The MeatEater Podcast – Ep. 767: Game On, Suckers! MeatEater Trivia CLXXXIII

Date: September 24, 2025
Host: Spencer Newarth
Featured Guests: Randall, Brody, Alyssa, John, Roman, Hillary
Theme: Outdoor trivia spanning hunting, fishing, conservation, cooking, and woodsmanship—with humor, offbeat anecdotes, and a focus on deepening our understanding of the natural world. The winner receives a $500 donation to a conservation organization of their choice.

Overview

This episode of the MeatEater Podcast features the 183rd edition of MeatEater Trivia, where Spencer Newarth hosts a lively, ten-round quiz for the crew and guests. The trivia covers the pillars of the MeatEater brand—hunting, fishing, conservation, and wild food—punctuated by playful banter and good-natured competition. As always, the winner directs a $500 charitable donation to their chosen conservation organization. The episode includes memorable asides about music, lures, childhood scouting, and more, all culminating in a nail-biting tiebreaker.

Episode Breakdown & Key Insights

1. Pre-Game Banter and Tour Announcements [01:55–04:45]

Highlights:

• Spencer announces the upcoming "MeatEater Live Christmas Tour," mentioning locations and encouraging pre-sale sign-ups.
• Randall humorously muses on which stop he’s most excited about, ultimately picking Fayetteville for its Arkansas flavor.
• Spencer and Randall riff on authenticity in Arkansas and reminisce about past visits (including the White River and Buffalo River fishing).
• Playful talk about hanging out “on buses and in locker rooms.”

Notable Quote:
“I was born to hang out on buses and in locker rooms and just hold court.”—Randall [04:16]

2. On Archery Trivia Correction [04:45–05:38]

• Previous episode’s debate over the FOC (Front of Center vs. Forward of Center) archery acronym is resolved; both are correct per expert Ed Ashby.
• It didn’t change the game outcome, but accuracy is celebrated.

Notable Quote:
“The only thing that's better than winning is being right. So I'll take that.”—Randall [05:32]

3. The Game Begins [05:38–42:33]

Trivia Segment Structure:

Each question falls under MeatEater's four verticals: Hunting, Fishing, Conservation, Cooking.

Sample Questions and Discussion:

1. Natural History:
   Which state has the most active volcanoes: Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska?

   • Winner: Brody, with "Alaska" (correct; 141 active volcanoes). [06:06–08:14]

   Fun aside:
   “Oh, Mount Alaska, Mount Volcano.”—Brody (joking about naming volcanoes) [08:16]

2. Wildlife:
   Red-winged, yellow-headed, and Brewer’s are all types of what bird, immortalized by the Beatles in a 1968 song?

   • Correct answer: Blackbird. [08:20–11:38]
     Memorable moment:
     “It's not Bye Bye Blackbird Bird.”—Randall, as he misremembers song titles [11:38]

   Fun conservation note:
   Red-winged blackbirds signify spring in marshy regions.

3. Hunting:
   Most popular rifle rail, developed by the military in the late 1980s?

   • Correct answer: Picatinny.
     Insight:
     Picatinny rails have largely replaced Weaver rails for military and civilians. [12:49–14:07]

4. Fishing:
   Which company, purchased by Rapala in 1999 and known for the Wiggle Wart lure, has a cloudy name?

   • Correct answer: Storm. [14:13–16:21]
     Debate on Storm vs. Stormy:
     “I think Stormy Thunderstick sounds like a much better lure than Storm Thunderstick.”—Randall [18:08]

5. Cooking:
   Five-letter parasitic flatworm that can infect your liver via undercooked fish?

   • Correct answer: Fluke. [17:35–19:13]

   Scout Storytime:
   Randall regales the group with his Eagle Scout project (built a wagon and pond stairs for the Cincinnati Nature Center), adding personal touch and camaraderie.

Halfway Scoreboard:

• Brody leads with 4 points; Randall and John trail closely with 3. [20:18]

4. Second Half – Tighter Competition [22:43–35:37]

6. Conservation:

Third most visited national park in 2023, named after a Jerusalem hill?

• Correct answer: Zion. [22:43–24:40]
  Anecdote:
  Name changed from "Mukuntuweap" to Zion for visitor friendliness.

7. Woodsmanship:

What month has the longest night (in the Northern Hemisphere)?

