The Hunting Collective

By MeatEater

What's The Hunting Collective about?

The Hunting Collective Podcast with host Ben O'Brien covers the ideologies and philosophies of the modern hunter while touching on key ideas like conservation, our value systems and how to construct a better public image. A recurring cast of top hunting voices help drive the conversation and keep things pretty damn interesting.

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EP. 166: The Value of Mento...

02.23.2021

On this week's episode, Ben and Phil answer reader emails on the Bojangles Fraud, Ben's Minnesota lookalike, and the Virginia "emergent" hunter who now has a whole lot of friends in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the interview portion of ...

The Hunting Collective episodes:

02.23.2021 EP. 166: The Value of Mentorship, THC's First Regional Chapter, and Hunters of Color Co-Founders on Achieving Real and Lasting Diversity in Hunting On this week's episode, Ben and Phil answer reader emails on the Bojangles Fraud, Ben's Minnesota lookalike, and the Virginia "emergent" hunter who now has a whole lot of friends in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the interview portion of ...
02.16.2021 Ep. 165: The Anthem of a Cult, Tahr Wars, and the Many Sides of Trophy Hunting with SCI's Ben Cassidy On this week's episode, Ben and Phil read listener emails, talk Valentine's Day, and go through a list of hunting bills that have proposed recently throughout the country. In the interview portion of the show, Ben welcomes SCI's Director of ...
02.09.2021 Ep. 164: Cameo for Turks, Dad Noises, the Anti-Hunter Populist High Ground, and Another Ask the Eagle with Janis Putelis On this week's show, Ben and Phil talk about their Cameo for Turks campaign to raise money for the NWTF, examine the anti-hunter populist high ground, and talk about making big bets on the Super Bowl. Next, Janis Putelis joins ...
02.02.2021 Ep. 163: THC Marriage Counseling, a New Theme Song, and the California Bear Ban Saga with Clay Newcomb On this week's episode, Ben and Phil read some listener emails, announce plans for a new theme song, and dive into bear hunting in California. Next up, Clay Newcomb joins the show to talk about the "Bear Protection Act," what ...
01.26.2021 Ep. 162: Hate Listeners Unite, Ammo Shortages Going Long, and Welcoming 8.4 Million New Gun Owners with RECOIL's Iain Harrison On this week's episode, Ben learns that Phil's dad is in the CIA, we welcome hate listeners, hear Phil's perspective on guns, and start working on a new theme song for THC. Next up, RECOIL's Iain Harrison joins the show ...
01.19.2021 Ep. 161: Emergent Hunters are Badass, Cultural Division in our Pursuits, and the Taibbi Paradox with Miles Nolte On this week's episode, Ben and Phil answer listener emails about badass new hunters, hunting problems with roommates, and anti-hunters in Australia. Next up, MeatEater's Miles Nolte joins the show to talk about cultural division in the outdoors, hate-based media, ...
01.12.2021 Ep. 160: The Year of the New Hunter, Phil Learns Gun Safety, and a Tragedy in the Duck Blind with Guide Armando Vendittozzi On this week's episode, we're opening the new year with a pledge to all the new hunters out there, and we're teaching Phil the NRA's gun safety rules. In the interview portion of the show, Ben checks in with his ...
01.05.2021 Ep. 159: Best of 2020: Sizzler Changes Our Lives, Rabbit Hunting with Charles Rodney, and Burying the Hatchet with Dr. Barrie K. Gilbert In the second and final "Best of" show, Ben and Phil recap gator hunting in Louisiana, chasing rabbits in Maryland, tracking cougars in Yellowstone and more. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEater Ben on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, ...
