Archery / backpack hunting the new Crossfit?

[kodiakfly]

I don't think it's just hunting. Like was said, you see it in all the sports. Fly fishing is all flat bills, flip flops and film tours now. It's fine, but it does push me away from the crowd some now. Used to be I was into fly tying nights and outings. Now I just want to fish alone. LOL

 

[Az wildcat]

I am getting into archery because it is a lot easier to draw a tag to hunt. Archery deer tags in AZ are OTC. Many other states seem to offer Archery OTC tags whereas rifle seems to be more associated with a draw. I also feel more people in general are moving towards backpack hunting because they're tired of the crowds. Atleast I am and that is why I am going to start backpack hunting. I backpacked before thought so not much of a jump.

 

[TEmbry]

It's not just archery... It's all activities. The Mid 20s-Mid 30s generation of males are into that look right now. Be it for fly fishing, weightlifting, archery, snowboarding, basketball..... Flat bills are the new look they seemingly all want. I'm from the south, so my bills will always be curved. Sorry just can't do it.

I think it really brings to light the changing demographic within archery. For better or worse, a different generation is beginning to slowly take the torch to move forward with the sport. Hopefully they (well we actually, since I'm 25) don't screw it up too bad.

 

[twshutika]

I grew up hunting and fishing with my dad and uncles and great uncles in PA. I grew up and joined the military and took quite the hiatus from hunting. now reading all of this, I mean I feel like a hipster. lol

I agree that the woods which are less and less in some places seem to be more crowded.

the market itself has changed in such a way that it has to be more appealing to a large group of people and that market such as mtn ops market is fitness groups, which then get interested in the products other interests and therefore grow into "the Hipsters" that now like hunting. like many other have said, whether they will stick it out like the "Good ole boys" or the "Cameron Hanes" types is a different story.

as long as those getting into the sport are aware its more than just killing things, and take a stand on issues and don't shed a bad light on the rest of us hunters that grew up with it as a family tradition and a passion.

I read over that and I hope it makes sense to someone other than me. . ..

 

[Wasatchbuck]

Drove by the new Cabelas they opened up here in farmington utah the other day. Parked out front was a big ole jacked up pickup with a mountain ops wrap on it. Upon entering the building they had a booth set up front and center with about 30 people in line waiting on their t-shirts and flat billed hats.

As sneaky said its pretty bad in Utah, I can count for or five guys every morning at the gym wearing themselves a nice mtn ops flat brim. And they all drive a jacked up PU to go along with it. While I am not a fan of this trend you gotta hand it to mtn ops for doing a hell of a marketing job, they came out of nowhere and are now everywhere.

 

[Poser]

Bowhunters look more and more like MMA fighters every day.

 

[JWP58]

- but my area has reached a critical mass of Mountain Ops flat billed hats and compression socks!

That sounds like a serious problem. Don't worry, after they trash their labrum and L5 they won't be drawing a bow or packing anything.

 

[huntaholic123]

As hunters we should always support up and coming hunters. If more people want to try there hand in backpack hunting, more power to them. Who are any of us to judge those that go about the sport differently? At least they are taking on a challenge, enjoying the outdoors and willing to get out of the truck to chase game. Maybe I was raised differently but I will support anyone wanting to get into hunting, even if I don't agree with flat billed hats. Haha

 

[dvm_hunter]

man, i can't wait for flat brims to go away. When I was growing up you wanted as much curve in that brim as possible.

 

[Poser]

I can't help it, everytime I see a flat brim hat, I want to punch the dude right smack in the head.

New term: #HuntingBros

 

[5MilesBack]

Get a flat billed Mountain Ops hat and the biggest Kuiu decal for your vehicle you can find and you'll be instantly cool.

Flat billed hats aren't "cool", have never been "cool", and never will be "cool". They look like someone that can't figure out how to wear a baseball cap. Just like the guys that wear the caps sideways. Man, if you can't figure out how to wear one.......you're better off not wearing one at all. At least pretend like you've been there before.

For years I wore high top Chuck Taylors when they were about as "uncool" as they could get. Then one day they became "the thing" in mainstream fashion and I haven't worn them since. I still have a brand new pair in the box that were "Made in the USA". I go out of my way to be different than the masses.

 

[elkyinzer]

I am of the millennial age so I have some perspective into aspects of this. I am 28, and these kids just a few years younger than me, in their formative years, social media absolutely blew up. Went from the fringes to ubiquitous in a span of a couple years. Advertising yourself on social media quickly became the norm. Look at me! Look at me! I follow a few of them just for a good laugh once in awhile.

I hunt because I love to hunt and I grew up totally immersed in it. I love to read and write also, so writing about hunting only came naturally. I use social media a little to network and promote my attempts at growing a moonlight career/hobby writing. I am just a few years older than a lot of these people blowing up social media, and that kind of self promotion is extremely awkward to me, I guess because these platforms didn't come on the scene until I was pretty well grown up. I just can't get with it.