• Correct answer: December (winter solstice). [26:21–27:50]
  Reflection:
  “Calendar questions have been throwing me off recently, too.”—Randall [26:32]

8. Fishing:

Island south of Cape Cod, west of Nantucket, with a long-running fishing derby?

• Correct answer: Martha’s Vineyard. [27:58–30:44]
• Hillary shares memories of fishing (albacore attempts, chowder appreciation).

9. Conservation:

Alliterative ag practice: Crop grown to protect and enrich soil?

• Correct answer: Cover crop. [31:51–35:37]

Resource:
Cover cropping increases biodiversity and soil health; recent USDA surveys note farmers who use cover crops embrace other conservation measures.

Notable Score Update:
“Tied up are Randall and Brody with six points [after 8 rounds].” [31:25]

5. The Climax – Final Question, Tiebreaker, and Victory [35:37–43:39]

10. Hunting (Tie-breaker Question):

Home city where Lee Ellis and Drew Carroll of Seek1 killed giant urban whitetails?

• Correct answer: Atlanta (no one got it). [35:42–38:25]
• Fun tangent about Drew Carey/Cleveland (mistaken connection).

Tiebreaker: Meat Yield

Average boneless meat from an Ohio whitetail buck?

• Correct answer: 63 lbs (full: 62.51 lbs).
• Closest guess: Randall, with 67 lbs. [38:36–42:14]

Final Score:

• Randall wins and dedicates the $500 donation to the Ohio Conservation Federation, supporting efforts to acquire public hunting lands in the state. [42:18–43:20]

Notable Quote:
"I’d like to donate this to the Ohio Conservation Federation... they're working to fundraise to help the state acquire timberlands to provide more access for hunters and anglers." —Randall [42:18]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "I was born to hang out on buses and in locker rooms and just hold court." — Randall [04:16]
• “The only thing that's better than winning is being right.” — Randall [05:32]
• “Oh, Mount Alaska, Mount Volcano.” — Brody [08:16]
• "I think Stormy Thunderstick sounds like a much better lure than Storm Thunderstick. It just doesn't roll off the tongue."—Randall [18:08]
• “Calendar questions have been throwing me off recently, too.” — Randall [26:32]
• “I just remember when we went up to the Boundary Waters with my Boy Scout troop … Just storm thundersticks.” — Randall [18:27]
• “It's not Bye Bye Blackbird Bird.” — Randall [11:38]
• "Given that Alyssa's not on the board, I am inclined to revisit the storm—Stormy, I appreciate that." — Randall [31:36]
• “Someday maybe … Just, just, just a kind man and I learned a lot from him. So I appreciate it.” — Randall, on his connection with Ohio Conservation Federation [43:34]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:55] – Trivia game format, introductions, tour announcement
• [04:45] – Archery FOC correction
• [06:06] – First trivia question: active volcanoes
• [08:20] – Beatles “Blackbird”/birding
• [12:49] – Rifle rails (Picatinny)
• [14:13] – Fishing lures/company (Storm)
• [17:35] – Parasitic flatworm (“fluke”) and Boy Scout tales
• [22:43] – Top national parks (“Zion”)
• [26:21] – Longest night month (“December”)
• [27:58] – Historic fishing tournament island (“Martha’s Vineyard”)
• [31:51] – Cover crop practice
• [35:42] – Home of urban trophy whitetails (Seek1/Atlanta)
• [38:36] – Tiebreaker: Ohio buck meat yield
• [42:18] – Victory, donation discussion, closing banter

Episode Tone & Style

• Playful and irreverent: Banter about music, personal trivia strengths and weaknesses, and off-topic jokes (e.g., Everclear, Drew Carey).
• Educational: Each answer includes detailed flavor text and natural history tidbits.
• Camaraderie: Listeners experience the warmth, respect, and shared outdoor passion among the cast.

For Those Who Missed the Episode

This episode embodies the fun, camaraderie, and genuine expertise that MeatEater listeners love—trivia intertwines with stories of Boy Scout exploits, coveted fishing lures, chowder debates, and the real, often funny, personalities that shape this outdoor community. Brody and Randall’s close contest underscores the value of wide-ranging knowledge, while the charitable donation reinforces MeatEater’s commitment to real-world conservation impact.

Randall’s big win and donation? Proof positive that knowing your stuff—and a little bit of luck—can give back to wildlife and wild places.