12.29.2020 Ep. 158: Best of 2020: Dumper's Redemption, Chuck Norris Reads Aldo Leopold, and the Not So Sharpest Moment of the Year On this episode, Ben and Phil take a look back at 2020, a year that sucked real hard, and find some bright spots well beyond the riots and lockdowns. Get ready to relive the dumper's redemption, Phil's first poop in ...
12.22.2020 Ep. 157: Running Deer with Dogs: A Paradox, Guarding the Gate, and in Defense of Hunting's Slippery Slope with Clay Newcomb In this week's episode, Ben and Phil deliver the last Not So Sharp Moment of the year and answer a listener's questions about being pissed at hunters running deer with dogs. Clay Newcomb joins the conversation and talks about hunting's ...
12.15.2020 Ep. 156: Dragging versus Quartering, Scent Control for Normal Folks, and more on Ask the Eagle with Janis Putelis This week on the show, Ben and Phil figure out why the hell Ben can't get on the "People from Maryland" Wikipedia page and read a not so sharp poem. Janis Putelis also joins the show for the third installment ...
12.08.2020 Ep. 155: Two Dudes from Maryland, Old Bay for Life, and Essential Duck Stamp Knowledge with Sam Soholt On this week's episode, Ben and Phil are joined by First Lite's Ford Van Fossan to talk about the wonderful state of Maryland, why Old Bay rules, drinking Yuengling, and First Lite's new initiative Common Wild. In the interview portion ...
12.01.2020 Ep. 154: An Emotional Holiday, Hunting Traditions that Define Us, and Graduate Level Deer Naming with Wired to Hunt's Mark Kenyon On this week's show, Ben and Phil read listener emails that just about move them to tears and talk about their holiday traditions. In the interview portion of the episode, Ben checks in with Wired to Hunt's Mark Kenyon to ...
11.24.2020 Ep. 153: The Great THC Holiday Contest, We're (Not) a Cult, and Scaling the Future of Meat with Anya Fernald of Belcampo Farms On this week's episode, Ben and Phil talk about how cool it is being in a cult, announce the Great THC Holiday Contest, and solve a listener's duck hunting dilemma. In the interview portion of the show, Ben talks with ...
11.18.2020 Ep. 152: Dealing with COVID-19, the Colorado Wolf Reintroduction Debate, and Why We Need Game Cooperatives with Doug Duren On this week’s show, Ben discusses his COVID diagnosis, how he is feeling, the problem with wolves in Colorado, and how Phil is hooking up with THC listeners to play video games. In the interview portion of the episode, Ben ...
11.12.2020 Ep. 151: Jolene the Gas Station Queen, 100 Hunters Flock Shoot 50 Elk, and Wolves on the Ballot with Robbie Kroger from Blood Origins On this week's show, Ben and Phil talk about the new engineer on the MeatEater team, hear Ben's story about Jolene the Gas Station Queen, and cover off on a Montana incident in which 100 hunters surrounded and opened fire ...
11.03.2020 Ep. 150: The One-Nut Spike, Killing a Wolverine with a Hatchet, and Riding Reindeer with “Alone” Season Six Winner Jordan Jonas On the week's show, Ben and Phil hear the story of the spike with one nut, reveal Phil's big news, and talk about the election. In the interview portion of the episode, Ben catches up with Jordan Jonas, the winner ...
10.27.2020 Ep. 149: Defining Extremism in Hunting, Crying in the Woods, and a Discussion on Wounding Game Animals with Janis Putelis and Sam Lungren On this week's show, Ben and Phil answer some important emails on grip and grins, extremism in hunting, and more. Next, Ben is joined by Sam Lungren and Janis Putelis from the Meateater crew to talk about wounding game animals, ...
10.20.2020 Ep. 148: Battling for the Moral High Ground, Animal Rights as a Human Construct, and New Jersey's Bear Hunt Drama with Brian Lynn of the Sportsmen's Alliance On this week's episode, Ben and Phil read your email reactions to episode 147 with animal rights activist Paul Bashir and welcome Brian Lynn of the Sportsmen's Alliance to dive into the conversation. Ben and Brian talk about the attempt ...
