Randy Newberg on Matt Rinella's Podcast

[np307]

Here's something interesting to me that not many people are talking about in this sphere.

Steve and Matt Rinella both are well-educated Midwesterners. How on earth, given the similar paths that they have traveled, did Steve learn to lose some of that midwesterness but Matt doubled down on it?

 

[hearteater]

Just off the top of my head:

Newberg shot & produced a killer episode in the Rocky mtn front. The bill that ended up passing permanently conversed over 300,000 acres of public land that wildlife depend on. That bill also had companion funding of millions for weed management & created a first-of-its-kind conservation management area.

Newberg was deeply involved in the wolf delisting saga & helped push people in the right direction. He used his platforms to televise the first wolf hunt in the lower 48 & did so with an eye towards sustainable management.

Newberg utelized his platforms (all of em) to advocate full funding of lwcf, and he's probably the only person to have blown a bugle in the United States Capital.

Newberg utelized his platforms to help promote the mission & great work of RMEF & many other organizations that do on-the-ground conservation for better habitat & better management.

Randy has taken the film crew to Helena often for the rallies, to testify on bills & for commission meetings. He uses that footage to show hunters how to be advocates.

This platform, which is subsidized by the production side, is one of the best organizing tools for hunters in the US when it comes to ramping up hunter involvement in specific bills at the state & federal levels. His funding of this site is what allowed us to stop the bad bills of 2021 like sb 143 & HB505, and it's been that way since 2009 or so.

Happy to think of some more efforts on how he's given back, but hopefully those help show why so many of us will have his back.

Did anyone else read this and google “utelized” to see if it’s some new word they’re not familiar with?

 

[DFS]

Yeah, but how did that help wildlife…?

Real world results? Sure that was mostly positive stuff, I maintain I simply haven’t seen any benefits. I’ll ask you Gerald has your hunting improved since this movement started? More wildlife in the field, more access to land, better quality of hunt? Damage done has been far greater than any improvement I have seen.

 

[DouglasR]

Real world results? Sure that was mostly positive stuff, I maintain I simply haven’t seen any benefits. I’ll ask you Gerald has your hunting improved since this movement started? More wildlife in the field, more access to land, better quality of hunt? Damage done has been far greater than any improvement I have seen.

One small random example.
My favorite hunting spot here in Illinois is going to be turned into an mtb trail next year and when discussing this with the park superintendent the main reason he gave for being more onboard with the mountain bike club than the hunters is because he felt the mtb trails generate more users.
And it kinda makes sense.
The public land should serve the public... I guess
And to be clear you can still hunt the mtb trail but it’s just not as cool.

 

[DFS]

One small random example.
My favorite hunting spot here in Illinois is going to be turned into an mtb trail next year and when discussing this with the park superintendent the main reason he gave for being more onboard with the mountain bike club than the hunters is because he felt the mtb trails generate more users.
And it kinda makes sense.
The public land should serve the public... I guess
And to be clear you can still hunt the mtb trail but it’s just not as cool.

Maybe I’m missing something but if hunter numbers truly are declining maybe we need to work on where that is happening the East and Midwest. We don’t need to blow up the west where it is booming.

 

[DFS]

The people promoting western hunting are slowly ending western hunting. How ironic is that? We’ve seen it with Idaho deer tags Arizona archery, Colorado elk is going to have to be addressed Montana deer and elk are long over due for an overhaul, once you break one system pressure will get put on the next and they will fall like dominoes. On our way to the kings deer.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Real world results? Sure that was mostly positive stuff, I maintain I simply haven’t seen any benefits. I’ll ask you Gerald has your hunting improved since this movement started? More wildlife in the field, more access to land, better quality of hunt? Damage done has been far greater than any improvement I have seen.

When I first became interested in hunting MT in 1994 there were 17,500 NR elk/deer and 4,600 deer combos available. It took two years to draw. There were no cow only licenses.
Last year 59,000 nonresident deer and elk tags were sold counting in B licenses.

I became a resident in 2002. Hunting in NW Montana was pretty good until wolves became more prevalent @ 2008. By the time we had season for wolves in 2011, elk had significantly shifted their preferred habitat area to the valley floor and away from wolf predation.

Rather than waste my time hunting where accessible elk were more and more difficult to find, I shifted my efforts to a different area of the state with elk and public lands.

Somewhere along the way, shoulder season were introduced and the Legislature’s winter war on elk began. Liberalization of cow tags and either sex elk harvest became the norm for general units outside of the NW corner.

Leasing of land in central and eastern MT became more popular as hunters shifted areas and more elk expanded onto private property.

Amenity ranches became more and more popular with many of the new landowners not allowing access to the folks who hunted those properties. Many of those folks headed to the same spots I was now hunting since I couldn’t find elk back home.

Somewhere in that timeline the Legislature mandated that FWP must manage elk to not exceed objectives. More cow tags were issued. Folks headed to public land to fill those tags in increasing numbers as private access continued to decrease.

Then along came Randy Newberg and started a TV show that chronicled the opportunities available on public lands across the west. His TV show totally screwed up a smoothly operating wildlife management system that was increasing in game quality, quantity, and hunter opportunity.

That TV show single handedly caused FWP to issue unlimited general deer and elk tags to residents and liberalize cow harvest across the state. That TV show is probably single-handedly responsible for brucellosis in elk and bison and every other reason that the agriculture lobby uses to advocate for less elk in Montana. In fact, I am pretty sure that TV show is the cause of halitosis, hang nails and teen acne.

