Everything but Hunttalk

[Nicoli7153]

I'll be interested to read some of the perspectives on Hunt Talk, for many reasons.

This is a social media platform, albeit one that we control rather than one that is controlled by AI, algorithms, and off-shore moderators. Being social media, it will attractive some who want nothing other than to stir the pot. The ability to have anonymity causes people to interact in ways they likely would not interact in person.

If folks find that this platform has low value, that is important to know, as this site is expensive to maintain, both in terms of money and time. I often say that the last of our platforms I would ever give up on would be Hunt Talk, due to the value it serves in engaging people to take action on important issues.

Finding the proper balance of moderation is difficult. I tend to lean toward less moderation, rather than more. I know that allows some threads to get in the weeds before I close them. It also allows some people to prove their ignorance and remove any further doubt.

Hunt Talk has 20-30 lurkers for each registered user. Very often my posts and my moderation are focused beyond the individuals commenting. I am often focused on those I know who are lurking. I am confident that this site gives policy makers a lot to think about.

In our divided world of politics, it is nearly impossible to keep folks from spewing political opinions, partisan comparisons, and making every issue a defense of, or a support for, their own political views and voting habits. Maybe I need to toast those members who only interact on threads that go into the political weeds, often as the result of posts by these hyper-political members.

I feel there is a place for hunters interested in conservation, access, policy, and public lands that is not driven by the stupidity of algorithms found on IG, FB, or other ad-based platforms. That is why we invest as much time and money as we do in this platform. There have been opportunities to sell this platform and recoup our 14 years of investment, plus some. But, I suspect it would get rolled into a bigger enterprise and become purely a monetization play. At this point in my life, that has little interest to me.

I will admit that there are days when I am very tempted to fold this site. When I come home from a week of travel and there are piles of moderation reports, threads sent to me by Mrs. Fin, and other stuff that is a function of people being assholes, I do wonder why we keep the site open.

When I get that feeling, I look at Hunt Talk engagement and I realize there is no other social media platform that could fill its place. Our FB page has 500K followers. Our IG page has 145K followers. I hate both of those social media platforms and we don't post much there. As a result, Hunt Talk provides many "X" more engagement than those other platforms ever will. And, I get to own/moderate this social media platform. It doesn't take long for the "WTH am I doing" feeling to pass and I dive into the pile of moderation requests and accept that as a cost of hosting something worthwhile.

I'm always open to more and better ways to operate this platform. The reality of a social media platform, including Hunt Talk, is this - the quality of the platform is a function of the quality of content shared and the maturity of the people who are engaging. Yeah, HT might not have an algorithm, so you decide what you get to see, but the quality of what is here to see is a function of all of us.

Far more good than bad (think that holds true for people in general). My dad always told me not to let assholes run your life (have influence), be your own man. FWIW

 

[Brad]

I've noticed a decline in most of the forums I participate on (more backpacking than hunting). Reddit, and to a lesser degree, Facebook have picked up the traffic that used to participate on forums. The one really important aspect of forums that no one (I think) has mentioned is they are a storehouse of collective experience. Through the "search" feature, a user can go back years to re-visit topics that are as pertinent today as they were when first created. Reddit and FB are far more temporal - information on those formats is very difficult to re-access after a few months, let alone decades. Who would not want to have access to several years worth of posts on @Greenhorn 's "Extra Stupid Window Stickers?"

 

[elkduds]

I feel there is a place for hunters interested in conservation, access, policy, and public lands that is not driven by the stupidity of algorithms found on IG, FB, or other ad-based platforms. That is why we invest as much time and money as we do in this platform.

This is why I rarely miss a day here. Members keep each other posted, encourage advocacy, 'discuss' policy, support common causes. We can all take part in that regardless of what tags we apply for, whether we shoot magnum or manbun, prefer new or old music, drive Corolla, Subaru or F tree fiddy.

There is no off-season for public lands, conservation, access or policy.

 

[JEL]

I’m just here for the recipes!

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I am more engaged in policy because of HuntTalk, by a lot. I am also more frustrated by things that I perceive as incongruent with good wildlife management…once you know how the sausage is made there’s not much going back. Some days I wish I was less aware.

