Matt Rinella Speaks to Pope and Young

[IdahoElk]

At some point we have to admit these personalities are just killing animals for YouTube views or sponsors money, when ego and corporate dollars are joined together as an occupation the result is always ugly with ethics taking a back seat no mater how much the try to convince us it’s all about the “Hunt”

 

[CJohnson]

This was certainly very interesting to watch. I agree with much of what Matt has to say, particularly regarding social media "influencers" and how messy monetization can become within the industry. I would argue that the trend of people attempting to gain fame through social media is widespread and not limited to hunting. I would argue that the flow of money and how companies use it is more often than not very opaque. Whether we talk about hunting or pharmaceuticals or social media platforms, I think we should all at the very least understand that we are viewed as commodities by the companies we are surrounded by. I'm not sure I can 100% get behind his stance on hunter numbers. Maybe I am missing something, but I would think that increased numbers of hunters would mean increased numbers of (hopefully) positive advocates for the sport and increased numbers voting for policies and politicians that benefit us.
I am also a pretty new hunter. I grew up in the suburbs, nobody in my family has ever hunted, and I am certainly the first to own a firearm or bow. Having heard Matt talk about this issue before, it's pretty hard not to think that he wouldn't want me in the woods. I will admit to enjoying (past and presently) Meateater content. I would at least partially credit that very thing with giving me the push to try something that I have fallen in love with. That being said, I have listened to the podcast episode where him and his brother argue about everything he is talking about in this video. I felt like it was impossible to escape a sense that some of Matt's arguments were sort of whining about how he has to run into other hunters when he wants solitude. And if I know anything about families or people in general, there is probably a good bit of jealousy mixed in there. This does not make him wrong, but it does color the sincerity of his positions.
Final thought, he is likely onto something regarding poaching allegations among industry players under pressure to make content. That being said, I have some doubts than the average poacher is doing it for fame and social media likes. Bragging rights? Yeah I could see that, but I think if somebody is willing to act unethically, none of this would matter to them.
Definitely worth talking about and reflecting on, and that's probably the most important take-away.

Increased numbers of hunters leading to a greater number of positive advocates for the sport is a poor assumption. Especially when you consider the disproportionate negative impact a small percentage of hunters can have on everyone else. And, there’s a big difference between excluding people from an activity and having companies/organizations begging new customers to participate in an activity so they can make money without bearing all of the costs (I.e. crowding, lost opportunity, loss of access, etc.)

 

[ODB]

At some point we have to admit these personalities are just killing animals for YouTube views or sponsors money, when ego and corporate dollars are joined together as an occupation the result is always ugly with ethics taking a back seat no mater how much the try to convince us it’s all about the “Hunt”

Ben O’Brien is on his Turkey hunting road-trip or whatever he’s calling it. Pretty much a “hope you are enjoying watching us killing these turkeys” kinda feel.

 

[TheTone]

Ben O’Brien is on his Turkey hunting road-trip or whatever he’s calling it. Pretty much a “hope you are enjoying watching us killing these turkeys” kinda feel.

From a super inexperienced hunter that now has a massive following of others, ugh!

 

[Gobbler36]

Not a fan. Strikes me as the height of selfish arrogance and disrespect to be telling people I don’t like the way you hunt or why you hunt and you need to change because I know better and my way is the right way.
You go about your business and I’ll go about mine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So if we aren’t going to look at ourselves as a community and ask the tough questions if what we are doing is truly helping in the long run or hurting hunting who is?

 

[Dave_S]

Increased numbers of hunters leading to a greater number of positive advocates for the sport is a poor assumption. Especially when you consider the disproportionate negative impact a small percentage of hunters can have on everyone else. And, there’s a big difference between excluding people from an activity and having companies/organizations begging new customers to participate in an activity so they can make money without bearing all of the costs (I.e. crowding, lost opportunity, loss of access, etc.)

That's why I said "hopefully", but point taken. Definitely understand how a few can ruin something for the many.

 

[LongWayAround]

I listened to the video earlier while driving and it's easy for me to agree with his points.

I just saw the article copied below. It's hard to imagine to further ends of the hunting spectrum.

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/09/meateater-new-ceo-100m-revenue

I have not read the thread so I don't know if this has been posted previously.

