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

[Pilarczyk85]

It’s interesting that you preach not talking shit about other hunters and then throw Matt throw matt under the bus….

On that front, I’m over this “hunters blindly supporting other hunters BS.” If social media has taught me anything it is that there is no shortage of absolutely garbage, pathetic excuses for human beings who happen to share this hobby of hunting. We even have such examples as members on this very forum. These are the very folks who have a very tight set of standards of beliefs and, if you don’t align almost exactly with their every detail of belief, political persuasion, philosophy of life etc, are quick to pronounce you their enemy. You know what? Screw these people. I have no use for them. I don’t care if they hunt. A douchebag is a douchebag. A terrible person is a terrible person.

Let’s make some very real admissions about modern hunting: it’s a hobby. You can blah blah blah about deep seeded inspiration, but the reality is, it’s a hobby and we are all recreationalists who kill animals, and many of us spend absurd amounts of time and money to do so. That’s it. In the grander scheme, it’s meaningless. Some folks attempt to roll this into a very overt religious aspect and it’s quite frankly silly. Thanking the lord for the 12 point buck you killed is akin thanking the lord for winning a t-ball game. It’s not as if your family was starving and will now survive the winter because You killed a 12 point bucks on a food plot with multiple trail cam pics through the years as you assessed its genetic potential. These are examples of people using religion to mask their own Narcissism and It’s pathetic.

Telling me I’m supposed to go out in the world and defend people who exhibit these very fundamental examples of narcissism masked with religion for the sake of what amounts to a hobby and then they make unapologetic, monetized content from it? You’re kidding yourself if your believe these examples prioritize hunting over content and monetization. The relationship is actually the inverse for the vast majority of people monetizing hunting via content. And the people who happen to share this hobby who are also just shitty people, they deserve one another and they keep keep jerking each other off under tenants of religion, politics and whatever other system of beliefs they attach themselves to because their lives otherwise hold little to no meaning: it ain’t for me, they aren’t my people, they might even be my enemies.

Hunting as hobby says very little about the quality of one’s character. There are garbage people who also hunt and there people who mask this level of low quality existence by attaching exterior systems of beliefs to their hunting. It’s pathetic.

I appreciate your nihilistic viewpoint. While I'll agree on the mainframe of your response such as the character aspect of these social media hunting idols we put on pedestals. I will say that the "it's a hobby" is a bit broad and a strawman argument. For myself I took a choice to strictly live off my kills specifically. Other than going out to eat rarely all my meat consumption comes from my own skillset. Yes it is a choice I could easily go to the store but I chose not to and I think a lot of sportsmen are like that. Maybe I'm wrong. But I digress. I think we can all agree that with the exposure of hunting in the platforms we experience. We're now starting to understand the seedy under belly of those decisions. But just like anything we the collective can decide if these types of things survive

 

[smokewrench]

I'm glad Matt Rinella went after this Dan Staton character. Dan has been encouraging aspiring Elk Archers to work hard all year on all the details to put more Elk on the ground.



Is it even legal to organize a place for 50 Elk Archers to gather for 3 whole days. Imagine how aweful it must be for these guys to meet others who share the same passion. Dan says they even drink beers at days end. They aren't even wearing masks.



What really erks me is Dan brings in a mapping guru, a world champion elk caller, an archery coach, and the 2 key guys from Phelps game calls. It's not fair that people who want to get better at harvesting elk get to learn face to face from expert hunters.


These Elkshape camps are like a "Campdemic" for elk. I am writing Governors of these states to "SHUT THIS DOWN"


This logo should be banned

CAMPS

ELK IMMERSION EXPERIENCE 2024 JULY 19TH - 21ST, 2024 GREENACRES, WA LIMIT 45 PARTICIPANTS, REGISTER HERE We changed things up for 2024! We are offering only 1 camp this year so we decided to go big. This 3 day camp is will be an experience like no other, here's a snapshot into the...

elkshape.com

 

[smokewrench]

Maaaaattt!! Heeelp!
This Dan Staton guy even created an online course for non-elite elk hunters. Doesn't he sleep. It's got hundreds of hours of videos from really good elk hunters just giving away years of knowledge. Now people in states like Florida and New York can come out west for the first time with a better chance to harvest an elk.
This is SO un-American

The Elk Collective | Virtual Elk Hunting Resource

Virtual elk hunting education and content inspired and driven by a community of passionate elk hunters alike. Learn how to elk hunt, how to call elk, how to get elk tags, what equipment to use for elk hunting and many other pieces of elk hunting knowledge at your finger tips. 100% video driven.

theelkcollective.com

Damn you Al Gore!

