The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 808: A Costa Rican Immigrant on Hunting In America
Dec 20, 2025
Pablo Esquivel, a Costa Rican hunter with a flair for storytelling, shares his journey of adapting to American hunting culture after immigrating to the U.S. He reminisces about childhood adventures with slingshots and makeshift blowguns, learning about community hunting without modern gear. Pablo recounts the emotional experience of his first missed deer shot and the thrill of eventually recovering a buck. He reflects on the importance of persistence, mentorship, and the bond formed through hunting in his new home.
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Childhood Blowgun And Slingshot Hunts
- Pablo and his friends made clay pellets and shot birds with homemade blowguns and slingshots as kids in Costa Rica.
- They learned ballistics by practice and sometimes recovered surprisingly effective kills despite crude ammo.
Assigned Pan For Wild-Caught Meals
- Pablo brought every animal he and his friends caught home to be cooked and his mother gave him a dedicated pan for that purpose.
- He learned to cook wild birds and occasional mammals in pig lard and shared meals with neighbors and friends.
Sudden Move To Alabama
- Pablo's mother married an American, and he moved abruptly to Alabama as a teenager without English or prior travel experience.
- He arrived bewildered but motivated to reunite with family and adapt to a new life fast.