The MeatEater Podcast – Ep. 807: Dew Claws, Buck Nuts, and Christmas Trees | MeatEater Radio Live!

Original Air Date: December 19, 2025
Host: Spencer (filling in; Steven Rinella not present this episode)
Guests: Cal, Corey, Phil (regulars), Matt Ross (National Deer Association), Trent Pressler (author, "Evergreen")

Main Theme

This lively MeatEater Radio Live! episode explores quirky and practical facets of the outdoor/hunting world with warmth and humor, touching on everything from myths about deer tracks, European mount hacks, holiday feasts with wild game, and the cultural/natural history of Christmas trees. The episode delivers hunting lore, deep cuts on ecological issues, and plenty of laughs as the crew heads into Christmas.

Episode Outline & Key Segments

1. Holiday Wild Game Meals & Traditions

(02:52 – 09:30)

• The crew discusses their plans for Christmas meals, with a focus on wild game and creative cooking styles.
  • Cal’s Plan: Standing antelope rib roast for Christmas Eve, cooked medium rare.
    • “It’ll be like an appetizer type of deal, you know?... I struggle with making things fancy… Just medium rare, man.” (03:56–04:33, Cal)
  • Corey’s Plan: Christmas night fondue with wild game sausage, steak bites, cheese, fruits, breads. Breakfast: black bear biscuits and gravy.
  • Spencer’s Plan: Deep-frying his first turkey (a hen from Idaho) as part of an ambitious five-course meal.
    • The team discusses the practicalities: brining, air drying, and not overcooking wild turkey.
    • “You just don’t. Do not overcook that stuff. And it looks real pretty.” (04:33, Cal)
    • “Post-brine… budget in 12 hours of air circulation in the refrigerator, drying out.” (07:12, Cal)

Memorable Moment

– Spencer’s excitement and nerves around hosting a multi-course Christmas meal, capped with his wild turkey:
“That’s going to be the fifth and final course. It’s going to be the climax of the whole meal, so… A lot of pressure.” (08:17–08:25, Spencer)

2. The Truth About Deer Tracks – Interview with Matt Ross (National Deer Association)

(09:30 – 19:16)

• Dew Claws: Explanation of what they are and their evolutionary background.
  • “Dew claws are… vestigial. They’re like a remnant digit… most animals… have dew claws. … On deer itself, they’re those extra digits… a little bit up from the actual hoof.” (10:12, Matt Ross)
• Mythbusting:
  • Dew claw track impressions do not indicate a buck – both does and bucks have them. (11:51, Matt Ross)
  • Hoof spread is also not reliable for sexing tracks; weight, gait, substrate have more influence. (12:24, Matt Ross)
  • Tracks are rarely “fingerprints,” though unique injuries/damage can make one distinguishable. (13:16 onward)
  • The only mostly reliable method: The very biggest tracks likely belong to bucks (but there’s a lot of overlap).
    • “Simply put, dew claws don’t mean much… the very biggest tracks in the woods likely belong to bucks.” (17:24, Spencer)
• What else can be learned:
  • Freshness, direction, and abundance of tracks are more meaningful for hunting than sexing animals by track.
    • “Freshness of the sign… the preponderance of lots of tracks in an area just [shows] deer activity…” (17:40, Matt Ross)

Notable Quotes

• “If you’re saying just because dew claws are present in the track, it must be a buck, that… could be a buck, but it’s not a definitive thing. Both sexes have them.” (11:51, Matt Ross)
• “There’s a lot you can get out of tracks. Freshness of the sign… that’s probably one of the most undervalued types of sign…” (17:40, Matt Ross)
• Comic Exchange:
  • Cal: “If you come across, like, a deer with the big red nose, is that… a shoot/don’t shoot scenario?”
  • Matt: “I think that one’s off limits for all people.” (18:54–19:11)

3. Listener Hot Tip-Off: European Mounts

(19:21 – 24:46)

• Segment Format: Two listeners submit head-to-head practical hunting tips.
• Luke Long: Bending cheap metal wall brackets for perfect European mount display hangers.
• Jack Anderson: Using a thermostat-controlled water heater for skull maceration instead of boiling—simpler, preserves detail.
• Panel’s Reaction:
  • Corey and Spencer favor Jack’s method for improving a tedious task.
    • “That’s just like… taking a really sucky choreography and making it much less sucky… a crock pot version.” (23:39, Spencer)
  • Cal prefers Luke’s, praising its simplicity for non-handy folks.
• Chat poll winner: Jack Anderson (62%).

