The MeatEater Podcast — Episode 865: “Game On, Suckers! MeatEater Trivia CCXIII”

Date: April 22, 2026
Host: Spencer Newharth
Guests: Brody, Nate, John, Marge, Logan, Maxwell
Format: 10-round trivia focused on hunting, fishing, conservation, and cooking. Winner’s prize: $500 charity donation.

Episode Overview

This edition of the MeatEater Podcast is another lively and competitive round of MeatEater Trivia. Host Spencer Newharth leads a rotating panel of familiar MeatEater personalities through a 10-question quiz show, with topics spanning hunting, fishing, conservation, and wild foods. As always, the episode is filled with camaraderie, playful banter, surprising facts, and a hearty dose of good-natured competition. The stakes are real: the winner gets to direct a $500 donation to their conservation organization of choice.

Key Themes & Structure

• Trivia as edutainment: Outdoor education through friendly competition.
• Community participation: Listener-submitted questions and mailbag.
• Outdoor camaraderie: Expert knowledge mixed with anecdotes and humor.
• Highlighting conservation: Prize donation to a conservation foundation.

Mailbag & Cold Open (03:28–12:00)

Elk Judging Field Tips

• Listener Q (03:44): “Any tips for judging the difference between a 330 and a 360 bull elk?”
  • Jason Phelps: “Every bull is put together so differently that it's hard to judge them off a quick visualization. Look for a standard 6-point base: 15” tine length, 50” beams, 40” spread, 60” mass—adds up to a 350. Adjust from there. Start by checking for 6 points, then judge the frame.”
  • Giannis Putelis: “Quick and dirty: mass, width, and beam on a mature bull average 200 inches. On a 6-point, multiply average tine length by 10, then add 200.”
    • “For example, 15 times 10 is 150, plus 200 — that’s 350 inches.”
  • Brody (06:18): “I'm never going to use formulas or a calculator. Just look for long main beams and long third and fourth points. That fourth should be pushing 20-24 inches for a great bull.”
  • Maxwell’s humor (07:25): “If you pull up the gun and start doing one of these [miming scope movement], it’s probably pretty big.”
  • General consensus: There’s no perfectly quick way to eyeball; experience matters.

Phil as Hypothetical Contestant (08:48)

• Phil is challenged about his trivia skills:
  • “I think I'd crush cooking. Hunting would be abysmal; fishing possibly worse. Maybe mountain men or geography.” (08:54)
  • Phil has absorbed lots of info since 2019 but wonders how much he’s actually retained (09:20).

Highlighted Trivia Questions & Answers

1. Smoking Fish — Best Wood (12:11)

• Q: “According to Outdoor Life, what is universally the best wood for smoking fish? (Mesquite, Hickory, Pecan, or Alder)”
• Correct A: Alder
• Brody (14:52): “Anything in the fruit tree arena is good for sweeter and milder [flavors] versus the heavy-duty smoke of hickory or mesquite.”
• Spencer (15:04): “Mesquite and hickory is like taking a sledgehammer; alder, oak, apple, or cherry is like using a paintbrush.”
• Notable moment: Most contestants defaulted to hickory, but Brody and Maxwell nailed alder.

2. Most Produced Shotgun in History (15:18)

• Q: “According to Rock Island Auction Co., the Mossberg _____ is the most produced shotgun.”
• Correct A: 500
• Spencer (17:48): “There have been 12 million Mossberg 500s made, about 1 million more than the Remington 870.”
• Discussion: Maxwell surprised himself by incorrectly answering Remington 870; Brody was certain on Mossberg 500.

3. Invasive Eurasian Dove (18:37)

• Q: “The invasive Eurasian _____ dove is identified by a black neck stripe.”
• Correct A: Collared
• Info: Introduced from Bahamas escapees in 1974, now widespread, outcompete mourning/white-winged doves.
• Brody/Maxwell: “You could probably walk outside and find one of these in 30 seconds.” (19:45)

4. Horse Measurement Unit (25:30)

• Q: “This unit, equal to 4 inches, measures horse height to the withers.”
• Correct A: Hand
• Spencer (28:18): “4-inch unit is roughly the distance between your pinky and thumb; goes back to ancient Egypt. Average horse is ~15 hands tall.”

5. Livestock-toothed Fish (28:43)

• Q: “This ten-letter saltwater fish is named for its teeth, which resemble livestock’s.”
• Correct A: Sheepshead
• Brody: “Sheepshead’s teeth let them crush crabs, oysters, barnacles. New teeth replace old.”
• Anecdote: In the Midwest, “sheephead” can mean freshwater drum, but only the saltwater species has those teeth.

