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Dan Flores is a writer, historian, and former professor whose work explores the connections between people and the natural world in the American West. His most recent books\u2014Coyote America and American Serengeti\u2014are two of the most enlightening and informative books on the West\u2019s natural history that I have ever read. The former is a biography of the coyote, a surprisingly fascinating animal with a rich and severely misunderstood history. The latter explores the last big mammals of the great plains\u2014pronghorn, coyotes, horses, grizzlies, bison, and wolves\u2014and also gives a great overview of North American big history. \u2022 It\u2019s clear that Dan was a wonderful professor, because as you\u2019ll hear in this episode, he has a real knack for explaining complicated subjects in a way that\u2019s understandable, engaging, and exciting. This conversation gave me a glimpse into what it must have been like to be a student in Dan\u2019s class at the University of Montana\u2014I walked away from it full of new knowledge, and it whet my appetite to dig deeper into the many subjects we covered. \u2022 I could\u2019ve asked Dan questions for hours and hours, but in our relatively short time together we managed to cover a lot. We start by discussing the coyote\u2014how and why the animal has been so misunderstood, its similarities to humans, how it has managed to thrive despite efforts to totally eradicate the species, and the varying pronunciations of the word coyote. Then we discuss horses\u2014the misconception that they are a non-native species in North America, their evolutionary history around the world, and some modern-day challenges facing the West's few remaining wild horses. We also talk about Dan\u2019s childhood in Louisiana, his current home in New Mexico, his favorite books on the American West, and much, much more. \u2022 This is an excellent episode and I\u2019m excited for you to listen. If you haven\u2019t already, buy Coyote America and American Serengeti\u2014I can promise you\u2019ll love them both. \u2022\u2022\u2022 http://mountainandprairie.com/dan-flores/ \u2022\u2022\u2022 TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:00 - How Dan describes his work 4:10 - History of the pronunciation of \u201cCoyote\u201d 7:30 - Coyote\u2019s historical reputation 11:00 - Coyote\u2019s historical status in Native American lore 12:30 - Mark Twain\u2019s influence on the coyotes\u2019 image 14:05 - Coyotes as humans\u2019 avatars 16:15 - Fission and fusion in coyotes 18:00 - Coyotes' ability to control their reproduction 22:20 - Dan\u2019s thoughts on the current attempted Federal Land grab 28:45 - Misconception that horses are non-native 34:30 - Current issues with horses in the United States 37:55 - Dan\u2019s thoughts on the BLM Wild Mustang Program 40:15 - Dan\u2019s early years in Louisiana 43:00 - First trip to Carlsbad Caverns 45:20 - Dan\u2019s passionate love of desert 48:55 - Living in Montana\u2019s Bitterroot Valley 51:00 - Changes in Montana during Dan\u2019s time there 55:00 - "In Defense of the Ranchette\u201d article 1:01:45 - Favorite books about the American West 1:08:00 - Most powerful experience outdoors 1:09:20 - Favorite place in the West 1:11:30 - Dan\u2019s request of the listeners 1:15:45 - Connect with Dan