Content Production - What and How to Present?

[rwc101]

A wall tent grouse hunt

I hope Big Fin never realizes I'm the idiot who spams the comment section for Elk Talk Live asking for a Grouse Talk Live.

 

[greatwhitebuffalo]

What about an episode that doesn't just stay local, but focuses on small, almost suburban tracts of public land that might be overlooked but still hold game? This would give people ideas for hunts that can not only be done without leaving their home area, but also can be done with limited time.

 

[golfer]

After seeing the Marcus and Kara elk hunt episode, I think they should do a spring turkey episode. Cooking/Meal prep episodes. I thought in a podcast or espisode Michael said something about using new gadgets or technology, have him do an espidoe on what he has his eyes on for new items this year and why.

 

[44hunter45]

More Cartwheels. My sides were hurting when I saw that and Mrs. 45 thought I had lost it.

 

[bobbydean]

Series of interviews with old hunters about their hunts in the good old days. Some characters out there have entertainment value. Most of us enjoy the stories of the old days.

Should not step on anyone's sensibilities!

 

[Tradewind]

You are overthinking this.
You know what works.
Stick with it.

 

[Lyfter1013]

I don’t see the shelter in place still happening by the time fall Hunting rolls around. And I don’t think you doing your show would be rubbing anyone’s nose in it. To be honest if people get offended by you still living your life and doing your job they’re they type of people who are gonna be looking for something to be upset about.
Also I like watching the videos with Marcus and Kara they’re fun to watch.
Hopefully this blows over and you decide to continue with the show as planned.

 

[crock239]

Lots of good suggestions here.

Short term, possibly series of Biologist videos/interviews, even if SIP acceptable web interviews w filler clips of animals from footage you already have? I bet most of us would be better hunters if we were a bit better students of the biology of the game we chase. Plus, peak rut timing, preferred food sources, etc. are geographically influenced so an elk biologist from MT or WY and one from NM may have different insights.

Longer term I'm with the others that say plan your hunts as per normal. Every year you do plenty of hunts I "can't" do bc of (insert any of the excuses I use here...time, money, vacation, family obligations, etc.) so I live vicariously through your authentic content and a few others like you. This year probably won't actually be that drastically different....except there will quite possibly be more people staying home this year needing hunts to watch.

 

[Dan O]

Maybe having a few episodes of new hunters, young first time hunter and say a adult first time hunt. Be local people and hunts such as a cow hunt and deer hunt. Concentrate on Mt.. hunts and maybe Wyoming and some Dakota hunts.

 

[Jape]

Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s genuine and real. I agree with others: more conservation stories and “forgotten” opportunities like bird hunting would be awesome. Also, I think a lot of us are reconnecting with our families and homes during this crisis, so it would be cool to see a nostalgic hunt where you go back to Minnesota with family/friends.

 

[Dsnow9]

“Hunt while you can. Your gonna run outta health before you run outta money.”

-Randy Newberg

 

[Mtnhunter1]

I’d say listen to your viewers as they have stated what they love about your programs and what they would like to see in the future. I agree that you should stick with your original plans if this national crisis will allow these plans to continue.



Seems that your scheduled AK spring bear hunting adventure may need to be rescheduled for a later date but, lucky for you and your viewers, Montana has some very good spring bear hunting minus the seafood.



Montana has plenty of adventures to be filmed or revisited, if you were to stick closer to home.



Spring turkey, I am actually not a fan but there are many of your viewer that live for the calling up of a tom or two.



Summer scouting session and it doesn’t have to be for a recently drawn L.E. special tag. Possibly plan a late summer high alpine trip looking for velvet antlered mountain mule bucks or goats? It would be nice to incorporate some Mtn Goat footage with biological facts and show the difference between a billy and a nanny. Pick an area with a few good fishing lakes, some bear awareness instruction and the alpine vistas should provide the rest. Extra credit if you or your crew can return to chase the bucks around during the archery opener.



Then there is always the early archery loper hunt. Again, I am not a fan of sitting in a blind but you have many thousands of fans that live to sit in a treestand all day! Spot and stalk is always an option and can be done literally all day long providing many hours of video footage.



Your tips and gear needs are always appreciated. I have to admit that my use of ONx and trekking poles came from you! Thank you for that by the way!



My wife would like to see additional females hunting, kids hunting and families. Episodes highlighting everyday folks experiencing everyday hunting adventures that all your audience can appreciate and do themselves. There is not a shortage of options when all the antlerless opportunities come into play. Incorporate an elderly person or a family in need that would appreciate gifted wild game meat to combat all the critics.



Big Fin, I have to admit that I have not had time to view or listen to most of your available content. My wife was actually the one to suggest to me that I might enjoy your programs. She was correct! I appreciate that you provide “real hunting” for the everyday outdoors-person. Keep up what you do both in front of the camera and behind as it is greatly appreciated by many.



Good luck and hopefully we all will be able to enjoy our lives again by this fall.