 

[PMcGee]

If I had the means to hunt 3-5 states a year and kill several animals a year, hell yes I'd do it. The main dudes mentioned have been doing that well before social media.

Me too. So would everyone on here bitching.


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[ThisIsMyHandle]

It’s interesting that you preach not talking shit about other hunters and then throw Matt throw matt under the bus….

On that front, I’m over this “hunters blindly supporting other hunters BS.” If social media has taught me anything it is that there is no shortage of absolutely garbage, pathetic excuses for human beings who happen to share this hobby of hunting. We even have such examples as members on this very forum. These are the very folks who have a very tight set of standards of beliefs and, if you don’t align almost exactly with their every detail of belief, political persuasion, philosophy of life etc, are quick to pronounce you their enemy. You know what? Screw these people. I have no use for them. I don’t care if they hunt. A douchebag is a douchebag. A terrible person is a terrible person.

Let’s make some very real admissions about modern hunting: it’s a hobby. You can blah blah blah about deep seeded inspiration, but the reality is, it’s a hobby and we are all recreationalists who kill animals, and many of us spend absurd amounts of time and money to do so. That’s it. In the grander scheme, it’s meaningless. Some folks attempt to roll this into a very overt religious aspect and it’s quite frankly silly. Thanking the lord for the 12 point buck you killed is akin thanking the lord for winning a t-ball game. It’s not as if your family was starving and will now survive the winter because You killed a 12 point bucks on a food plot with multiple trail cam pics through the years as you assessed its genetic potential. These are examples of people using religion to mask their own Narcissism and It’s pathetic.

Telling me I’m supposed to go out in the world and defend people who exhibit these very fundamental examples of narcissism masked with religion for the sake of what amounts to a hobby and then they make unapologetic, monetized content from it? You’re kidding yourself if your believe these examples prioritize hunting over content and monetization. The relationship is actually the inverse for the vast majority of people monetizing hunting via content. And the people who happen to share this hobby who are also just shitty people, they deserve one another and they keep keep jerking each other off under tenants of religion, politics and whatever other system of beliefs they attach themselves to because their lives otherwise hold little to no meaning: it ain’t for me, they aren’t my people, they might even be my enemies.

Hunting as hobby says very little about the quality of one’s character. There are garbage people who also hunt and there people who mask this level of low quality existence by attaching exterior systems of beliefs to their hunting. It’s pathetic.

While I agree with you on the majority of what you wrote, I’ll say this. Matt opened himself up to criticism when he talked shit about a famous hunting advocate and made generalizations about a huge group of people. I’m not saying we all should blindly follow and support every hunter on social media just because they’re hunters. There are plenty of famous people on there that don’t deserve our support. And there are also plenty of Joe Schmo’s out there that should be outright banned. All I’m saying is that while you may not agree with everything someone like Hanes, Rogan, Staton or Dudley does. You can’t say that they’re on Instagram or Facebook being a shitty advocate for us. They’re reaching masses and showing hunting in a positive manner. That’s all I’m saying on this, I’m done.

Side note, I think ‘Smokewrench’ might actually be Dan Staton.


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[grfox92]

Me too. So would everyone on here bitching.


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This.

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[Nickofthewoods]

Me too. So would everyone on here bitching.


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Not true. I'll use myself as an example because I have both the means and the time, and I live in a place where it would be really easy for me to hunt Elk and Deer in three different states within just a few hours of home. I don't though, because I don't want three freezers in my garage, or to get to the point where I'm giving away meat. I would feel really unjustified in hunting if I were giving away meat because I had too much or it was getting too old and freezer burned. Does anyone here buy so many groceries that they literally have to give it away so they can go back to Costco and get more?

