The MeatEater Podcast

Episode 798: Bonus – Tis The Season To Be Hunting
Host: Steven Rinella
Date: November 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This lively, story-filled bonus episode features Steven Rinella and the MeatEater crew reuniting for a throwback-style roundtable packed with fall hunting stories, outdoors news, wildlife law talk, and signature MeatEater banter. The group dives into hunting ethics, new developments in conservation, international wildlife news, and wild tales from their personal hunting seasons—including Corey Calkins’ epic Alaskan brown bear hunt and a deep-dive on the skills of top whitetail hunter Tony Peterson. The episode blends humor, field wisdom, and the candid camaraderie fans love, offering both hard-earned hunting insights and memorable laughs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Crew Introductions & Recent Adventures

[03:30–05:10]

• Steven welcomes a full crew: Spencer Newhart, Randall Williams, Corey Calkins, Ryan Callahan (aka “Cal”), and Phil.
• Randall is introduced as “fresh off killing a big buck,” Cal recently took a grizzly, and Corey helped friends fill freezers.
• Running jokes about “important chairs,” birthdays, and Phil's beloved ‘Cratchit Report.’

2. Hunting Ethics: The Case of the Gifted Knife

[06:00–09:30]

• Steven tells a story about losing, re-gifting, and eventually buying himself a special knife, raising an “ethical bind” about trading away gifts.
• Discussion touches on trading culture (“the red paperclip story”) and the odd journey of Steven’s Daniel Boone-engraved knife, which ends up with a Maasai warrior in Africa.
• Quote:
  Steven: “Is that like—you know what I’m saying?—an ethical bind?” [07:04]

3. Callahan’s Big News: Becoming CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

[09:29–12:35]

• Cal shares he’s the upcoming CEO at Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, starting January 1.
• Reflects on his long involvement with BHA, the learning curve ahead, and board feedback on his strengths and shortcomings.
• Quote:
  Cal: “You definitely do hear about your faults from a board of people.” [11:29]

4. Blood Trails Podcast & Missing Persons in the Outdoors

[12:51–16:37]

• Steven plugs “Blood Trails,” their true-crime-in-the-outdoors podcast.
• Stories include hunters who went missing under mysterious circumstances.
• A recent Minnesota PSA urges hunters to watch for signs of missing people in the woods during deer season.
• The crew jokes darkly about “body hiding spots” but acknowledges the important role of hunters in occasionally solving cold cases.
• Quote:
  Steven: “It’s just another way the hunting community helps the general public at large.” [16:42]

5. Global Bear News: Brown Bear Attacks in Japan

[16:53–23:20]

• Discussion on a spike in brown bear attacks in Japan: 100 attacks, 10 fatalities in a year.
• Theorize causes: aging population, shrinking hunting culture, poor acorn harvest forcing bears into communities.
• Japan’s response includes defense force mobilization, bear spray distribution, and robot dogs.
• Memorable moment:
  • Mocking a news piece for calling it a “grizzly problem.”
  • Exploration of "bear spray culture" in the U.S.—who carries, who doesn’t, and how it ties to specific outdoor activities.

6. Wildlife Law & Enforcement Stories

[34:05–43:43]

• The tale of the Tennessee prison buck poacher—a man busted for hunting giant bucks on prison property; reflects on how society views wildlife crime.
• Insights on game wardens: their struggles to get “civilian” juries and judges to take wildlife crimes seriously, sometimes preferring specialized wildlife courts.
• Quote:
  Steven: “If I was king of the world, I’d make really strict wanton waste laws.” [59:47]

7. Land Back Movement & Tule Elk Restoration

[44:12–47:12]

• The return of 17,000 acres to the Tule River Indian Tribe in California, funded by the state, allowing reintroduction of tule elk and new wildlife enhancement projects.
• Discussion on the broader “land back” movement and indigenous stewardship.