I could care less about the hat brims. I'm a "traditional ballcap" guy but there are a few flat brimmers out there doing great stuff. It's the motivation to me. I can see right through the guys (and more and more girls too) that are only in it for fame and to suck off potential sponsors. If you are staying true to your roots and managing to make a living off hunting, props to you.

 

[Violent Hippie]

"I'm glad for the influx of pro-hunting / archery enthusiasts ".. I personally dont welcome people that carry themselves as clowns (whether wearing a uniform (i.e. socks pulled over the knees, flat billed hat, baggy pants) such as a clown does at a carnival or acting like an ASS) . I am not an "open arms " type and guess I am more selective on who I welcome and mentor into the great outdoors and archery . The outdoors and and hunting for me are more sacred than that I guess. I have been lucky enough to not run across any of these types in my area BTW.

 

[InIt2Live]

"I'm glad for the influx of pro-hunting / archery enthusiasts ".. I personally dont welcome people that carry themselves as clowns (whether wearing a uniform (i.e. socks pulled over the knees, flat billed hat, baggy pants) such as a clown does at a carnival or acting like an ASS) . I am not an "open arms " type and guess I am more selective on who I welcome and mentor into the great outdoors and archery . The outdoors and and hunting for me are more sacred than that I guess. I have been lucky enough to not run across any of these types in my area BTW.

I'm guessing you don't head south to Tahoe very often? The clowns you mention are in mass down there! (Visitors and locals alike) Luckily the beaches and slopes seem to keep them out of the hunting woods.

 

[Cant hit em]

I am of the millennial age so I have some perspective into aspects of this. I am 28, and these kids just a few years younger than me, in their formative years, social media absolutely blew up. Went from the fringes to ubiquitous in a span of a couple years. Advertising yourself on social media quickly became the norm. Look at me! Look at me! I follow a few of them just for a good laugh once in awhile.

I hunt because I love to hunt and I grew up totally immersed in it. I love to read and write also, so writing about hunting only came naturally. I use social media a little to network and promote my attempts at growing a moonlight career/hobby writing. I am just a few years older than a lot of these people blowing up social media, and that kind of self promotion is extremely awkward to me, I guess because these platforms didn't come on the scene until I was pretty well grown up. I just can't get with it.

I could care less about the hat brims. I'm a "traditional ballcap" guy but there are a few flat brimmers out there doing great stuff. It's the motivation to me. I can see right through the guys (and more and more girls too) that are only in it for fame and to suck off potential sponsors. If you are staying true to your roots and managing to make a living off hunting, props to you.

Id like to read some of your stuff , plug were we can find it

 

[elkbowkevin]

Ok I just cant help myself Im in a creative mood:

One day I was sitting around looking for hobby,
then it came to me that I could build my body,
saw a dude at the gym that was tatted lookin' cool.
so I started pumpin iron so I was feelin' it too.

On the way home I saw another BRO walkin,
he was wearin' mt ops gear, and on his phone talkin'.
I say to myself hey i can do that too,
then I wont be a posin' man lookin' like a foo.

So I went home right then and fired up the net,
bought me a bunch of gear, then man then I was set.
When my gear came I started up a page,
a face-bookin bloggin man I was all the rage.

(insert funky bass line solo here)

Then some other bro man called me out,
I was puffed up like a rooster with my chest stuck out.
He was claimin' all bad and that I was just posin'
I said lets see who's got more bone at end of bow season.

I cocked my flat brim at 12 degrees of cool,
then I pumper more iron, and my black sox ruled.
Bow season came and off I went.
I even had on my pants that had the vents.

I was at the trail head packin on my gear,
had bugs in my eyes, and in my ears.
I didnt care none cuz I was livin the dream,
flat billed tatted man, a huntin' machine.

 

[Dameon]

Now that is funny. I'm just happy to get time at the range let alone the woods.


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[dangerousD]

PBR is just fine! Then again, I grew up in WI and it's what we drank.

I'm an Old Milwaukee kind of guy.

 

[dangerousD]

man, i can't wait for flat brims to go away. When I was growing up you wanted as much curve in that brim as possible.

If I recall, rolling your bill was the thing to do to rebell against the norm of flat billed trucker hats like the old curmudgeons wore. I think it's coming full circle now.

 

[dangerousD]

Flat billed hats aren't "cool", have never been "cool", and never will be "cool". They look like someone that can't figure out how to wear a baseball cap. Just like the guys that wear the caps sideways. Man, if you can't figure out how to wear one.......you're better off not wearing one at all. At least pretend like you've been there before.

For years I wore high top Chuck Taylors when they were about as "uncool" as they could get. Then one day they became "the thing" in mainstream fashion and I haven't worn them since. I still have a brand new pair in the box that were "Made in the USA". I go out of my way to be different than the masses.

What size are your Chuck's? I don't care if they are the hip thing now, I still wear mine. They are great gym shoes also!