022

On this episode we’re going to the world of the covert operations of the government. Clay was able to get an interview with the undercover National Forest Service law enforcement agent that worked a sting operation on Louie Dale Edwards in Arkansas in the 1990s. We go into the details of the operation, how it went down and what caused it to fail. Secondly, Clay talks with Dr. Daniel Rupp abo...

Ep. 55: Bear Grease [Render] - Predator Calling Grizzlies and Crackling Fat 25.05.2022

This is an in-the-field recording of the Bear Grease [Render]! Clay hosts his son, Bear John, and MeatEater's Cory Calkins, as they discuss a harrowing encounter they had calling in a black bear and grizzly at the same time. They recount the story Bear Newcomb's first-ever spring boar -- a blonde bear Clay calls "the most beautiful bear I've ever seen." Later in the episode, they touch on the seco...

Ep. 54: Genuine Outlaws - Rough Men, Part 2 18.05.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Podcast, we’re going to continue building a biographical sketch of Louie Dale and Charley Edwards, two Southern characters known for being turkey hunting outlaws, but also beloved men in their community – by most. We’ll be diving into the moonshine incident and give some backing for why people said they were “rough men” – you&r...

Ep. 53: Bear Grease [Render] - Waylon Wins, Flipping Four-wheelers, and Outlaw Debrief 11.05.2022

Clay, Misty, Josh Brent, and Gary talk about Waylon's second competition coonhunt win. Gary recounts some four-wheeler wrecks, and the crew gives their thoughts on the latest Bear Grease Podcast, Genuine Outlaws . The crew has mixed feelings about the Edwards brothers's story, and the conversation goes deep as they discuss breaking game laws.  Connect with  Clay  and  MeatEater...

Ep. 52: Genuine Outlaws - Louie Dale and Charley Edwards, Part 1 04.05.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Podcast we’re telling a story that’s never been written in a book or seen on a film. You’ll be introduced to two brothers who were some of the most notorious turkey hunting outlaws to ever to trapse the hills of Arkansas – their names were Louie Dale and Charley Edwards. But in an ironic twist, they were deeply respected in their community...

Ep. 51: Bear Grease [Render] - Mustaches, Bear Collars, and Wild Turkey Biologist, Jeremy Wood 27.04.2022

On this episode Clay is joined by Misty, Josh, Kobly Morehead and Arkansas Game and Fish wild turkey biologist, Jeremy Wood. The crew notes that Misty is the only person without a mustache so Josh brought her a stick-on-stache. Kolby Morehead talks about the Bear Hunting Magazine team in the campaign to raise money for a bear collaring study in Arkansas. Clay jumps on his soap box of picking up st...

Ep. 50: Turkey Tales 20.04.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Podcast we’re doing something we’ve never done. We’ve assembled an eccentric flock of turkey hunters to tell their single favorite turkey hunting story. You’ll hear from the likes of Steve Rinella, Janis Putelis and Will Primos, but we’ll also hear from some backwoodsmen who ain’t been on the TV who’ve influenced me in si...

Ep. 49: Bear Grease [Render] - One Thousand Bandaids, Mr. Leon, and Turkeys 13.04.2022

On this Render we've got the gang back together. Brent, Josh, Misty, and Gary circle back to Jerry Clower before moving on to that heart breaker, the turkey. Brent tells a couple stories about his turkey mentor, Mr. Leon, navigating the nuances of matrimony and Arkansas back roads, and Clay finishes it off with maybe the greatest FALL turkey story ever told.     Connect with  C...

Ep. 48: The Trouble with Lovin’ Gobblin’ Turkeys with Will Primos and Dr. Mike Chamberlain 06.04.2022

On this episode, we’re contrasting two eras of turkey hunting with Will Primos and Dr. Mike Chamberlain of the University of Georgia. Turkey populations peaked in modern times in the late 1990s, and with it, the innovation of call makers and outdoor media groups skyrocketed, forging the turkey hunting culture of the nation. Mr. Will Primos stood on the forefront of that innovation and he tau...

Ep. 47: Bear Grease [Render] - Steve Rinella on Jerry Clower and Trimming Mule Hooves 30.03.2022

Steve Rinella, Ryan Callaghan, Phil Taylor and Corine Schneider join Clay this week on the Render episode. To Clay's surprise, Steve grew up listening to Jerry Clower and was surprised about not being invited as a primary guest. Clay starts off by talking about how he's being trolled on bee keeping and mule hoof trimming, and the crew jumps into the life and legacy of the southern comedian, J...

Ep. 46: Jerry Clower - Southern Identity, Raccoon Hunting, and Comedy 23.03.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Podcast, we’re diving deep into the heart of southern cultural identity and the mind of Jerry Clower. Does that name ring a bell? Jerry was thrust into national fame in the 1970s when a story he told about coonhunting topped the country charts. I’m interested in those odd places where rural culture -- and specifically hunting -- crosses tracks with th...

Ep. 45: Bear Grease [Render] - LIVE at the Bonanza 16.03.2022

On this episode Clay and the gang are LIVE, for the first, from the Black Bear Bonanza in Northwest Arkansas. Clay, Misty and Brent Reaves are joined by James Brandenburg, longtime friend of the show, Myorn Means, Arkansas's Large Carnivore Biologist, and Moe Shepherd, a mountain man and real-deal woodsman. The crew gather to discuss in depth the history of black bears in Arkansas, hunting bears o...

