The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 699: The American West with Dan Flores
May 5, 2025
Dan Flores, a former professor and celebrated author, shares an unconventional narrative of the American West. He delves into the interplay between humans and nature, examining topics like the pigeon-catching controversy in New York and its impact on wildlife. The discussion also covers the complexities of hunting, the invasive species threatening bighorn sheep, and the rich cultural history of Native Americans predating European contact. Flores encourages rethinking traditional Western narratives while sharing personal anecdotes from his journey as an environmental historian.
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Aoudad Hunt for Conservation
- Cory Calkins and team hunted Aoudad in West Texas at UTEP's Indio Mountain Research Station.
- They aimed to help conservation by reducing Aoudad, which compete with native desert bighorn sheep.
Horse's Deep Native Roots
- Horses are either exotic with an asterisk or native with an asterisk to America.
- They evolved here for 56 million years and were only absent for about 8,000 years.
Conservation Inspired by Africa's Wildlife
- Early American conservationists gained inspiration from African wildlife due to North America's depleted fauna.
- Thoreau lamented missing native animals, highlighting America's lost natural heritage.
