Odd Lots MeatEater's Steven Rinella on the Economic History of Hunting
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Dec 15, 2025 
Join Steven Rinella, author and founder of MeatEater, as he delves into the economic history of hunting in America. He reveals how deerskins and beaver pelts drove early trade and shaped the colonial economy. Rinella also uncovers myths around figures like Daniel Boone and discusses the devastating impact of overhunting on species like the buffalo. Today, he highlights the modern hunting economy and how excise taxes on gear contribute to wildlife conservation, while sharing culinary tips for wild game.
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Bear Meat Was A Colonial Staple
- Bear meat was historically prized and commonly eaten in colonial America, even as smoked 'bear bacon.'
- Rinella cooks and serves bear dishes and considers bear meat excellent and beef-like in texture.
Conservation Emerged To Save Hunting
- Early conservation laws aimed to protect resources, not nature for nature's sake.
- Late-1800s gentlemen hunters like Theodore Roosevelt reframed conservation to save hunting by regulating it.
Buffalo Slaughter Was An Industrial Tragedy
- The buffalo slaughter (1872–1883) shows how industrial demand plus railroads can wipe out a species fast.
- Despite wiping out bison, leather prices barely budged because other sources met industrial demand.
