What happened to Firstlite/Meateater

[Coopsdaddy]

Blame them all you want.
What they are doing is doing no more harm than all the guys on here and elsewhere paying 10-100000 for North American game hunts.
Absolutely stupid prices and people are paying for it.
People paying 700 for a hunting coat and 2500 for a new bow that does nothing but loose value.
Hunting in general has lost all its roots and is about the pics you can post.
Go watch some old Dan Fitzgerald videos and remember the good times!

 

[roymunson]

darned if you dont, danged if you do...

I see both sides, but remember, things always change. Humans ruin everything. Welcome to life

 

[bergie]

Bold move to criticize a sponsor of this website. I don't see this thread being up long. That being said, I have to agree. I have a closet full of FL gear and have seen every meateater episode. I have to seen the quality of both go down, culminating with the recent release of synthetic base layers. After all the tooting of the horn they did for merino it was funny to see. That being said I have never had a bad CS experience with FL, but I also haven't ordered anything substantial from them in a while. In the end I'm more bummed about the way its heading than anything.

 

[Customweld]

Meateater has released their "Black Album", Matt Rinella is Dave Mustaine.

Why drag the "Black" album into this?! It never hurt anyone. If you are going to trash an album, at least pick St. Anger

 

[simeon]

I guess I shouldn't say I know for sure. In the past I bought a lot of Kuiu and Sitka as well as other premium brands of all sorts of gear. When I compare similar items I have purchased with discount brands like Blackovis and items from Amazon, I see no difference in quality and performance from the top brands. Also when I actually stop and think about the claims made in advertising it just doesn't make sense. When the 2025 bows come out they will all be saying their bows are quieter, smoother, more forgiving and more accurate. Will any of us shoot any better than with their 2015 bows? I doubt it.
Top brands may be putting in more R&D but how much more can you research pants? I know they talk about the latest and greatest materials but I don't know that it really makes much of a difference. Maybe I am biased because I am tired of seeing the prices of everything these days, a cup of coffee for $9, trucks for over $100,000 and $400 jackets. Who knows and at the end of the day it all comes down to what each one of us wants to spend their money on. Thanks and happy hunting to all.

Thanks for the reply... Yea, thats understandable! Everything is insanely expensive... including the top end of hunting/back county gear.

I've accumulated quite an assortment of mostly Kuiu gear and some FL stuff, Ive had good experiences with both, but have not tested alongside some cheaper options. Although I probably should, then I could get some better binos instead of new clothing. lol.

 

[maxx075]

Capitalism my man

 

[ID_Matt]

once known for eating snails and challenging locals in San Francisco, now seems focused on exclusive private ranches and guided hunts. Even Janis and Clay's recent shows featured exclusive hunts. It seems like next season will be filled with high-fence episodes.

I don't really care one way or the other but this is exaggerated.... Exclusive private ranches, high fence, guided hunts?

I am looking at season 12 on youtube right now

Idaho Mule Deer - draw tag, not guided
Michigan squirrels and rabbits - probably not a high fence squirrel hunt
Montana elk - drawn tag, locals helped I believe. Not high fence
Alaska Bear - Not sure, definitely not high fence private ranch

I remember seeing a whitetail or axis deer hunt that was probably high fence, but doesn't bug me. Probably in texas where that is some of the only options and you can only hunt OTC and draw tags for so long.

 

[Shō[t]gun]

They do some dumb stuff, but its still overall way better than the flat brimmed goofballs on YouTube, the blowhard bowhunters, and the fuddy old guys hanging on to the legacy platforms with paid easy hunts.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

Meateater has released their "Black Album", Matt Rinella is Dave Mustaine.

You sure they aren't on Load or Reload?

 

[Poser]

Why drag the "Black" album into this?! It never hurt anyone. If you are going to trash an album, at least pick St. Anger

It was the point of selling out and mass appeal far beyond the core fanbase. Even women liked it. Its a fair comparison.

 

[Dos Perros]

This reminds me of a story I've been meaning to tell.* I saw Steve in the Austin airport waiting on a flight, seated at his gate. His gate was way less crowded than mine, so I went and sat auspiciously close to him considering how much room there was. Obviously I struck up a conversation.

Me: Airports, amirite?
Steve: Ya.
****small pause****
Me: What do you do?
Steve: Oh...I'm a writer.
Me: Oh ya? Anything I may have heard of?
Steve: Nope. [he's trying to blow me off]
Me: Try me. What do you write about?
Steve: I wrote a book about buffalo.
Me: African buffalo? Asian? Both? Neither?
Steve: No, like American buffalo.
Me: Oh, well technically those are bison. You'd think someone who wrote a book about them would know that.
Steve: [kinda laughing at this point] You don't say?
Me: Tell me friendo, are you familiar with the concept of trinomial nomenclature...Linnaean taxonomy?
Steve: [really having a giggle now] Vaguely.
Me: You might take advantage of your layover here, hop on the Wiki and do some reading. Fascinating stuff. Welp, I gotta go see a man about a horse. Safe travels.

* - this story is purely fiction and only happened in my alternative view of reality as it should be

 

[Customweld]

It was the point of selling out and mass appeal far beyond the core fanbase. Even women liked it. Its a fair comparison.

Fair enough.

 

[flyfisher117]

Why are we as hunters so butt hurt about everything? Everyone does everything wrong and all we can do is be upset.

I only binge watch meat Eater when I am stuck at my in-laws for the holidays. The whole show is more about telling a story than anything.

They could hunt public OTC everyone would complain. They could hunt ranches, everyone would complain. They can stay the night in a tour bus and someone will complain.

Why aren't we complaining about 90% of the public land hunters doing those same things year after year?

 

[TVW]

Why are we as hunters so butt hurt about everything? Everyone does everything wrong and all we can do is be upset.

I only binge watch meat Eater when I am stuck at my in-laws for the holidays. The whole show is more about telling a story than anything.

They could hunt public OTC everyone would complain. They could hunt ranches, everyone would complain. They can stay the night in a tour bus and someone will complain.

Why aren't we complaining about 90% of the public land hunters doing those same things year after year?

Because it's 2024 and outrage is all the rage right now.

 

[Jimmy]

Naw Steve's a good dude. Let him do his thing and if you don't like it that fine.

 

[7mm-08]

I have a closet full of First Lite's really good merino undergarments. What's Meateater (other than us hunters)?

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Bold move to criticize a sponsor of this website. I don't see this thread being up long.

Not really. There are several of these each year.

 

[maxx075]

Not really. There are several of these each year.

Just a month or two ago people kept bringing up MTNTOUGH, so I highly doubt this gets taken down, unless it goes in other directions.

 

[feanor]

Same thing with Prada and Gucci. Used to love their clothes, but over the years they’ve just gotten cheap Chinese crap. Now I’m wearing Luis Vuitton since it’s still high quality.

 

[bergie]

Just a month or two ago people kept bringing up MTNTOUGH, so I highly doubt this gets taken down, unless it goes in other directions.

Interesting, I brought up a sponsor that supports the Muley Freak poachers on a thread and that sucker was locked asap. Maybe there are levels to the sponsorships and FL & Mtntough don't purchase the premium, no criticism version.

I honestly don't even like bashing on FL. Everyone I have met or talked to that works for them has been awesome. I have a soft spot for small companies based in my home state.