Steven Rinella and his friend Ronny Boehme drive into the mountains of southwest Montana to hunt the high ridge tops for dusky grouse. Ronny's Bracco Italiano hunting dogs have been bred and trained for this work, but can Ronny handle the altitude? The duo prepares dusky grouse jalapeño poppers and grouse fettuccine with a white wine and cream sauce.
Steven Rinella crosses the border into Mexico's desert to call in the Gould's wild turkey. Of the five turkey subspecies in North America, the Gould's is the largest but rarest. On this unique Mexican adventure, Steve finds exciting action for gobbling toms. With locally made charcoal at his disposal, he'll grill up a big, brined, delicious bird.
After drawing one of the most coveted big game tags in North America a Tok Management Area Dall sheep tag Steven Rinella heads out for a truly rare and epic Alaskan experience. Along with his brother Danny and friend Paul, Steve is dropped deep into the Alaska Range. After a rugged hike through nasty weather, Steve's skills and fortitude are tested against his elusive, high-climbing quarry.
After drawing one of the most coveted big game tags in North America, a Tok Management Area Dall sheep tag, Steven Rinella heads out for a truly rare and epic Alaskan experience. Along with his brother Danny and friend Paul, Steve is dropped deep into the Alaska Range. After a rugged hike through nasty weather, Steve's skills and fortitude are tested against his elusive, high-climbing quarry.
Steven Rinella and special guest, the author Tim Ferriss, travel to the remote north slope of Alaska's Brooks Range to catch the annual migration of the famed Western Arctic caribou herd. On the open tundra they fish, hunt and fight off marauding grizzlies. With caribou bulls on the menu, they'll feast on a stew of caribou sirloin and root vegetables thickened with bone marrow.
The Pilgrims didn't get their turkey at the store and neither does Steven Rinella. On this special Holiday episode Steve cooks three enticing dishes: Wild Turkey Galantine, Smoked Black Bear Ham, and his take on the traditional Mincemeat Pie. Appetites will run large as Steve makes a special meal for his family and friends.
With the help of guide and friend Remi Warren, Steven Rinella gears up for a massive climb into New Zealand's Southern Alps in pursuit of Chamois and Tahr. The hunters will travel light and base out of an alpine hut to find animals Steve has never hunted. Things turns adventurous quickly with an impassable glacial river between Steve and his goal. But with hard work, Steve experiences a do-it-yourself high country hunt like no other.
With the help of guide and friend Remi Warren, Steven Rinella gears up for a massive climb into New Zealand's Southern Alps in pursuit of Chamois and Tahr. The hunters will travel light and base out of an alpine hut to find animals Steve has never hunted. Things turns adventurous quickly with an impassable glacial river between Steve and his goal. But with hard work, Steve experiences a do-it-yourself high country hunt like no other.
Steven Rinella and local pig hunting expert, Darren Moore, spend a wild, action-packed day tracking down Captain Cook boars in the thick New Zealand bush. Their tools for the job include two tough little pig dogs, a knife, and some real grit. Wild pigs are dangerous critters and this is as visceral as a hunt gets. Along the way, Steve learns a new technique for field-prepping whole hogs.
Steven Rinella is on New Zealand's South Island for a do-it-yourself, free-range hunt for the majestic red stag. But first, he needs to secure some camp meat in the form of wild lamb. Battling weather and wary game in mountainous terrain, he uses his spot-and-stalk hunting skills to discover Kiwi red stags are a trophy worthy of the wall and the cook pot.
Steven Rinella heads into the mountains of the Sonora Desert on a true, wild, free-ranging bison hunt. Steve knows Buffalo, but seeing and stalking these beasts in this dry, stark habitat is very different from anything he's ever done. But with persistence and patience, he's able to find a herd of one of North America's most iconic animals. Sharing the bounty, Steve experiences a traditional Mexican feast with a table of hungry cowboys.
In the harsh desert Southwest, Steven Rinella has come to learn the truth about tracking a mountain lions with dog. With the help of two expert lion hunters, he immerses himself in the physical and emotional challenges of cougar hunting. Sometimes the reward of the hunt is the thrill of success and a delicious meal, and other times it's a more personal, and possibly more important lesson of knowledge and humility.
Pat Durkin guides Janis through the conservation success of Green Bay, Wisconsin, highlighting the Fox River and Lake Michigan's positive transformation. They engage in urban ice fishing and an adventurous homemade airboat ride. Heading north to Sturgeon Bay, they rendezvous with expert guide JJ Malvitz. The episode culminates in JJ's shop, where a grand fish fry and a masterclass in crafting the perfect Old Fashioned.
While part 1 is all about the preparation for sturgeon season, part 2 follows Janis, Jake, and his whole crew as they attempt to achieve the improbable, spear a lake sturgeon by hand through a hole in the ice. Success requires patience, intense focus, quick reflexes, and a steady hand. Will Janis and Jake be one of the triumphant few, or will they go home empty handed?
Janis hops the state line over to Wisconsin and travels to Lake Winnebago for the annual lake sturgeon spearing season. Lake sturgeon are ancient and incredible fish, and the communities around lake Winnebago have long revered and relied on these fish. Local angler Jake Andrews is one of the few who consistently gets sturgeon almost every season. In this episode Janis hooks up with Jake and his crew to prep for the season opener.
Janis Putelis teams up with renowned angler and biologist Mandy Uhrich on Lake Mille Lacs. They confront the stark reality: Mille Lacs is not the walleye haven it once was. Through discussions with local anglers, fish biologists, and business owners, including the former head of the Minnesota DNR, Janis strives to fathom the intricacies of this transformation
Janis Putelis starts the Tour at Whitefish Lake, Minnesota, where he meets wild foods expert Mark Norquist from Modern Carnivore. Mark introduces Janis to dark house ice spearing, a traditional winter food gathering method in the Midwest. Together, they cut a hole in the ice, set up a dark shelter, and use long-handled tridents to spear lake whitefish and northern pike. Chef Lukas Leaf joins them on the ice to cook fresh whitefish cakes.
To pivot off of the ease and accessibility we featured in episode 1, episode 2 goes the opposite direction and shows Cal and Miles embarking on a deep backcountry winter expedition requiring tracked Can-Ams and thousands of pounds of gear. Ice fishing can be simple and local, but it can also be adventurous. Cal and Miles explore a high mountain Montana lake that Cal’s been wanting to fish for two decades, in the hopes of catching a large, or at least respectable, burbot.
In the first episode, Steven Rinella takes Tracy Crane, an inexperienced and slightly skeptical first timer, ice fishing at a series of local neighborhood ponds. Their goal is modest and attainable: catch enough panfish for a meal. Steve teaches Tracy the basic why and how of ice fishing for perch and bluegill, they catch a few fish, and share the spoils after.
In this episode of MeatEater, Steven Rinella and Clay Newcomb head into Alaska's remote interior for a challenging moose hunt. Over a 10-day season, they navigate the rugged wilderness, using patient calling to attract moose. Finding a legal bull and navigating through thick vegetation are just two of the challenges faced on this trip. The hunt captures the essence of moose hunting: patience, adaptation, and persistence in one of the world's wildest places.