To each their own, but to suggest that every hunter would hunt as much as they could if they had the time and money is false, and part of this discussion is about hunters using media to do this while simultaneously profiting from it.

 

[cnelk]

To each their own, but to suggest that every hunter would hunt as much as they could if they had the time and money is false, and part of this discussion is about hunters using media to do this while simultaneously profiting from it.

Bingo

 

[realunlucky]

Side note, I think ‘Smokewrench’ might actually be Dan Staton.

@smokewrench are you Dan Staton?

 

[Nickofthewoods]

@smokewrench are you Dan Staton?

If so, that was a clever pitch for his Elk Hunting Cross fit gym. How does one become a world renowned e-scouter?

 

[cnelk]

@smokewrench are you Dan Staton?

The Mods should be able to look up the IP address and find out...

 

[hunt1up]

Maaaaattt!! Heeelp!
This Dan Staton guy even created an online course for non-elite elk hunters. Doesn't he sleep. It's got hundreds of hours of videos from really good elk hunters just giving away years of knowledge. Now people in states like Florida and New York can come out west for the first time with a better chance to harvest an elk.
This is SO un-American

Dan even does it for free, out of the kindness of his heart. I'm not saying what they're doing shouldn't be done, or that it doesn't benefit some folks, but it's clearly a for-profit endeavor. A for-profit endeavor built around a finite natural resource.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Does their fiscal fitness coach wait until you've paid to advise you that the course is about the same price as a non resident Elk tag somewhere?

 

[KHNC]

Does their fiscal fitness coach wait until you've paid to advise you that the course is about the same price as a non resident Elk tag somewhere?

Good point. Dan's course or OTC colorado elk for 2022, and learn for yourself? Hmmm..........Thats a tough one.

 

[smokewrench]

The Mods should be able to look up the IP address and find out...

Adam is that you? It's me Vlad

 

[TheTone]

Make sure you use the promo codes so the sponsors pay them and better yet sign up for the paid exclusive content so none of these people have to get an actual job.

 

[realunlucky]

The Mods should be able to look up the IP address and find out...

Maybe it's one of his buddies at work? After all it's written in 3rd person and of course he'd never soft sell his personal business in Rokslide like that.

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[OR Archer]

So how many of you who are talking down on Aron and other “influencers” would actually say any of that to them if they were standing next to you? Better yet who’s going to put their money where their mouth is and not buy any of the products these influencers use since that’s how they get paid? No more kifaru. No more Sitka or First Lite. Anyone?

 

[realunlucky]

Adam is that you? It's me Vlad

Your work IP did pop up a few times

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[Poser]

I'm glad Matt Rinella went after this Dan Staton character. Dan has been encouraging aspiring Elk Archers to work hard all year on all the details to put more Elk on the ground.



Is it even legal to organize a place for 50 Elk Archers to gather for 3 whole days. Imagine how aweful it must be for these guys to meet others who share the same passion. Dan says they even drink beers at days end. They aren't even wearing masks.View attachment 356783



What really erks me is Dan brings in a mapping guru, a world champion elk caller, an archery coach, and the 2 key guys from Phelps game calls. It's not fair that people who want to get better at harvesting elk get to learn face to face from expert hunters. View attachment 356784


These Elkshape camps are like a "Campdemic" for elk. I am writing Governors of these states to "SHUT THIS DOWN"View attachment 356785


This logo should be banned
View attachment 356786

CAMPS

ELK IMMERSION EXPERIENCE 2024 JULY 19TH - 21ST, 2024 GREENACRES, WA LIMIT 45 PARTICIPANTS, REGISTER HERE We changed things up for 2024! We are offering only 1 camp this year so we decided to go big. This 3 day camp is will be an experience like no other, here's a snapshot into the...

elkshape.com

A literal cornucopia of things to make fun of.
Between the “world renown Escouter” and the “fiscal fitness coach”, there’s a lot of material here. I feel like we could have Rokslide stand up comedy night just off this post alone. In fact, maybe we should do that?

Anyway, I’ll kick things off:

“Thanks for posting pics of the various chapters of the Nickleback fan club”