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 like Mississippi.” Once again we’ll be leaning on author Hank Burdine , New York Times Best Selling author...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 7 min
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 is done, and his experiences with how the whole process affects wildlife. There’s some history and wi...
Jul 21, 2023•24 min
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 quizzes the crew on their retention of information gleaned from the first Mississippi River podcast episo...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 15 min
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. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , and Youtube Shop Bear G...
Jul 14, 2023•27 min
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 of Will Primos . We'll also be joined by two Army Corps of Engineers: David Biedenharn, a hydraulic engin...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr
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 this one. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , and Youtube ...
Jul 07, 2023•27 min
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 be up for sale. Afterwards the crew dives into Crockett’s travels through Arkansas on his way to Texas an...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 19 min
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 MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/...
Jun 30, 2023•27 min
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 Wade Dillon , James Crisp , and of course, New York Times best-selling author, Robert Morgan about w...
Jun 28, 2023•56 min
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 near you (and you probably do), you're not going to want to miss this one. Connect with Brent and Me...
Jun 23, 2023•22 min
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 professional songwriter before he plays a live rendition of “The Ballad of Warner Glenn” a song written by Clay and...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 7 min
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 will be hugging over a pile of greenheads. Just don't hug Brent's brother -- more on that later. Connec...
Jun 16, 2023•23 min
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, populist politician. We’ll look into when David Crockett’s wife died, learn of his folksy campaign st...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 13 min
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 Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 09, 2023•24 min
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 possibly, the most important annual event in North America, Clay springs a pop quiz on the crew to discover ...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 25 min
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 MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener ...
Jun 02, 2023•21 min
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. They didn't put this part of his story on television and make cartoons of it to put on lunch boxes, but...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 7 min
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 with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Mer...
May 26, 2023•22 min
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 childhood memories and adult identities of (not just) American men, before backing up to cover topic lik...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 15 min
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't gonna wanna miss this one! Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , T...
May 19, 2023•25 min
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 our culture, even to this day. The Crockett myth and reality are hard to parse, but Clay is joined by...
May 17, 2023•53 min
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 , Twitter , and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 12, 2023•17 min
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 discussion to Asa “Forest” Carter, a KKK leader, speech writer for Gov. George Wallace, and Conman, and his f...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 2 min
This week on This Country Life, Brent introduces you to a few of his turkey hunting mentors, and tells stories of chasing wily gobblers everywhere from river bottoms to ridge tops. Looking to find a mentor of your own? Brent's gonna tell you how you might. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , and Youtube Shop Bear Grease Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 05, 2023•22 min
On this episode of Bear Grease, part two of our Conman series on the double life of Asa Forrest Carter, Clay Newcomb dives into the gritty details of the violence, hate, and conspiracy philosophies of the first 45 years of his life and how, in the last decade of his life, he transformed into an unrecognizable, “Cherokee Indian” author who wanted to be America’s next Hemmingway – and almost did it. Once again, author of Unmasking the Klansman, Dr. Dan T Carter and Steve Rinella of MeatEater lead ...
May 03, 2023•59 min
This week on This Country Life, Brent Reaves shares the stuff in his pockets -- what some of you might call his "every day carry." From a 10 year old buckeye to a gold dollar coin, Brent walks you through each item you can expect him to have on his person, why he carries it, and why he thinks you should, too. So come on in and find out what makes Brent's EDC short list -- after this, you might just add a few items to yours! Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twi...
Apr 28, 2023•19 min
On this episode of the Bear Grease Render, the crew convenes in Missouri for some spring turkey hunting. Clay Newcomb is joined by veteran Meateater videographers Loren Moulton and Dave Gardner as well as Brent Reaves, who you can now hear every Friday on this same feed on his new podcast This Country Life. The crew recaps the triumphs and pitfalls of chasing those wisened longbeards in the spring woods before turning their attention to Forest, or should we say Asa, Carter’s “The Education of Li...
Apr 26, 2023•59 min
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 Instagram , Facebook...
Apr 21, 2023•22 min
On this episode of Bear Grease Clay Newcomb talks with New York Times best selling author Steve Rinella and Dr. Dan T. Carter, professor emeritus at the University of South Carolina about black-listed book “The Education of Little Tree.” The book, an alleged semi-autobiographical story about a Cherokee boy growing up in southern Appalachia, was written by Forest Carter, which was the false identity of famed white supremicist, Ku Klux Klan chapter founder and speech writer for Governor George Wal...
Apr 19, 2023•59 min
On this episode of the Bear Grease Render, Clay Newcomb travels down south to chase a Mississippi long beard. Joined by Lake Pickle, Jordan Blissett, and assistant to the regional producer, Isaac Neale, the crew talk about their favorite memories from their time at Primos, recount the morning’s hunt, describe the ubiquitous and iconic historic property from which they recorded es, and an unscheduled call in from the one and only Will Primos. You’re not gonna wanna miss this one… Connect with Cla...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 2 min
