The MeatEater Podcast — Ep. 834: Dr. Crayfish, Fox Collars, and Blue Tarps | MeatEater Radio Live!

Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Spencer Newhall (with Maggie Hudlow & Seth Morris)
Featured Guests: Dr. Zach Graham (Ecologist & Author), Emily Davis (PhD Student, Univ. of Wyoming)
Overview:
This episode, recorded live from MeatEater HQ, takes listeners deep into the worlds of crayfish conservation, predator ecology in the Tetons, and classic outdoorsman ingenuity. Spencer, Seth, and Maggie are joined by ecologist Dr. Zach Graham — “Dr. Crayfish” — to discuss the fascinating diversity, ecology, and threats to North America's crayfish. Later, Emily Davis shares her research on wolf, coyote, and fox interactions in the Grand Tetons. The episode’s signature segments “Hot Tip Off” and “MeatEater’s Price is Right” add plenty of camaraderie, crowdsourced wisdom, and laughs.

1. Outdoor Advocacy Updates: Florida & Minnesota

[00:31–06:33] Presented by: Maggie Hudlow (Director of Web Content)
Key Points:

• Florida’s Senate Bill 290 & House Bill 433:
  • Expands food libel laws, risking lawsuits against those criticizing ag practices without “scientific” proof.
  • Impacts hunters & anglers who rely on speaking out about ecological harm (e.g., Lake Okeechobee red algae blooms linked to Big Sugar via 2022 studies).
  • Maggie: “It would remove the ability to have those conversations … because people would be so afraid of the legal fees and just, you know, the hassle of being taken to court.” (02:44)
  • Senate stripped the provision, but it's still in the House bill—fight ongoing.
• Minnesota’s Boundary Waters:
  • The vote on HJR140 (re mining near the Boundary Waters) has been delayed after public outcry.
  • Emphasis on the importance of broad, unified conservation advocacy, as anti-speech bills set national precedents.
  • Maggie: “Even if it's not your home... raise your voice because it could be in your backyard next time.” (06:12)

2. Interview: “Crayfish, Crawfish, Crawdad” with Dr. Zach Graham

[07:21–21:52] Guest: Dr. Zach Graham, Author & Ecologist
Main Topics & Insights:

Crayfish Naming and Geography

• Dr. Graham: “If you're studying them, you call them crayfish. If you're eating them, you call them crawfish. If you're fishing with them, you call them crawdads.” (08:04)
• Regional naming differences: “Crayfish” in the Northeast/Midwest, “Crawfish” in the Deep South, “Crawdad” in the Northwest.

America’s Crayfish Biodiversity

• ~70% of world’s 600+ crayfish species are in the U.S., mostly East of the Rockies, due to ancient Appalachian mountain waterways fostering freshwater diversity.
  • Graham: “Crayfish are kind of like an American group of animals.” (09:18)

Unique & Rare Species

• Burrowing crayfish: ~30% of species. Live on land, dig “chimney” burrows to water.
  • Their burrows later used by snakes, frogs, salamanders.
• Cave crayfish: Translucent, eyeless, adapted to Appalachian/Kentucky/Tennessee/Alabama caves.
• Diversity in size & color: From Tasmania’s three-foot “giant freshwater lobsters” to inch-long “dwarves.” Colors can be “almost any color … reds, blues, oranges.”
  • Dr. Graham on U.S. giants: “Bottle brush crayfishes … like the size of a big textbook … 10 inches or so long, found in only a few streams.” (14:38)

Conservation Threats

• 1/3 of world species at risk. Threats: pollution (mining, timber, invasive species).
  • “They require a clean, nice environment to thrive … Invasive crayfish actually hurt native crayfish populations.” (15:24)

Field & Culinary Tips

• Eating Risk: Heavy metals in crayfish are less studied than in fish, but likely absorbed similarly.
• Winter Behavior: Crayfish burrow below frost line and “hibernate.”
• Catching Tips: Use traps with the smelliest baits (chicken livers, bacon), set near rocks and logs. Time traps for breeding males—“the biggest tails.”
• Fishing Lure Tips: Make presentations “bottom-oriented” and mimic their “tail-flip escape response.” Cutting a claw off a lure can help entice bass.
• Fun Fact: Dr. Graham is “deathly allergic” to crayfish—“if they get in my mouth, my throat swells, and I will go to the hospital.” (21:09)

Notable Quote

“I spend my entire life and day thinking about them. But if they get in my mouth ... I will go to the hospital.”
— Dr. Zach Graham (21:09)

3. Hot Tip Off: Carport Wall Tent & Duck-Breast Razor

[23:57–31:06]

Contestants:

• Mark de Groot (Carport Wall Tent): Convert a cheap carport (with mods) for a bear-camp shelter — “rigid, strong … 15 minutes to set up, great for gear, and a place to escape mosquitoes.”
• Austin Rines (Duck-Breast Razor): Shave pinfeathers off waterfowl breasts with a $1 dollar-store razor—“Not a pin hair on that thing. Look at that.” (27:01)

Hosts’ Votes:

• Maggie and Seth: Carport (for frugality and effectiveness)
• Spencer: Duck razor (unique and practical if it really works) Audience Poll:
  Closest vote ever! Austin (“Goose Shaving”) wins with 51% after a tie-break.

