An Unofficial 'The MeatEater Podcast' Reading List
Ep. 838: How To Translate Animal Language
February 23, 2026
Description
Books Referenced
Author: Barry Lopez
Context:
Steven mentioned reading about Inuit map drawing in this book, where maps were drawn to the scale of interest rather than geographic accuracy.
Author: Unknown
Context:
George referenced this essay from the 1930s or early 1940s to illustrate the point that even if we could understand animal language, we still wouldn't truly comprehend their experience.
Author: Richard Nelson
Context:
George mentioned this ethnography work from Alaska that contains a passage about native hunters using raven calls to draw in bears, and discusses the cultural significance of ravens.
Author: Boyd Vardy
Context:
George referenced this book when discussing how one of Vardy's mentors found a lion kill by following flies, demonstrating how animals can lead you to discoveries.
Author: John Young
Context:
George mentioned this 2012 book by his friend, noting that while bird song apps tell you what birds sound like, they don't explain what the vocalizations actually mean.
Author: Joe Hutto
Context:
George referenced this work when discussing Joe Hutto, who also did significant work with turkeys and later wrote about mule deer.
Author: Joe Hutto
Context:
George mentioned this book about mule deer down in Lander, where Hutto explores deeper relationships with wildlife and how it changes one's perspective on hunting.
Author: George Buman
Context:
This is George's new book that the entire podcast interview was centered around, discussing animal language and intelligence.