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Ep. 933: Ask Me Anything with Steven Rinella

The MeatEater Podcast

Hosted by Steven Rinella

1h 48m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

Steven Rinella answers listener questions across a wide range of topics, sharing stories from his past, opinions on gear like crossbows and live scopes, and perspectives on the hunting and conservation industries. He discusses career regrets, why he is not intimidated by AI in writing, his favorite bucket-list species, and how he views the political divides in conservation and public land advocacy. Throughout the episode, he addresses controversies surrounding high-fence hunting, hunter recruitment, and the realities of running a media brand while maintaining a conservation land ethic.

  • Start your journey into hunting by following your state regulations and learning through trial, error, and available outdoor media. 1:10:43
  • Be explicit and proactive about setting boundaries and expectations when sharing hunting or fishing spots with friends. 1:08:07
  • When learning about whitetail movement and patterns, utilize instructional videos and resources from trusted outdoorsmen rather than relying solely on literature. 1:11:44
  • Follow state rules and regulations as your primary guide to becoming an ethical hunter and angler. 37:23

Chapters

  1. 0:00
    Podcast Intro and Advertisements

    The episode opens with a series of commercial spots and a brief introduction to the MeatEater Podcast.

  2. 1:46
    Ask Me Anything Segment Begins

    The host announces the start of the Q&A portion, explaining how questions are sourced from listeners.

  3. 2:59
    Scat Coffee Table Story

    The host shares a humorous anecdote about a former scat coffee table and the challenges of preserving animal scat.

  4. 5:44
    Career Regrets and Passions

    Listeners ask whether Steven Rinella regrets turning his passion into a career and if he had reservations when starting out.

  5. 9:58
    AI Impact on Writing

    The host discusses how artificial intelligence may affect the future of writing and the unique value of his own work.

  6. 27:50
    Crossbow Controversy in Archery

    The host explains why crossbows generate ire among archery enthusiasts and his personal stance on the issue.

  7. 38:10
    Ethics of Hunting Practices

    The conversation turns to hunting ethics, including high‑fence hunting and the importance of following regulations.

  8. 45:36
    Best Tasting Deer Debate

    A question about the most maligned animal in North America leads to a discussion on the best tasting deer varieties.

  9. 50:37
    Guided Hunts and Family Hunting

    The host answers questions about whether he guides hunts and details his wife’s hunting and fishing preferences.

  10. 55:50
    Reevaluating Hunter Recruitment

    Steven discusses the challenges and inefficiencies of recruiting new hunters, arguing that mentoring existing enthusiasts is more effective.

  11. 57:41
    Mentoring a Young Hunter

    Steven shares his personal experience mentoring a young hunter from a non-hunting family, highlighting the importance of hands‑on guidance and access to hunting spots.

  12. 59:49
    Conservation vs. Hunting Recruitment

    The conversation turns to conservation organizations’ recruitment strategies, questioning whether targeting non‑conservation hunters is a practical approach.

  13. 1:05:17
    The Role of Hunting Media

    Steven reflects on how hunting books, videos, and magazines have historically inspired people to hunt, comparing this to modern digital media.

  14. 1:30:16
    Influence and Legacy

    Steven discusses his sense of influence in the hunting community, recalling past figures like Nugent and expressing his own desire to shape opinions through media.

Highlights

  • 3:12

    The Yellow Scat Coffee Tablestory

    Steven Rinella recounts a coffee table he built years ago filled with animal scat, which he eventually abandoned because it was too difficult to maintain and move.

  • 11:04

    AI Limitations in Breaking Newsinsight

    AI cannot replicate breaking news or immediate personal experiences, meaning original writing about real-time, lived events remains secure against automation.

  • 28:48

    Why Crossbows Trigger Archersinsight

    Crossbows face intense dislike within the archery community because they bypass the steep learning curve and discipline required to shoot a vertical bow accurately.

  • 32:13

    Live Scope Versus Spotting Scopeinsight

    Unlike a spotting scope which provides supplementary information, a live scope actively catches the fish by giving the angler precise, real-time control over the presentation.

  • 49:10

    The Alaska Guide Exceptionstrategy

    Having a second-degree kindred relative who is an Alaskan resident allows non-residents to bypass guide requirements for mountain goats, doll sheep, and grizzly bears.

  • 56:45

    The Stagnant Hunter Populationdata

    Despite the United States population doubling since 1950, the total number of hunters has only risen slightly from 12 million to roughly 15 million.

  • 1:23:58

    Public Lands and Political Pressureinsight

    Assaults on public land largely stem from the right, while attacks on firearms and hunting come from the left, making centrist hunter pushback vital for preventing sell-offs.

  • 1:41:39

    Apocalypse Now and Total Warinsight

    Apocalypse Now transcends the Vietnam War genre to illustrate the psychological madness and moral collapse inherent in waging total war.

Quotes

  • “When you're in the back country, don't forget your own back country.”
    Steven Rinella · 1:05
  • “AI can only draw from what's in the internet.”
    Steven Rinella · 10:55
  • “I don't know enough about that.”
    Steven Rinella · 13:36
  • “If you go back to 1950, think about this like this, if you go back to 1950, in 1950, you had about 150 million people in the country, 150 million Americans.”
    Steven Rinella · 56:12
  • “I am doing right now, I am mentoring a young hunter.”
    Steven Rinella · 57:41
  • “The best conservation spending, or one of the best ways to spend on conservation is around habitat acquisition, saving habitat, improving habitat, and also, not, little tied to conservation, but a little different is like access improvement, creating places and space for people to enjoy their activity, right?”
    Steven Rinella · 1:01:10
  • “I would love it if some political figure became accustomed to, you know, listen to the viewpoints I express and like change their mind about something.”
    Steven Rinella · 1:30:16
  • “I used to be adamant that humans killed off mammoths.”
    Steven Rinella · 1:52:04
  • “If I think of like, when I think of excitement, like big excitement stuff, what?”
    Steven Rinella · 1:52:53
  • “Seeing them come up, it's the main thing.”
    Steven Rinella · 1:53:58
  • Lincoln 0:34–0:59
  • Dude Wipes 1:08–1:37
  • OnDeck 30:59–31:25
  • Lincoln 31:32–31:54
  • OnDeck 54:15–54:40
  • Lincoln 54:47–55:11
  • GE 55:40–55:47
  • Bet365 1:55:21–1:55:53
  • Boost Mobile 1:55:58–1:56:23

About this episode

Steven Rinella answers questions from listeners, forums, and reviews including: does hunting need more recruitment; career regrets; the most maligned game animal; guided hunts; the best restaurant meals; invasive species; and more! Connect with Steve https://www.themeateater.com/authors/steven-rinella and The MeatEater Podcast Network https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterPodcastNetwork Steve on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stevenrinella and Twitter https://twitter.com/stevenrinella?lang=en MeatEater on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/meateater, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater/, Twitter https://twitter.com/MeatEaterTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor, and YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterPodcastNetwork See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

0:00
1:48:58

18,892 words · 8 speakers

Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

Topics

  • AI
  • Alaska
  • live scope
  • crossbow
  • Granger
  • Ford
  • Michigan
  • spotting scope
  • Arm & Hammer
  • Chat GPT

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