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

[Idaho_Potato]

Maybe a small percentage buy a Kifaru pack based on Snyder's success. But they wouldn't sell if they were garbage. SM has done one thing well; everyone knows immediately about a product if it doesn't perform.
Of course they use success pics to bolster their position and/or sales. Is anyone buying Robby's book if it was full of forkys? Or a Kifaru pack if it falls apart under load?
They both sell a product to provide a positive experience for the buyer. It only makes sense to forward it positively.

Some see it differently based on the way kifaru/snyder use a limited resource - wildlife - to market a product they profit off of. He admitted he kills 75-100 animals a year, and a lot of that is under the guise of product testing. Would it be a better use of the resource and example for the community to kill enough for him and his immediate family to eat, and then, I don't know, throw a few 45 lb plates in the pack and knock off the "whack em' and stack em" theater to plaster social on media?

 

[KurtR]

If someones ”legal” actions get my hunting reduced (see bowmars), then I have a right to demand an equally positive reason to offset the negative results.
Do you think duckbills in mouths is helping you? Do you think eating raw liver is helping you? You think a 180” deer eaten completely by coyotes is helping you?

Nope that’s stupid and lack of common sense. If some one wants to post a pile of ducks with their dog why do they have to justify it. Sucks that they shut down your spear hunting up there I feel bad for you spear guys.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Nope that’s stupid and lack of common sense. If some one wants to post a pile of ducks with their dog why do they have to justify it. Sucks that they shut down your spear hunting up there I feel bad for you spear guys.

If you think they’re upset at spears, you should hear how half the country sees firearms…
Good thing these people need their dopamine hit from “likes”

 

[Rob5589]

Some see it differently based on the way kifaru/snyder use a limited resource - wildlife - to market a product they profit off of. He admitted he kills 75-100 animals a year, and a lot of that is under the guise of product testing. Would it be a better use of the resource and example for the community to kill enough for him and his immediate family to eat, and then, I don't know, throw a few 45 lb plates in the pack and knock off the "whack em' and stack em" theater to plaster social on media?

True, but from what he says, most are dep permits from various properties he's associated with. Not the same as having a regular tag.

 

[KurtR]

If you think they’re upset at spears, you should hear how half the country sees firearms…
Good thing these people need their dopamine hit from “likes”

Feels about firearms wasn’t there more guns bought last year than any other year? Fear mongering is no better than wanting that like button pushed….

 

[ChrisAU]

It doesn’t have to be black and white.

Do I think public land is too crowded and less hunters would increase my enjoyment of hunting? Yes.

Do I think that actively discouraging people from getting into hunting for that reason is selfish and immoral? Yes.

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

@Mattrinella thanks for weighing in. You’ve challenged the hunting community to take a deep look in the mirror. Though I disagree with some of it, facing uncomfortable truths is one of the most important things we can do in life, and I think you have made anyone who has read your article do that.

I think I’ve heard you quoted in the past as saying “I wish I was the only guy who hunts, but I wish everyone else supported it.”

I think you have to give guys like Steve, Randy Newberg, etc some credit for the latter. They have undoubtedly changed the image of hunters and hunting for the better within the eyes of the non hunting public. That’s a good thing, because unfortunately we had a pretty poor image and the stereotypes tended to fit if you ever watched other hunting media. Yeah, some new people got into it, that sucks, but I think the image boost was a net positive in the long run. I hope you having this public conversation keeps guys like your brother grounded and introspective in their future endeavors.

Finally to your points on social media, I think most of us would all agree that society would be much better off if it went away, but there is no putting that genie back in the bottle. The world is struggling to adapt to the myriad of changes it’s making to our society and culture, and that goes far beyond the world of hunting. We do need to have a collective conversation within the hunting community of how we’re going to handle that change, and I’ll give you credit for starting it.

Oh and yeah, we should all agree R3 is dumb.

 

[wind gypsy]

Maybe a small percentage buy a Kifaru pack based on Snyder's success. But they wouldn't sell if they were garbage. SM has done one thing well; everyone knows immediately about a product if it doesn't perform.
Of course they use success pics to bolster their position and/or sales. Is anyone buying Robby's book if it was full of forkys? Or a Kifaru pack if it falls apart under load?
They both sell a product to provide a positive experience for the buyer. It only makes sense to forward it positively.

Yeah, I don't think Kifaru pack sales would be measurably impacted if Snyder posted 20% of the dead animals he currently does.

