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

[KurtR]

I'm just curious how low the bar should be. Rifles during archery? Wouldn't want to be make it too tough on those that have a hard time with a bow.

Paving wilderness?

More roads so nobody has to walk far?

Game and fish provided corn flingers to those that aren't up to the challenge? Providing food plots for the public?

Maybe the game and fish setting up blinds.... glassing for hunters?

I say hunting isn't for everyone, you either cut it or stay home. Hunt within your abilities but quit expecting the easy button when you can't hack it.

No that would be stupid. Your the one that said you should be elite to be able to hunt. Maybe make a list of requirements for the peasants to aim for.

 

[Recluse]

Just saw this. I think Matt wrote a masterpiece

 

[SoDak19]

He brings up some great points to discuss. I wish his reasoning was more focused on the impact pressure has on animals and less on selfishly wishing people were taking 'his' public land spots. Took what should be a rational discussion into a 'get off my lawn' type argument.

 

[BDRam16]

No that would be stupid. Your the one that said you should be elite to be able to hunt. Maybe make a list of requirements for the peasants to aim for.

Thank you for backing me up on this. Not to sound like a 2021 liberal Gen X’r, but this guy has a rather “elitist” attitude. It’s a shame to think that there are people are out there who think if you can’t solo hunt back country 5 miles back, you don’t deserve to hunt.

 

[blackdawg]

Would be nice if outfitters provided one penny of funding to the various game and fish agencies.

They take with both hands and give nothing back.

Sportsmen stock the shelves with their hard earned dollars outfitters plunder our public assets for profit.

Also, there is no reason to lower the bar so more uncommitted people can experience hunting. Should we lower the green monster in Fenway so more people can send one out of the park?

The outfitters
also lease up all the private ground which puts the local average joe on the overcrowded public land.


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[BuckeyeRifleman]

Would be nice if outfitters provided one penny of funding to the various game and fish agencies.

They take with both hands and give nothing back.

Sportsmen stock the shelves with their hard earned dollars outfitters plunder our public assets for profit.

Also, there is no reason to lower the bar so more uncommitted people can experience hunting. Should we lower the green monster in Fenway so more people can send one out of the park?

I think if we’re going to talk about monetization of wildlife and overcrowding of public land outfitters certainly have to be apart of the discussion. I'd argue they have way more of an impact than social media and Instagram stars, it’s just been happening for longer so it’s been normalized.

In 2019 I hunted a very popular Montana general district. I was dismayed by the amount of people I saw even 4-5 miles from the trailhead. I even had one very uncomfortable encounter with an outfitter who rode his horse directly up to us off trail, stood over us awkwardly then insinuated we were in “his” spot.

I went back to that same area this year. There were FAR less people… there was still pressure, but not nearly as much as 2019. I asked a local about it… What changed? 3 outfitters that used to hunt the area went out of business with COVID. As a result it was a much more pleasant experience.

Also if anyone pays attention to Montana politics, which I’m sure Matt does, you are familiar with the kind of shenanigans MOGA has been pushing in the Montana legislature this year. Stuff that would artificially prop up outfitters and screw over DIY guys.

Bottom line I think Matt has brought up some good points. That said I think there are some real villains out there, and I don’t think most hunters who use social media are among them. I don’t want to see us get distracted and miss the greater threat.

 

[Mtnboy]

I think if we’re going to talk about monetization of wildlife and overcrowding of public land outfitters certainly have to be apart of the discussion. I'd argue they have way more of an impact than social media and Instagram stars, it’s just been happening for longer so it’s been normalized.

In 2019 I hunted a very popular Montana general district. I was dismayed by the amount of people I saw even 4-5 miles from the trailhead. I even had one very uncomfortable encounter with an outfitter who rode his horse directly up to us off trail, stood over us awkwardly then insinuated we were in “his” spot.

I went back to that same area this year. There were FAR less people… there was still pressure, but not nearly as much as 2019. I asked a local about it… What changed? 3 outfitters that used to hunt the area went out of business with COVID. As a result it was a much more pleasant experience.

Also if anyone pays attention to Montana politics, which I’m sure Matt does, you are familiar with the kind of shenanigans MOGA has been pushing in the Montana legislature this year. Stuff that would artificially prop up outfitters and screw over DIY guys.

