Unfollowing Hunting Social Media Will Make Hunting Better: Matt Rinella Essay

[Mtnboy]

I dont think we need any additional laws or red tape in anyone's life at this point. Matt mentioned this as well. Self policing, personal choice, and maybe a little shaming of the worst offenders would go a long way.

The Laws are already on the Books, nothing additional needed.

Shaming and self policing does work though, I personally sent a lot of info and comments when Gritty was blatantly filming in a Wilderness without a permit. Makes me feel good to know I had a hand in him getting some repercussions.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

He has to be the most insecure, “successful “ person of all time. I think a psychologist would have a field day with him

He is extremely sensitive when it comes to comments on his IG account. I don't know how he has time to run 26miles a day, work at the sewage plant and still respond to every comment he sees as a slight on his account.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

That guy's a parasite. Macho man doesn't have a problem throwing fellow hunters under the bus because they had the audacity to hunt antelope in Nevada and Elk in New Mexico at the same time he was on his own podcast. They are a "cartel" if they don't bow down before him. Now he's the victim because big, bad Matt calls a spade a spade in regard to his shameless, self-promotion.

What a hypocrite.

His persona has changed drastically since he became a full time influencer. That's what happens when you make your hobby your business I guess.

 

[browning2480]

He literally said "or you could go Matt's route and have kids that stay home and support xbox"

But that's not the only thing he assumed, pretty sure he assumed Matt likes O'Connor when Matt never said anything about O'Connor.

Of course I'm guessing he probably didn't read the article or listen to the podcast.

Just saying he said that kid, it Matt’s kid. But you are probably right and he didn’t read it. Just an assumption though

 

[WCB]

Ok the one thing that drives me nuts is about how all these influencers talk about being a good family man, etc then they are m gone 45-60 days hunting in the fall. that’s not realistic for most of us… I hunt and fish a lot but all I feel I can really do with two kids and a wife are two 9 day trips a fall (and yes this is selfish on my part) atleast for me any more than that and I’m putting my wife in a bind and not being a “family man”


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All dependent on the family. I hunt/fish more than 45-60 days a year and have as long as I could drive myself and will as long as I can. Have two kids under 3 years old. There are A LOT of guys that have no hobbies and spend 0 days in the woods or give up hunting and fishing when they have kids and are shitty family men. It is all relative. Even more so if that is how they support their family and make a living.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

This article and the Blood Origins podcast speaks to me like no other topic around hunting in this day in age. Matt is spot on with all his concerns. One point I think should be highlighted more is the fact that many of these influencers are killing way more than they can eat in a year and that’s troublesome. You can’t in the same YouTube video promote conservation and hunting for meat in the freezer while you just killed your 2nd or 3rd elk of the season and have antelope and 3 deer in the freezer. They all claim how much meat they give away and none of it goes to waste. That’s great and all but that’s not sustainable IMO. That’s what farming and ranching is for. Social media has ruined the traditional hunters experience and the more cameras and drones I see flying around in the great outdoors the more angry I become and have no problem making these folks feel real uncomfortable face to face. I quit posting dead animals online 7 or so years ago and feel proud to have many close friends that are also very successful and not one social media account. Also, Forums like this aren’t the same as Facebook even though many on here claim we are hypocrites. It’s only hypocritical if you’re posting in the “best photo” contest to win gear which I do not partake. Forums and podcast are great for gear related topics and conservation/habitat issues.

 

[JRam07]

Just saying he said that kid, it Matt’s kid. But you are probably right and he didn’t read it. Just an assumption though

Again, I'm pretty sure Matt doesn't have kids.
So to say you can go Matt's route with a kid, is pure assumption as Matt doesn't have kids.

An insane assumption as well considering Matt's wife grew up on a ranch her entire life, and Matt is a ecologist.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

All dependent on the family. I hunt/fish more than 45-60 days a year and have as long as I could drive myself and will as long as I can. Have two kids under 3 years old. There are A LOT of guys that have no hobbies and spend 0 days in the woods or give up hunting and fishing when they have kids and are shitty family men. It is all relative. Even more so if that is how they support their family and make a living.