 

[TheTone]

Yeah, I don't think Kifaru pack sales would be measurably impacted if Snyder posted 20% of the dead animals he currently does.

What percent do you think he has increased kifaru sales since he first starting using them and then working there? I remember him singing the praises of badlands and then mystery ranch on bow site before he was with kifaru

 

[wind gypsy]

What percent do you think he has increased kifaru sales since he first starting using them and then working there? I remember him singing the praises of badlands and then mystery ranch on bow site before he was with kifaru

You know, i was thinking of this more as whether or not Snyder's grip n grins were a driving factor behind kifaru sales instead of just how Snyder has driven sales in general as an influencer.

I don't think Snyder grip n grins at this point are a big driver in sales but there is zero debate that his popularity and pull has caused Kifaru sales #'s to explode. I think they make a good product but have been a dissenting voice here about how I don't think they make anything that someone else doesn't do better. So yeah, podcasts/forums/instagram has definitely been the golden goose for kifaru sales.

 

[Snowy]

For the sake of conversation and maybe introspection, a question for those opposed to Matt's view...bear with me:

Hypothetical person A is generous with their money, generally speaking. Gives 10-15% of their income each year to educational aid organizations, a religious entity that helps homeless people get into rehab, conservation orgs, and has spent a full year's salary of their mid-life income to adopt a child with special needs.
That same person is frustrated by increasing human activity in the areas he/she lives, hunts and recreates, and would prefer that those places and activities not be publicized so that his/her family can fully enjoy them for the next few decades. That person makes low wages and absorbs a high cost of living in order to live where they do. This person also mentors a couple of new hunters each year but asks them to keep areas quiet and not share them with anyone else.

Is that a selfish person?
Is it OK to be selfish with things that others do not require in order to sustain a good quality of life?

 

[Mattrinella]

@Mattrinella thanks for weighing in. You’ve challenged the hunting community to take a deep look in the mirror. Though I disagree with some of it, facing uncomfortable truths is one of the most important things we can do in life, and I think you have made anyone who has read your article do that.

I think I’ve heard you quoted in the past as saying “I wish I was the only guy who hunts, but I wish everyone else supported it.”

I think you have to give guys like Steve, Randy Newberg, etc some credit for the latter. They have undoubtedly changed the image of hunters and hunting for the better within the eyes of the non hunting public. That’s a good thing, because unfortunately we had a pretty poor image and the stereotypes tended to fit if you ever watched other hunting media. Yeah, some new people got into it, that sucks, but I think the image boost was a net positive in the long run. I hope you having this public conversation keeps guys like your brother grounded and introspective in their future endeavors.

Finally to your points on social media, I think most of us would all agree that society would be much better off if it went away, but there is no putting that genie back in the bottle. The world is struggling to adapt to the myriad of changes it’s making to our society and culture, and that goes far beyond the world of hunting. We do need to have a collective conversation within the hunting community of how we’re going to handle that change, and I’ll give you credit for starting it.

Oh and yeah, we should all agree R3 is dumb.

These are good thoughts. Thanks. Yes, Newberg and Steve have been good for our reputation among non-hunters. What I take issue with is the crowding they cause on what were already overcrowded areas. It’s not that they’ve merely made nonhunters view hunters more positively, they’ve made nonhunters hunters. Why should hunters that have been quietly going about their business as long or longer than Steve and Randy have to have their experiences ruined by them hyping up hunting to make a buck? And I mean literally ruined. I sometimes see 30-40 trucks at trailheads in the state where Steve and Randy live. I know Steve takes major issue with spot pirating, but I believe these guys have spot pirated the entire universe of public land hunting locations. And I don’t know about Randy, but I can tell you Steve would be every bit as annoyed about the hype as I am had he chosen a different career path. If you want to know what Steve would think about hunting social media and hunting tv had he chosen to work in another area, then all you have to do is look at what I think. Up until 12 years ago, Steve and me were hunting partners that held exactly the same views on hunting. The only thing that caused our perspectives to diverge was one of us started to get fame and money from hunting and the other kept on doing it for the traditional reasons.

 

[CHSD]

…still waiting for someone to explain why dead animal pics need to be shared with multitudes.

And I’m not buying the “cave painting“ or sporting goods store argument. You pretty much knew the people in the store and you dang sure knew your fellow cavemen.
Both Snyder and steve basically said why they do it or why it’s done. Validity. Having dead animals helps sell backpacks and seeing dead animals is why Steve bought books.