Mtnhunter1

 

[lpcoutdoors]

Great on you to want to do everything you can to honor, validate, and support distancing. I can tell you as a mental health professional there are people who are making very risky and unhealthy decisions based on their fears of other people's opinions deriding distancing. Maybe not so much now, but early on, and will be again as the first phase of this wanes.

However, can you do some of your trips and provide a model for how we would, should, could travel and hunt/fish during these times. Things like knowing your team and just like with gun safety being unapologetic about contagion risk safety (ie bro if you've been hanging out at the bars chasing ladies you ain't comin on the trip), to taking all groceries, including road food, so there's no restaurant stops, etc...

Or, time to pull out lots of B roll and put together old, new content. Maybe from a different bent, like more about trip prep or post trip projects, more conservation and restoration, more poetic, literary type presentations.

In any case, we look forward to hearing from ya!

 

[wyflyguy]

Given the time of year, restrictions on movement in general, and the fact that many are thinking about applications/impending draw results, I think any content you could produce about e-scouting and scouting from afar would be appreciated. I know you've done some of this and it has largely focused on elk strategies. Maybe that could be expanded upon or focus more on mule deer.

 

[dannyb278]

i say keep hunting any way you can. Out of state hunts, local, fishing expeditions. As long as you can do it safely, i say go for it. I don't think most hunters would look down on you for doing it.

Just throw a couple extra gas cans on top of the truck to minimize stops and hit the road.

 

[MNElkNut]

I have read every post on this thread and 3 that stick out to me are:

*An instructional video about how to do a hunt assuming we will still have social distancing. If we are still practicing social distancing at that time, we will need people to lead on this issue so that people do it right. At the same time, doing a video like that will give people hope that they can do a hunt given the circumstances. In general, show people how to do it the right way. You could find some old clips and show them as a good example and then throw in some old clips and say this is NOT a good example (ie hug).

*Narrating some favorite hunts along with video clips. Give more of the back story. Why were those hunts special? You could pack a bunch of hunts into 1 video. I think it would be cool to see the highlights of a bunch of hunts in one video.

*There was a post about someone getting interested in hunting because of the pandemic. How can we capitalize on that sentiment? Procuring your own meat is relevant now more than ever. Let's jump on this! Maybe more on Hunter's Connect? I have started to think about this in my community and using our initiatives to develop something.

And then, since it is buy 3 get a couple free day:

*There are always threads about conservation organizations. They are in need right now. Maybe a video with a couple minutes describing the work of each org would help people understand what they are all about. Don't forget the local orgs, but that will be harder to give details on as there are so many. Probably got to lump them all together somehow.

*Mine the Hunttalk forum and see what topics generate the most threads and posts.

 

[LopeHunter]

Series of interviews with old hunters about their hunts in the good old days. Some characters out there have entertainment value. Most of us enjoy the stories of the old days.

Should not step on anyone's sensibilities!

This is gold!! Have you ever seen the Barbershop discussions or the end of season Gold Rush gatherings around a table? Basically, mix together some people that "do" things and have them go over their successes and "not successes" in a relaxed manner. You have to have people who "do" things though as they have credibility compared to people who "sort of tried something a couple of times" so have a lot of theories. Nope, don't care about the unproven ideas and efforts. The group you gather needs time to get comfortable with each other and need a moderator to keep things on track. A panel of 5 deer hunters with a couple from out West, one from SW and SE and NE would be great if they have personalities. My brother and I give each other crap about how he drives to edge of cornfield to morning hunt before heads to work in the fall while I drive 500 miles taking 10 days off work to get skunked while paying 20x for my tag what he does for his. Another panel could be 3 or 4 generations of hunters from Western MT so get stories of pre-designer camo while hunting with Army surplus gear and navigating sedans down forest roads by the meat hunter that did not think much about antlers but rather pounds of meat to contrast with the younger hunter using game cams and drones to scout. Stories of how field dressed a critter in the dark or had to spend the night on a mountain ridge so were ready for the morning near a critter you put to bed, etc. And the failures. And the ribbing.

Likely harder than calculus to get that mix of people around one table where the interaction is interesting. I have been part of those exchanges when travel back to a school reunion or at the bar at an expo and the laughter and bittersweet moments etched into my very core.

 

[ignorethefringes]

Two Words:

Vintage. Randy.

You're welcome. Old, grainy videos from the beginning with your old, big glasses. I'd love to watch a "how it started" series using interviews and old footage.

 

[vanish]

Interviews with other sportsmen, like perhaps members of this forum, talking about their previous season hunts. Perhaps use zoom?

I love a good hunting story and there have to be millions of them out there. To be honest, I wanted to start that as a podcast but I have too many hobbies already.

Obviously not every story will do, and you are making money off other's stories, but I'd bet many wouldn't care.

 

[dht]

I can't imagine how difficult it would be trying to decide what content to produce in these trying times for people. I would think maybe a show or two on something closer to home. Content with maybe introducing somebody new to hunting or somebody more experienced who does not get much opportunity anymore. This discussion brings me back to one of my favorite episodes you have done. It was OYOA episode 10 season 4. It was when you took Ole Olsen deer hunting. This was a great display of giving back to people who obviously meant a lot to you. Maybe something with content like that episode.