Maui has a problem: too many deer, not enough hunters. So on a dark, humid night, Nate joined a group of elite hunters as they endeavor to turn an ecological nightmare into a source of profitable, high-protein venison.
Over the course of a few hours, he watches the employees of Maui Nui Venison methodically shoot dozens of deer, collect their carcasses, and speed them to a mobile slaughterhouse for processing – all under the watchful eyes of the USDA.
Can you bring the efficiency of the slaughterhouse to the natural world? And is commercial hunting a solution for America’s over-abundance of deer?
Featuring: Keahi Camara, Erin Yamauchi, Jake Muise, Yasmin Tayag and Jay Marcoullier
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
Read Yasmin Tayag’s argument that Americans must start eating more deer.
A University of Wisconsin professor outlined how commercial hunting would work in the U.S. in a 2011 paper.
Check out photos and videos of my trip with Maui Nui venison at our Patreon.
Produced by Nate Hegyi. For full credits and transcript, visitoutsideinradio.org.