Exactly. If you hunt as a lifestyle you need a wife/partner that supports this way of life, otherwise you’re either with the wrong woman or you yourself only see weekend hunting as a hobby. I cringe when my friends wives only “let” them hunt 5-7 days in the fall. It’s just another factor of living in the easiest of times in human history.

 

[HaydenLane]

Again, I'm pretty sure Matt doesn't have kids.
So to say you can go Matt's route with a kid, is pure assumption as Matt doesn't have kids.

An insane assumption as well considering Matt's wife grew up on a ranch her entire life, and Matt is a ecologist.

I’ve read the post, re-read it, and read it again. Nowhere is it implied Matt has kids, and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to work on their reading comprehension.

 

[dreamingbig]

Someone asked about the influencers who were offended, and another poster mentioned the ElkShape guy did a rebuttal podcast.

While looking into it and listening to the rebuttal podcast, the following article was mentioned. And the article is a good look into how a hunting influencer comes to be and how influencers build up each other to ultimately profit.

Evolution of a Hunting Self-Promoter: A Case Study of Dan Stanton, Elkshape — Mountain Pursuit

Summary. The opportunity to engage in Legal hunting in America is subject to the approval of the electorate. Should American attitudes toward hunting shift, its legal status will increasingly be challenged. In so far as many hunting opportunities can be curtailed through simple agency rule-making o

www.mtnpursuit.org

It's worth a read!

Not everything in that article is accurate. Dan works hard and has developed a business. I don’t know him personally but I can recognize hard work and truth. He doesn’t try to be more than he is.


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[dreamingbig]

That guy's a parasite. Macho man doesn't have a problem throwing fellow hunters under the bus because they had the audacity to hunt antelope in Nevada and Elk in New Mexico at the same time he was on his own podcast. They are a "cartel" if they don't bow down before him. Now he's the victim because big, bad Matt calls a spade a spade in regard to his shameless, self-promotion.

What a hypocrite.

There were actually outfitters doing illegal things. I am glad he brought it forward and contributed to an active investigation. The amount of land owner tags given out in NM is eye opening. You think the residents would want more of that pie.


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[Idaho_Potato]

One point I think should be highlighted more is the fact that many of these influencers are killing way more than they can eat in a year and that’s troublesome. You can’t in the same YouTube video promote conservation and hunting for meat in the freezer while you just killed your 2nd or 3rd elk of the season and have antelope and 3 deer in the freezer. They all claim how much meat they give away and none of it goes to waste. That’s great and all but that’s not sustainable IMO. That’s what farming and ranching is for.

This is a BIG one. They all have an excuse. "I give to my family. I give to so many friends. Hunters for the Hungry. I give to my employees."

NOPE. Fleecing the landscape for wild game meat to give away is flat out off the table in the current climate. Call these people out. Especially when you take that meat in the name of profit for the insta fame. The "here's how to hunt 8 states and draw 6 elk tags" videos are making it worse. They suggest regular Joe hunters should actually take this approach.

 

[bozeman]

Influencers build up influencers.....they record a podcast together and both share it as separate.....took me a lil while to catch on to it, but that's the way it is.....I unfollowed all hunting podcasts approx 6 months ago. The one mentioned a couple posts above mentioned 'inking a deal' in regards to a hunting clothing company and left a previous one as they wouldnt agree to his terms. Talk about a sell out........we are all human and have flaws, but there seems to be no limits to what people will do for $$$$. To each their own, but they will be without my support.

Social media is here to stay, but you can use it to your benefit and limit the junk.

 

[OregonSteeler]

Spent some time on the Mountain Purist website. I'd recommend it. Caught this article about the top 20 influencers in Western Hunting. How many do you/we support by "likes", buying their gear, "following", and recommending to others?