10.13.2020 Ep. 147: Finding Common Ground with Animal Rights Activist Paul Bashir In this episode we get the long-awaited conversation between Ben and animal rights activist Paul Bashir. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEater Ben on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop The Hunting Collective Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
10.06.2020 Ep. 146: A Wild and Whole Governor, the Sizzler Changes Our Lives, and How to Butcher a Deer with Danielle Prewett On this week's show, Ben and Phil are joined by MeatEater's Danielle Prewett to check in on how her fall is shaping up and to hear about the controversy sweeping the Internet: Danielle was mistaken for the governor of South ...
09.29.2020 Ep. 145: Roadtrip Tips, Dream Hunting Rigs, Pick Your One Gun, and More on Ask the Eagle with Janis Putelis On this week's show, Ben and Phil are joined by Janis "The Latvian Eagle" Putelis for the second edition of Ask The Eagle on THC. The guys talk about Jani's Colorado archery elk success, Ben's Montana failure, and Phil's procrastination. ...
09.22.2020 Ep. 144: Bear Grease Predicts the Weather, Connecting Hunting to God, and Elk Failures with Clay Newcomb and His Flashy Mules This week on the show, Ben is joined by Bear Hunting Magazine's Clay Newcomb on an elk hunt in the Missouri Breaks. The guys talk about their trip, the landscape, becoming a hunting craftsman, and valuing your kids. Clay extols ...
09.15.2020 Ep. 143: Ryan "Cal" Callaghan on His New Pup, Yelling "Snort" in a Crowed Place, Dirty Public Land Mattresses, and Big-Ass Grizzly Bear Encounters This week on the show, Ben and Phil are stuck at home and things are falling apart. Luckily, Ryan "Cal" Callaghan comes in to save the day and they have an interesting conversation about Cal's new dog, grizzly bear encounters, ...
09.08.2020 Ep. 142: That Time Remi Warren Rescued His Future Wife and What Hunters of All Skill Levels Need to Know About Elk On this week's show, Ben and Phil are joined by Remi Warren to catch up before the start of elk season and talk about what all hunters need to know about the great wapiti. Remi also tells the amazing story ...
09.01.2020 Ep. 141: The End of Living Off the Land in Louisiana, the Market for Alligators, and Catching Dinosaurs with Swamp People's Troy and Jacob Landry On this week's episode, Ben heads to Pierre Part, La., to chase alligators with the Landry family of History Channel's Swamp People fame. They hit the bayou to hang bait before heading out with three generations of gator hunters to ...
08.25.2020 Ep. 140: Burying the Hatchet with Dr. Barrie "Salty" Gilbert and Why We Seek Trophies with Chris Darimont On this week's episode, Ben and Phil welcome back possibly the most famous guest ever on THC, Dr. Barrie K. Gilbert. They finally bury the hatchet and talk about why grizzly bear management is so contentious. In the interview portion ...
08.18.2020 Ep. 139: Ask the Eagle with Janis Putelis and Dr. Valerius Geist on Wolves, Intelligent Intervention, and the North American Model On this week's episode, Ben and Phil are joined by MeatEater's own Janis Putelis to talk about archery practice, the upcoming hunting schedule, and to debut Jani's newest segment, Ask the Eagle. In the interview portion of the show, Ben ...
08.11.2020 Ep. 138: Chuck Norris Reads Leopold, Please Study Our Hunting Brains, and Inside the Mind of a Predator with Neuroscientist Ivan De Araujo On this week's episode, Ben and Phil learn about the trials of a loyal listener, hear from good friend Chuck Norris, and read a Not So Sharp Moment from a really shitty dad. In the interview portion of the show, ...
08.04.2020 Ep. 137: The Salty Gilbert, David Hasselhoff Reads Edward Abbey, and Olympic Gold Medalist David Wise on Bowhunting and Overcoming Depression On this week's show, Ben and Phil pick the winner of the LMNT cocktail naming contest, read a story about cut fingers and feminine hygiene projects, and hear from the great David Hasselhoff in an attempt to motivate Phil as ...
