The MeatEater Podcast

Ep. 781: A Year of Hunting and Fishing
Release Date: October 20, 2025
Host: Steven Rinella
Guests: Brody Leven, Seth, Unidentified Crew

Overview

This episode celebrates the premiere of a new season of the MeatEater TV show, taking listeners behind the scenes with stories from a year of hunting and fishing adventures. Host Steven Rinella and crew members engage in a lively trivia game about the show’s history, discuss memorable hunts, reflect on the evolution of their team, and preview upcoming episodes. The conversation is filled with signature MeatEater humor, insights about conservation, outdoor culture, and candid thoughts about hunting ethics and methods.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. MeatEater TV Milestones and Team Evolution

• The episode opens with reminiscing about the show’s beginnings and its growth:
  • Over 144 TV episodes since the 2012 debut.
  • Several crew members started as wilderness production assistants, evolving into key team roles.
  • Steven reflects on balancing family life with the demanding early schedule of filming 16 episodes a year.
    • "I started just counting nights away. I remember getting in, hitting 180. I got into November and hit 180. And I thought to myself, man, we were going a lot in December. So I quit counting... Never did count, quit counting and said, you know, you're right." (07:17)

2. MeatEater Trivia – The Show’s History & Surprises

• Trivia rounds test the team’s knowledge of their own series, sparking stories and laughs.

  Notable Questions & Answers:

  • Most Hunted Animal on MeatEater:
    • Everyone guessed turkey, but the correct answer was mule deer, featured in 18 episodes (10:52–10:58).
      • "The correct answer is mule deer." – Brody Leven (10:52)
      • Elk (13), Whitetail/Turkey (12 each), Black bear (14), Moose (10), Caribou (8)
      • Steven: "I find that people don't really want to watch people hunt turkey." (11:32)
  • Giannis's First Cameo:
    • Season 2, Episode 11 – non-speaking spot during a caribou hunt (15:32–15:49).
      • Steven tells a story of Giannis winning everyone over by cooking cheesecake with creek water.
      • "That won everybody... he made cheesecake with creek water. I'm like, I love that guy." (15:03)
  • Most Viewed Season 6 YouTube Episode:
    • British Columbia Grizzly Bear episode, with 2.9 million views. Surprising, as no bear is killed in the episode, but “grizzly” in the title draws viewers (19:49–20:22).
      • "If you want more views, you just got to put grizzly in the title." – Brody Leven (22:18)
  • Most Featured State (after Alaska):
    • Montana comes in behind Alaska, followed by Texas and Wisconsin (27:00).
      • "There have been 32 episodes filmed in Alaska. 23 in Montana and 7 in Texas." – Brody Leven (27:18)
  • Kevin Murphy's Homemade Wine:
    • Named ‘Old Squirrel Dog’ (29:05–30:16).
      • Label: “More bark, less bite”

3. Audience Engagement and Behind the Scenes

• The team reads a critical one-star Google review and responds thoughtfully, making a point about context-specific hunting techniques (31:34–32:56).
  • Steven: "When in Rome, do as the Romans... If you rattle in 32 bucks, it doesn't mean that it would work anywhere."
• They riff on how certain hunting approaches (like deer rattling in Texas) are effective in certain circumstances and not others.

4. Previewing Upcoming TV Show Content

• Louisiana Spearfishing:

  • Discussion of the ecosystem created around oil rigs in the Gulf and the political/legal debate about removing them, which would destroy a vibrant fishery (36:07–46:36).
    • "The rigs inadvertently created this world renowned fishery and now they're yanking that garbage out." – Steven (39:07)
    • Steven suggests consolidating decommissioned rigs to preserve marine habitats.
  • The socio-political complexity of rig removal: liability, navigation hazards, commercial interests, and loss of artificial reefs.
    • "They created a paradise and you’re destroying a paradise.” (45:32)
  • The life cycle of the amberjack worm, illustrating the wild complexity of nature in the region (52:14–53:56).

• Muzzleloader Hunting (Montana & Pennsylvania):

  • Reflects on differences in states' regulations regarding primitive weapons, and the challenges of heritage hunting—especially after animals have already endured months of pressure from other seasons (54:47–58:36).
    • "You’re hunting Daniel Boone equipment... it's like straight up Daniel Boone equipment." (55:26)
  • Plans for a new percussion cap muzzleloader, and thoughts on barrier to entry.

• Turkey Hunting with Luke Combs:

  • Teasing a new episode where they "reaped" a turkey (a controversial but legal method in Texas).
    • “The word police are going to get us. The Reaping police are going to get us.” (64:21–66:09)
    • Insight into safety, legality, and broader hunting ethics, including the “rattling police” and public criticism.

