The MeatEater Podcast

Episode 824: Game On, Suckers! MeatEater Trivia CC
Host: Steven Rinella (not present), Host for Trivia: Spencer Newarth
Date: January 21, 2026

Overview

This episode of The MeatEater Podcast is a lively installment of MeatEater Trivia, the recurring game show where conservation always wins. Hosted by Spencer Newarth, this episode features a panel of MeatEater regulars and friends (Giannis, Brody, Randall, Marge, Alex, Roman, and Corey), who compete in a 10-round nature-themed quiz. Covering hunting, fishing, cooking, conservation, wildlife, and outdoor knowledge, the show blends sharp-witted banter, cultural commentary, and serious trivia for an engaging, competitive, and educational hour—with $500 donated by MeatEater to a conservation group of the winner's choosing.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening Banter & Housekeeping

• LiDAR mapping and OnX Hunt’s latest update kicks off the chat, with panelists raving about new digital tools for hunters.
• Playful introductions set the tone, with Yanni (Giannis) and Brody discussing their overtime records in previous trivia episodes.
• Housekeeping covers:
  • An “apology” for last week’s comments about Outdoor Boys YouTube channel.
  • Announcement of the upcoming 4th Annual MeatEater Trivia Tournament (Feb 11th).
  • Prize: $500 donated to the winner’s chosen conservation charity.

2. MeatEater Trivia Gameplay

• Format: 10 rounds, bonus “overtime” if needed.
• Categories: Hunting, Fishing, Conservation, Cooking, Wildlife, Woodsmanship.

Notable Round Highlights (with Timestamps & Quotes):

Question 1 — Ice Fishing Safety (Fishing, 06:32)

• Question: "According to Montana and Minnesota, what’s the recommended minimum amount of ice for a person to ice fish?"
• Panel Discussion:
  • Brody and Giannis debate personal versus official safety margins.
  • Answer: 4 inches
  • Quote:
    • "Three inches would probably do you. Okay. Montana and Minnesota say wait for four." – Spencer (08:50)

Question 2 — Geiger Counter (Conservation, 09:00)

• Question: "What’s the name of the tool, invented in 1911, that detects and measures radiation?"
• Panel Discussion:
  • Jokes about spelling “Geiger.”
  • Trivia about Hanford nuclear site being the most radioactive place in America.
  • Answer: Geiger Counter
  • Quote:
    • "Hans Geiger invented the Geiger counter at the University of Manchester." – Spencer (11:03)

Question 3 — Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Woodsmanship, 11:39)

• Discussion: Ticks, diseases by region, personal tick stories.
• Answer: Spotted Fever
• Quick Insight:
  • "The three states with the most cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever are North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee.” – Spencer (13:03)

Question 4 — Winchester Logo Animal (Hunting, 14:12)

• Panel guesses: deer, wild turkey, pheasant, horse.
• Answer: Horse
• Quote:
  • "The Winchester logo is called the Horse and Rider, featuring a man cradling a Winchester rifle atop a galloping horse—painted by Philip Goodwin after WWI.” – Spencer (18:00)

Question 5 — Cooking Vocab (20:14)

• Question: "This 12-letter word means to restore a dehydrated food to its original consistency by adding liquid."
• Answer: Reconstitute
• Quote:
  • "Danielle Pruitt says dried mushrooms should be a pantry staple because they're so easy to reconstitute and because you're left with a mushroom broth afterwards." – Spencer (22:12)

Midway Score Update (22:56)

• Roman: 0 | Alex: 1 | Corey: 2 | Randall & Maggie: 3 | Brody: 4 | Giannis: 5 ("perfect game in progress")

Question 6 — Alligator States (Wildlife, 23:45)

• Question: "Name two of the three U.S. states with the highest alligator populations."
• Answers: Louisiana, Florida, Texas
• Quote:
  • "Louisiana has the most gators... over 2 million, followed by Florida at 1.3 million, Texas at 400,000." – Spencer (26:00)

Question 7 — Razor Clam (Cooking, 27:04)

• Question: "What type of clam, named for its sharp shell, is described as 'tender and beefy'?"
• Answer: Razor Clam
• Memorable Panel Story: Roman recalls eating razor clams in Baja after local fishermen introduced him to them (27:50).
• Quote:
  • "They taste like 'kissing a mermaid.'" – via Serious Eats/Spencer (29:28)

Question 8 — Huck Finn’s River (Fishing/Literature, 30:02)

