The MeatEater Podcast – Ep. 795: Exploding Deer, Counting Elk, and MeatTheater | MeatEater Radio Live!

Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Randall (with Corey, Seth, Phil, and guests)
Summary Prepared For: Listeners seeking a complete, structured breakdown of the episode

Episode Overview

This wide-ranging live episode, hosted at MeatEater HQ in Bozeman, Montana, brings listeners the latest conservation science, memorable hunting stories, quirky humor, and the debut of the "Meat Theater" segment. Discussions cover the challenges of managing elk populations in remote Montana, a viral “exploding deer” story, new approaches to accessibility in hunting, tips and practical hacks, and holiday food talk. The show also features audience Q&A and playful banter throughout.

Key Segments & Highlights

1. Opening Banter and Recent Adventures

Timestamps: 01:38 – 10:06

• Recent hunting updates: The crew shares highlights from their personal hunting seasons and misadventures with backyard chickens.
• Unique harvests:
  • Randall: Killed a unique bull elk, “He’s got five on one side. And then just a big black club that hangs down on the other… I think his mother kicked him when he dropped out of her womb.” (05:06)
  • Corey: Had to deal with a brutal rooster in his chicken coop, ending up with more poultry in the freezer.
  • Phil: Credits his son for shooting a deer before he did, emphasizing changing family traditions.

2. Elk Research in Montana with Biologist Franz Engelfinger

Timestamps: 10:16 – 25:42

The Situation in Northwest Montana

• Unique management challenges: 500 million acres of public land, dense forests impacts hunting and elk surveying methods.
• Population Trends: Elk numbers have dropped to “lows we haven’t seen in decades.” (16:12)

Research & Wildlife Management

• Collaring Project:
  • GPS-collared elk to track survival, pregnancy rates, vital statistics, and movement.
  • “We use aerial captures with hired helicopters but, in wilderness, we use ground captures with clover traps baited with alfalfa.” (18:47)
  • “If our animals stop moving, we get a mortality report. I get a text or email that says, your animal is down and it’s here.” (19:09)
• Field hardships: Extreme cold, days-long ski trips: “I lost 10 pounds... we were eating breakfast sandwiches cooked in bacon grease every day and still couldn’t put on enough calories.” (20:51)
• Why the work matters: “I feel indebted to the sportsmen, sportswomen here who care about our game populations. We owe them an answer.” (23:11)

Where Listeners Can Learn More

• Annual elk reports and research updates: “Google FWP R1 Elk Report or FWP elk research.” (24:35)

Notable Quotes

• “Region 1, we kind of say, we force elk to be moose—we bury their groceries in four feet of snow and make them eat shrubs.” – Franz (12:56)
• “I feel like we owe [sportswomen/men] an answer at least to try and find an answer.” – Franz (23:11)

3. Meat Theater: Hemingway Goes AI

Timestamps: 28:50 – 35:39

• Concept: Classic Hemingway (“Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”) run through AI, recast as a live, unrehearsed script read by the crew—with props like cap guns and makeshift stage lights.
• Plot summary: Follows Macomber’s journey from cowardice to courage on African safari, ending in tragic happiness.
• Memorable moment (laughter): “Francis McComber lived 35 years but he was truly alive for only 30 minutes. In those 30 minutes, he was happy...” (35:32)
• Crew acknowledges it’s a niche segment: “We were well aware this would be a polarizing segment.” (41:13)

4. Audience Feedback, Q&A, and Community Tips

Timestamps: 36:39 – 66:30

Thanksgiving Food & Hunting Traditions

• Favorite turkey prep: Most prefer traditional oven-bake, some fried.
• Holiday hunting: Traditions vary—Seth notes, “Usually if I’m in Montana for Thanksgiving, I do some sort of hunt Thanksgiving Day...” (39:35)

Wildest Outdoor Discoveries

• Weirdest findings in critters: Embedded broadheads, air rifle pellets, and even a live fish with a garter snake dangling out the back end (42:04–43:33).