The burden of knowledge and all that.

I enjoy cruising through trip reports, though I’m less and less inclined to share my own as time goes on. I text, e-mail, DM, and chat on the phone about hunts with probably half of the people on HT that I’d care to trade stories with.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Any you want to punch in the face? mtmuley

 

[rmyoung1]

I really like this place. I’m way, way, way more informed about the various issues facing the hunting/conservation community as a result of this site. I also really enjoy getting the updates on what’s happening on a state-by-state level. That would be very heard to duplicate elsewhere. I’m hoping HT stays where it is, like it is.

 

[WapitiBob]

It’s draw season. People have to ask for your secret honey hole spot somewhere, because they don’t have time to scout themselves, and it might as well be on HT!

Rokslide started deleting those posts.

 

[mtmuley]

I too want to say thank you. Although a shiver goes down my spine to think what it could look like in 2024, and the amount of work from the team to keep it on the rails.

Why? mtmuley

 

[BuzzH]

I am more engaged in policy because of HuntTalk, by a lot. I am also more frustrated by things that I perceive as incongruent with good wildlife management…once you know how the sausage is made there’s not much going back. Some days I wish I was less aware.

The burden of knowledge and all that.

No kidding, I bet at least a few times a week, I could go back to just buying a tag.

I almost hate knowing what I do about policy.

 

[SanJuanDon]

Ha...every comment except two and the admin are "well-known member"'s who feel they've earned the right to knockdown everyone for asking a question because they have 20,000 comments contributing zero useful information. If the "well-known member"'s don't have anything useful to contribute to someone asking a question, do us all a favor and don't post!

 

[Deleted member 16014]

…don't have anything useful to contribute to someone asking a question, do us all a favor and don't post!

 

[Wildabeest]

Ha...every comment except two and the admin are "well-known member"'s who feel they've earned the right to knockdown everyone for asking a question because they have 20,000 comments contributing zero useful information. If the "well-known member"'s don't have anything useful to contribute to someone asking a question, do us all a favor and don't post!

Welcome to the forum.

 

[SanJuanDon]

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry "well-known member" I am a "member" not "new"!!

 

[mtnkid85]

Just because the session is over doesn't mean our responsibilities are over. Plenty to stew on, argue about, sing kumbaya around campfires over and so on and so on right here.
Public Comment Opportunities .

There is work to be done, yet.

 

[Paisano]

I have to chime in here and say thank you for the forum. As some have mentioned, I’ve plugged into advocacy way more than I would have without hunt talk. I’ve made a few friends on here and received some great advice about various topics. I hope there is a way the forum can continue for everyone involved, especially the folks that run it. I think I’ve been following along since “on your own adventures started.” I’m amazed at what has been accomplished thus far. Congratulations to everyone that makes it happen.

 

[DFS]

There are some cool people on this site. I’ve been lucky to talk to a few meet a few and hunt with a few.

 

[SanJuanDon]

I am on my way to "well-known member"

 

[Deleted member 52098]

Ha...every comment except two and the admin are "well-known member"'s who feel they've earned the right to knockdown everyone for asking a question because they have 20,000 comments contributing zero useful information. If the "well-known member"'s don't have anything useful to contribute to someone asking a question, do us all a favor and don't post!

 

[Hunting Wife]

I’ve met some great people from this site, learned a lot from many people who have been very generous with their time and expertise, and read some really great hunting stories. I count on HT to get the most timely and detailed information during the Legislative sessions, Commission meetings, etc. I’m not sure that would be replaceable if HT went away. I’m always genuinely excited when someone I “know” draws a sweet tag and really love following those hunts, but I’m also less inclined to write mine up anymore. Maybe because it seems like people are more critical than they used to be about how others like to hunt. I don’t know.

The new members who seem to join just to complain about the forum and its members, stir the pot and act like idiots, or ask for honey holes get old. But after getting a brief exposure to the 24Hr Dumpsterfire here a while back, this is clearly still a much nicer place to hang out.