• Question: "Which river do Huck and Jim float down, catching a giant catfish, in 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'?"
• Answer: Mississippi River
• Quote:
  • "Huck says they eat it and that his meat’s as white as snow and makes for a good fry." – Spencer (34:02)

Question 9 — Deerless Continent (Hunting, 34:51)

• Question: "Besides Antarctica, what continent has no native deer species?"
• Panel Stumbles: Giannis bets on Africa, others say South America and Australia.
• Answer: Australia
• Quote:
  • "Australia has no native deer, monkeys, cats or bears... only the dingo, which was brought there 3,000 years ago." – Spencer (37:52)

Question 10 — Maryland’s State Bird (Wildlife, 38:36)

• Question: "What is the official bird of Maryland, named after the state’s largest city?"
• Panel: Lighthearted confusion, jokes about mascots.
• Answer: Baltimore Oriole
• Quotes:
  • "The Baltimore Oriole is named after its black and orange plumage, which matches Lord Baltimore's coat of arms." – Spencer (41:53)

3. Score Recap and Overtime

• After 10 questions, Brody and Giannis are tied and advance to overtime.
• Randall and Maggie are also highlighted as being tied—“the audience is pulling for Marge!”
• Notable Score Moments:
  • Giannis walks a “near perfect” game until missing the Australia question (37:48).
  • Office culture jokes:
    • "If I get Giannis to laugh four more times this episode, I’ll be happy." – Randall (23:36)

4. Overtime: World Record Burbot (43:01)

• Question: "How much did the world record burbot weigh?" (to the nearest decimal point)
• Guesses: Range from 9lbs to 67lbs; Brody says 23.6, Giannis says 20.1.
• Answer: 25.13 lbs
• Brody wins the trivia!
• Conservation Donation: Brody donates the $500 to Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) in honor of their advocacy work in Congress.
  • "Our buddy Cal was in D.C. yesterday in the hallowed halls of Congress fighting for us. So we'll donate to BHA." – Brody (45:55)

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On overtime wins:
  • “Giannis, you're just the cardiac kid, going to overtime all the time to earn those victories.” – Spencer (01:58)
• On housecleaning re: Outdoor Boys:
  • "Folks, I'm gonna have to issue a public apology." – Brody (04:51)
• On trivia nerves:
  • "I'm fine. I just hope to get a couple more good jokes in. If I can get Giannis to laugh four more times this episode, I'll be happy." – Randall (23:34)
• On logo confusion:
  • "If I said homo sapiens, we're not going to give it to you." – Spencer, explaining the Winchester logo answer (18:02)
• On razors clams:
  • "They taste like kissing a mermaid." – Serious Eats, quoted by Spencer (29:28)
• On world record fish:
  • "The world is split up into..." (cue the panel singing a “seven continents” song; playful group banter) (36:27)
• On Maryland’s bird:
  • "I was just going off a college football name." – Alex, realizing Terrapin is not a bird (40:18)

6. Panelists’ Personal Stories & Outdoor Knowledge

• Stories on:
  • Bears and ticks: “A bear I killed a couple years before that, hours later, you could just watch ticks crawl out.” – Giannis (12:52)
  • Gun trading and Winchester models: Discussion of Winchester Model 70s (15:07)
  • Shellfish food poisoning tales (Seattle, Baja): (28:15–28:50)
  • Literary classics versus rock band concerts (Pearl Jam, Poison): (31:32)

Important Timestamps

• LiDAR & OnX Hunt discussion: 00:04–00:52
• Overtime stats for Giannis: 01:55–02:28
• Outdoor Boys apology & Tournament news: 03:25–05:23
• First question (ice fishing): 06:32
• Perfect game hopes dashed: 37:48
• OT burbot Q & finale: 43:01–46:06

Final Score Recap

Winner: Brody Henderson (after overtime)
Conservation Donation: $500 to Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA)
Highlight: Giannis nearly makes MeatEater Trivia history with a perfect game, only to stumble on a tough question about Australia’s native mammals.

Tone and Style

Fun, irreverent, educational, with the camaraderie and light-hearted roasting typical of the MeatEater crew. This trivia-centric episode is a celebration of outdoor knowledge, good-natured competition, and a shared commitment to conservation.

For future MeatEater Trivia, submit questions to trivia@themeateater.com, and be sure to catch the upcoming annual tournament for more laughs, learning, and spirited debates about the wild.