Best Daryl Ratajczak Podcasts (2025)

1
Cry of the Red Wolf 57:34

Play Pause

2+ y ago57:34

57:34

Did you know that red wolves were once one of the dominant Apex predators in the southeast? Sadly, the species is now hanging by a thread along the coast of North Carolina.

1
Wildlife Careers 57:16

2+ y ago57:16

57:16

If you’re wanting to drive fast expensive cars and travel the world, run away. If you don’t mind being broke but extremely happy… boy, do we have a career for you!

1
Bear Solutions, Not Problems 57:38

2+ y ago57:38

57:38

Talking about bears in the news. We need to focus on solutions rather than problems,

1
SWAPping in New Mexico 1:04:34

2+ y ago1:04:34

1:04:34

Meg and Daryl talk to some aspiring young wildlife biology students who recently took part in the SWAP program. Don’t know what the SWAP program is? Well, listen to the podcast and find out. These promising young students are the future stewards of our precious wildlife resources.

1
Hogs Gone Wild! His name is Al! 1:06:32

2+ y ago1:06:32

1:06:32

Al... a big ol' Russian boar in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park spurs a discussion on not only pigs in the Park, but pigs in America.

1
Offending the Grandpappy's - Debunking Urban Legends 1:05:26

2+ y ago1:05:26

1:05:26

The hardest lesson I learned was finding out my dad didn't really know everything there was to know about wildlife. In fact, he got a whole lot wrong! Daryl and Meg discuss some of those things they heard as kids and explain the truth about what is really going on.

1
Smoky Mountain Hiking Tips 1:12:36

2+ y ago1:12:36

1:12:36

Lots of people head to the Smoky Mountains and some of them actually get out of their car and hit the trails. If you want to be one of those people, listen to Meg who is a seasoned hiker in GSMNP.

1
Bear Basics 1:16:23

2+ y ago1:16:23

1:16:23

Meg comes prepared to grill Daryl with a whole list of bear questions... and a turkey question to boot!

1
Cool Critters of GSMNP 1:14:01

2+ y ago1:14:01

1:14:01

Last episode Daryl and Meg introduced you to the wonderful world of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This episode, they dive into a discussion about some of the amazing wildlife you will find there, and even some of the wildlife you won't.

1
Smokies and the Bears 1:16:24

3y ago1:16:24

1:16:24

"Wildlife for You" launches a new platform to help teach people about the amazing outdoors. We begin with where it all started for our long-time host, Daryl... at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He is joined by his good friend and all-around southern spirit, Meg Pelley, a volunteer at the National Park. They discuss not only the Park and t…

1
Mountain Ghosts...and goats to boot! 47:08

3+ y ago47:08

47:08

Daryl and Steph discuss a couple of high mountain adventures with ghosts and goats.

1
Let’s Go Buffalo! 1:00:03

3+ y ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Noooo... we are not talking about Cape buffalo, were not even talking about the Buffalo Bills (sadly), we are talking about the American bison.

1
Hog Wild! 44:19

4y ago44:19

44:19

Wild pigs, feral hogs, Russian boars... Whatever you wanna call them... they’re awful for our ecosystem.

1
Big Ash Cats 54:21

4y ago54:21

54:21

From totally misguided news reporters to big “ash” cats. We cover those honking big predators. Heck we even talk about Hank the Tank.

1
Sandhill Cranes 44:59

4y ago44:59

44:59

Stephanne and Daryl take you into a deep dive on Sandhill cranes. They are beautiful and wonderful birds in more ways than one.

1
Welcome back, Bandit the mouth breather, and who owns wildlife. 45:23

4y ago45:23

45:23

We’re back, although a little rusty for 2022. We get things kicked off until Stephanne’s dog decides to take center stage but needless to say... we’re glad to be back!

1
Human Country - “Bears Keep Out!” 45:08

4y ago45:08

45:08

Everyone knows that there’s bear country but few people know about “human country.” If you truly love bears it’s best to teach them to keep out of human country.

1
Saving Bear 399 53:20

4y ago53:20

53:20

Grizzly 399... she’s popular, she’s beautiful, and she is a handful. Find out what it takes, and doesn’t take, to keep 399 alive and thriving.

1
The Most Destructive Species on Earth - Part 3 51:30

4y ago51:30

51:30

Find out how climate change is really messing us up.

1
The Most Destructive Species on Earth - Part 2 46:40

4y ago46:40

46:40

In this episode Daryl and Stephanne talk about some human activities that truly are reshaping the world… and not for the better!

1
The Most Destructive Species on Earth - Part 1 57:25

4y ago57:25

57:25

Stephanne and Daryl take a deep dive into what is by far the most impactful species on earth and no, it is not coyotes.

1
Wildlife Rehabilitation... an in-depth discussion. 55:35

4y ago55:35

55:35

Fresh from her recent trip to Disney World Stephanne grills Daryl on the good and bad of wildlife rehabilitation.

1
Badgers? We don’t need no stinking badgers! 41:22

4y ago41:22

41:22

All you need to know about American and Honey... badgers that is!

