The MeatEater Podcast

Episode 837: "It's the Third-to-Last Episode" | MeatEater Radio Live!
Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Randall Williams
Co-Hosts: Giannis Patelis, Sethri Morris, Phil
Special Guests: Scott Heidebrink (American Prairie), Clay & Bear Newcomb

Overview

In this third-to-last live installment of MeatEater Radio, Randall Williams is joined by core team members Giannis Patelis and Sethri Morris for a show loaded with hunting stories, conservation news, and community interaction. The episode features a deep dive into one of the most controversial federal land management decisions impacting bison grazing on the American Prairie, engaging "show and tell" segments with hunting keepsakes, and the debut of updates from Clay and Bear Newcomb about the growing Bear Grease universe. Listeners are also treated to lively Q&A from the live chat and get exciting announcements about what’s next for MeatEater video content.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Camaraderie & Season Updates (00:45–12:26)

• Live from Bozeman, Montana, the show kicks off in typical irreverent, good-humored fashion—talking about cold starts, “lemon” trucks, adjusting to Montana winters, and longing for open-water fishing in a weird winter (03:20–04:08).
• Seth shares a celebrity bass fishing tidbit: Lucas Black (“Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift”, “NCIS: New Orleans”) is now a professional tournament angler (03:59–04:24).
• Giannis recounts his role at the NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation) convention, including emceeing the Grand Slam after-party, running raffles, and the struggle to find a good hoot-owl caller:

  “You would think at NWTF…just no problem to find twenty that sound like an owl. Wasn't the case.” (05:01–06:13, Giannis Patelis)

• Reflections on the value of in-person feedback and the enthusiasm of MeatEater fans.

2. Guns, Museums, and the Value of History (07:21–08:28)

• Randall describes visiting the Cody Firearms Museum and handling guns with ties to legendary mountain men such as “Liver-Eatin’ Johnson” and Jed Smith.
• Standout moment:

  “There is a bolt action that is probably one of the most cycled bolt actions in the world. It’s literally falling apart because every kid that walks in there cycles it thirty times…”
  (08:33–09:11, Randall Williams)

3. Competitive Shooting & Archery Leagues (09:54–12:19)

• Giannis shares the joy and humility of joining his first-ever archery league, realizing “the worst part about it is realizing how much fun it is and then realizing I haven’t done it for the last 40 years.”
• Notable quote on honesty in sportsmanship:

  “As soon as you see your name on the leaderboard and you’re like, top 10, then there's going to be scrutiny, right?... I called the shop and I said, look, you guys gotta knock off 15 points off my score.”
  (11:27–11:47, Giannis Patelis)

• Seth and others agree—stretching the string (meaning bow practice) could make a great T-shirt slogan (12:01–12:19).

4. Bison Grazing Controversy – Scott Heidebrink Interview (12:32–24:32)

Background & Mission of American Prairie (13:01–14:15)

• Nonprofit with a goal of restoring a functioning prairie ecosystem in Montana, balancing land, wildlife, and people.
• The recent news:
  The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and Secretary of the Interior have proposed canceling American Prairie’s bison grazing leases (in place for up to 20 years) and converting lands back to cattle.

How Bison Grazing Leases Work (14:15–15:14)

• With purchase of land comes the opportunity to lease adjacent BLM grazing land. Two-thirds of AP’s bison graze on those federal allotments.

Stats and Realities: Bison vs. Cattle (15:14–16:09)

• Bison make up roughly 10% of American Prairie’s land base and animal use; 8,200 cattle graze AP properties versus 940 bison (15:40–16:09).

The “Livestock” Legal Debate (16:09–17:49)

• BLM claims bison aren’t livestock since they “aren’t managed for production.” Scott counters:

  “We are still running an operation where we are producing animals on the landscape… We’ve grown 2,100 bison at American Prairie… About 48% were field harvested or sent for genetics or to other herds.”
  (16:38–17:49, Scott Heidebrink)

Inconsistencies and Targeting (18:46–19:47)

• Other BLM-held bison herds exist in the West; Scott believes AP is being unfairly targeted.

Community Relations & Pushback (19:47–21:29)

• AP is sympathetic to ranching community concerns but emphasizes partnerships and programs for local landowners; rural depopulation and policy, not AP, are the key pressures on ranching.

Legal Next Steps (21:29–23:09)

• The decision is not final. Numerous groups (from conservation organizations to tribal coalitions) have joined in protest. Federal or administrative court action likely forthcoming.

Impact on Public Hunting (23:19–24:20)

• Potential loss of these grazing leases could sharply reduce or eliminate public buffalo hunting opportunities that AP currently provides.

