The Hunting Collective

On this week’s show we’re rolling a little differently. We’re going around the horn to hit up our favorite elk hunters to check in on what they have planned for this season and see if they can stoke us up as opening day approaches. We close things out with an awesome interview with Randy Newberg. Always love when he stops by the studio. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show I’m joined by Janis Putelis and Spencer Neuharth to talk about must-have whitetail and elk gear, blood thirsty wolves in World War I, and we listen to Phil the Engineer reading some mean comments. We close things out with an awesome interview with Montana’s Director of Outdoor Recreation Rachel Vandevoort. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show I’m joined by Sam Lungren and Miles Nolte, two of the top minds in conservation at MeatEater, to talk about a time to act for public lands advocates, the history of the Bureau of Land Management and what Acting Director William Perry Pendley is all about. We close things out with an interview with wildlife educator, taxidermist, and public speaker Brant MacDuff to chat about the history of taxidermy. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show I'm joined by Remi Warren to talk about his big new podcast launch, his thoughts on what makes a good show, and Phil the Engineer reads mean (and nice) comments from the Internet. We close things out with an interview with Boone & Crockett Club’s Director of Marketing Keith Balfourd covering the history of the club and fair chase. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show I'm joined by Ryan Callaghan and Seth Morris of MeatEater to cover mustaches, whether sports and hunting can mix, trailhead diplomacy, and the story of a dog owner who is embroiled in controversy. We close things out with an interview with writer Wes Siler of Outside Online's Indefinitely Wild to talk about journalism in the modern age, the backpack tax and more. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show we’re battling the boredom of July with the first ever THC Top Fives. We’re covering top songs, treestand snacks, animal traits and podcasts guests with a panel of MeatEaters plus Sam Soholt. We close things out with an interview with William von Hippel, a professor of psychology at the University of Queensland who’s spent the last decades studying how humans evolved over time. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show I’m diving back into animal rights and veganism for another complicated conversation. Up first I’m joined by Phil the Engineer to learn more about the man behind the worldwide #keepphil movement. We discuss getting sponsored by White Claw, pea love, Game of Thrones and Phil’s background. We close things out with an interview with Robert C. Jones a vegan philosopher from California State University. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show we’re talking about the controversial subjects of speciesism and animal personhood. Up first I chat with Ryan “Cal” Callaghan on the definition of chicken and we try to understand the purpose of a vegan butcher’s shop. We close things out with an interview with Matt Johnson, the press coordinator for Direct Action Everywhere, an animal rights organization based in Berkeley, California. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show we’re covering some pushback in the hunting world surrounding the public lands movement. I'm joined by Steven Rinella, Mark Kenyon and Sam Lungren to talk about the public versus private lands conversation and whether it's even worth having. We close things out with a great interview with Luke Macauley, a cooperative extension specialist at UC Berkeley studying the role of hunting in private land use and conservation. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show we're covering a lot of ground, including the most egregious dick moves in hunting and in the MeatEater office. Editor-in-Chief Anthony Licata rejoins the conversation to talk about our complicated role in reshaping the modern hunting narrative and whether we should even try. We close things out with an awesome interview with Modern Huntsman Editor-in-Chief Tyler Sharp. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show we're talking about the amazing story of the Lamalerans, a subsistence whale hunting culture on a small island off the coast of Indonesia. It's a story of the struggle to balance tradition with modernity told vividly in guest Doug Bock Clark's book, "The Last Whalers." Clark joins the show to discuss the three years he spent with the Lamalerans and the amazing lessons he learned along the way. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show we’re bringing back turkeys! You only got a one-week break. I’m not sorry. MeatEater’s Hunting Editor Spencer Nueharth joins the show to tell us why turkeys are faster than Usain Bolt and we go over the history of this great bird in our country. I’m also joined by Dr. James Earl Kennamer, the former chief conservation office for the NWTF and a key figure in the recovery of the wild turkey in America. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Father’s Day approaches, I open the show this week with some reflections on hunting with my dad and what it’s meant to me over the years. I’m also joined by writer Eddie Nickens to talk about raising kids in the outdoors, ethics in hunting and the East versus West dynamic in our community. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week everyone’s favorite Latvian Janis Putelis joined the show to talk about the end of turkey season and what we learned this year. I also interviewed famed author Col. Tom Kelly, a legend in the literary space and turkey hunting’s unofficial poet laureate. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the boss man Steven Rinella joins the show to talk about weird rabbit facts, the cottontail rut and the touchy subject of how race impacts the culture of hunting. We also catch up with Charles “The Rabbit Man” Rodney for a listener Q&A and he gives a stump speech on why every American should go rabbit hunting. Plus some recorded listener feedback. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we chat with MeatEater’s most fashionable trio: Katie Finch Rinella, Maggie Smith and Tracy Crane. What’s the point of talking fashion on a hunting podcast? To explore the inner-most motivations of Steve, Jani and Cal. We also catch up with President and CEO of TRCP Whit Fosburgh to talk about climate change and other important issues facing our community. Plus some recorded listener feedback. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we chat with Brody Henderson of MeatEater on the floor of the 2019 Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Rendezvous about our weekend in Boise, defining hunting ethics and the problem with fair chase. We also catch up with Jess C. Johnson to talk about the lack of women on the show, conservation in action and a bunch more. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we chat with Ryan Callaghan about his new podcast, talk about Game of Thrones and answer some reader emails. We also catch up with Anthony Licata, MeatEater’s new editor in chief, on his first day in the office to talk about his life, philosophies and why in the hell he likes peas so much. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show we’re in camp in South Dakota for the first stop on the THC turkey tour. We check in with Sam Soholt, tell hunting stories, research turkey genitalia and marvel at the experience of hunting in our national forests. We also caught up with Drs. Alex and Libby Metcalf, a husband and wife professor team at the University of Montana who focus on human interaction with wildlife and our attitudes toward hunting. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Steven Rinella joins the podcast to discuss his least favorite fantasy show, our love of morel mushrooms and the ethical conundrum with coyote contests. I’m also joined by Brian Lynn and Evan Heusinkveld from the Sportsmen’s Alliance to chat about their ongoing battles with animal rights activists. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Miles Nolte joins the podcast to discuss fake news, a mountain lion attacking a 7-year-old boy and the craft of writing in the digital age. I’m also joined by renowned writer, conservation and the host of the BHA Cast & Blast podcast Hal Herring. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show, it’s all about bears. We check in with Janis Putelis to talk about bear rugs, New Jersey animal rights protestors, bears in the backcountry and catch up with infamous grizzly attack survivor Todd Orr. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Ryan Callaghan joins the podcast to discuss being single forever, we talk about the year of the cat, and I’m joined by bowhunting athlete Cam Hanes for an exclusive interview. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s show, we’re talking whitetail with two of the most knowledgable guys in the space: Wired to Hunt’s Mark Kenyon and Spencer Neuharth. We cover a ton of thorny topics like misunderstanding the QDMA, shooting young bucks, why some folks think all giant bucks are on the juice, and more. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I’m joined by my friend Andrew McKean, former editor-in-chief at Outdoor Life and one of the sharpest minds in the outdoor space. We recorded this podcast in the middle of the frozen waters of Fort Peck Lake near McKean’s home of Glasgow, Montana. You’ll know that because of the constant gusts of freezing cold wind blasting our microphones. It’s a great conversation about how we retain hunters, encouraging youth to get outdoors and the virtues of ice fishing and Old Milwaukee Light. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On last week’s show, we caught up with scientist, wildlife manager, policy innovator, public speaker, and strategic adviser Shane Mahoney to talk about the creation of the North American Model of Conservation. We devoted an almost three-hour conversation to the Model with the intent to break down its beginnings, how it became popularized, its major principles and the criticism it has received. This is the second part of that chat covering the final four principles of the Model and the challenges it will face in the years to come. Check out EP. 51 of the podcast before you get started on this one. