MeatEater

[idahohikker]

I'm kind of excited about the new episodes being released online and then I look at the episodes... Birds, squirrels, crab. The only one I'm really interested in watching is Alaska dall sheep. Either Rinella is getting soft or he had other things to do besides hunt big game last year.

 

[dreamingWest]

I think the diversity of pursuit is one of the main reasons MeatEater is the best hunting and fishing show (IMO). Judging by is podcast, I'm pretty sure there should be an elk hunt and a Sika deer hunt mixed in there as well.

 

[ChrisS]

I'm kind of excited about the new episodes being released online and then I look at the episodes... Birds, squirrels, crab. The only one I'm really interested in watching is Alaska dall sheep. Either Rinella is getting soft or he had other things to do besides hunt big game last year.

I enjoy the different hunts, But there are only eight episode and two of which are the sika deer & crabs and two on coues deer, which I think are the most boring hunts to experience third hand. I'm pretty sure he shot a giant muley last season. Must be the footage sucked.

 

[Ratbeetle]

His new handlers are slowly transistioning the audience away from all that icky hunting stuff. Soon it'll be all mushrooms, leeks and butterflies. TreeEater.

Just kidding...kinda.

 

[idahohikker]

Non native sika deer. What was the reasoning behind this decision.

And I just can’t get excited about watching Mexican coues either.

 

[Danny Hoey]

One of my favorite Meateater episodes is the small game one with squirrels and rabbits. If he did have an episode on foraging for mushrooms, leeks and wild asparagus, I would absolutely watch it.

 

[jspradley]

Theres only so many ways you can make watching essentially the same hunts over and over and over interesting and theres a lot more to hunt in the US than just the usual big horny animals. I love the small game and cooking special episodes

Or it's all part of the conspiracy...

 

[jspradley]

Non native sika deer. What was the reasoning behind this decision.

And I just can’t get excited about watching Mexican coues either.

He hunted aoudad in the first or second season, cant remember if he hunted pheasants but those are introduced as well.

 

[bowtech840]

Podcast went to shit too, unless you like listening about browning hamburger for 2 hours


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[elkstabber]

Sika deer - from the elk family, introduced to eastern shore of MD, also farms in TX; all weigh less than 100#
Sitka deer - closely related to the mule deer and blacktail deer, live in AK, especially Kodiak Island

FYI Meateater recently did a story about how shooting coyotes wouldn't help control their population. I'm not a conspiracy theory guy but it does seem that maybe the Meateater is pushing more toward the mainstream and away from the hook-and-bullet crowd.

 

[Dos Perros]

Uh, shooting them doesn't help control the population. This has been proven over and over again.

 

[Fatcamp]

Uh, shooting them doesn't help control the population. This has been proven over and over again.

LOL. It works really well around my house.

 

[elkstabber]

Uh, shooting them doesn't help control the population. This has been proven over and over again.

I've heard that trapping them doesn't help also. But, I've found that after I trap one or two (in a year) they generally stay away from my farm. This has held true for 6-8 years. So I'll keep trapping them.

 

[THBZN]

From a Scientific American article, with content pulled from a Wildlife Services/U.S. Department of Agriculture study:

"Why would predation increase after predators are killed? When pack animals such as coyotes, dingoes and wolves are killed, the social structure of their packs breaks down. Female coyotes become more likely to breed and their pups are more likely to survive, so their numbers may actually increase. Packs generally protect territories, so breaking up a pack allows new animals to come in, raising the population. In addition, some new arrivals may opportunistically prey on livestock, which can increase predation rates."

I have no issue with coyote hunting, etc. and do it from time to time, but it is not a scientifically valid or successful means to large-scale population control. This is just an example of the coyote's very successful evolutionary adaptation.


But regarding the mix of the new MeatEater series, I say keep it coming. I have never hunted Sika deer, and probably won't. Doesn't mean I am not curious about them as an animal, and game animal too. Variety is a good thing in this space.

The usual hunting shows today are a yawn-fest anyway; get a sweet tag, hunt the animal, sprinkle in ads and product placements, shoot big bull/buck/bear, fist pump, etc. Oh, and make sure the face camo is just perfect...no thanks.

 

[topher89]

The mix is what makes the show great. There are enough whitetail deer hunting episodes out there on other shows. You may only be able to big game hunt a few times a year but there is plenty of fishing and small game hunting to fill up the rest of the year.

 

[jspradley]

The evidence that Steve wants to end hunting is pretty damning- I mean look at what he does:

1. Spends a bajillion dollars creating a hunting TV show and put it on the worlds widest distribution platform
2. Writes books about hunting
3. Runs a podcast talking about hunting
4. Owns three other podcasts about hunting
5. Purchased a hunting apparel company
6. Does live speaking engagements about hunting

I mean if all that isnt evidence that the dude is up to something trying to make hunting unacceptable to the public I sure as heck dont know what is!

 

[Desk Jockey]

I watched a couple. Good to see them back in action. I liked the sika deer episodes.

I bet with all they have had going on the past few years, it has been tougher to get in the field and film. For their level of production quality, I expect each episode is a week or more in the field plus travel time and then you have to edit and do post production. 8-10 episodes a year would be a full time job all by itself on top top of all the other crap.

 

[Trial153]

So far I am enjoying the new season

 

[Mike7]

Uh, shooting them doesn't help control the population. This has been proven over and over again.

Really? I get your sentimate, but I don't think this is completely accurate.

I like Meateater. I like the variety. I like that they explore many topics, including topics like this. But not every topic is going to get a perfect balance of coverage. You still may have to dig deeper if you wish to have a better understanding on some things.

It is interesting to talk about small studies which give insight into an animal's role in an ecosystem, but these studies rarely tell the whole story by themselves...and that is assuming the study was done half way decently, and the conclusions actually match the data.

What if the neighboring study area also has coyotes being trapped, so there are fewer to re-colonize your study area...might change things? Why do urban areas have more/larger coyote packs and more single animals seeking to form new packs when compared to neighboring rural areas where coyotes are shot on sight yearround, even though a higher percentage of urban coyotes may be killed by cars?

 

[Dos Perros]

Really? I get your sentimate, but I don't think this is completely accurate.

I like Meateater. I like the variety. I like that they explore many topics, including topics like this. But not every topic is going to get a perfect balance of coverage. You still may have to dig deeper if you wish to have a better understanding on some things.

It is interesting to talk about small studies which give insight into an animal's role in an ecosystem, but these studies rarely tell the whole story by themselves...and that is assuming the study was done half way decently, and the conclusions actually match the data.

What if the neighboring study area also has coyotes being trapped, so there are fewer to re-colonize your study area...might change things? Why do urban areas have more/larger coyote packs and more single animals seeking to form new packs when compared to neighboring rural areas where coyotes are shot on sight yearround, even though a higher percentage of urban coyotes may be killed by cars?

Find any of the multitude of studies and feel free to poke holes in them.