4. Live Listener Q&A and Banter

(28:34 – 36:33)

• Guide opinions on 7mm Rem Mag: Mostly due to poor ammo availability in early years, not caliber ballistics.
• Jerky methods: Preference for dehydrators (set/forget) vs. pellet grills (fine product, but less convenient in winter).
• Favorite Christmas movies:
  • “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Scrooged,” “Elf,” “The Night Before,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Home Alone.” Music: Casey Musgraves, Michael Bublé, Vince Guaraldi.
  • “If Mariah Carey’s on there, I will shove you to the floor.” (33:27, Cal)
• Christmas trees: Some panelists admit to using fake trees; others prefer real cut trees for outdoor tradition.

5. The Meat Pole Game

(36:33 – 45:19)

• Format: Hosts predict survey results from 500 MeatEater listeners.
  1. Would rather hunt deer in morning: Actual 64.8% (Cal wins)
  2. Have ridden a horse: Actual 81.8% (Corey wins, surprisingly high)
  3. Have eaten deer testicles: Actual 9.9% (Corey wins; lower than panel expected)
• Trivia and Banter:
  • Fun stats: more horse riders than golfers; history on testicle nutrition.
  • “Deer testicles are a superfood… similar to sardines and pork tenderloin.” (44:55, Spencer)
  • Panel favorite way to cook deer testicles: battered and fried as an appetizer.

6. Feature Interview: Trent Pressler, Author of “Evergreen”

(49:11 – 64:16)

Evergreen Trees—History, Culture, Conservation

• Pine Trees & The Revolutionary War:
  • The “Pine Tree Riot” predated Boston Tea Party as a protest against the Crown’s claim to mast-worthy trees.
    • “Colonists got pretty mad… Eventually the King’s surveyors got painted with soot, whipped with pine branches, and sent out of town… That was the start of the American Revolutionary War.” (49:36–51:41, Trent Pressler)
• Evergreen Trees & Whaling:
  • Turpentine from conifers replaced whale oil as lighting fuel, ironically saving whale populations. (51:51–53:03)
• Lumberjack Lethality:
  • 19th-century lumberjacks faced extreme death rates; falling trees and primitive tools made it America’s most dangerous job. (53:23)
• The “Green Glacier” Problem:
  • Eastern red cedar is overtaking the Great Plains; lack of fire and bison allowed native trees to “invade” prairie, threatening grazing land and grassland ecology.
    • “It is an ecological crisis of epic proportions that I wish more people would pay attention to...” (54:47, Trent Pressler)
  • Cal ties this to grasslands conservation and contemporary ecological debate.
• Christmas Tree Industry Insights:
  • Most farms are small, aging; salary is low; land is usually marginal for other farming.
  • Declining real Christmas tree sales:
    • Down from 33 million (1985) to 12 million (2023); blamed on the “pernicious” rise of fake trees and climate change impacts (heat, drought, pests).
    • “Read my book. I make no bones about how I really feel about… fake Christmas trees.” (59:02, Trent Pressler)
  • Rockefeller Center Tree 'Scout':
    • Eric Pouts drives the northeast, quietly cataloging outstanding specimens, then negotiates with property owners.
    • “He’s already pretty much picked the tree for the next, like, five years.” (61:05, Pressler)
  • Conservation Verdict:
    • Trent: “Always buy a real tree” – supports wildlife, sequesters carbon, and prevents more plastic waste.
      • “The world doesn’t need more plastic… Artificial Christmas trees are similar to Ikea furniture; people usually throw them away after seven years… Real trees, they plant another one as soon as they cut it.” (62:28–63:49, Pressler)
  • Cal’s Admiration:
    • “How did you find this guest? Best guest ever.” (63:53, Cal)

