Hear, Hunt, and Grill: The Top MeatEater Podcast Episodes for Outdoor Enthusiasts
The MeatEater Podcast is a by-weekly show run by Steven Rinella, the famous outdoorsman, writer, trapper, and TV personality who deals with everything related to hunting and fishing. Moreover, it consistently ranks among the top ten sports podcasts, so it’s undoubtedly one of the best shows you should follow if you’re into the natural world, outdoor activities, hunting, fishing, and more.
It’s part of the larger MeatEater Network that hosts several podcasts following the outdoors theme, including Bent, the MeatEater’s fishing podcast, and Bear Grease with Clay Newcomb, a show that explores American rural culture and history.
Steven Rinella, the podcast’s primary host, is mainly known for his non-fiction outdoors hunting series, MeatEater, that’s been going strong on Netflix since 2018 but first on the Sportsman Channel from 2012 to 2016.
Steven brings his deep experience with the natural world to the podcast, discussing everything on hunting, nature, conservation, fishing, and exciting wild foods. Moreover, he often brings in interesting guests, so expect lots of admiration for all things natural, but also humor and long stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
The MeatEater Podcast follows a strict schedule, with new episodes every Monday and Wednesday, at least for the last few years. The first episode of the week is a long one, usually around two hours or at least an hour and a half, going deep into specific topics, typically with many guests. The Wednesday episode is shorter, around 40 minutes or so, dealing with exciting trivia topics.
This format has been going strong for the last few years, but the podcast is older, coming out weekly since 2015. There have been more than 400 episodes, which is a lot of content for anyone. So, if you don’t know where to start or are unsure whether to start at all, here’s a list of the best episodes that are bound to keep you entertained.
Ep. 317: Super Slammin’ with Tom Miranda
This two-hour episode is filled with interesting content as Steven Rinella talks to as many as seven people, including Tom Miranda, the adventure bowhunter. They talk about 20/15 vision, massive sturgeons, and so much more. It’s a jam-packed episode you don’t want to miss.
Ep. 65: Miles City
This is one of the fan favorites where Steven talks to Matt, his brother, and, of course, Janis Putelis, another member of the MeatEater crew that constantly appears on Rinella’s show. It’s an informative and quite funny episode where you’ll hear much about lion hunting and packing meat with llamas. You’ll also learn about interesting historical stories on Little Bighorn and Miles City, Montana.
Ep. 273: Hunting with Sharks
If you’re ready for an extended listening session, this two-and-a-half-hour-long episode might be perfect for you to get to know Rinella and his whole show. He’s joined by several guests, including Kimi Werner, the freediving huntress, Ryan Callaghan, MeatEater’s conservation director, and a few others.
Ep. 91: Surviving
Rinella is joined by Eduardo Garcia, a celebrity chef known by many as the bionic chef because he cooks with one prosthetic arm. He lost it in a hunting accident, but that’s not the leading reason for his appearance in Rinella’s podcast. They primarily talk about how hunting for food ingredients looks, wildlife species like dire wolves and sabertooth cats, and a lot more about nature and food.
Ep. 316: Game On, Suckers! MeatEater Trivia III
The third installment of the MeatEater trivia episodes, a series that Steven Rinella is still featuring on the show, is one of the best. He’s joined by several MeatEater staff members and other guests for a jam-packed episode where you’ll get to learn a lot.
Ep. 86: The Meat Tree, Part 1
I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s Steven’s recap from an amazing hunt and a bear attack he and a crew of hunters survived on Afognak Island in Alaska. Don’t worry, no one died, and it’s not like Leonardo DiCaprio in Revenant, but it’s an exhilarating tale you’ll want to hear. And, of course, don’t forget to listen to part 2 of this tale. The two together are around three hours of fantastic storytelling.
Ep. 295: A Soft Spot For Outlaws
This is another long episode where Steven is joined by a host of guests with a bunch of entertaining things to discuss. They primarily talk about wolf-hunting and how the whole activity connects to wildlife conservation, but there are a lot of other interesting stories you’ll also hear.
Ep. 178: Hunting Mammoths
Steven is joined by Janis Putelis and David J. Meltzer, an archeologist from the Dedman College of Humanities & Sciences. They discuss mammoths and what it might have been like to hunt them. Plus, they delve deep into carbon dating and how it helps archeologists understand the past, as well as the first Americans.
Ep. 241: A Half Life of Never
Steven talks to Tim Bristol, director of SalmonState, together with MeatEater team members Miles Nolte and Janis Putelis in this one. They discuss a wide range of things, but mainly about Pebble Mine, the proposed copper, gold, and molybdenum mine in Southwest Alaska, a project that began in 2001 but is yet to truly start as most Alaskans don’t want it.
Ep. 100: The Powerful Joe Rogan
There’s no better way to celebrate reaching 100 episodes of your podcast than by inviting the king of podcasting, Joe Rogan. And, as expected, the two are joined by one of the show’s biggest constants besides Rinella, Janis Putelis. They talk about leadership, a managerial mindset, and a lot more. Naturally, they also go into Joe’s love for archery. Besides being a great episode of the MeatEater Podcast, it’s also a perfect chance to learn more about the famous Joe Rogan.
Ep. 167: Mauled By A Grizzly
If you’re going to listen to one episode of the show and you’re looking for excitement, this is the one to hear. It’s probably the wildest of the whole podcast, where Amber Kornak talks to Steven about her encounter with a bear and how she managed to survive its attack. Bear in mind that she had a fractured skull. It’s an astonishing story, especially considering that Rinella also survived a bear attack.
