Podcast Summary: The MeatEater Podcast

Episode 809: The 209 – A Backyard Hunt For An Iowa Giant

Date: December 22, 2025
Host: Steven Rinella
Guest: Rob Sand (Iowa State Auditor, gubernatorial candidate), Brooklyn Stevens (406 Boneworks)

Overview

This episode brings together hunting, politics, and conservation with Steven Rinella hosting Rob Sand, an Iowa state official with deep bowhunting credentials and a current gubernatorial candidate. The core of the discussion centers around Rob’s pursuit of an enormous urban buck—the “209”—in Des Moines, Iowa, but branches widely into Iowa politics, ethics, outdoor culture, urban deer management, and the intersection between political life and authentic outdoorsmanship. Brooklyn Stevens returns for a check-in segment spotlighting her growing skull and taxidermy business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Guest Introductions and Profiles

• Rob Sand’s Public Persona
  • Dubbed in national press as “the gun-toting Christian who could help Democrats win over Trump voters.”
  • His affinity for hunting and rural Iowa roots both shape and complicate his appeal across the political spectrum.
  • Running for Iowa governor while serving as state auditor. (06:42)
• Brooklyn Stevens – 406 Boneworks
  • Updates from her small business doing skull cleaning, tanning, and branching into taxidermy.
  • Insights into the business realities of a hunting-related entrepreneurship. (07:00–15:29)

2. Spotlight: 406 Boneworks (07:00–15:29)

• Harvest Trends & Small Business
  • Extremely warm Montana fall led to lower hunting harvests and less business:
    • “This year, I don’t even know if I’ll get close to 200 [skulls]” – Brooklyn (07:54)
  • Discussion of expanding services: beetle cleaning for small skulls, tanning, starting shoulder mounts.
• Business Realities and Customer Preferences
  • On the best way to bring in a skull: “Killed it that morning, dropped it off…not skinned. Just leave it to me.” (13:36)
  • Best customer communication: “Just bring it to me, I’ll do it. That’s smart business.” – Rob (14:20)
  • Contact details and shout-outs for 406 Boneworks in Bozeman.

3. Rob Sand – Roots, Early Work Life, Path to Politics (16:02–24:46)

• Humble Beginnings
  • First job: “Chicken catching”—more precisely, capon catching—at age 14 in Decorah, Iowa. (16:16)
  • Other jobs: McDonald’s, a local Internet provider.
• From Law to Public Service
  • Seven years as Iowa’s chief public corruption prosecutor.
  • “I prosecuted most of the public corruption in Iowa in that time frame.” (20:50)
  • Uncovered the largest lottery rigging scheme in US history—a wild tale featuring a Bigfoot-hunting judge in Texas. (21:14–26:36)

4. The Lottery Scandal & Bigfoot Hunters (21:14–30:31)

• Summary of the Scheme
  • Mastermind Eddie Tipton wrote code in the random number generator for multi-state lotteries, timing predictability on certain days.
  • Networked with his brother (a judge and Bigfoot hunter), who used the “Bigfoot hunting network” to help redeem winning tickets.
  • “You have to have a high degree of trust in each other … you are looked at by the outside world, as I’m sure, you’re laughed at.” – Rob (24:33)
• Resolution
  • Several states and agencies collaborated; Tipton received jail time, not nearly as much as expected for the scale of the crime.

5. State Auditor and the Politics of Oversight (35:30–40:51)

• Role & Achievements
  • Watchdog for state government spending; significant corruption uncovered.
  • After re-election, legislature passed a law “so state agencies can hide evidence of misspent tax dollars from our office.” (38:15)
  • “It’s all BS… they were like, ‘Perfect, let’s pass this sucker.’” – Rob (39:45)
  • Sincere personal connection to public service: “Rooted in my faith. … Jesus flipping over the tables of the money changers in the temple.” (39:09–40:51)
• The Shift to Gubernatorial Run
  • Motivation: restore transparency; give the auditor’s office real power again.

6. The Iowa Urban Deer Hunt: Chasing the 209 (41:02–68:13)

Overview of Program (41:07–43:44)

• Urban Whitetail Management
  • Annual requalification for bowhunters; mandatory proficiency test.
  • Urban buck tag is earned by first harvesting three antlerless deer (Earn-a-buck system on steroids).
• Securing Access
  • Permission required from individual landowners or parks—most parcels are under an acre.
  • The city requires signed documents and property inspections for private land hunts.
• Scouting & Strategy
  • Park-hopping, door knocking, scouting with OnX and trail cameras.
  • “It’s just more complicated when each postage stamp is another landowner.” – Rob (47:23)

The Hunt (49:36–68:13)

• Scouting & Encounters
  • Multiple weeks of evening door knocking and bike scouting; tracking buck through trail cams.
  • First two weekends: two sightings at low light, both with opportunities lost due to caution (potential lookalike “buddy” buck).
• The Kill
  • Cold front arrives; Sand juggles gubernatorial campaign and hunting, maximizing time in the stand.
  • “This buck—this is a 209 inch buck—he’s moving in 85 degree heat. … I’m out there just sweating, sitting in my stand.” (57:56)
  • Finally, in a downpour, Sand slips from his stand, swings on his saddle, regains position, and makes the shot.
  • Dragging the deer:
    • “I can back my pickup up, lower the tailgate, and without having to field dress the deer in the rain out in this guy’s yard, just drag him in.” – Rob (63:05)
• Family Connection
  • Shared victory with his father—the person who got him into hunting. “Pretty cool to take that…with my dad.” (63:14)