So other than ego and selling stuff, why post pics?

People often post dead animal pictures because it is an accomplishment. For a South Dakota guy to go into the mountains and shoot an elk that is a big accomplishment. Something they are proud of. A guy posting a picture of his duck limit and his dog that he spent hours and hours training and working with, the duck limit is an accomplishment.

Same reason people post pictures of their kids youth basketball team when they win the local tournament championship. Same reason people post that themselves dressed up in their hood and gown when they get their masters degree, it is an accomplishment they want to celebrate.

Should we not celebrate our friends success?

 

[Mattrinella]

People often post dead animal pictures because it is an accomplishment. For a South Dakota guy to go into the mountains and shoot an elk that is a big accomplishment. Something they are proud of. A guy posting a picture of his duck limit and his dog that he spent hours and hours training and working with, the duck limit is an accomplishment.

Same reason people post pictures of their kids youth basketball team when they win the local tournament championship. Same reason people post that themselves dressed up in their hood and gown when they get their masters degree, it is an accomplishment they want to celebrate.

Should we not celebrate our friends success?

It is not at all the same. It’s bragging over the sacred act of killing a sentient being for food. It’s not to be made a spectacle of for the likes of strangers. We need to wake up to the fact that bragging over dead animals is more consequential and perverse than bragging over basketball trophies.

 

[3forks]

The only thing that caused our perspectives to diverge was one of us started to get fame and money from hunting and the other kept on doing it for the traditional reasons.

You may as well start composing your rebuttal to the guys who are going to fixate on this last sentence and contend that your motives for writing your essay are based in jealousy over your brother‘s success.

 

[Mattrinella]

I infinitely prefer being a research scientist and a no-name than a hunting celeb.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

It is not at all the same. It’s bragging over the sacred act of killing a sentient being for food. It’s not to be made a spectacle of for the likes of strangers. We need to wake up to the fact that bragging over dead animals is more consequential and perverse than bragging over basketball trophies.

It's definitely not all the same, and I can back that up from time spent in beef packing plants. Its widely known in that field that the guy working the knock box doesn't stay there long. Killing up to several thousand animals a day as the trigger man takes a toll mentally. New plants are very careful about who even gets to see inside the knock box while the plant is running. Even in industrial settings, the taking of animal life is taken very seriously.

Prevalence of serious psychological distress among slaughterhouse workers at a United States beef packing plant - PubMed

Workers at a US industrial slaughterhouse experienced higher prevalence of SPD compared to United States population-wide estimates, but occupational risk factors for this outcome were not identified.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[woods89]

You may as well start composing your rebuttal to the guys who are going to fixate on this last sentence and contend that your motives for writing your essay are based in jealousy over your brother‘s success.

Agreed. The traditional hunters bit is where a really legitimate point starts to break down for people.

 

[SEPTEMBERCALLS]

I infinitely prefer being a research scientist and a no-name than a hunting celeb.

I'm in the same boat... I infinitely prefer to load my deer/elk quickly in the back of the truck preferably after dark and closing the Tonneau cover or tarping up before heading by other camps to town. With the amount of people in and around the areas I hunt I prefer to have everyone that sees my truck and doesn't know me personally to think, "That guy hits it hard but sucks at bagging any animals", when I drive by with a bull or a buck in the back of the truck. I know guys that parade around with game in their truck or post the heck out of stuff they've killed to the masses only to find their "honey hole" blown up the next year. I'm fine either way a person chooses to go about it, as it's a free country, but beware of the guys that run around the woods trying to piggy-back their success on the trail you leave behind to "your" spot....

 

[ODB]

It is not at all the same. It’s bragging over the sacred act of killing a sentient being for food. It’s not to be made a spectacle of for the likes of strangers. We need to wake up to the fact that bragging over dead animals is more consequential and perverse than bragging over basketball trophies.

Agree in general. However I do like well-told hunting stories as it does act as a bit of escapism. I thought American Buffalo was good, but generally spend my time reading the older African account because they inevitably include a hell of a lot of history, culture, maybe even some politics of the day, which helps give a bit of context to the whole act. “I went there and killed that” stories are patently boring.

So, given you’ve been on a few early shows and also the stars in the sky movie, do you consider telling any hunting stories legit? Where is the line? Not sure is at the profit motive, since any book will have a profit component to it. Or is it the original intent, I.e. “I Killed an animal to generate content” vs. “I hunted and thought the story was worth telling.”

Good stuff in this thread.