07.28.2020 Ep. 136: An Unnamed Cocktail, the Value of Hunting Naps, and Complicated Mountain Goat Management with Pete Muennich On this week's show, Ben and Phil talk about a brand new title sponsor, an oxymoronic cocktail, identifying birds, and the value of a good hunting nap. In the interview portion of the podcast, Ben is joined by the founder ...
07.21.2020 Ep. 135: Wolves Aren't Great Hunters, a Cougar's 17 Kills in Two Months, and Finding the Predator's Purpose with Yellowstone National Park's Dr. Daniel Stahler On this week's show, the guys announce the winners of the Great American Outdoors Contest while Ben fights a hangover. In the interview portion, Ben meets Dr. Daniel Stahler on a dirt road overlooking the town of Gardiner, Montana situated ...
07.14.2020 Ep. 134: Phil's a Duck Hunter Now, Accidentally Fishing with Firecrackers, and a Balanced Backcountry Marriage with Hillary and Ryan Lampers On this week's show, Ben and Phil check in with another Not So Sharp Moment about fishing with firecrackers and talk about Phil's first hunt. In the interview portion of the show, Ben is joined by Hillary and Ryan Lampers ...
07.07.2020 Ep. 133: A Tribute to the Late Jim Posewitz, a Non-Discussion about the New Zealand Tahr Cull, and Achieving a Fair Kill with Dr. James Tantillo On this week's episode, Ben is joined by Joe Ferronato to talk about his last days at MeatEater, and what's next in his career. They also cover the late Jim Posewitz and discuss what meant to the hunting community. In ...
06.30.2020 Ep. 132: Bipartisan Action and The Great American LWCF Challenge with BHA’s Land Tawney, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) On this week’s episode, the crew is joined by Land Tawney, President/CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, to talk about the Great American Outdoors Act and its potential impact on our public lands and waters. To help in that discussion ...
06.23.2020 Ep. 131: PETA’s Tofu Propaganda, the Trouble with Cancel Culture, and Pro Snowboarder Mark Carter Has Nothing to Hide On this week's show, the guys discuss PETA's new tofu propaganda campaign, usher in the return of Not So Sharp Moments, and learn that mocking liberal hunters is a good thing. Up next is an interview with Mark Carter. He’s ...
06.16.2020 Ep. 130: A Dumper Gets Redemption, the Liberal Hunter Match Game, and Challenging the Anti-Meat Movement with Robb Wolf and Diana Rodgers On this week’s show, Ben and Phil again answer the flood of listener emails on topics like the benefits of yoga, the liberal hunter match game, enforcing the law during protests, and the redemption of Phil's dumper fan. In the ...
06.09.2020 Ep. 129: Elmer Fudd Loses His Gun, Charles Rodney on Segregation, and Mat Best and Omar "Crispy" Avila on Gun Culture and Avoiding the Victim Narrative On this week's show, Ben and Phil answer a few listener emails about Elmer Fudd losing this gun, Ben's thoughts on politics, and a certain flower that doubles as toilet paper in a pinch. Charles "The Rabbit Man" Rodney also ...
06.02.2020 Ep. 128: Watch for Rattlers and Be Careful with Those Guns: A Conversation with Texas Legend Wyman Meinzer On this week's episode, Ben, Phil, and Joe talk through the current state of affairs in this country, answer some questions about regenerative agriculture, and admit to some hypocrisies. In the interview portion of the show we're joined by Texas ...
05.26.2020 Ep. 127: Bear Butchering Interrupted, the Trouble with Supply Chains, and a Plant-Based Meat Takeover with Nick Halla from Impossible Foods On this week's show, Ben and Phil read a listener email that suggests Shane Mahoney might be a higher power, tease a story about crapping your pants in the woods, and check in on what's happening on Memorial Day. In ...
