I had to go search on YouTube to find the appropriate video after all the comments. Lol. Sorry for the long reply but there were 5 topics!
#1: Its not not sponsorship or endorsement deals that’s the problem, really - it’s the gullible guppy fanboys that swallow every drop of nonsense that falls from the lips of their hunting hero’s on TV. Like you yourself said, “you always assumed that....” That right there is the problem. You know what they say about assuming. If anyone reads magazine “reviews” and thinks they’re an actual critical, unbiased and unpaid review, they need to work on their reading comprehension. There hasn’t been a printed review that pointed out how badly the product sucked since the days of Jack Samson, Gene Hill and Ed Zern at Field & Stream magazine. That was the 70’s and 80’s for you really young guys.
Full disclosure- I make my living from hunting as an outfitter/guide but I’m also partially involved in the TV show end of things. I can’t say you’re entirely wrong but I can tell you that your statements are a gross over-simplification of the issue and that you completely left out the discussion of other facets of the debate. It’s like talking about the drug problem and blaming everything on the dealers without discussing the addicts and the demand they fuel, the disease of addiction and all the contributing social factors. Not to mention all the GOOD things that “professional” media and the big manufacturers do for hunters and hunting behind the scenes. Most people don’t have a clue about how the outdoor TV business works. What you tried to address in 2 minutes couldn’t be touched with a 2 hour discussion/debate with 5 industry folks. I’m not defending some of the inscrutable practices in the hunting media industry - I’ve got plenty of issues with it - but I also can’t let an unfair representation go completely unanswered. Reminds me of someone that tried to make inaccurate and unfounded accusations about some of Jordan’s and other RS product reviews in another thread recently. L
#2: I get your point there but when you complain, on your YouTube channel, about people being judgmental towards fellow hunters it almost comes off hypocritical. I guess the proselytizing by someone as apparently young as you comes off a little cocky. Lol. But you’re definitely right about the greatest risk to hunting is division among hunters. I use this analogy a lot: The way you split a giant granite boulder without explosives is to inject a slightly expanding rosin into a small crack or a series of small holes drilled in a row. That’s a quiet and gentle way to break apart an otherwise nearly indestructible object.
#3: Here’s another kinda inarticulate perspective that comes off a little judgmental. I’ll agree, and I think most hunters will, that if you pull the trigger you deserve to have pride in your accomplishment. Nobody should feel less than just because their buck or bull or whatever isn’t a jaw-dropper. However, once you jumped off into how hunters “should” have respect for it and be “accountable” for it, “take ownership of it” and how they’re “disrespectable to the animal and hunting” you crossed a line. You just violated the very problem you had in #3! Do you get a badge when you join the hunting morality police? One more time with the judgmentalism. <— doesn’t help your case.
#4: So, we have this thing called a “Patent” that protects original designs from ripoff designs of your own intellectual property. Unfortunately, hanging a bag for your binos from shoulder straps has been done since before the founders of FHF were born. If there was a patent-worthy design feature companies will avail themselves of the legal protection a patent offers. Otherwise, it’s really a non-issue. What you described is how the free market and a competition driven economic system works. If one company can produce a patent free product for less than another, guess what’s going to happen? It’s the nature of the beast, not a moral failing. In fact, it’s this very competition that spurs and DRIVES innovation, not stifle it! Some folks can’t afford the FHF harness but CAN afford a lower quality version. If FHF doesn’t want to serve these hunters with their own lower quality option, why shouldn’t someone else? We’re not talking about a cutting-edge computer chip that cost $100M to design - we’re talking about a canvas bag in straps. It might be a good idea to teach your poor friend about the old saying about the word “assume.” Lol.
#5: How about the overuse (and incorrect usage) of the term “hunting industry” in the video? Lol. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. You referred to “our industry” a couple of times and, unless you’re making a living from hunting or hunting products, you actually mean, “our SPORT” or “pastime” or “passion” etc. Equipment or clothing manufacturers or outfitters or guides are “industry” members. Hunters are not. Hunters are just hunters.
FYI - every tag/hunting license you buy contributes money to the conservation of game species through that state’s wildlife agency. So, your claim that tag buyers aren’t contributing is simply factually incorrect. Now, that’s not to say that some people couldn’t donate MORE than they do to specific conservation groups; but then you step off into that quagmire of pomposity and judgementalism. Furthermore, if the litmus test for proper donation amounts depends on a donation thats 100% free from reward, you’re going to have a very hard time finding one that meets your prerequisites. EVERY donation to conservation groups is tax-deductible. So, if I donated $1k to WSF last year and deduct it on my taxes, is it as worthless as the donation I made with my tags?
That’s the problem with jumping on a soapbox - often the best of intentions can turn into a missed opportunity. I think (at least I HOPE) your goal was to encourage people to donate more to wildlife conservation. However, leaping on a high horse and trying to mitigate and shame people into more isn’t effective. In fact, it’s a downright turn-off that makes you look like a pompous, holier-than-thou elitist. It’s not an attractive costume. Remember the old saying about flies and honey vs. vinegar.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
*
.