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shane Mahoney is a conservationist to his core. Over more than 30 years of experience working primarily as a scientist, wildlife manager, policy innovator and strategic adviser, Mahoney has gained a unique perspective on our world and the hunter’s place in it. He was also involved in the earliest days of the creation of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and has insight on the subject you can’t get anywhere else. We devoted an almost three-hour conversation to the Model with the intent to break down its beginnings, how it became popularized, its major principles and the criticism it has received.The podcast will be broken up into two parts, this episode being part one. Come back next week for the conclusion of my chat with Mahoney. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representative voted on the much-discussed Natural Resource Management Act (S. 47). When Sam Lungren, Miles Nolte and I got wind of the vote playing out on CSPAN, we figured what better way to cover the event than by podcasting as it unfolded on TV here at the MeatEater offices. To liven up the recording and add some color to the bill’s innerworkings, we were joined via phone by Steve Kline, director of government relations for TRCP and Land Tawney, CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Enjoy this special episode of the show. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I’m joined by the most prolific hunting content creators that Scotland has to offer: Byron and Darryl Pace. The Pace Brothers, as they’re most commonly known, have carved out a unique niche on the British Isles as powerful voices for conservation, wildlife and living a life of adventure. In this episode, you’ll hear just what brought them to where they are today, what the “country lifestyle” means in the UK and more. I can assure the stories aren’t boring. These two gentlemen are badass, and they’re quickly rising among my favorite follows in the industry. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's podcast I'm joined by MeatEater colleagues Ryan Callaghan, Janis Putelis and Sam Lungren. We sat down in our offices for an editorial meeting of sorts to review the most recent hunting scandal in the mainstream media. We're using the new MeatEater Scandal Assessment Chart to help determine the validity of the national media coverage and the anti-hunting outrage when a Texas banking executive paid $110,000 to kill a Astore markhor in Pakistan. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re coming to you from the YETI booth on the floor of the Wild Sheep Convention in Reno, Nev., with Tim Burnett and Remi Warren. If you’ve never been to the Sheep Show, you’re missing out. It’s one hell of an event that brings together the best mountain hunters in the world and raises a pile of money for conservation.In between entering raffles to win sheep hunts, live shows and fancy banquets I caught up with Warren and Burnett to talk tag draw strategies, Nevada living, sheep hunts and test out some new segments for the show. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Ryan Callaghan and I are hanging out in Las Vegas, Nev., for the 2019 SHOT Show and we just so happened to run into our good buddy Iain Harrison. Harrison is the editor of RECOIL magazine and the first ever champion of History Channel's reality shooting competition Top Shot. He's also an all-around stand up human being and one of my oldest friends in the industry. We caught up with him halfway through the grueling marathon that is SHOT to talk about his upbringing, his service in the British military, what brought him to the States and a whole lot more. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donnie Vincent has spent a ton of time in wild places and in doing so has gathered a bunch of interesting stories and perspectives.With his company, Sicmanta, he’s created three feature-length hunting films including his newest release entitled “The Other Side” and “The River’s Divide” which followed his hunt for a buck named "Steve" in the Badlands of North Dakota. In challenging the typical 30-minute TV show format, he’s creating hunting content in a different way and focusing on compelling visual story-telling.We caught up in Las Vegas during SHOT Show for a conversation around the origins of his interest in wildlife biology, tracking tigers in Nepal, his longing for adventure and how modern hunters can benefit from critical thinking. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this week’s podcast, I’m joined by MeatEater’s Steven Rinella and Ryan Callaghan for a fireside chat in Sonora, Mexico. As most late-night conversations go, this one went in a few unexpected directions—most notably stories about our first cars, rifles and favorite beer. We also covered whether or not we are overthinking the why of hunting, the great American writer Jim Harrison, hunting animals you don’t intend to eat and the joys of hunting Coues deer.Get your tickets to the MeatEater Podcast LIVE here: https://www.themeateater.com/event Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Biologist, historian, author and renowned conservationist, Jim Posewitz is among the foremost experts on Theodore Roosevelt, conservation history and fair chase philosophy.For this podcast, my colleague Sam Lungren and I traveled to Jim’s home in Helena, Montana. He took us along on the history of his life, which closely mirrors the history of conservation—from making fake deer tracks in the mud at a deer-less summer camp in his native Wisconsin; to traveling West to play football at Montana State University and see robust wildlife populations; to a 40-year career at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks on the front lines of conserving wild places and waterways; and a prolific “retirement” in which he founded Orion–The Hunter’s Institute and wrote five books: Beyond Fair Chase, Inherit the Hunt, Rifle in Hand, Taking a Bullet for Conservation and My Best Shot.Jim’s work Beyond Fair Chase has been printed more than 800,000 times and has become a standard text for hunter safety courses nationwide. We ended the recording with a thoughtful discussion of fair chase and the considerations hunters should make afield to abide by this valuable mindset. I hope you learn as much as I did! Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Kenyon is a whitetail hunter. I'm not breaking any news here of course, but that doesn't mean it's not important to note. Kenyon lives for hunting deer and his dedication to the pursuit is absolute. That makes him one hell of a resource for the rest of us, and his thoughtful approach to the subject makes him all the more valuable. Even though I grew up focused primarily on hunting whitetails, it's experts like Kenyon that can help take my skills to the next level. That's why it's great to have him on our team at MeatEater, Inc., and to have the Wired to Hunt media empire he's building as part of our company. I caught up with Kenyon at our offices in Bozeman, Mont., to recap the MeatEater Christmas party, talk about ethics in whitetail hunting and challenge some of the accepted norms in the community. It was a great conversation and one of many more to come. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Afognak Island is a small land mass about 20 miles long and 40 miles wide off the coast of Alaska in the Kodiak archipelago. There aren't many reasons to visit this place and even fewer motivations for someone to take up residence on the island. In fact, there are only 39 permanent human residents today, most of which are workers at a state-run salmon hatchery. There are no roads, bars, grocery stores or shopping malls on Afognak, but there is a large population of Kodiak brown bears and a few healthy herds of Roosevelt elk. It's a harsh place that defines the environment of coastal Alaska. Wild swings in weather produce a climate that can feel like a rainforest in the summer and a despotic tundra when winter arrives. This place is no tourist destination, and it doesn't suffer fools. It's an unpredictable domain that calls for preparedness and as such, attracts some of the most dedicated hunters to its shores. Brad Jameson is one of those hunters. He's an experienced outdoorsman well-versed in wilderness medicine and survival. He'd hunted the island before without a hint of trouble, bringing home hundreds of pounds of venison and avoiding even a casual run-in with a brown bear. On Oct. 23, he boarded a boat with four hunting buddies to head back to Afognak. It was a normal trip for the Alaska residents, and they were looking forward to a tough-as-hell hunt.Three days later everything would change. Brad suddenly found himself five yards from an old sow with nowhere to run and only a moment to prepare himself for what was to come next.Be sure to listen to my entire podcast with Brad to hear his jarring story of grit and survival and how he made it out alive. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At just 33, Chad Mendes has enjoyed a lot of success and fame. He was an All-American wrestler in college and quickly rose through the ranks of the UFC to be a top contender in his weight class. With a record of 18-4 and an already storied career, he's been called the most underrated MMA fighter of all time. I met Chad two years ago in turkey camp with John Dudley and immediately found him to be a thoughtful hunter, a damn good wild game cook, and the life of the party. Chad is in a unique position thanks to the notoriety he's gained as a fighter. Hundreds of thousands of folks who have never hunted are exposed to the pursuit through his content. In this podcast we discussed his upcoming fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 232, the future of his career, what he hopes to achieve in the hunting world, and his "why" on many subjects. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Randy Newberg is quite simply one of my favorite people. His podcasts, television shows and digital media efforts have always stood out to me as good, honest work on behalf of all hunters.Randy is a champion for public lands, access and doing the right thing. Newberg once wrote: “Hunting is the truest form of participating in the natural world, probably because it is the oldest and most instinctive way of participating. Participation makes me more alive, more accountable and more engaged in the natural world.”It’s this call for accountability that made me think that Randy would be the perfect guest to join myself and Janis Putelis from the Meateater crew to tackle some of your toughest ethical ponderings. From hunting crows to feeding wild game to your dog to ending the suffering of previously wounded game, we tackled it all.Thanks to every single person who sent in a question or an ethical conundrum, we received many more than I ever thought possible. Enjoy this conversation and keep sending in your thoughts, they are appreciated. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a fairly normal Wednesday afternoon in Bozeman, I sat in Dusan Smetana’s living room sipping brandy and enjoying a damn nice fire. It was slow and calm, the perfect setting to learn about the life of a man with a novel’s worth of stories to tell. Dusan, a renowned outdoor photographer, has a great life on his Montana homestead with his family, dogs, Icelandic sheep, chickens, pigs and a rather athletic flock of homing pigeons.It’s not unusual on a cold winter day to find Dusan doing exactly what we did that day—enjoying life. It’s a stark contrast to his upbringing in communist Czechoslovakia and his immigration to the United States. We talked about that journey, how his community handled hunting during his childhood and where hunting is headed today. Please enjoy this conversation with a one-of-a-kind man. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ecologist Charles Post returns for his third conversation on the podcast this week, and we went long. Real long. We talked for three hours, mostly on grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It was an interesting debate backed by my love and affection for the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation and Charles's background studying wild creatures and their ecosystems. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of the podcast featured the one and only Janis “The Latvian Eagle” Putelis. The Eagle and I sat down at MeatEater, Inc., HQ to address some reader quandaries in regards to hunter ethics and some generally sticky situations you folks have encountered.The Eagle provided measured, thoughtful advice that every hunter can learn from and I did my best to keep up. From shooting coyotes to sharing spots, we covered a lot of ground. Enjoy this conversation and thanks for all the input. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Land Tawney is a lot of things. Most folks know him for his job title: president/CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA). They know him as the fiery leader of a passionate group of huntin’ and fishin’ public land advocates. During his rise at BHA, Land has made a name for himself as a man unwilling to compromise and certainly willing to fight for what he believes.Get to know Tawney, though, and you’ll find that he’s all about service. He serves the hunting community, BHA membership, his family and his home state of Montana in all that he does.Tawney joined me at the MeatEater, Inc., headquarters to talk about the state of the public land movement, the freshly concluded midterm elections and the important legislation that needs all of our attention. It was one of my favorite conversations. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a long road for Morgan Mason to get to where he is today. It’s a story not unlike many veterans who have struggled to find their way after coming home from deployments overseas.Morgan is from a farm near a small town in rural Kansas, and he had a pretty normal upbringing, spending a ton of his time hunting and fishing with his dad and brother. But a deployment to Iraq in 2003, at just 20 years old, changed his world. Morgan spent his time post-war conflicted and searching for answers. The search led him to backcountry adventures in Colorado paddling whitewater or snowboarding the mountains and multiple season-long surfing and spearfishing missions in Baja. It was a time of experiential outdoor therapy that would help Morgan to rediscover hunting with an invigorating clarity.Eventually, Morgan’s road led him to MeatEater, Inc., where we hired him as an associate editor just about a month ago. We’re happy as hell to have him. Enjoy this conversation with the newest member of our crew, because you’ll be seeing a lot from him on our platform very soon. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shane Dorian is a legend in surfing. The Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, native has been defying death for around 30 years now, riding giants walls of water all over the world. To achieve what Dorian has over his career in surfing it takes a certain amount of determination and singular drive. It takes love and passion for what you do. Dorian has that in spades and it's inescapable when you meet the man. It just so happens that nowadays he's channeling a sizable portion of that energy into bowhunting. "You'd think that I'm weird if you knew how much I think about bowhunting," he told me at his home in Kona. Luckily for me, I don't think Dorian's weird at all and although I've never paddled toward a wave with him, we've hunted around the world together. Honestly, I've never met a more humble and honest hunter. It was with that in mind that I wanted to share Shane's story, perspective on life and relatively newfound devotion to archery. This podcast was the perfect way to do that. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this episode I’m joined by my friend Adam Greentree. He’s one of the most influential bowhunters in the game and his recent social media rise has been unrivaled. Beyond that, his story is one I have wanted to share for a long time, knowing where he is today and where he came from. It’s an amazing example of struggle and resilience, and we can learn a lot from what he has overcome. He’s got an awesome family who’ve traveled with him for the last four months on a road trip across the U.S., and I caught up with the entire Greentree clan on their journey. We even managed to include two very special guests to kick off the show. Enjoy one of my favorite podcast conversations. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I’m joined by Senator John Tester (D-MT) in Bozeman for an exclusive conversation on the major conservation issues in Montana and in our nation. Sen. Tester has been a sometimes polarizing figure for his pragmatic and no nonsense approach to policy, and his voice is loud in the political arena when it comes to hunting, fishing and the outdoors. We covered the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Chronic Wasting Disease, land use in his home state and extraction on public lands and elsewhere. We also hit on the difficult landscape of American politics and how Sen. Tester is fighting back. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this week's podcast I'm joined by Ryan Callaghan of First Lite in the brand spanking new offices of MeatEater, Inc., in Bozeman, Montana. Ryan is a veteran guest of the show and someone with great perspective on all things conservation and hunting.We chatted about what exactly I've been up to over the last few months and how things are trending with the new venture, the perceived rising tension between public land hunters and private land owners, how a lot outfitters and guides could be labeled as promoting trophy hunting, and we took some killer questions from listeners about mustache care and wild game cookery. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charles “The Rabbit Man” Rodney is my guest for this week’s episode of the podcast. Charles is no hunting celebrity or any kind of influencer, but he is without a doubt one of my favorite people. You’ll find out why when you listen to this episode.Simply put, Charles loves rabbit hunting, it’s the only game in town for him—it says so on his business card. Funny thing is, Charles isn’t in business to sell hunts. He doesn’t guide for a living. A devoutly religious man, he just meets folks he really likes and takes them rabbit hunting. No money exchanges hands, no favors at all, he just loves to hunt and will take every opportunity he can to add another to his congregation. Charles brings with him a loyal pack of “dawgs,” beagles to be precise, and they’re some of the best hounds you’ll ever find. Enjoy Mr. Rodney’s story and I hope it sheds light on one man’s giving nature and how spreading the good word of hunting can be its own reward. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a press release hitting the wire today that leads with the following statement: “…Renowned writer, TV, and podcast personality Steven Rinella has launched MeatEater, Inc., a newly-formed outdoor lifestyle media and commerce company…”That’s a pretty damn exciting development for the hunting world as a whole. For me, it’s also a relief, because I can finally announce that I’m proud to be part of this venture.This special episode of the podcast should help explain better why I’ve decided to join Rinella, bringing The Hunting Collective along for the ride. I’ll be serving as Editorial Director for MeatEater, Inc., and producing the podcast as part of a network of badass content creators like April Vokey, Mark Kenyon, chef Eduardo Garcia and more.“Our whole team loves the outdoors, regards it as sacred, and believes that a deeper connection to nature enriches all of our lives,” Rinella says in the release. “We are excited to build a community that is invested in understanding and exploring the natural world.” That couldn’t be more spot on. That statement is exactly why I joined and, other than my family, the reason I get out of bed in the morning. I’m damn proud to make this announcement and work hard to make good on some very lofty goals for The Hunting Collective. For now, enjoy this short podcast detailing why and how it all came to be. Thanks for listening. Connect with Ben and MeatEaterBen on InstagramMeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.