lastlight
Well-known member
The fact of the matter is there is really nothing to be done about "influencers" if you believe in the Constitution and free market. I would love to see a reduction in pressure across the country but that's not likely to happen until over saturation leads to ever poorer experiences that lead to quitting. I'd like to see an expansion in opportunity to cover all the pressure but that's not likely to happen.
I believe in a free market except when it comes to monitizing and profiting off of dead animals/public resource.
Hasn't there been a similar increase in most outdoor recreation though? For my entire life we've been camping at this little lake that my great grandfather engineered the dams on. First come first serve USFS campground. Up until 2020 it was no big deal to pull in Friday afternoon and get a site. That doesn't happen anymore. Some days I think I could walk all the way across the lake on paddle boards.
Yes true, thank you social media and the hashtag. Hotsprings, surf spots, fishing spots, camping spots, on and on and on. I take it that some person(s) blew up your campground onlince. In fact I would bet the house on it!
I think this is a very shortsighted statement. I believe the popularity of the influencers is driven by the increased user base as much as they are driving the increase. This world is a complicated place and if you truly believe there is a singular source responsible for the increase you are very wrong.
Ok I agree that maybe its not solely driven by SM influencers. However, they are the majority cause in the increase. Think Duck Dynasty as one example, you cant possibly argue they single handedly didnt blow up waterfowl hunting. Cam Hanes, you cant argue he didnt start the movement into backpack hunting and now every basin 5 miles in is full of people who consume that content. Many more examples, again marketing works.
But to your point yes, there are a few people who stumbled into hunting with a natural interest. Like me for example, my family didnt hunt. I picked up bird hunting at 18 years old via friends/other mentors. Then naturally gained interest in feeding myself organic meat and started deer hunting pre SM. Then got into out of state hunting because friends were always applying via paper/mail to other states going on epic hunting adventures. Everyone else thought I was crazy, then rogan/meateater happened and those same people started asking a lot of questions.
Not saying you think this but I've seen where people try and compare the old magazines and VHS tapes to todays SM marketing, thats inanse. The billions of people who can easily watch hunting content have an impact like never before. This also creates a problem with the antis/fence riders. We have already had numerous hunting bans because some jack ass posted a video online killing animals. Ok I am all over the place here but you get my point haha.