7. Segment: Tattoos I Regret

(66:24 – 71:02)

• The crew describes and playfully analyzes regretful/outdoor-themed tattoos submitted by listeners.
  1. Jack Shotgun’s Whitetail Buck Tattoo:
     • Borne of impulse—he lives in Utah and has never seen a whitetail. Regrets location, not artistry.
     • “It’s not a bad tattoo, but it’s not a great tattoo if you’ve never seen one.” (68:39, Spencer)
  2. Eric James’ Coordinates Tattoo:
     • Family fishing spot in tattoo’s coordinates; ironically, he once got lost and mocked by family for it. Panel jokes about “spot burning” your best honey hole for all to see.
     • “Can you imagine putting, like, your favorite spot in the mountains, the exact coordinates on your arm for all to see?” (70:37, Spencer)

8. Extended Listener Q&A & Closing Banter

(71:07 – 79:02)

• Cooking antelope: Medium-rare recommended, avoid overcooking, tender steaks from neck to tail.
  • “Every antelope that I get, I try not to grind any of it because every steak… is just so darn delicious.” (73:12, Corey)
• Gifts for older hunters: ONX maps, hand/toe warmers, image-stabilizing binoculars, sturdy tripods for shooting.
• Favorite holiday drinks: Everything from beer, whiskey, vodka, to hot Dr. Pepper with rum, “cold weather” ales (Jubel Ale, Ninkasi Slayer), eggnog.
  • “I love a good eggnog. I do a homemade eggnog. The thing about eggnog is that I can’t drink a lot of it. I’m not much of a sipper…” (77:25, Phil)
• Using every part of the deer: Plans for rendering tallow into lip balm, lotion, boot balm, etc.
• Ugly sweater ideas: Listeners request a MeatEater Christmas sweater.

Sign-off:
“This is our last live show of the year. Thanks for listening, everybody. Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Happy New Year.” (78:49, Spencer)

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Dew Claw Myths
  “If you’re saying just because dew claws are present in the track, it must be a buck, that… could be a buck, but it’s not a definitive thing. Both sexes have them.”
  — Matt Ross (11:51)

• Christmas Tree Conservation
  “Always buy a real tree. I will shout this from the top of every mountain. The world doesn’t need more plastic… Every time you buy an artificial tree… that means seven years of real trees not being purchased from small family farmers.”
  — Trent Pressler (62:28–63:49)

• Food Philosophy
  “I would rather have a fried deer testicle with cocktail sauce… than pork tenderloin.”
  — Cal (45:26)

• Christmas Movie Banter
  “If Mariah Carey’s on there, I will shove you to the floor.”
  — Cal (33:27)

• Tattoo Regret
  “It’s not a bad tattoo, but it’s not a great tattoo if you’ve never seen one.”
  — Spencer (68:39)

• Guest Acclaim
  “How did you find this guest? This is the best guest ever.”
  — Cal (63:53)

Conclusion

Episode takeaway:
This special holiday episode blends practical hunting and cooking wisdom, fun seasonal banter, and deep ecological insights. It myth-busts common deer tracking lore, offers hacks for home taxidermy, celebrates real Christmas trees, and shines a light on the surprising ways conifers have shaped American history. The crew’s camaraderie and irreverence remain at the heart of the show, making it as educational as it is entertaining—whether you’re a die-hard hunter or simply love the rhythm of the outdoor seasons.

Key Segment Timestamps

• Holiday Meal Talk – 02:52–09:30
• Deer Track Mythbusting w/ Matt Ross – 09:30–19:16
• Hot Tip-Off (European Mounts) – 19:21–24:46
• Listener Q&A (holiday banter, movies, Christmas trees) – 28:34–36:33
• Meat Pole Survey Game – 36:33–45:19
• Interview: Trent Pressler, “Evergreen” – 49:11–64:16
• Tattoos I Regret – 66:24–71:02
• Listener Q&A & Closing Banter – 71:07–79:02

If you’re looking for tips, laughs, or a deeper appreciation of how the outdoor world shapes our culture, you’ll find something to love in this episode.