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

[Btaylor]

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.

SW corner was OTC, now draw. What does the number of critters have to do with NR pressure which was the point? The limited resource for ducks here is space for people to hunt, esp with the number of NR hunters that pour in here.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

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

I've seen some dumb stuff on the internet, but holy balls. I think if we let them keep at it they will eventually just post OnX waypoints.

 

[Dirtbag]

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


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None of us want to see PA overcrowding, that's why we are having the discussion.

 

[3forks]

SW corner was OTC, now draw. What does the number of critters have to do with NR pressure which was the point? The limited resource for ducks here is space for people to hunt, esp with the number of NR hunters that pour in here.

The point is that there are a lot more ducks or whitetails to hunt than elk.

In an OTC unit you have unlimited NRs and residents hunting a species that aren’t as prolific as whitetails and ducks. And, just because a unit in CO is expansive, it doesn’t mean there are elk and mulies in every part of it.

So, when you compare the pressure you are accustomed to, to the pressure you’ve experienced when you‘re hunting Colorado - it’s not the same thing.

 

[PMcGee]

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.

It’s definitely the heart of his argument. Has been for awhile now he just try’s to add other BS to it but always circles back to this.


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[wapitibob]

I've seen some dumb stuff on the internet, but holy balls. I think if we let them keep at it they will eventually just post OnX waypoints.

good intentions gone bad

To the point of this thread, I have never seen that on IG but I only follow a cpl people so my view is limited.

 

[wapitibob]

The point is that there are a lot more ducks or whitetails to hunt than elk.

In an OTC unit you have unlimited NRs and residents hunting a species that aren’t as prolific as whitetails and ducks. And, just because a unit in CO is expansive, it doesn’t mean there are elk and mulies in every part of it.

So, when you compare the pressure you are accustomed to, to the pressure you’ve experienced when you‘re hunting Colorado - it’s not the same thing.

Unlimited OTC is where the problem originates; get rid of it. Put a cap on both Residents and NR. As an aside, CO is just way to generous with the nr quotas.

 

[Dirtbag]

good intentions gone bad

To the point of this thread, I have never seen that on IG but I only follow a cpl people so my view is limited.

agreed, I dont like those threads either, but lets put it into perspective, theres 53K members here, The Hunting Public(notorious spot burners) has 350K on instagram. granted non-members could find that thread via google, but probably not 300K people.

 

[woods89]

Unlimited OTC is where the problem originates; get rid of it. Put a cap on both Residents and NR. As an aside, CO is just way to generous with the nr quotas.

So we need more hunters and less tags?

Edited- Not trying to be a smart alec...

Edited to add- I see western hunting getting priced out of blue collar territory this way. Maybe that's inevitable.
Agreed, that it appears CO's otc days are numbered.

 

[3forks]

Unlimited OTC is where the problem originates; get rid of it. Put a cap on both Residents and NR. As an aside, CO is just way to generous with the nr quotas.

But don’t you want more hunters to experience what you have over the past 50 years?

Eliminating opportunities to hunt doesn’t seem like it would be part of that equation.

I agree about limiting non-resident opportunities, but would contend we wouldn’t be facing as an acute of an issue if social media influencers weren’t hyping up western hunts and specific units.

 

[Mtnboy]

Unlimited OTC is where the problem originates; get rid of it. Put a cap on both Residents and NR. As an aside, CO is just way to generous with the nr quotas.

Maybe we should just get rid of Non Resident tags altogether?

Hunt the state you live in, that'd curb a lot of the overcrowding problems I see out West. That'd also stop "influencers" from shooting so much stuff that their wives have to give it away to Real Estate clients.....

 

[Muledeerhunter406]

Maybe we should just get rid of Non Resident tags altogether?

Hunt the state you live in, that'd curb a lot of the overcrowding problems I see out West. That'd also stop "influencers" from shooting so much stuff that their wives have to give it away to Real Estate clients.....

This is what needs to happen 100%

 

[kloppy]

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


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Crowding in PA is so bad that the PA guys crowd all the MD spots!

 

[Idaho_Potato]

This is what needs to happen

I would gladly pay 2x non resident price for my resident elk tag if it meant non resident tags were eliminated.

 

[Dirtbag]

Maybe we should just get rid of Non Resident tags altogether?

Hunt the state you live in, that'd curb a lot of the overcrowding problems I see out West. That'd also stop "influencers" from shooting so much stuff that their wives have to give it away to Real Estate clients.....

I absolutely 100% will not support this haha.

 

[Muledeerhunter406]

I would gladly pay 2x non resident price for my resident elk tag if it meant non resident tags were eliminated.

I've been saying this for years in Montana between everyone moving to Idaho and montana pretty sure nr tags can go away and they will still generate enough money and so be it if they raise out tag prices 2x

 

[BBob]

But don’t you want more hunters to experience what you have over the past 50 years?

I don't think it has as much to do with not wanting anyone to experience the hunt, it's more about the resource cannot sustain the explosion in numbers that want to hunt.

Eliminating opportunities to hunt doesn’t seem like it would be part of that equation.

If the resource cannot sustain the ever increasing demand then what other option do you have other than reducing the opportunities (tags)?

 

[hibernation]

How many more people?

Everyone I've asked agrees that doubling hunter numbers from 5% to 10% would be unsustainable. Private land is mostly saturated at this point so the vast majority would wind up on public. So from that we can say that the level of sustainability is somewhere between 6 and 9%. What gains are we going to make from 6-9% that are not being made with 5%? And will they offset the issues caused by extra pressure?

This comment nails it for me. The crux of the R3 push, and part of what I think Matt is criticizing, is that adding more hunters will solve our problems and secure the future of hunting. I don't see how that pencils out in reality - if we add enough hunters to seriously impact our representation, I have no idea where they're all going to go. Tags would get even harder to draw, more OTC units would go controlled, and more guys would end up only hunting every few years. Or else you get sucked into the application game for every state just so you can hunt every year, which just makes the problem worse everywhere.

That's the difference between helping individuals into the sport vs. a concerted industry-wide push to seriously increase hunter numbers. I've helped show people the ropes and will absolutely continue to do so. But do I think there should be nationwide efforts to bump hunter numbers? Not really, and it doesn't matter if it's by state agencies trying to sell more licenses, influencers trying to get more views/sponsorships, or gear companies trying to sell more backpacks.

 

[ndayton]

I don't think it has as much to do with not wanting anyone to experience the hunt, it's more about the resource cannot sustain the explosion in numbers that want to hunt.

If the resource cannot sustain the demand then what other option do you have other than reducing the opportunities (tags)?

Correct, so why would you actively try to recruit more hunters and fast track them through the learning process. Who does this benefit?
The new hunter will have to wait years to hit woods with a tag if we keep going with this need for more hunters idea.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

I've been saying this for years in Montana between everyone moving to Idaho and montana pretty sure nr tags can go away and they will still generate enough money and so be it if they raise out tag prices 2x

Exactly. Enough residents have the disposable income for a $1200 elk tag to sell them out. The only evidence you need is the hordes of people that road trip to other states to hunt those elk.