• Alaska Bear Hunt with Evan Felker:

  • Discussion of eating raw bear meat, the risks of trichinosis, and personal experience with the disease (69:58–76:06).
    • “That bear meat was pretty cooked… No one got sick… I can just tell now by looking at it.” (70:17)
    • Steven reflects that he’s never had trichinosis referenced by a doctor but is logged in the CDC due to the previous case.

• Tanzania Safari:

  • Three episodes from Tanzania, with thoughtful reflection about the disconnection some hunters feel toward African game.
    • Seth reveals he had no desire to go, and after reflecting, still has no urge to return even though he's glad he went (76:24–77:27).
    • Discussion of why some game feels “unrelatable” and the contrast between hunting in South America vs. guided hunts in Africa (78:23–80:46).
      • “I couldn't think of those things as game animals.” – Steven (77:55)
  • Shooting experiences, including using a .375 H&H and the memorable opportunity to fire a game scout’s AK-47 (81:24–83:08).
  • Adventures with Cape buffalo, warthogs, and the challenges of hunting in Africa.

5. Hunting Ethics, Language Change, and Word Policing

• Lively sidebars on how language changes affect hunters, referencing renaming birds and fish (like Goliath grouper, formerly Jewfish) and the peculiar world of “word police.”
  • “I’m done with getting word policed… I can't handle getting word police.” – Steven (60:35)
• Reflections on the importance of context in hunting and cultural trends around language in the outdoor world.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Team Growth and Show History:
  • “Yanni very quickly went from being a Wilderness production assistant who didn't realize he was being paid… It was like a week later. He was the producer.” – Steven (05:45)
• On Time Away for Hunting:
  • “I went back in time to January 1st of the year, and I started just counting nights away… and hit 180.” – Steven (06:48)
• On Wildlife Complexity:
  • “Think about this for a minute. Man will never, ever, ever come up with anything as interesting as that.” (54:16)
• On the Power of Titles and View Counts:
  • “If you want more views, you just got to put grizzly in the title.” – Brody (22:18)
• On the Evolution of Culture:
  • “The word police were just, like, on you all the time... then the vibe shift, the cultural vibe shift happened, and you got a break... Now we're getting word police from the other side.” – Steven (61:39)
• On Hunting Ethics and ‘Reaping’ Turkeys:
  • “I would not reap with my little kids. If one of them got grazed, I'm gonna be in a lot of trouble.” – Steven (66:55)
• Reluctance Toward African Game:
  • “If an Africa episode came on [TV], I would change the channel because it had nothing to do with… You had just no interest.” – Steven/Seth (77:44)
• On Giving Away Trophies:
  • “I gave away my red stag from New Zealand. I gave away my Himalayan tar rug all time. It's a terrible habit.” – Steven (90:07)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Reminiscing over the TV show’s origins; trivia intro | 03:03–06:26 | | Surprising trivia: Most hunted animal | 09:40–11:02 | | Giannis’ first cameo story | 13:51–15:49 | | Most viewed Season 6 episode on YouTube | 17:41–20:22 | | State with most episodes filmed (after Alaska) | 25:49–27:21 | | One-star Google review & rattling in Texas | 31:19–32:56 | | Oil rigs and Louisiana spearfishing episode preview | 36:07–46:36 | | The life cycle of the amberjack worm | 52:14–53:56 | | Muzzleloader/heritage hunting | 54:47–58:36 | | Word policing, language battles, and episode naming | 60:29–63:27 | | Turkey hunting with Luke Combs; 'reaping' ethics | 64:04–68:39 | | Alaska/Evan Felker bear hunt & trichinosis experience | 69:58–76:06 | | Tanzania trilogy, ethics & disconnect with African game animals | 76:24–80:46 | | Shooting the .375 H&H and the game scout’s AK-47 | 81:24–83:08 | | Trophy logistics and giving away big game hides | 89:02–91:00 | | Where and when to watch new season | 91:00–91:47 |

Final Notes

The episode is packed with stories, behind-the-scenes insight, and banter that both celebrates the show’s history and looks ahead to exciting new content. For super fans, this is a treasure trove of lore, camaraderie, and unfiltered hunting talk. The blend of insider trivia, ethical debates, and naturalist curiosity makes it a quintessential MeatEater episode.

Where to Watch:
Season 13 of MeatEater is available now on YouTube, Outdoor Channel, and Sportsman’s Channel.