
The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 875: Grizz Attack, Mountain Lions Rebound, and a $44K Walleye
May 12, 2026
Sam Forsag, former smokejumper and union leader running in Montana, talks about his firefighting career and what pushed him into politics. Conversation jumps to recent grizzly attacks at national parks. They also cover mountain lions rebounding in the Midwest and a $44K walleye contest controversy in Iowa.
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From UM Grad To Smokejumper Firefighter
- Sam Forsag described his path from University of Montana to becoming a smokejumper and parachuting into wildfires.
- He spent eight years in wildland fire, made 34 fire jumps across eight states, and earned the rookie smokejumper wage around $15/hour.
The Brutal Pack Outs After Jumps
- Forsag described pack-outs after jumps: 110-pound pack-outs and sometimes carrying extra chainsaw powerheads.
- His longest pack-out was six miles and he once spent 31 consecutive days on assignment during a heavy season.
Cuts Create Costs Not Savings
- Forsag argues cutting frontline public-lands staff creates hidden costs and inefficiencies that increase overall spending.
- He gave examples: gear caches closed forcing overnight shipping and ordering multiple contract crews instead of one capable hotshot crew.