Notable Quotes

• “The BLM is making an effort to not impact others… but at the end of the day, it is targeting us for our different kind of management.”
  (19:00–19:47, Scott Heidebrink)
• “Would your inability to graze buffalo on BLM impact public hunting opportunities?...” – “Yeah, it likely will be affected.”
  (23:20–23:37, Randall Williams & Scott Heidebrink)

5. Show and Tell: Hunting Stories and Keepsakes (26:18–41:20)

Seth’s Whitetail Buck (26:52–28:19)

• Thanksgiving 2021: A story of public land whitetail luck, a 425-yard 6.5 Creedmoor shot, and a broken-racked, “Montana typical” buck celebrated over Busch Light.
• Fun show idea joked by Randall:

  “Could Have Been a Booner, where I shoot two to three-year-old animals with a lot of potential.”
  (28:55–29:08, Randall Williams)

Giannis’ Bear Skull and Hide (29:20–37:58)

• He tells the story of his first true bear hunt in Manitoba:
  • Observations about bear behavior at bait sites—especially the cleverness involved in raiding a beaver carcass.
  • Bear grease and meat are his chief motivations:

    “The number one reason…to take home, it’s bear meat and bear grease. I love eating bears.” (37:58–38:12, Giannis Patelis)

• Plans to make the bear rug a functional home piece, not just a trophy.

Randall’s Mountain Lion Hide (38:19–41:19)

• The visceral wildness of a mountain lion’s paws/claws, memories of hunting with hounds, and a glowing endorsement of lion meat:

  “If I could put a deer in the freezer or a lion…probably lion, just for variety.” (39:40–39:49, Randall Williams)

6. Live Q&A & Listener Interaction (42:33–48:00; 68:34–72:47)

• Live chat covers a wide range: taxidermy and hide tanning, upcoming Alaska draws, stories from listener Leland’s daughter’s javelina hunt, coveted hat patches, the hunt for rare Jack Miner waterfowl bands.
• Audience questions addressed about paddlefish season, vintage hat patches, and the much-anticipated Buck Hunter video, which is “about halfway done” (70:02–70:16, Phil).

7. Bear Grease Expansion – Clay & Bear Newcomb Interview (48:47–61:24)

Bear Grease YouTube Relaunch (50:17–52:30)

• Clay and Bear debut the revitalized Bear Grease YouTube channel (built off the old Bear Hunting Magazine channel, dormant since 2014) with Bear as the primary host.
• Plans: Weekly informal videos on bow building, hunting adventures, and more. Also, a new “Real Bear Grease” Instagram channel.

Crossover with Past Characters (52:30–53:04)

• Anticipated appearances by Brent Reeves and “the usual cast” in upcoming coon hunting episodes.

Clay’s Black Bear Book Announcement (53:20–56:28)

• Manuscript for American Bear just turned in; book delayed till spring 2027.

  “Never been more excited for anything I’ve done… a defining piece of work and regardless if anybody ever reads it, I’m excited it’s in existence.” (53:58–54:07, Clay Newcomb)

• The book will combine biology, history, native culture, and hunting lore.
• Fascinating bear grease trivia:

  “The Mississippi River… would have just been a bear grease highway…” and “…first street lights in America [in New Orleans] burned some bear oil.” (56:54–59:03, Clay Newcomb)

8. Announcements: Upcoming Content & the Future (61:24–68:13)

• MeatEater Movie Club returns next week to review Legacy of a White Tailed Deer Hunter (Netflix).

  “If you like Danny McBride and that sensibility, which I do very much…” (62:49–63:03, Phil)

• The following week is the MeatEater Radio Live Grand Finale Live Extravaganza—anticipated to be a uniquely long, memorable sendoff episode.
• 12 in 26: Major new YouTube project—twelve, hour-long adventure films from the crew’s best hunts, dropping monthly throughout 2026. First up: Giannis’ Manitoba bear hunt.

  “Everybody’s always asking for longer form stuff. Twenty minutes is hard to capture the ups and downs of a real adventure hunt. An hour, you can really let it breathe.” (67:41–67:51, Randall Williams & Sethri Morris)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On community:

  “Mostly we’ll just enjoy time spent in the company of friends and savor our time with you loyal Radio Live audience.” (01:50–01:57, Randall Williams)

• On bear cleverness:

  “Bears are like the most adaptable, curious animal out there… the ones that will see something and need to know more.” (34:35–34:46, Giannis Patelis recounting Clay Newcomb’s research)

• On the end of an era:

  “Anything can happen when you’re doing it live.” (43:38–43:42, Giannis Patelis)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:45–12:26 — Opening banter, winter updates, and NWTF recap
• 12:32–24:32 — Scott Heidebrink, American Prairie bison grazing controversy
• 26:18–41:20 — Show and Tell: Whitetail, bear, and mountain lion hunting stories
• 48:47–61:24 — Clay & Bear Newcomb, Bear Grease relaunch, and bear book
• 61:24–68:13 — Announcements: Movie Club, grand finale, "12 in 26" adventure films
• Throughout — Listener Q&A and lively MeatEater chatroom interaction

Conclusion

This vibrant, community-driven episode encapsulates everything listeners love about MeatEater Radio: timely wildlife and land management news, personal tales from the field, generational hunting wisdom, and a hint of mischief and humor. With expert guests, deep dives into conservation topics, and a heartfelt appreciation for using and celebrating wild game, the MeatEater crew reminds all listeners—new and old—why a deeper understanding of the natural world truly does enrich our lives.

For more, tune in to the official release or join the closing Radio Live Extravaganza in two weeks!