Ep. 44: Where the Red Fern Grows (Part 2) - Character and Manhood 09.03.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Podcast, we’re on part two of our look into the cultural impact of the book, “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls. He drove the bus to the game where the coonhunters showed pop culture what was up, and made us all proud. We’ll talk with the childhood actor, Stewart Peterson, who starred in the original 1974 Walt Disney movie and learn how he got into acting...

Ep. 43: Bear Grease [Render] - Nine Miles In Reverse and Raccoon Camp 02.03.2022

On the episode Clay and the guys are at raccoon hunting camp in East Arkansas with Brent Reaves. Michael Rosamond, owner of Sunspot Lights, joins the crew to discuss the last podcast “Where the Red Fern Grows” (part 1). Clay starts off by telling three stories of his early days Coonhunting including his misstep in dog his first hound partnership, the time the transmission went out and when he had...

Ep. 42: Where The Red Fern Grows (Part 1) - The Peculiar life of Wilson Rawls 23.02.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Podcast we’re exploring a great work of American literature whose plot rides on a most-peculiar, but beloved pastime of rural America – coonhunting. We’re diving deep into the book “Where the Red Fern Grows” written by Woodrow Wilson Rawls. How did this unlikely author, a one-hit wonder some might say, with such a mysterious past make it into the ranks of the Ame...

Ep. 41: Bear Grease [Render] - Burning Vehicles, Jack Hammer Day, and More Secrets 16.02.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Render Clay is joined by several of the regulars and two special guests, Moe "Mosely" Shepherd and Rusty "Curly" Johnson. The guys start off hot with three stories of burning vehicles, one which ends up with Clay in an auto parts store begging for water. Then Clay tells why February 13th is called "Jack Hammer Day" in his family. It's the story of a giant wild ho...

Ep. 40: Secrets and The Hidden World of Whitetail Hunters 09.02.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Podcast we’re exploring the secret world of whitetail hunters. We want to know why these rascal’s keep secrets, who they share them with, but also who they’re holding out on. The answers might surprise you. If you’ll listen I’m sure you’ll learn something about the people you THINK are your friends, but also yourself. You may be more slippery than you think and n...

Ep. 39: Bear Grease [Render] - Sky Busting, Gadwalls, and a Dying Forest 02.02.2022

On this episode, Clay and Brent Reaves host four guests -- Director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Austin Booth, Commissioner Anne Marie Doramus, as well as MeatEater's own Sean Weaver and Max Barta -- while on a duck hunt in Southeast Arkansas. The crew discusses the dying forests of the green tree reservoirs, along with Clay's habit of skybusting ducks. The conversation meanders from why Gadwalls...

Ep. 38: Ducks - Saving the Legacy of Green Tree (Part 2) 26.01.2022

Hunting flooded timber in Arkansas for mallard ducks is why this place is known as the Duck Hunting Capital of the World. On this episode, Clay interviews the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission director, Austin Booth, and waterfowl biologist Luke Naylor about why the trees are dying in the Green Tree reservoirs of Arkansas. There are some big decisions to be made about how to save them. Clay also t...

Ep 37: Bear Grease [Render] - Waterfowlers, AGFC Director, and Guarding the Gate 19.01.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Render, the crew is joined by the director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Austin Booth and the waterfowl biologist for the state of Arkansas, Luke Naylor. Both of these guys were on the last Bear Grease podcast but came in to discuss waterfowl hunting and the agency's plan to become more accessible to people. Austin is a marine,a lawyer and public land...

Ep. 36: Ducks - The Duck Hunting Capital of the World (Part 1) 12.01.2022

On this episode of the Bear Grease Podcast, we’ll be exploring the ancient migration of mallard ducks and why the place they choose as a primary wintering ground -- Arkansas -- is called the “Duck Hunting Capital of the World.” We're exploring why this reputation has lasted the test of time. We’ll talk with the lead waterfowl biologist of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Luke Naylor, and the...

Ep. 35: Bear Grease [Render] - Misty's Tell-All Squirrel Hunt, Alone-ish, and Folsom Fluters 05.01.2022

On this episode, the regular Bear Grease Render crew is joined by Rick Spicer, a bushcraft expert and flint knapper who was on the last Bear Grease Podcast. Rick talks about flint knapping and about being on the show "Alone: The Beast" where he spent thirty days in the Louisiana woods "sort of" alone. Misty gives a full on expose of her squirrel hunt when Clay gave her shooting advice and didn't b...

Ep. 34: The Folsom Site - The Unsolved Mystery of Fluted Stone (Part 4) 29.12.2021

On this final episode in our series on the Folsom archeological site, we’ll explore the risky and mysterious process of fluting stone projectile points. For one thousand years these ancient bison hunters employed this process that some believe was entirely utilitarian, while others say it held greater significance. We’ll hear from the experts Dr. David Meltzer, Devin Pettigrew and Steve Rinella as...

Ep. 33: Bear Grease [Render] - Juju's Christmas Party 22.12.2021

On this episode, the crew exchanges gifts, eats Christmas cookies, dissects the Folsom site even more, and introduces a new guest. Clay makes an apology to early Christmas light hangers. The crew tries to understand why the Folsom hunters killed so many bison. Clay gives away Josh's muzzleloader in the gift exchange and Josh handcrafts a belt buckle for Daniel. This episode is full of good Christm...

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