Podcast
Blood Trails
Hosted by MeatEater · EN
Blood Trails is a new investigative podcast from MeatEater, hosted by writer and journalist Jordan Sillars. Each episode digs into true crime stories from the world of hunting and fishing—cases where the woods and the water became the backdrop for violence and mystery. From missing hunters deep in public land to poachers turned killers and fishing trips gone fatally wrong, Blood Trails uncovers the moments when outdoor life collides with the darkness of the human heart. But this isn't repackaged Wikipedia. Each story features original reporting you won't hear anywhere else, expert insight from detectives and hunters, and first-hand accounts from the people who were actually there. For true crime listeners looking for something new—and outdoorsmen who know the thrill and risk of time afield—Blood Trails exposes the stories left behind in the tracks. If you’re a fan of Dateline, Criminal, or Bear Grease but want your true crime set in the wild places you know, this podcast is for you.
19episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S2E7: Finding Justice for Dustin Kjersem
6d ago01:06:24Summary readyIn October of 2024, Dustin Kjersem drove into the mountains south of Bozeman, Montana, to prepare for a romantic weekend of camping. He was never seen alive again. When his girlfriend finally discovered his body, she thought he'd been attacked by a bear. But the truth, it turned out, was far more disturbing. To find Dustin's killer, investigators followed a trail that led through a bloody campsite, a missing axe, two tequila glasses, and a pair of cell phones found by a man who claimed he saw them in a dream. This is a story about finding justice for a man who had never made an enemy — a carpenter, a father, and a friend who welcomed a stranger into his tent without a second thought. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Blood Trails on Instagram Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S2E6: The Disappearance of Bill Roland
2w ago00:53:55Summary readyWhen Bill Roland went missing from Lake Sam Rayburn in 1997, nothing about the case made sense. Weeks later, his boat turned up hidden in a cove, shot multiple times with a shotgun in an apparent attempt to sink it. His truck was found burned. His trailer was somewhere else entirely. And Bill was nowhere to be found. Investigators were left to piece together a puzzle with missing parts: a fisherman who may have had no enemies… or may have had more than anyone realized. Was this a random encounter on the water or something that started long before he ever launched his boat? Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Blood Trails on Instagram Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Introducing: Future Wild
2w ago00:01:00Summary readyFuture Wild is a one-on-one interview podcast pairing host, author, and outdoorsman Mark Kenyon and world-class subject matter experts to explore topics relevant to the future of wildlife and wild places, hunting and fishing, and other outdoor pursuits. Future Wild is here to answer the questions being asked by the deeply curious and passionate in the hunting, angling, and outdoor communities. Follow now for the first episode, featuring Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard, dropping on Wednesday, May 27th on the Cal of the Wild podcast feed, soon to be called MeatEater Conservation. Thanks to our sponsor, Conservation First Bank. Follow Future Wild on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Mark Kenyon and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S2E5: The Assassination of Tommy Ballard
3w ago00:56:48Summary readyTommy Ballard refused to let his daughter’s disappearance fade away. After Crystal Rogers vanished in 2015, Ballard became the face of the search. He organized volunteers, worked with investigators, and publicly called out the man he believed was responsible. A year later, while hunting with his grandson, Ballard was shot and killed. The attack was precise. Intentional. And, to many, not a coincidence. As investigators worked to unravel both cases, one question loomed over everything: was Tommy Ballard murdered because he got too close to the truth? Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Blood Trails on Instagram Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S2E4: Catching the Killer of Neil LaFave
4w ago00:59:07Summary readyOn his birthday in 1971, Wisconsin game warden Neil LaFave went out to post “No Hunting” signs. He never came home. The next morning, searchers found his body buried in a shallow grave. The brutality stunned investigators: multiple gunshots, and a horrifying attempt to conceal the crime. Suspicion quickly centered on a young poacher with a history of conflict with LaFave. But proving it would take something new: one of the first wiretaps ever used in a Wisconsin murder case. What followed was a breakthrough that changed the investigation, and revealed just how far someone was willing to go to avoid getting caught. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Blood Trails on Instagram Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S2E3: The Murder of Timothy Blyth
Apr 3001:19:34Summary readyTimothy Blyth was scouting for a hunt in Florida’s St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge when a chance encounter turned deadly. What started as an argument over access and safety escalated into gunfire. Minutes later, Blyth was found dead in the road. The man he’d been arguing with was gone, along with the weapon he'd used. Witnesses described an aggressive confrontation. Evidence tied the suspect to the scene. But his version of events told a different story: self-defense. Whichever version of events you believe, one thing is clear: Tim Blyth's death left a father without a son, and a group of hunting buddies without the friend they loved. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Blood Trails on Instagram Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S2E2: The Search for Bob Smith
Apr 2301:10:19Summary readyBob Smith stepped into the Maine woods on a November afternoon in 1997 and never came back. His wife heard a single gunshot. Then... nothing. What followed was the largest ground search in the history of the Maine Warden Service. Investigators found clues—a set of boot prints, a strange arrow in the dirt, even a dead moose nearby—but none of them led to Bob. As the search dragged on, rumors surfaced: out-of-state hunters who left early, a story about an accidental shooting, and people who may have known more than they said. Was Bob Smith the victim of a tragic accident… or something far more deliberate? Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Blood Trails on Instagram Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S2E1: Who Murdered Mike Crites?
Apr 1601:23:50Summary readyMike Crites wanted to live alone in the Montana mountains. He built a cabin, managed his land for wildlife, and spent his days hunting elk and mule deer. But isolation didn’t mean peace. After years of escalating disputes with neighbors over access roads and property lines, Mike vanished in September 2011. What investigators eventually found was far worse than a missing person case—it was a dismemberment, with remains scattered across both sides of a mountain pass. Two neighbors emerged as key figures. One had a long history of conflict with Mike. The other showed up the day before he disappeared—and later changed his story. More than a decade later, the case finally made it to trial. But even now, the most critical questions remain unanswered. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Announcing: Blood Trails, Season Two
Apr 1200:01:12Summary readyBlood Trails is a true crime podcast born in the outdoors--and in Season 2, we're going even deeper. From the grisly killing of a mountain man in Montana to the cold-blooded murder of a deer hunter in Florida to the strange disappearance of an angler in Texas, these stories delve into the recesses of the wilderness--and the evil of the human heart. Follow the show now to get notified when Episode 1 drops, Thursday, April 16. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Case Update: Bob Christian DNA Results
Mar 2700:15:12Summary readyLast year, Wisconsin detectives requested that the four unidentified victims of Chicagoland serial killer John Wayne Gacy be compared to a missing 18-year-old hunter named Bob Christian. We covered Bob's story in Episode 1 of Season 1. Those DNA results have finally arrived, and we have all the details in this Case Update. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars, MeatEater, and Blood Trails MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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