Top 25 Western Hunting Self-Promoters — Mountain Pursuit

By Mountain Pursuit Western-Hunting Self Promoter: Any person or organization which produces glorified western hunting media (video, photos, podcasts, magazines, books) with the intention of monetizing it through advertising, product sales, sponsorships, subscriptions, memberships, donations, gu

www.mtnpursuit.org

 

[woods89]

Or you could go with Matt's route and have that kid stay home and support Xbox just so you don't have "competition"....then you could work even less hard !! How great would that be..what an awesome future

I don't think anyone is saying not to get the kids around you into the outdoors. The first Blood Origins podcast with Matt addresses this very topic.

However, the line does have to be drawn somewhere. Let's say that it is true that 5% of the US population hunts. Let's also imagine that R3 is wildly successful, and doubles this amount. Unless we make some serious habitat progress, wouldn't you agree that doubling hunter numbers would be disastrous for the sport as we know it? If so, the unfortunate truth is that not every kid, or even a majority of kids, can hunt. It's kind of depressing to think about, but hunting is always going to be a minority hobby.

The meateater podcast with Matt is going to be interesting.

For sure. I think Steve is going to face a few questions he is going to have trouble with. I say this as someone who is very torn about Meateater. I owe a fair bit of my interest in cooking wild game, beyond basic principles, to his influence. I also have been increasingly jaded at the direction that organization is taking.

 

[JRam07]

I’ve read the post, re-read it, and read it again. Nowhere is it implied Matt has kids, and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to work on their reading comprehension.

"Matt's route, and have that kid"

Matt does not have a kid, Matt can not have taken a route with a kid, there is no information in the article or podcast that indicates what Matt would do with a kid, other than not have that kid post dead animals on the internet, and not have them follow a bunch of "influencers"

Saying that Matt is suggesting that kids should become video game addicts based on an article that says people shouldn't post dead animals on the internet, and if we unfollowed people who do is ludicrous, his argument is anti-technology.

It is an argument of assumption and taking the one of worst possible assumptions someone can come up.

Supplemental knowledge from Steve indicates Matt is involved with the outdoors with his neices and nephews.

 

[wapitibob]

Spent some time on the Mountain Purist website. I'd recommend it. Caught this article about the top 20 influencers in Western Hunting. How many do you/we support by "likes", buying their gear, "following", and recommending to others?

Rob Shaul doesn't know what he's talking about 3/4 of the time. If he spent the time learning his owns states game dept policies and personnel that he does stalking youtoobers he would know how many tags went to NR, as one example.

 

[OregonSteeler]

It's also hard NOT to help influencers make money off of wild game. Take Steve Speck from Exo. He has a podcast, instagram, YouTube videos, and works hand in hand with other influencers such as BRO. Yet, Steve also has one of the best hunting backpacks out there. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm sure not capable of stitching my own backpack that can carry out 80+ lbs of meat. Where do you draw the line? Do you not buy his high quality pack just because he's an influencer? How do you Depublicize, Deglorify, Demonitize EXO when a hunting pack is a critical part of hunting?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Honest question: Would anyone care about what Matt Rinella had to say if his brother didnt have such a large hunting media presence?

My $0.02: Matt seems like a reasonable guy and I like him well enough from the appearances I have seen and heard on meateater stuff. He writes well and makes some good points. However, I doubt I would know who he was, if it wasn’t for his brothers position within the hunting media landscape, which is inclusive of a pretty substantial social media footprint.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Honest question: Would anyone care about what Matt Rinella had to say if his brother didnt have such a large hunting media presence?

My $0.02: Matt seems like a reasonable guy and I like him well enough from the appearances I have seen and heard on meateater stuff. He writes well and makes some good points. However, I doubt I would know who he was, if it wasn’t for his brothers position within the hunting media landscape, which is inclusive of a pretty substantial social media footprint.

Yes I would personally because it’s aligned with my views in this current landscape. I would bet my life savings he doesn’t want to be in this position nor care about whether or not people listen to him based off his brothers work. He’s refusing money for his articles and only wants his message shared for free because he’s concerned with the direction hunting is heading. The good thing here is Steve is allowing Matt’s message on his platforms and that they don’t hate each other for having different views, the world needs more of that!