 

[WKR]

I listened to the video earlier while driving and it's easy for me to agree with his points.

I just saw the article copied below. It's hard to imagine to further ends of the hunting spectrum.

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/09/meateater-new-ceo-100m-revenue

I have not read the thread so I don't know if this has been posted previously.

Wow thats an interesting read, I had no idea meateater was that big and that mainstream

 

[ODB]

I listened to the video earlier while driving and it's easy for me to agree with his points.

I just saw the article copied below. It's hard to imagine to further ends of the hunting spectrum.

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/09/meateater-new-ceo-100m-revenue

I have not read the thread so I don't know if this has been posted previously.

Yes good article. A 100 million dollar company needs to feed a lot of new mouths to keep the doors open.

To put that into perspective, they need to make $275k per day to reach that goal.

 

[Blackcow]

Only like 3B to go to catch Vista Outoors….

 

[MightyWhitey]

This is the first time I’ve listened to his stuff. I like him.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

I listened to the video earlier while driving and it's easy for me to agree with his points.

I just saw the article copied below. It's hard to imagine to further ends of the hunting spectrum.

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/09/meateater-new-ceo-100m-revenue

I have not read the thread so I don't know if this has been posted previously.

Never would have thought reading Steves books 10+ years ago it would come to this gross empire of brands and pimping dead animals for 100 mil. Pretty sad really.

 

[ODB]

Never would have thought reading Steves books 10+ years ago it would come to this gross empire of brands and pimping dead animals for 100 mil. Pretty sad really.

+1

 

[OneGunTex]

Increased numbers of hunters leading to a greater number of positive advocates for the sport is a poor assumption. Especially when you consider the disproportionate negative impact a small percentage of hunters can have on everyone else. And, there’s a big difference between excluding people from an activity and having companies/organizations begging new customers to participate in an activity so they can make money without bearing all of the costs (I.e. crowding, lost opportunity, loss of access, etc.)

Hang on hang on - aren't hunter numbers and license sales DOWN across the country compared to a few decades ago? Are we specifically talking about specific Western opportunities, or hunting in general?

Back in the day everyone had a family farm, or a friend with some land, or knocked on doors for permission, or went down to the coast before it got built up with beach houses.

The nightmare situation is NOT that we have so many hunters that nobody can draw a tag.
The nightmare situation is that we have so FEW hunters that all the antis shut the remainder down while turning every marsh into a parking lot

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

 

[ddd-shooter]

Hang on hang on - aren't hunter numbers and license sales DOWN across the country compared to a few decades ago? Are we specifically talking about specific Western opportunities, or hunting in general?

Back in the day everyone had a family farm, or a friend with some land, or knocked on doors for permission, or went down to the coast before it got built up with beach houses.

The nightmare situation is NOT that we have so many hunters that nobody can draw a tag.
The nightmare situation is that we have so FEW hunters that all the antis shut the remainder down while turning every marsh into a parking lot

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

Hunter numbers are relatively flat since the 80s- maybe fluctuate within about a million or so (out of 15 million)-across forty years. That’s according to the USFWS.

How much habitat was lost in that forty years? We’ve already lost to the parking lots, subdivisions and development-and it’s happened with relatively stable hunter numbers.
So yes, one nightmare really is the same number of people competing for fewer and fewer opportunities which drives the cost up, which reduces participation which causes all the other things we’re concerned about.


And the antis wouldn’t have had to do a thing except let scarcity and economics drive hunters away (not to mention declining satisfaction due to pressure and competition).

 

[dylanvb]

I think this conversation goes hand in hand with what social media has done to society as a whole.
That being said I don’t have any family or friends who hunt, at least not as a child. I watched Cam, Hush and those YouTube personalities and that’s what got me into hunting. Bow hunting more specifically.
I think it’s a double edge sword but at this point the bad outweighs the good.