05.18.2020 Ep. 126: Bear Attack Turned Urban Legend: The True Story Behind the Gruesome Images that Shocked the Internet with Bret Bohn On today's podcast, we're joined by MeatEater's Sam Lungren and Joe Ferronato to discuss one of the wildest stories we've ever encountered. It's the gruesome tale of a grizzly bear attack involving 33-year-old Wasilla, Alaska resident and hunting guide Bret ...
05.12.2020 Ep. 125: Baiting and Backyard Bird Feeders, Game Laws During the Apocalypse, and Our Place in the Natural World with Shane Mahoney This week Miles Nolte joins Ben and Phil to talk about baiting and backyard bird feeders, game laws during the apocalypse, filming hunting TV during the quarantine, and whether hunting is selfish or selfless. In the interview portion of the ...
05.05.2020 Ep. 124: New York's Idiotic Deer Vasectomy Plan, Lab-Grown Meat Conspiracies, The Great Pea Debate, and the Flavors of Spring with Jesse Griffiths On this week's show, we're joined by Pat Durkin and Spencer Neuharth to update the aftermath of Phil's first crap in the woods, tell the story of Three Toes the legendary wolf, and take a look a New York's idiotic ...
04.28.2020 Ep. 123: Turkey Season Failures, Six Degrees of Alpha-Gal Syndrome, and Beauty and Horror in the Natural World with Donnie Vincent On this week’s show, we’re joined by Mark Kenyon of Wired to Hunt to get an update on the failures of turkey season, talk vasectomies, hear about Phil’s first crap in the woods, and answer some emails. We’re also joined ...
04.21.2020 Ep. 122: Phil's First Crap in the Woods and the Bargains of Suffering with Vegan Philosopher Dr. Robert C. Jones On this week's show, Ben and Phil answer some listener emails about Dolly Broadway on TikTok, catching another hunter crapping in the woods, and thinking hard about PPE during the pandemic. In the interview segment, Dr. Robert C. Jones returns ...
04.14.2020 Ep. 121: A New Yorker’s Pandemic Perspective, the Worst Turkey Hunting Screw Ups, and Learn to Call with the Legendary Will Primos On this week's episode, Janis Putelis and Seth Morris stop by to talk about an opening day snowstorm, hunting during the quarantine, public land scouting for birds, the death of our original turkey podcast, and one thing we always screw ...
04.07.2020 Ep. 120: Phil's Dumper Fan, Old Bold Mushroom Hunters, and the 50-Year Ram with Guy and Ike Eastman On this week's episode, we're joined by Spencer Neuharth and Anthony Licata from the MeatEater crew to talk about Phil's "dumper fan, what's happening in morel mushrooms, and drinking habits during the quarantine. In the interview portion of the show, ...
04.03.2020 Ep. 119: THC Daily Quarantine-Cast Finale: Please Tell Us We're Open for Hunting, Pink Camp Lamps, and a Once-in-a-Lifetime Public Land Bull with Sean DeGrey On the finale of the Daily Quarantine-Cast, we're joined by Greg Lemon, information bureau chief at Montana FWP, to talk about the department's approach for keeping hunting and fishing open during the pandemic. We're also joined by Sean DeGrey to ...
04.02.2020 Ep. 118: THC Daily Quarantine-Cast 14: Phil's a Gamer, Pandemic Turkey Hunting, and Three Toms in One Sit with Mike Hunsucker On today's Quarantine-Cast we're joined by Mike Hunsucker from Heartland Bowhunter to talk about his life in quarantine, 13 years of making hunting TV, and a pandemic turkey hunt in Nebraska. Enjoy. Connect with Ben and MeatEater Ben on Instagram ...
04.01.2020 Ep. 117: THC Daily Quarantine-Cast 13: COVID-19 Threatens Spring Hunting, Use Your Turkey Sponges, and Beak-to-Fan Eating with Danielle Prewett On today’s show, we cover how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting spring hunting seasons across the country, and we're joined by MeatEater’s Danielle Prewett to tell the story of her first turkey hunt. We also cover Danielle's guide to beak-to-fan ...

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