8. Hunter Regulations: Evidence of Sex, Wanton Waste, and Tagging

[50:22–67:55] & [58:01–61:52]

• The group covers complicated state-by-state hunting laws: South Carolina’s restriction on transporting deer with head detached; Montana’s evolving wanton waste rules.
• Stories of field interactions with game wardens and disputes over what constitutes “evidence of sex” on a carcass.
• Quote:
  Steven: “I got a lot of respect for that occupation… you got to deal with that all the time. It’s a tough job.” [64:31]

9. The Alaskan Brown Bear Hunt: Cal’s Epic Tale

[75:27–105:33]

• Corey Calkins recounts his recent grizzly hunt on the Alaskan peninsula: severe weather, challenging terrain, encounters with massive bears.
• Detailed description of tracking, shot placement decisions, and recovery—spotlighting a tense moment with a charging brown bear.
• Discussion of bear meat as camp food (better than one expects, even if context matters a lot).
• Quote:
  Cal: “You don’t get that much time to decide, and things can change right away. But as I said, there’s no such thing as almost getting charged. You almost, you do or you don’t.” [101:12]

10. Whitetail Wisdom: The Tony Peterson Approach

[108:39–122:11]

• Steven and Spencer analyze what makes Tony Peterson one of the best public land whitetail bowhunters.
• Tony’s setup philosophy focuses solely on where a buck will be 20 yards, broadside—visibility and “wildlife viewing” are meaningless.
• Emphasis on perfect wind and an almost mathematical approach to stand location.
• Quote:
  Steven: “That dude sets up with one objective in mind. Where will you have a buck 20 yards away broadside. Nothing else matters.” [109:20]
• Spencer calls Peterson “the best public land bowhunter I’ve ever met.”
• They note Tony’s pragmatic indifference toward antlers themselves—he’s there for the hunt, not the trophies.

11. Listener Q&A and Regional Law Nuances

[49:07–67:55]

• Answering listener mail: South Carolina’s “still hunting,” nuances of drag and evidence-of-sex laws, and changing tag regulations.
• Differences in wildlife management philosophies between the U.S. and Canada and complaints from a Saskatchewan hunter.

12. Light-Hearted Closer: Whitetail Mounts, Basements, and Space

[124:13–127:13]

• The group winds down with banter about displaying antlers, the oddity of Montana homes without basements, and Tony Peterson’s surprising passion for astronomy.
• Quote:
  Randall: “Space is the opposite of everything you’ve described so far… as a deer hunter he’s all about the ultra-specific.” [123:55]

13. The "Cratchit" Report & Phil’s British Accent

[127:39–128:51]

• The team goads Phil into performing lines from Dickens’ Cratchit for a little holiday theater, wrapping up with laughter and holiday cheer.
• Quote:
  Phil (in accent): “God bless us, everyone!” [128:03]

Additional Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Bear Spray:
  Steven: “Why is it that people bring [bear spray] according to what they're doing—not according to what the odds are?” [24:14]

• On Wanton Waste:
  Steven: “If you save [your old gazetteers], you're gonna die, and the first thing your kids are gonna do is throw them away.” [72:55]

• On Game Wardens:
  Spencer: “Game warden’s gotta know everything about everything… tough stuff.” [64:11]

• On Conservation:
  Corey: “We got a big voice and a lot of good things going for us.” [10:33] (On BHA)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:30] Crew introductions, recent hunting trips
• [06:00] The ethics of re-gifting and trading knives
• [09:30] Cal named BHA CEO & board process
• [12:50] Blood Trails podcast & missing persons
• [16:53] Brown bear attacks in Japan and wildlife/human coexistence
• [34:05] Tennessee prison buck poaching case
• [44:12] “Land Back” movement and tule elk restoration
• [50:22] South Carolina and Montana hunting regs, evidence of sex
• [75:27] Cal’s brown bear hunt: full story
• [108:39] Tony Peterson’s whitetail approach—how the best do it
• [124:13] Basements, antler displays, Tony’s outer space obsession
• [127:39] The Cratchit Report: Phil’s theatrical closer

Tone & Style

The episode is classic MeatEater: sharp, irreverent, story-driven, and full of in-group laughs, honest field talk, and respectful but candid reflection on outdoor ethics, conservation, and the quirks of hunting culture—delivered in the crew’s authentic, conversational style.

For Listeners:

If you missed the episode:
Expect a rollicking mix of hunting tales, conservation headlines, wildlife regulation debates, and a wealth of practical woods wisdom—plus plenty of signature MeatEater humor and camaraderie. Whether you’re new to the outdoors or a seasoned backcountry hand, you’ll come away entertained, informed, and ready to spend more late fall days in the woods.