Ben Long

Nov 28, 2024 | themeateater.com | Ben Long |Patrick Durkin |Mark Kenyon |Tony Peterson

The signature Thanksgiving tradition dish is elk slow-roasted in coffee and whiskey. It will be served with a side dish of hunting stories. Some of the stories will be old and polished like a riverstone. Others are like new flakes off a block of obsidian. Either way, the tales are as nourishing as the elk roast itself. My group of about a dozen friends has gathered together on Thanksgiving for more than 30 years. Some of the kids now have children of their own.

Nov 21, 2024 | themeateater.com | Jordan Sillars |Ben Long |Travis Hall |Congressman Robert Broussard

Ever wanted to hunt a hippo? It’s probably not something you’ve considered. But if Teddy Roosevelt had gotten his way in 1910, hippo tags would have been available to American hunters from Florida to Texas–not to mention, as the New York Times put it, “lake cow bacon.”Here’s what happened.

Nov 7, 2024 | themeateater.com | Nathan Ratchford |Ryan Callaghan |Noah Davis |Ben Long

There is simply nothing like the grouse woods in the fall. The fire of color, the explosion from thick cover, and the taste—ah, the taste—ruffed grouse rivals that of all game birds. But bringing the king of game birds to the table is no easy task. Ruffed grouse have spent thousands of years evolving to avoid every predator, us included. To hunt them successfully, especially in the eastern and midwestern parts of the country, you need to be smart, skilled, and a tad bit lucky.

Oct 9, 2024 | themeateater.com | Ben Long |Spencer Neuharth |Jordan Sillars

The echoes of Ancient Rome continue in our government, engineering, and the way we count Super Bowls. But Romans also sparked a less savory phenomenon: fake hunting. Today, “canned” hunts for captive animals are regarded as violations of fair chase principles. But not so in ancient Rome, where staged “hunts” involving thousands of wild animals were common entertainment alongside chariot races and gladiator battles.

Jun 27, 2024 | themeateater.com | Ben Long |Eli Fournier |Katie Hill |Maggie Hudlow

The North Cape—the northernmost point in Europe, where Norway and Russia meet in the remote Barents Sea—bristles with spy ships and fighter jets. Yet a quiet invasion is happening beneath the surface of the sea. That incursion is at once delicious, highly lucrative, and ecologically disastrous: Alaska king crab on the wrong side of the planet. Their relocation here dates back to the Cold War and is as vexing as any geopolitical struggle. First, let’s review geography.