Welcome to Backwoods University, a place where we focus on wildlife, wild places, and the people who dedicate their lives to conserving both.

Big shout out to Onex Hunt for their support of this podcast.

I'm your host, Lake Pickle.

And today, well, fire up the boiler, cut up some onions, garlic, and sausage because it's

time for a crawfish bowl.

Well, not actually.

I wish it was.

But it is time for all of us to learn a little bit more about the most popular crustace

that has ever graced the North American fresh waters.

And believe me, I bet you'll be surprised at how much there is to learn about these critters.

Let's get into it.

I can picture the whole thing.

I can picture the whole thing in my head right now.

It's early April.

I pull into my parents' driveway, and the second I opened the truck door, I am welcomed

by the familiar smell of boiling crawfish, the Cajun seasoning, the diced onions and garlic,

the chopped sausage, and of course, the crawfish, all intermingling together in a giant

pot of boiling water to make a harmony of good aroma and an even better taste. If you have never

had the privilege of attending a crawfish bowl, you are seriously missing out. It's a social

event just as much as it is a feast, and it's been a staple of American Southern culture for a very long time.

I would even wager to say that you won't find anyone down here that doesn't at least know what a crawfish is.

But that is where most of our knowledge ends, myself included before I did this episode.

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