Bear Grease

On this week’s episode of the Bear Grease Render, your host, Clay Newcomb, is joined by Joe Wilson , Founder of the World Championship Squirrel Cookoff , Ben Lagrone of Balanced Families , and Jonathan Webster. The crew starts off talking about learning to be a good father and about the new Phelps Game Calls, the Akern Grunter. They then turn their attention to the World Champion Squirrel Cookoff...

It’s all about kids and getting them out of the house this week. In Part 1 of “Kids and Outdoors”, Brent shares some simple recipes for what he calls, “Getting the youngins off the couch and out of the house”. It’s easy to do and fun for everyone. He’s also going to tell you a story about his son’s first deer from 20 years ago that defies any explanation. You’ll want to be sure and listen to the e...

On this episode of Bear Grease, Clay Newcomb will explore life in the Mississippi Delta as well as the health of the ecosystem. We’ll hear from commercial fisherman Bill Lancaster, Dr. Jack Killgore of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and author Hank Burdine. You’ll learn about commercial fishing on the Mississippi River - the equipment they use and the species they target. You’ll also l...

Have a seat, slip off or untie those boots, and back out of those Crocs and flip-flops. We’re talking about manly footwear this week and which ones make the cut. Can leather boots be the only proper adornment for your feet or have others slipped into and out of the closet? Hear what Brent thinks and decide for yourself on today's episode of This Country Life. Connect with Brent and  MeatEater Meat...

On this episode of the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb is joined by his wife Misty, Josh “Landbridge” Spielmaker, Gary “Believer” Newcomb, Brent Reaves, and for the first time, Brent's wife, Alexis. The crew discusses Josh’s recent adventures in trapping coons, the newest episode of This Country Life , and Misty’s disdain for cats. Afterward, they begin dissecting the most recent Bear Grease epis...

We’re beating the heat this week so bring your cutoffs! It’s time to hit the water in Brent’s version of Country-Pool-Palooza. Brent says swimming holes are where you find them and if you look hard enough you’ll find them just about anywhere. Stand by for turtles, cows, and swinging vines in this week’s episode of This Country Life. Connect with Brent and  MeatEater MeatEater on  Instagram ,  Face...

On this episode of Bear Grease,  Clay Newcomb  and  John Barry, author of  Rising Tide  discuss two Civil War veterans who pioneered the doctrine of controlling this great river, Charles Ellett and Andrew Humphries. They’ll show us how their obsession and rivalry shaped the way we manage the river and how that led to one of the most costly natural disasters in American history. We learn about  Mar...

It’s Part 2 of “Minding Your Manners”. Brent ’s talking about specific instances when having manners and not having them can impact you and those around you. Lots of goodies including wearing a hat inside, shaking hands, running the gauntlet for the last biscuit in the bowl, and more! Join Brent as he tells you how the cow ate the cabbage in this final installment of his first two-part episode. Co...

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...