The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 795: Exploding Deer, Counting Elk, and MeatTheater | MeatEater Radio Live!
Nov 21, 2025
Franz Ingelfinger, a wildlife biologist from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, shares insights on elk monitoring challenges in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. He discusses innovative collaring methods and the complexities of studying elk populations amidst varying habitat and predator pressures. Meanwhile, hunter Derek DeMunn recounts a thrilling tale of a deer with a malfunctioning GPS collar that spectacularly exploded on film. Their fascinating stories blend science and adventure, making for an engaging conversation about wildlife and hunting techniques.
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Forest, Access, And Predators Shape Elk
- Northwest Montana elk dynamics differ because abundant public forested land shapes movement and survey methods.
- Franz Ingelfinger links elk trends to forest cover, fire history, and recovered carnivore populations driving regional uniqueness.
South Fork Elk Are At Low Levels
- The South Fork elk population peaked historically but now sits at decades-low counts based on modern minimum counts.
- Franz Ingelfinger warns comparisons across methods are imperfect but trends show clear decline.
Let Data Guide Management Actions
- Use research and targeted collar studies to separate habitat (bottom-up) effects from predation (top-down) causes.
- Franz Ingelfinger says pairing survival, pregnancy, and movement data will inform adaptive management choices.
