The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1738 - Ben O'Brien
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:45
Rye Brain cocktails, knives, and old hunting-trip chaos
Joe and Ben reunite by mixing the "Rye Brain" (Alpha Brain Instant + rye whiskey) and reliving the legendary “Cat Lady” drink from past hunting trips. They riff on Benchmade knives, travel, and how those early “podcasts in paradise” got a little too loose.
- 2:45 – 6:00
Fanny packs, TSA blind spots, and concealed-carry practicality
The conversation detours into fanny packs, security theater, and the overlap between practicality and perceived “safety.” They joke about airport security misses while touching on concealed-carry culture and real-world utility over fashion.
- 6:00 – 8:19
Podcasting as a life skill: early days, influence, and information overload
Ben admits he ignored Joe’s early advice to start podcasting—until later realizing how powerful the medium is. Joe reflects on 12 years of podcasting, early pioneers like Adam Curry, and the difficulty of handling constant streams of information without “butchering it.”
- 8:19 – 10:25
Many interests, shallow expertise, and why hunting becomes an obsession
They discuss how being intensely curious can produce deep knowledge in a few areas and only “ancillary” knowledge elsewhere. The outdoors—especially hunting—becomes a near-bottomless skill tree that pulls people deeper over time.
- 10:25 – 15:24
Ben’s DIY elk-hunting transformation: from guided success to earned skill
Ben describes moving to Bozeman and deciding to learn the hardest version of elk hunting—solo, public land, no hand-me-down spots. He details e-scouting, learning elk calling, and the long slog of failure that finally turns into competence.
- 15:24 – 19:34
Predators in the elk woods: wolves, carcasses, and a grizzly encounter setup
The elk story escalates into predator reality: wolf activity, carcass warnings, and a game warden advising immediate pack-outs. Ben sets the stage for a tense encounter by describing how predator pressure changes the entire experience of hunting.
- 19:34 – 23:32
Moose-hunt flashback: giant animals, wolf kills, and first big-game awe
They pivot into stories from an earlier moose hunt where Joe was new to hunting and overwhelmed by the scale of a live moose. The conversation blends humor, nostalgia, and respect for the animals and the intensity of remote hunts.
- 23:32 – 25:55
Why people hunt: game theory, transformation, and the byproduct of meat
Ben frames hunting as the most immersive real-world game, combining landscape knowledge, animal behavior, and high-stakes decision-making. They argue that meat is often the byproduct of the deeper “game,” even though it’s a tangible and meaningful reward.
- 25:55 – 38:55
Wild game, nutrition, and even jaw strength: from backstraps to ‘mewing’
They celebrate wild meat’s nutritional density and the satisfaction of processing animals from field to freezer. Joe detours into jaw development, tough foods, and “mewing,” arguing modern soft diets reshape faces and health.
- 38:55 – 50:16
Hunters, vegans, and the ethics gap: shared values, conservation funding, and activism
They argue ethical hunters and conscientious vegans share more moral starting points than either does with indifferent consumers. Ben discusses interviewing activist vegans, how polarization grows, and why conservation funding (e.g., Pittman–Robertson) is central to understanding hunting’s modern role.
- 50:16 – 1:31:22
Guns, fear, and narratives: pandemic shortages, Rittenhouse trial optics, and skepticism
They connect pandemic-era insecurity to spikes in gun buying and hunting interest, then criticize ignorance around firearms safety and media narratives. The discussion broadens into tribal politics, the need for skepticism, and how labels harden people into camps.
- 1:31:22 – 2:15:04
Conservation deep dive: Public Trust Doctrine, Pittman–Robertson, and ‘user pays, public benefits’
Ben delivers a detailed history lesson on America’s conservation funding model—how excise taxes on guns, ammo, and later gear created durable wildlife restoration funding. They emphasize Public Trust Doctrine, science-led management, and how this model outperforms sentimental “ballot-box biology.”
- 2:15:04 – 2:38:18
Mentorship bridge-building: ‘The Hunt in Common’ and fixing hunting’s image locally
Ben argues hunting’s image won’t be fixed by marketing but by real, local experiences and mentorship that help newcomers cross the “Grand Canyon” from interest to competence. He describes a mentorship concept (The Hunt in Common) meant to match new hunters with experienced locals.
- 2:38:18 – 3:11:22
The grizzly story—finally: cow-calling near a carcass and being seconds from disaster
Ben recounts realizing the ‘elk’ movement was a massive grizzly nearby while his father carried only a bow. He details gear choices (bear spray + .44 mag revolver), the speed of close-quarters risk, and the sobering reality that even preparation may not beat a charging bear.
- 3:11:22 – 3:29:48
Closing synthesis: applying conservation funding models broadly + backpack tax idea
They end by returning to the big theme: transparent, purpose-tied funding (like Pittman–Robertson) works—and could be adapted to other public goods. Ben explains the ‘backpack tax’ concept for non-consumptive outdoor recreation, arguing conservation funding must diversify beyond hunters as participation declines.
