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

[woods89]

"How many" depends on your goal. Hunting is already unsustainable in many areas and has been for a long time. Point creep has been around since before social media. For a majority of Americans it is not realistic to only consume wild game meat unless they want a mostly vegetarian lifestyle. Pretending that the influx of hunters in the last few years has changed that is just not realistic. The gains to be made with adding 5% of the population would be that every one of those people has a family, has co-workers, has friends. And they can shed a positive light on hunting to those people. They can discuss legislation regarding hunting with people who would have otherwise just assumed hunting is bad. I'm not here to say "we need more hunters!" But I am saying that more people having a positive view of hunting is a good thing. If your goal if for you to never have someone in your hunting spot or to always get the tag you want. Then your goal is a lot less hunters. More pressure means stricter control on tags to reduce the effects on the resource. Yes, that is an unfortunate consequence of hunting growing in popularity . Personally, I wish there were less hunters AND more support of hunting by the public. That just isn't realistic. And who am I to be the gatekeeper and say someone else shouldn't be hunting?

I'd definitely agree with some of this. And yes, my kids will have the opportunity to hunt, and if I meet someone who shows an honest interest I'll probably help them along, although I certainly won't deprive them of the fun of making their own mistakes.

But I'll have to admit, I don't see much upside to the way it's being promoted on social media, other than making some people money.

 

[TheTone]

Do some of you think it’s a good thing when a spot that took you time and effort to figure out on your own is suddenly burned by someone in the name of making some money and thus it’s now effectively ruined by the multitude of others hunting it?

 

[Btaylor]

Honest question, but are those 13 different state plates all from white tail states?

I ask because I wonder if that’s regional guys maximizing hunting opportunities in states close to them.

I‘ve never seen a post on this site where some western guy starts off with “Hey white tail guys… I’m not looking for your honey hole, but can you lead me by the hand so I can kill my first WT?”

They were here for deer they were here for waterfowl for the most part and CO was the most western state there PA to the northeast and Florida to the southeast. Point being if you are going to hunt public ground for waterfowl here, you had better expect a lot of competition and a lot of NR hunters. Matter of fact there is significantly less comp at the trailheads I hunt in CO than there is the boat ramps I hunt from here and it is not even remotely close.

 

[Dirtbag]

The heart of the argument for me isn't grip and grins. I like seeing well composed grip and grins. I do not like seeing poorly composed grip and grins plastered all over with an attitude that they don't care about how hunting is perceived. I think there are people who has helped change perception in a positive way(ie Rinella).

There is an argument to be had with people profiting off killing a resource that belongs to all of us, on land that belongs to all of us. It is without a doubt some are doing it not for their passion and love of hunting but simply because they found a niche that will allow them to obtain attention they need and money to continue to do it. These people are not the same people excited to wake up at 4am just to hunt and likely wouldn't do it without monetary or social gain. Often they are caught poaching and so on to make it easier, as its no longer the hunt they enjoy but the content they need.

The influencers who have taken the most issue with this are no longer the regular guy hunting all public land for the enjoyment. Its very easy to say this isn't a discussion worth having when you hunt on private ground, likely that you get to hunt for free for having likes and followers. If they do hunt public they'll burn the spot out and simply move to the next without caring in the slightest that it might be the only access a young kid has, a place someone volunteers conservation work on, or a place you busted your ass to learn. I don't discount their work to get in such a position but I do discount their opinions in such matter. Many of these same influencers would have a much different opinion 20 years ago then they do today.

The argument for many of these influencers is the need to recruit more hunters into the ranks, When we can no longer reasonably draw tags, hunt affordably and so on we have surpassed that argument. We need to look into changing the perception of hunting to continue our traditions.

anyway, after writing all that I still don't have the answers . so there's that.

 

[woods89]

They were here for deer they were here for waterfowl for the most part and CO was the most western state there PA to the northeast and Florida to the southeast. Point being if you are going to hunt public ground for waterfowl here, you had better expect a lot of competition and a lot of NR hunters. Matter of fact there is significantly less comp at the trailheads I hunt in CO than there is the boat ramps I hunt from here and it is not even remotely close.

Duck Dynasty was great for the sport, wasn't it.....

 

[3forks]

Duck Dynasty was great for the sport, wasn't it.....