6. Whitetail Buck Hoax (34:01)

• Q: “The Mitch _____ buck, believed to be a hoax, had 30-inch main beams and spread.”
• Correct A: Rompola
• Story: In 1998, Michigan’s Mitch Rompola claimed a world-record whitetail (216”), never entered for official scoring; debate lingers, majority of hunters (83%) polled believe it’s a hoax.
• Brody: “Steve’s dream project is a movie about this story.” (34:32)

7. Galápagos Location (39:44)

• Q: “What ocean are the Galápagos Islands in?”
• Correct A: Pacific
• Spencer (42:11): “Galapagos is 600 miles west of South America, consists of 13 main islands; home to 188 species labeled as threatened.”

8. Bunny Boots’ Other Name (47:13)

• Q: “Bunny boots, issued in the Korean war, are also known by this cartoony name.”
• Correct A: Mickey Mouse boots
• Brody: “I only knew them as [Mickey Mouse boots].” (47:44)
• Spencer: “Extreme cold vapor barrier boots, down to -60°F; army surplus bunny boots ~$100.”

9. Whale Filter Plates (51:11)

• Q: “This six-letter word describes bristly plates some whales have instead of teeth.”
• Correct A: Baleen
• Fact: Baleen is made of keratin (also in hair and nails). Blue whales can eat 35,000 lbs of krill per day.

10. Boating Accidents by Month (55:52)

• Q: “2023 data: What month has the fourth-most boating accidents?”
• Correct A: May
• Order: July (most), Aug, June, May (4th), Sept (5th).
• Insight: Winter months have deadlier (not more frequent) accidents due to conditions.
• **Brody missed this, losing a perfect game; Nate got it right.

Scoreboard & Outcomes

Standings (After Question 10)

• Brody: 9/10 (Winner)
• Nate: 5/10 (Second place)
• Rest: Logan, Max, and Marge trailed with 1–2 correct each.

Notable Scores and Format Twists

• Brody flirted with a perfect game until the final question.
  • “I wish someone would give Nate a run for second place!” (51:50)

Prize Donation (59:22)

• Nate’s Pick: $500 to The Station Foundation Hunt Track—supports wounded or transitioning Tier 1 military vets learning to hunt from scratch.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On judging elk size: “Long ass main beam and long third and fourth points—that’s what I would look for.” – Brody (06:18)
• On trivia categories: “There’s a part of me that wants to say Star Wars and tiki drinks, but those are deep oceans.” – Phil (10:26)
• On choosing wood for fish: “Mesquite and hickory is like taking a sledgehammer ... alder or apple is like a paintbrush.” – Spencer (15:04)
• On dove IDs: “A rock dove is a pigeon.” – Spencer (21:02)
• Banter: “If you pull up the gun and start doing one of these, it’s probably pretty big.” – Maxwell (07:25)
• On horse measurement: “Hands go back to ancient Egypt—3.7 inches for a hand, 4.25 for a fist.” – Spencer (28:18)
• Consolation prize rules: “Whoever finishes second gets to pick the donation.” – Brody (33:53)
• Rompola buck lore: “Steve’s dream project is a movie about this.” – Brody (34:32)
• On bunny boots: “I only knew them as Mickey Mouse boots.” – Brody (47:44)
• Boating accident logic: “It’s just like which holiday do people get more drunk during? That’s the question!” – Nate (57:22)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Mailbag & Q&A: 03:28–12:00
• Game Start: 12:11
• Trivia Highlights: Best wood for smoking fish (12:11), Most produced shotgun (15:18), Invasive dove ID (18:37), Measuring horses (25:30), Sheepshead fish (28:43), Rompola buck (34:01), Galápagos Islands’ ocean (39:44), Bunny boots/Mickey Mouse boots (47:13), Whale baleen (51:11), Boating accidents by month (55:52)
• Final Score/Charity Pick: 59:22

Episode Takeaways

• Education as entertainment: The episode cleverly imparts practical knowledge and fun factoids about the outdoors—sometimes trivial, sometimes profound.
• Friendly competition: The cast’s camaraderie and mutual respect make for an engaging listen, with plenty of inside jokes and good-spirited teasing.
• Conservation heart: Every episode reaffirms MeatEater’s motto: “Conservation always wins.”

For Newcomers

If you haven’t caught a MeatEater Trivia episode before, this is an excellent entry point—an accessible mix of field wisdom, laughter, and the outdoorsman’s version of “Jeopardy!” Each question offers not only a challenge but a learning moment, and the crew’s banter guarantees you’ll be entertained while you learn.

Next time: Join the crew for more stories, more strange facts, and more opportunities for conservation to “always win.”