When the long-term market exploitation of wildlife was joined by a form of elite safari hunting known as “field sports,” a massive destruction of western animals threatened to destroy millions of years of North American evolution. Teddy Roosevelt’s and George Grinnell’s Boone & Crockett Club wasn’t perfect, but it helped government usher in a new stage before Wild Wild West anarchy could run its course. Thank you to our sponsor Velvet Buck: https://www.instagram.com/velvetbuckwine ---------------- Check out the gear the MeatEater Crew uses in the field here: https://store.themeateater.com Follow us: Web: https://www.themeateater.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/meateater Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction: Safari American Style 5:27 - Prairie Fever and European Elite Hunts 15:05 - Gore's Powder River Expedition Details 25:58 - The Scale of Western Wildlife Destruction 35:41 - Buffalo Massacres and Safari Culture 41:15 - Market Hunting: The American Franchise 44:19 - The Boone and Crockett Conservation Coup 48:19 - Darwin's Influence and Individual Transformations