Exactly.

 

[Will_m]

They were here for deer they were here for waterfowl for the most part and CO was the most western state there PA to the northeast and Florida to the southeast. Point being if you are going to hunt public ground for waterfowl here, you had better expect a lot of competition and a lot of NR hunters. Matter of fact there is significantly less comp at the trailheads I hunt in CO than there is the boat ramps I hunt from here and it is not even remotely close.

Yep. Most crowded place in the world is a boat ramp at 4 am on any NWR in the southeast that has duck hunting--nevermind whether there are actually ducks there. Will also be the largest concentration of mudmotors, banded or sitka gear and facepaint you have ever seen.

 

[Dirtbag]

Also the fact that this has made it to 50 pages, is pretty amazing, and shows the conversation is important. We normally get threads shut down by page 20 . Congrats to all.

 

[wapitibob]

What you’ve experienced and taken for granted for the last 50 years is a far different experience from what hunting is today.

I'm still hunting, and adapting every year.

 

[3forks]

They were here for deer they were here for waterfowl for the most part and CO was the most western state there PA to the northeast and Florida to the southeast. Point being if you are going to hunt public ground for waterfowl here, you had better expect a lot of competition and a lot of NR hunters. Matter of fact there is significantly less comp at the trailheads I hunt in CO than there is the boat ramps I hunt from here and it is not even remotely close.

Are you hunting OTC in Colorado or limited draw?

Either way, I’m nearly certain there are going to be significantly more white tails and ducks in the areas you hunt in your state than elk and mule deer in the units you hunt in Colorado.

 

[Btaylor]

Duck Dynasty was great for the sport, wasn't it.....

Prolly didnt help but it has been this way since way before Al Gore invented the internet.

 

[bozeman]

I was going say that R Newberg, A Snyder are the big game 'Duck Dynasty of waterfowling'........the boat ramps exploded when that show started.....Ark was a total waste of time.........the drive from Bama got to where it wasn't worth it.......

 

[Will_m]

Also the fact that this has made it to 50 pages, is pretty amazing, and shows the conversation is important. We normally get threads shut down by page 20 . Congrats to all.

That's because it's not a very good catalyst for memes.

 

[wapitibob]

Do some of you think it’s a good thing when a spot that took you time and effort to figure out on your own is suddenly burned by someone in the name of making some money and thus it’s now effectively ruined by the multitude of others hunting it?

Is it OK if they aren't an influencer?

Wyoming Mule Deer Region B

Im interested in this hunt since I have hunted antelope in this county. Does anyone have any information on mule deer here?

www.rokslide.com

common sense, just a little, can go a long way

 

[CorbLand]

Do some of you think it’s a good thing when a spot that took you time and effort to figure out on your own is suddenly burned by someone in the name of making some money and thus it’s now effectively ruined by the multitude of others hunting it?

When you can define a standard for having "earned" or what constitutes "time and effort" this argument will hold weight.

 

[3forks]

I'm still hunting, and adapting every year.

We all are.

The point is, we’re adapting to something that is a rapidly deteriorating experience due to a certain segment of the hunting population and their use of social media.

 

[Dirtbag]

That's because it's not a very good catalyst for memes.

Oh theres memes to be had here, dont challenge me

 

[NDGuy]

Wyoming Mule Deer Region B

Im interested in this hunt since I have hunted antelope in this county. Does anyone have any information on mule deer here?

www.rokslide.com

common sense, just a little, can go a long way

Seems to be lacking any of it in that thread.

 

[Rob5589]

It's not the heart of the argument, I think you just want it to be the heart so you can dismiss the whole discussion without putting in any thought.

Listen to the podcast. Matt also "calls" for a 50% reduction in hunter numbers. Not to mention the only new hunter recruitment, in his eyes, should be family/generational. He didn't say whether or not he'd be willing to include himself in the 50% reduction.

 

[PMcGee]

how many people who are against matts argument are people going west to go hunt? I would bet its alot of them. I would put money on it that if the rolls were reversed and the Eastern states were like the west and people from the west were going east to hunt they would say the same thing that matt is saying. Regardless of what it is keep it down in the lower 48 please.

Lol come hunt in Pennsylvania if you want to see overcrowding.


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