Ep 17. Wild Goose Chase

In this episode of Dirty Jobs, host Mike Rowe takes viewers on a wild goose chase through the wetlands of Louisiana. As he traverses through the marshes and bayous, Mike meets some of the men and women who make a living off of the abundance of wild animals that can be found in the area.

First up, Mike joins a group of hunters who specialize in hunting wild geese. He learns how to set up decoys and lay a trap for the birds, and watches as the hunters take down several geese in a single shot. But the work doesn't stop there – Mike helps to clean and prepare the birds for sale, learning about the various regulations and restrictions that govern the sale of wild game.

Next, Mike meets up with a team of wild boar hunters, who take him on a heart-pumping chase through the swamps in search of the elusive animals. Armed with nothing more than a spear and his wits, Mike tries his hand at taking down a wild boar himself, and finds out just how dangerous these animals can be.

After the adrenaline rush of the boar hunt, Mike heads to a nearby alligator farm, where he works with the owner to collect eggs from the nesting gators. He wades through the murky water, carefully avoiding the protective mother alligators while gathering the precious eggs that will eventually hatch into baby gators.

Finally, Mike wraps up his journey with a trip to a crawfish farm, where he helps to harvest the tiny crustaceans that are a staple of Cajun cuisine. He gets down in the mud and muck, using his hands to sift through the water and gather as many crawfish as he can. Along the way, he learns about the various methods of crawfish farming, and hears about the challenges facing the industry in a changing climate.

Throughout the episode, Mike showcases the hard work and dedication required to make a living in these often overlooked and underappreciated industries. He gets his hands dirty – very dirty, in fact – and gains a new appreciation for the men and women who make their living off of the land and the creatures that inhabit it. From hunting geese and wild boars to collecting alligator eggs and harvesting crawfish, this episode of Dirty Jobs is a thrilling, eye-opening look at some of the toughest and most fascinating jobs out there.