The Trophy Debate

• Taxidermy Dilemma
  • Rob wants a lacquered-look shine to replicate how the rack appeared wet in the rain.
  • “Steve thinks that’s a dumb idea. You can’t paint the antlers.” (65:51)
  • Brooklyn suggests a spray bottle for a “rainy day effect.” (67:38)

Politics and Public Reaction

• Does shooting the buck help or hurt in politics?
  • “Is getting the big buck net positive or net negative?” – Steve (69:00)
  • “Some people … will be like, ‘He don’t deserve that big buck. I’m not voting for him.” – Steve (69:17)
  • Rob responds: “To me, I love hunting. I’m going to be who I am. And if some people don’t like it, that’s okay.” (69:55)

7. Politics, Hunting, and Breaking the Two-Party Mold (70:26–81:46)

• Authenticity, Independence, and Political Boxes
  • “I love surprising people when it comes to partisanship… Those values, those traditions, those don’t belong to a political party.” – Rob (71:22)
  • Critique of closed primaries: “That’s hogwash. … In America, where we celebrate Independence Day, we’re going to tell independent voters that they are less equal?” (72:10)
  • Dislike for “boxifying” complex worldviews to fit parties.
• Civility and Public Service
  • Singing “America the Beautiful” at town halls to break down walls and foster togetherness.
  • “Any old mule can kick a barn down. It takes a carpenter to build one.” – Rob (112:25)

8. Conservation and Iowa Environmental Issues (88:48–93:35)

• Water Quality
  • Iowa’s nitrate/runoff pollution, beach closures—“Record beach closures this summer. … Farmers are signing up for conservation programs and getting turned away because politicians won’t put in the funding.” (89:23–89:51)
• Public Land and Access
  • Iowa ranks 49th in public land.
  • “You always get a little bit extra credit if you’re out there on public land to fill that tag, but we just don’t have that much by comparison.” (92:05)
  • On corner crossing: “That’s like such a no-brainer to me. …I can’t imagine the attitude of someone who says, ‘No, I don’t want you to do that.’” (93:38)

9. Bowhunting Technicalities (106:25–112:07)

• Urban Stand Strategies
• Arrow/Broadhead Preferences
  • “I used to shoot fixed blade… I switched to mechanicals after a study showed higher recovery rates… wasn’t satisfied, so now I shoot Grim Reapers, four-blade mechanicals.” – Rob (109:42)
• Gear Debates in Archery
  • Steve: “I like to argue about this with Tony Peterson.”
  • “You know, those guys that do that…‘Well, it works for me.’ … And it just shuts everything down.” – Steve (111:23–111:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rob on his hunting/faith/politics mix:

  “Those values, those traditions, those don’t belong to a political party.” (71:22)

• On the two-party system:

  “We have two private clubs that run the United States of America. … It is absolutely wrong.” – Rob (72:03)

• On trophy decisions:

  “That mount is, if you can have it, be that moment and bring that moment back, that’s unique…” – Rob (66:56)

• On public service:

  “Show me people who want to do it right … not just be a Democrat or Republican, but to try to do the right thing.” – Rob (80:03)

• Rob on hunting and authenticity:

  “I’m not going to not be who I am. … If some people don’t like it, that’s okay. But other people do.” (69:55)

• Steve on campaign risks:

  “They're gonna be like, his buck wasn’t that big. It measured 207. Not net!” (86:32)

• On Iowa environmental challenges:

  “Farmers are signing up for conservation programs and getting turned away because politicians won’t put in the funding.” (89:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 06:42 – Introducing Rob Sand’s media profile, candidacy, and background.
• 07:00–15:29 – Brooklyn Stevens and the 406 Boneworks small business update.
• 16:02–24:46 – Rob’s childhood, early jobs, and path to state service.
• 21:14–26:36 – The multi-state lottery fraud/Bigfoot scandal.
• 35:30–40:51 – State Auditor work, political reforms, and motivation for running.
• 41:02–68:13 – Iowa’s urban hunt, chasing the 209 buck, and the full hunt story.
• 70:26–81:46 – Political authenticity, party system critique, and town hall traditions.
• 88:48–93:35 – Conservation and Iowa public land/water issues.
• 106:25–112:07 – Bowhunting technical talk (broadheads, gear debates).

Final Thoughts

This episode is an engaging look at how modern hunting overlaps with civic life, personal values, and grassroots conservation. Rob Sand emerges as a hunter-politician invested in integrity—whether running down a big Iowa buck or rooting out waste in government. Meanwhile, Brooklyn Stevens shines a light on the realities and innovation in small hunting businesses. For fans of bowhunting, state politics, and unvarnished discussion of conservation issues, “The 209” offers a rare, relatable intersection of passion, policy, and the pursuit of something big.