1
Do Black Bears Hibernate? 39:23

4y ago39:23

39:23

There is a lot of misinformation out there about black bear hibernation. Yes, they hibernate they just do it a little bit differently… Yes, even in the Smokies!

1
Do wildlife suffer from PTSD? 46:30

4+ y ago46:30

46:30

Find out if animals react to traumatic events the same way humans do. The science is still emerging but the questions are intriguing

1
Naked and Absurd! 45:20

4+ y ago45:20

45:20

When does educational television become uneducational? When they flat out lie for ratings!

1
Attack Turtle! 39:50

4+ y ago39:50

39:50

What’s the difference between a turtle, a tortoise, and a terrapin? If you don’t know, find out here!

1
The Stinkiest episode yet! 43:47

4+ y ago43:47

43:47

You guessed it… We’re talking about skunks. Anyway, we hope none of our episodes are really that stinky.

1
Possums ‘n Ticks... I don’t think so! 41:39

4+ y ago41:39

41:39

Everyone knows that wild possums eat loads of ticks correct? Think again! This podcast teaches you to be mindful of “laboratory” studies.

1
It’s OWLimentary my dear! 43:43

4+ y ago43:43

43:43

Everything you ever wanted to know about owls and even some things you didn’t want to know.

1
Conservationist or Preservationist... What are you? 48:52

4+ y ago48:52

48:52

We take a deep dive into what these two terms mean and why they sometimes inspire deep-seated reactions.

1
Wolverines... mean, stinky, and antisocial! 47:10

4+ y ago47:10

47:10

Red dawn and the X-Men don’t have anything on real life wolverines. Not only are they one of Stephanne‘s favorite creatures but they’re pretty darn cool to boot.

1
Playing in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 37:37

4+ y ago37:37

37:37

Reminiscent of our time spent with some amazing wildlife students in the GYE

1
Wildlife Movement 40:13

4+ y ago40:13

40:13

Animals move around for various reasons. Just because they’re there may not mean they’re really there. Find out what we mean because it can be confusing.

1
Bear Brigades and issues with roadside grizzlies 47:03

4+ y ago47:03

47:03

Take a dive into the science regarding the impact of roads on grizzlies and grizzly behavior. It’s not always what do you think it is or what you heard.

1
Slithery Snakes -Part II 31:28

4+ y ago31:28

31:28

Learn about the slithery heat seeking, air tasting, comedic actors we all know and love as… snakes.

1
Slithery Snakes - Part I 40:28

4+ y ago40:28

40:28

Snakes freak people out but it’s mostly due to fear of the unknown. We try to break down some of those misunderstood concepts.

1
The Moose is Loose 29:33

4+ y ago29:33

29:33

Meet the mighty mighty moose, the largest member of the deer family.

1
Backyard Birds are Awesome... Literally! 57:52

4+ y ago57:52

57:52

There is so much to enjoy about a yard full of birds. Find out what you should do to make your backyard bird paradise.

1
When Wildlife Info Hurts 29:40

4+ y ago29:40

29:40

It’s getting harder and harder to discern good information from bad information. Keep in mind, bad wildlife information can not only hurt wildlife, it can hurt you.

1
A Fat Finger Apology 4:59

4+ y ago4:59

4:59

Don’t listen to Steph it was all her fault!

1
Synanthropes... those human lovin’ critters! 34:47

4+ y ago34:47

34:47

Believe it or not humans are actually good for some species of wildlife. Well let’s just say they have learned to live with us.

1
Anthropause... the big human timeout. 38:13

4+ y ago38:13

38:13

The global pandemic affected nearly all human life, this undoubtedly has had widespread impacts to wildlife. It’s pretty mind-boggling to even think about the potential impacts.

1
What’s Killing Our Bears?!? 44:00

4+ y ago44:00

44:00

When a bear gets killed unintentionally people get mad. If only we could teach people the right thing to get mad at maybe we can make a difference!

1
Animal Emotions... can our furry friends be happy or sad? 37:21

4+ y ago37:21

37:21

Can animals have emotions? It’s fun to think about but boy is it hard to explain!

1
Bear Attack Reminder 5:50

4+ y ago5:50

5:50

Whenever a bear attack occurs it’s best if we take a step back and breathe. It is best to better understand the situation before making knee-jerk reactions.

1
Predator Calls... A Couple Cats Goin’ At It! 50:58

4+ y ago50:58

50:58

We all know that those predators are out there but we may not know what they all sound like. You’d be surprised!

1
Rappin’ with the Raptors 49:46

4+ y ago49:46

49:46

Many of us know our birds of prey by sight but how many of you know what they sound like? Listen and learn the vocalizations of our favorite raptor friends.

1
Frogarific Frogorama! 51:59

4+ y ago51:59

51:59

What better way is there to impress the ladies than to know your frog calls! Heck you can even impress the guys to if you like! They are simple and easy to learn, all you have to do is listen.

1
The Meal - Predator Feeding Strategies 52:09

4+ y ago52:09

52:09

Predators not only have distinct ways of taking down animals, they also have distinct ways of eating it. Find out how biologist use these clues to determine who’s been feeding.