I think the other thing that is hurting the hunting community is just straight up ignorance of new hunters and older hunters not willing to help them out when they need it. Some of that comes from new hunters not knowing where to go but is that their fault or the states for handing them a license as soon as they pass Hunter safety? I had no idea how to read a Reg book until a year ago and no one taught me, I was just told to pay for a go hunt subscription and they would figure it out for you. Also if I didn’t stumble across this forum I would be lost.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I think this conversation goes hand in hand with what social media has done to society as a whole.
That being said I don’t have any family or friends who hunt, at least not as a child. I watched Cam, Hush and those YouTube personalities and that’s what got me into hunting. Bow hunting more specifically.
I think it’s a double edge sword but at this point the bad outweighs the good.

I think the other thing that is hurting the hunting community is just straight up ignorance of new hunters and older hunters not willing to help them out when they need it. Some of that comes from new hunters not knowing where to go but is that their fault or the states for handing them a license as soon as they pass Hunter safety? I had no idea how to read a Reg book until a year ago and no one taught me, I was just told to pay for a go hunt subscription and they would figure it out for you. Also if I didn’t stumble across this forum I would be lost.

I get it man, hunting can have a pretty high barrier to entry. I myself had no immediate family to help me fuel the passion I had for the outdoors from the age of 3. Luckily I had an uncle who saw that I loved it and basically took me under his wing and would make sure to take me fishing and bird hunting. Later I was fortunate to find some mentors/friends in the army who helped me immensely with big game hunting prior to On-X, and the YouTube phenomenon. That said it has become far less difficult to become a hunter and a pretty competent hunter these days.

 

[TheTone]

Hang on hang on - aren't hunter numbers and license sales DOWN across the country compared to a few decades ago? Are we specifically talking about specific Western opportunities, or hunting in general?

Back in the day everyone had a family farm, or a friend with some land, or knocked on doors for permission, or went down to the coast before it got built up with beach houses.

The nightmare situation is NOT that we have so many hunters that nobody can draw a tag.
The nightmare situation is that we have so FEW hunters that all the antis shut the remainder down while turning every marsh into a parking lot

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

I can speak for me in the weat; around me numbers seem to be doing nothing but climb and public land hunting is getting extra crowded. Private land is getting harder to hunt and just knocking on doors rarely works for access. It’s moving to pay to hunt or leased by an outfitter. Additionally private pieces are shrinking like crazy as land gets broke up for peoples little stupid mini farms and recreation properties.

One thing I rarely see mentioned that to me really seems to be hurting hunting opportunities are real estate agents. I cringe everytime I see some “hunting” agent helping drive up the price of a fake or ranch so it can be marketed to other hunters

 

[Hnthrdr]

I can speak for me in the weat; around me numbers seem to be doing nothing but climb and public land hunting is getting extra crowded. Private land is getting harder to hunt and just knocking on doors rarely works for access. It’s moving to pay to hunt or leased by an outfitter. Additionally private pieces are shrinking like crazy as land gets broke up for peoples little stupid mini farms and recreation properties.

One thing I rarely see mentioned that to me really seems to be hurting hunting opportunities are real estate agents. I cringe everytime I see some “hunting” agent helping drive up the price of a fake or ranch so it can be marketed to other hunters

Mossy oak properties or Hayden outdoors as the listing company and you can guarantee they will add another million plus onto the price of whatever is being sold

 

[S.Clancy]

I think this conversation goes hand in hand with what social media has done to society as a whole.
That being said I don’t have any family or friends who hunt, at least not as a child. I watched Cam, Hush and those YouTube personalities and that’s what got me into hunting. Bow hunting more specifically.
I think it’s a double edge sword but at this point the bad outweighs the good.

I think the other thing that is hurting the hunting community is just straight up ignorance of new hunters and older hunters not willing to help them out when they need it. Some of that comes from new hunters not knowing where to go but is that their fault or the states for handing them a license as soon as they pass Hunter safety? I had no idea how to read a Reg book until a year ago and no one taught me, I was just told to pay for a go hunt subscription and they would figure it out for you. Also if I didn’t stumble across this forum I would be lost.

No one taught most of the older hunters how to read a reg book either. If you want someone to help teach you, maybe offer something in return...?

My whole deal with all the "adult onset" hunters is they all (or most) seem to have a sense of entitlement that they should have access to the information gleaned over decades from others for nothing. Take some ownership and get after it for yourself for awhile, if people see that and you are a good dude, someone is going to help you. If you act like a child, no one will.