4. Listener Q&A & Outdoors Banter

[31:22–36:54]

• Skull Preservation: Try beeswax, lacquer, or “paleo glue” to keep Euro-mounts from splitting.
• Fishing Trips: Highlights include Saginaw Bay film trip (Seth), Maggie’s niece’s first backcountry fishing, Spencer’s Columbia River sturgeon & solo Boundary Waters trip.
• Live Events: Radio Live will continue for special occasions; NWTF afterparty will have “MeatEater Trivia.”

5. Interview: Predator Coexistence in the Tetons with Emily Davis

[38:20–51:26] Guest: Emily Davis, PhD Student, University of Wyoming

Study Focus & Methods

• Collaring wolves, coyotes, and red foxes in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem to map fine-scale space/time/resource overlap.
• Combining GPS data, DNA metabarcoding of scat for diet, and anonymized cell phone data to factor in human pressure.
• Emily: “...It's probably way more nuanced than that. So now we have enough technology to get really fine scale data … collars … synced up at the same time.” (39:19)
• Trap foxes only in winter (avoid bears, easier during fox breeding season).

Notable Foxes & Field Tales

• "Swiper"/Leroy: Famous shoe-stealing fox, now collared and frequently observed.
  • Emily: “We just think he's got a fetish for shoes because they didn’t find like a pile of shoes ... he's just messing with people.” (43:34)
• Foxes have stolen bait, gloves, and appear to “enjoy” messing with people.

Master's Research: Bear Collar Study

• Black bear behavior at Wyoming bait sites: Males avoid bait more (due to risk); both sexes shift to nocturnal bait use during hunting season. Bears engage bait more in the fall and females/younger bears take more risks around bait.
  • “Bears are always doing things differently than we expect, which is why I love them ... they’re kind of a pain to study.” (48:50)

Trapping Details

• Use Tomahawk box traps (park regulation); baits include ground roadkill, gusto (skunk scent), red fox lure, fox urine.
• No bobcats or wolverines in traps—mostly foxes and martens.

6. MeatEater’s Price is Right

[52:11–62:22] Contestants: Seth vs. Maggie
Products & Results:

1. 11x11 Harbor Freight Blue Tarp:
   • Correct Price: $9.99
   • Winner: Seth
2. 18-ft Plesiosaur Skeleton:
   • Correct Price: $475,000
   • Winner: Seth (after three “overbids” from both!)
3. 60 lbs of Live Crawfish (overnight from LA):
   • Correct Price: $648 (with shipping)
   • Winner: Seth (“clean sweep”)

• Notable audience antics: Several listeners instantly guessed right, a few caught "cheating" by looking up prices live.

7. Live Chat, Feedback & Final Banter

[63:02–end]

• Hamms Special Light: Spencer still has a stash but it's “not tasting right anymore.”
• Bloodtrail Season 2: Dropping Spring 2026.
• Fishing Lake Havasu: World record shellcracker lore.
• Trade Shows: Highlights of Harrisburg & Western Hunt Expo; advice for attending (“assault on all your senses”; see “all the calls, smells, lights”).
• Phil’s Guitar Hero Legend: Phil details his legacy of gaming achievement, including the 85-song “Endless Setlist” in Rock Band 2. (67:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Florida ag bill:
  “It's sort of this like muzzling of public input.” — Maggie Hudlow (02:44)
• On crayfish:
  “If you're studying them, you call them crayfish ... if you're eating them, you call them crawfish ... if you're fishing with them, you call them crawdads.” — Dr. Zach Graham (08:04)
• On crayfish allergy:
  "I spend my entire life and day thinking about them. But if they get in my mouth, my throat swells, and I will go to the hospital." — Dr. Zach Graham (21:09)
• Foxes & their tricks:
  “We just think he's got a fetish for shoes because they didn’t find like a pile of shoes ... he's just messing with people and they're kind of, you know, funny in that way.” — Emily Davis (43:34)
• On blue tarps:
  “You don't buy blue tarps. There's just an endless pile of blue tarps that you grab from.” — Maggie Hudlow (54:25)
• On trade shows:
  “If you have a trade show in your neck of the woods, you should go check it out. … assault on all of your senses … the sounds … the bright lights and all the, you know, the camouflage.” — Spencer Newhall (66:24)

Key Timestamps

• 00:31 — Start of news updates (Florida/Minnesota)
• 07:21 — Dr. Graham interview begins
• 15:24 — Crayfish conservation threats
• 18:17 — Catching & fishing tips
• 21:09 — Dr. Crayfish’s allergy reveal
• 23:57 — Hot Tip Off: Carport vs. Duck Razor
• 38:20 — Emily Davis (foxes/collars/wolves) interview starts
• 48:22 — Past bear bait research
• 52:11 — Price is Right segment
• 63:02 — Listener Q&A & feedback
• 66:24 — Trade show memories

Episode Tone

Rich in expert knowledge, unpretentious, irreverently funny, and loaded with practical, hard-earned outdoors advice. Frequent asides and playful banter keep even the most technical wildlife science accessible and lively.

Recommended For:
Anyone passionate about hunting, fishing, DIY outdoors gear, wildlife biology, conservation debates, and the unique quirks of the American outdoors.

Listen for:
Field biologists’ real-life quirks (foxes with fetishes, crayfish that could kill their scientist), blue-collar ingenuity (carport camps), and the science behind the critters that shape our backcountry adventures.