LOL

If you think outfitters have WAY more impact on crowding than social media and influencers whoring themselves out for a dollar, you just don't understand. Which is fine, you live in Ohio and haven't seen the bum rush to the West first hand so I wouldn't expect you to understand.

The solution is simple, if you don't like the crowding....stop hunting out West.....that would solve the problem for those of us who have lived here for generations and are now seeing our hunting spots overrun.

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

LOL

If you think outfitters have WAY more impact on crowding than social media and influencers whoring themselves out for a dollar, you just don't understand. Which is fine, you live in Ohio and haven't seen the bum rush to the West first hand so I wouldn't expect you to understand.

The solution is simple, if you don't like the crowding....stop hunting out West.....that would solve the problem for those of us who have lived here for generations and are now seeing our hunting spots overrun.

You do realize the number of non resident elk/deer tags sold in Montana have been limited to 17,000 for I believe decades at this point right? Nonresident pressure hasn’t increased, because legally it can’t.

I’m sure pressure has increased in the Montana elk woods, but maybe look at the booming population of your own state before you point the finger at the guy who pays $1200 for a tag and drives halfway across the country to hunt for five days.

Next time educate yourself on how your own state manages non resident tags before showing your ignorance on the subject.

 

[Mtnboy]

You do realize the number of non resident elk/deer tags sold in Montana have been limited to 17,000 for I believe decades at this point right? Nonresident pressure hasn’t increased, because legally it can’t.

I’m sure pressure has increased in the Montana elk woods, but maybe look at the booming population of your own state before you point the finger at the guy who pays $1200 for a tag and drives halfway across the country to hunt for five days.

Next time educate yourself on how your own state manages non resident tags before showing your ignorance on the subject.

You do realize that most clients who go through Outfitters are out of staters right?

So next time you bitch about outfitters causing overcrowding look in the mirror and realize that those people you are bitching about are out of staters like you.

Like I said, don't like the crowding then hunt in your own state, sounds like that would solve the problem for all of us wouldn't it?

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

You do realize that most clients who go through Outfitters are out of staters right?

So next time you bitch about outfitters causing overcrowding look in the mirror and realize that those people you are bitching about are out of staters like you.

Like I said, don't like the crowding then hunt in your own state, sounds like that would solve the problem for all of us wouldn't it?

Again, ID is the same way with regards to non resident tags. It’s been a capped amount for many years at this point.

The subject was monetizing of a public resource, IE wildlife, and how it negatively impacts the hunting experience.

I was simply sharing my experience. Those outfitters negatively impacted a residents hunting experience just as much as they did mine. It put more people deeper in that otherwise wouldn’t have made it there on their own.

You want to blame non residents because it’s an easy target, but in states like MT and ID that isn’t reality. Booming resident population and unlimited RESIDENT tags is the biggest culprit.

CO is a whole different story with unlimited OTC tags for nonresidents.

 

[TheTone]

I feel bad for people I see trying to make it as an “influencer”. I was looking at someone’s profile earlier that posts daily, gives lots and lots of hunt and archery advice, seems to have maybe killed 2-3 big game animals ever, owned 4-5 top line bows this year and yet is currently having people fund raise for him and sell their own stuff to pay for bills of his. Yikes!

Another one I kinda follow where they seem to have started shooting bows about a year ago, basically no hunting, and are giving archery lessons, give aways with equipment given to them, multiple “partners and promo codes”.

The hunting “industry” is a mess.

 

[Muledeerhunter406]

Again, ID is the same way with regards to non resident tags. It’s been a capped amount for many years at this point.

The subject was monetizing of a public resource, IE wildlife, and how it negatively impacts the hunting experience.

I was simply sharing my experience. Those outfitters negatively impacted a residents hunting experience just as much as they did mine. It put more people deeper in that otherwise wouldn’t have made it there on their own.

You want to blame non residents because it’s an easy target, but in states like MT and ID that isn’t reality. Booming resident population and unlimited RESIDENT tags is the biggest culprit.

CO is a whole different story with unlimited OTC tags for nonresidents.

Which would mean with our booming population and everyone that hunts in reality we don't need non res tags anymore that would be 17000 less people running around clogging up the hills

 

[BuzzH]

You do realize that most clients who go through Outfitters are out of staters right?

