Ep. 897: Game On, Suckers! MeatEater Trivia CCXXIII

The crew of MeatEater Trivia gathers for episode 897, a ten-round quiz show where conservation always wins. Host Spencer Newarth sets the Shelby Index at five, putting the room on "perfect score alert." Before the game begins, a mailbag question from listener Nate Powatski asks: would it be harder to hunt a turkey with the nose of a deer, or a deer with the eyes of a turkey? The room agrees quickly: a turkey with a deer's nose would be nearly unhuntable, while a deer with a turkey's eyes is essentially what hunters already deal with. The conversation then turns to whether episodes without regular contestant Randy are easier. The consensus is yes — the questions are dialed back slightly so the "Jabronians" have a good time.

Duck Nesting and Fireworks

The first question, submitted by listener Eric Zilgmy, asks which of four ducks is not a cavity nester: wood duck, common merganser, bufflehead, or blue-winged teal. The correct answer is blue-winged teal, which is an upland nester that chooses sites along shallow seasonal wetlands. Cavity nesters like wood ducks, mergansers, and buffleheads use hollowed-out trees. The conversation drifts into a discussion of the board game Wingspan, a bird-themed deck builder that defines nest types on its cards, and Max's ongoing saga of eight ducklings that migrated to a pond a mile away.