Conservation Calls to Action

• Sandhill Crane Hunt in WI: “Nobody’s going to stand up and advocate for hunting seasons if hunters themselves don’t do it.” (40:50)

5. The Exploding Deer: Viral Story with Derek Demun

Timestamps: 44:31 – 57:23

Derek’s Incredible Hunt

• Background: Paraplegic, adaptive hunter using ATVs/mountain bikes and wheelchair-accessible permits to hunt.
• The shot: Hits the lithium battery in the collar on a collared deer, causing it to explode on camera. “I thought the deer went sky high…there was a 15-foot-tall pile of smoke.” (50:06)
• Video reaction: Wildlife officials were supportive: “They even emailed me the migration charts on [the deer].” (52:21)
• Collar’s migration info: Deer made a 21-mile roundtrip between ranges.
• Viral aftermath: Some “ignorant” comments online about hunting from a vehicle; Derek takes the opportunity to advocate for accessibility.
  • “Every state out there offers a shoot from a vehicle [permit]…We’re all just trying to feed our families.” (55:33)

Where to find Derek

• Instagram/YouTube: t8_outdoorsman
• Podcast: “T8 Outdoors” (focus on hunters with disabilities)

Notable Quotes

• “Just trying to fill the freezer like anyone else.” – Derek (54:07)
• “Don’t rush to judgment about who’s shooting from a vehicle and why.” – Corey (55:16)

6. Hot Tip-Off: DIY Hacks & Hunting Solutions

Timestamps: 59:37 – 66:30

Segment format: Listeners compete for best practical tip.

• Tip 1 (winner): Use scrap clearance laminate countertop as a giant, cheap cutting board for wild game processing (61:03)
  • “For 120 bucks, we have 12 whole feet of cutting board, basically.” – Ethan
• Tip 2: Siphon hose with check valve for fast, spill-free fuel transfers in the field.

7. Last Rounds: Q&A, Gear Advice, Miscellaneous Banter

Timestamps: 66:30 – 78:13

• Gun selling advice: List on GunBroker, consider gun forums, or lower price for a fast sale. “My gun selling advice is don’t sell guns. Hoard them.” – Seth (68:09)
• Most admirable non-game animal? Ranging from grizzly bear and wolverine to “great apes.”
• Outdoor health mishaps: Giardia and a dog with subcutaneous air “like bubble wrap.”
• Would you rather give up beer or hot dogs? “If I could hypnotize myself, I’d say beer because it’s probably the healthier choice.” – Corey (72:07)
• First Lite gear sizing: Crew recommends sizing up in jackets.
• Photography question for Seth: Zooms for flexibility in the field, primes for style and image quality.
• Best whitetail approach on new public land: “Scout for a day and a half, hunt for a day and a half” for max efficiency. – Seth (76:58)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Franz Engelfinger: “Region 1, you know, we force elk to be moose. We bury their groceries in four feet of snow and make them eat shrubs.” (12:56)
• Phil: “My son, my 12 year old son shot a deer before I did and we have a freezer full of mule deer right now.” (08:44)
• Corey: “Whenever I shoot a deer, I always wonder what its individual story is—and you never get the chance to know that unless it has an exploding collar.” (52:41)
• Derek Demun (on hunting with a disability): “There’s a lot less of us in this position than people tend to think…There’s no really other way to do certain types of hunts.” (54:07)
• Corey: “Don’t rush to judgment about who’s shooting from a vehicle and why.” (55:16)
• Audience member (“Hot Tip-off”): “For 120 bucks, we have 12 whole feet of basically cutting board.” (61:37)

Section Timestamps at a Glance

• Show opening & hunting banter: 01:38–10:06
• Elk science with Franz Engelfinger: 10:16–25:42
• Meat Theater – Hemingway AI performance: 28:50–35:39
• Listener Q&A and feedback: 36:39–44:31
• Derek Demun’s Exploding Deer story: 44:31–57:23
• Hot Tip-off segment: 59:37–66:30
• Final Q&A & wrap-up: 66:30–78:13

Tone & Style

• Friendly, often irreverent, packed with inside jokes and camaraderie.
• Mix of practical information, expert science, and light-hearted antics.
• Direct engagement with the audience; audience questions and feedback are woven throughout.

Perfect For: Listeners interested in wildlife science, hands-on hunting knowledge, wild food culture, adaptive hunting, outdoor community traditions, practical hacks, and “the stories you just can’t make up.”

Skip to the Segments You Love:

• Just want science? – Start at 10:16
• After a wild story? – Don’t miss 44:31
• Like humor & experiment? – Try 28:50 for "Meat Theater"
• Practical field tips? – Jump to 59:37

End Note:
Enjoy the show and Happy Thanksgiving from the MeatEater crew!