So next time you bitch about outfitters causing overcrowding look in the mirror and realize that those people you are bitching about are out of staters like you.

Like I said, don't like the crowding then hunt in your own state, sounds like that would solve the problem for all of us wouldn't it?

You do realize that public land outfitters take clients to good areas and those same clients return, usually with friends as diy hunters right?

Also it's already been mentioned that leasing by outfitters forces more and more hunters into public lands .

Still doesn't change the fact that outfitters contribute zero to the various gf agencies.

To deny outfitters are making the crowding issue worse is being willfully ignorant. No question they are a big part of the problem.

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

Which would mean with our booming population and everyone that hunts in reality we don't need non res tags anymore that would be 17000 less people running around clogging up the hills

Just kicking the can down the road until 17,000 more hunters move to your state a few years later, all while forfeiting a MASSIVE chunk of money that funds your state wildlife agencies.

It’s not a viable solution to crowding. The only real long term solution is limiting both residents and non resident tags. Nobody wants to do that for obvious reasons. I wouldn’t either if I lived there.

ETA I’ve often disagreed with Buzz here, but he is absolutely right, outfitters contribute significantly to real and percieved crowding all while contributing very little to funding of wildlife, and often encouraging barriers to access private and public land that affects both residents and non residents alike.

 

[hibernation]

I feel bad for people I see trying to make it as an “influencer”. I was looking at someone’s profile earlier that posts daily, gives lots and lots of hunt and archery advice, seems to have maybe killed 2-3 big game animals ever, owned 4-5 top line bows this year and yet is currently having people fund raise for him and sell their own stuff to pay for bills of his. Yikes!

Another one I kinda follow where they seem to have started shooting bows about a year ago, basically no hunting, and are giving archery lessons, give aways with equipment given to them, multiple “partners and promo codes”.

The hunting “industry” is a mess.

Why are there so many of these? How do these people have the confidence/gall to be giving advice when they've barely gotten past the beginner stage? I really don't get the prevalence of these "blind leading the blind" accounts.

 

[n1kmontanari]

Thanks for providing the article here. I can say for myself I see the effects social media has had on me. I recently got a couple cameras to film my hunts, and I can see now that I need to be contempt that these will capture memories for me and my loved ones, not to brag. As a newer hunter, it has been difficult for me to find success and has had a toll on me for the past 6 years. But at the end of the day I go back out in the field because I do it to hunt, not kill so walking away without a kill is still hunting.

 

[TheTone]

Why are there so many of these? How do these people have the confidence/gall to be giving advice when they've barely gotten past the beginner stage? I really don't get the prevalence of these "blind leading the blind" accounts.

Because they want money and those that have “made it” provide the playbook

 

[Nwelkhunter81]

Good read. Thank you for posting

 

[SuperDUECE22]

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 agree with your comment to some extent. But lets just use Montana for example. Since 1975 the nonresident tag allocation has been capped at 17,000 elk & 6,600 for deer. Meanwhile the population of Montana has gone from 748,000 in 1975 to 1,084,225 in 2020 and according to the US fish & wildlife 20% of Montana residents buy a big game hunting license which would indicate 67,245 new resident hunters. Yes i understand that it wasn't until 4-5 years ago that all NR tags were given out but from my experience of hunting Montana since 2003 there is without a doubt overcrowding but it's still mostly residents at the trailheads. I think we are better off trying to get rid of the transplants moving here from Washington and California than the nonresident hunters.

 

[Htm84]

Again, ID is the same way with regards to non resident tags. It’s been a capped amount for many years at this point.

The subject was monetizing of a public resource, IE wildlife, and how it negatively impacts the hunting experience.

I was simply sharing my experience. Those outfitters negatively impacted a residents hunting experience just as much as they did mine. It put more people deeper in that otherwise wouldn’t have made it there on their own.

You want to blame non residents because it’s an easy target, but in states like MT and ID that isn’t reality. Booming resident population and unlimited RESIDENT tags is the biggest culprit.

CO is a whole different story with unlimited OTC tags for nonresidents.

I think what your failing to realize is those capped tags didn’t used to sell out. In Idaho they used to sell leftover non Resident tags to residents. Every year they sellout quicker and quicker. Increased resident numbers have an affect as well. No state is gonna cut back resident opportunity in favor of non residents. Enjoy it while you can.