Dang You Randy Newberg. Take your show off the air so I can kill 350” bulls like the good ole days.

 

[DFS]

When I first became interested in hunting MT in 1994 there were 17,500 NR elk/deer and 4,600 deer combos available. It took two years to draw. There were no cow only licenses.
Last year 59,000 nonresident deer and elk tags were sold counting in B licenses.

I became a resident in 2002. Hunting in NW Montana was pretty good until wolves became more prevalent @ 2008. By the time we had season for wolves in 2011, elk had significantly shifted their preferred habitat area to the valley floor and away from wolf predation.

Rather than waste my time hunting where accessible elk were more and more difficult to find, I shifted my efforts to a different area of the state with elk and public lands.

Somewhere along the way, shoulder season were introduced and the Legislature’s winter war on elk began. Liberalization of cow tags and either sex elk harvest became the norm for general units outside of the NW corner.

Leasing of land in central and eastern MT became more popular as hunters shifted areas and more elk expanded onto private property.

Amenity ranches became more and more popular with many of the new landowners not allowing access to the folks who hunted those properties. Many of those folks headed to the same spots I was now hunting since I couldn’t find elk back home.

Somewhere in that timeline the Legislature mandated that FWP must manage elk to not exceed objectives. More cow tags were issued. Folks headed to public land to fill those tags in increasing numbers as private access continued to decrease.

Then along came Randy Newberg and started a TV show that chronicled the opportunities available on public lands across the west. His TV show totally screwed up a smoothly operating wildlife management system that was increasing in game quality, quantity, and hunter opportunity.

That TV show single handedly caused FWP to issue unlimited general deer and elk tags to residents and liberalize cow harvest across the state. That TV show is probably single-handedly responsible for brucellosis in elk and bison and every other reason that the agriculture lobby uses to advocate for less elk in Montana. In fact, I am pretty sure that TV show is the cause of halitosis, hang nails and teen acne.

Dang You Randy Newberg. Take your show off the air so I can kill 350” bulls like the good ole days.

That’s funny, I can tell we aren’t going to agree on this I would suspect we still share some similar thoughts. I think I have this one pegged though, time will tell. I applaud Matt for stepping out with an unpopular view. Someone needed to do it and I hope it gains traction.

 

[Gerald Martin]

By the way, Matt Rinella, if you read this, good job on the podcast. It was a great conversation. I don’t agree with your assessment of how to solve the problems we are facing in Montana with wildlife management but I appreciate your passion and desire to see hunting improve.

The exposure of western hunting on social media is a genie that can’t be put back into the box and wouldn’t change the issue we face even if it could.

If FWP leadership would pull their heads out of their sandcastles and adapt management policies that maintain the quality of the resource instead of catering to anti-elk interests and entitlement minded hunters who don’t want to give up any “opportunity” for the sake of the resource, we wouldn’t be facing as nearly as much diminishment of quality as we currently are. Instead, we buy their marketing of “opportunity, opportunity” and complain that someone told the secrets instead of raising hell and holding FWP accountable in Helena.


We are seeing public land hunters proposing “pick your season” and other strategies to help ease the crowding and loss of quality on public lands. This isn’t because of preference. This is out of desperation that something has to be done to reduce the number of hunters on accessible property and the strain on public trust resources.

 

[TheJason]

Did anyone else read this and google “utelized” to see if it’s some new word they’re not familiar with?

No.

 

[BuzzH]

Real world results? Sure that was mostly positive stuff, I maintain I simply haven’t seen any benefits. I’ll ask you Gerald has your hunting improved since this movement started? More wildlife in the field, more access to land, better quality of hunt? Damage done has been far greater than any improvement I have seen.

I think one thing you need to keep in mind, is you're not considering how much WORSE it could be if not for the involvement of people like Randy.

As Ben pointed out, there was a bunch of crap legislation that could have likely passed without the public engaging on issues.

If you don't believe that what Randy is promoting isn't helping to move the needle you're wrong. I can say with 100% certainty that I wouldn't be nearly as involved with issues in the West without much of the information that is shared on this board. It's also helped immensely for me to get the word out on bad things that go on in Wyoming. Things like the Bonander land exchange, drone/aircraft regulations, corner crossing, saving a few HMA's, and a bunch of other work we get done in Wyoming. Just recently, 2,600 comments, a majority against for outfitter set asides in Wyoming...a good many of those comments from this board.

What's funny, is that lots of people whining the loudest, they weren't actively involved 20-30-40 years ago, they were too busy taking advantage of the good old days to be bothered helping anything to do with wildlife. But, guess who was there, in the trenches? Guess who still is?

Yeah, the guy you're raking over the coals. Make no mistake hunter complacency over the past 2-3 decades has as much, if not more to do with the place we find ourselves than any hunting personality. While you were busy enjoying the good old days, there were groups like MOGA, WOGA, etc. that were/are systematically dismantling the NAM.

Another thing that I appreciate about Randy is that if a person shows ANY kind of initiative to get involved, he makes himself pretty damn accessible. I talk to him all the time about issues in MT and WY. He also offers advice, lends a hand when needed, and makes his platforms available for the betterment of wildlife and public lands. He has a ton of useful contacts that he can either get in touch with, or put you in touch with to assist in the complicated issues hunting, fishing, trapping, and public lands involves.

Its seems very unfair to complain that Randy has only hurt your hunting, I would contend without his platforms, help, and involvement things would be much much worse for you and everyone else.

I do agree that I wish there were more people willing to step up and do more, but as much as I would like to FORCE people to become active participants in hunting, wildlife, habitat, and the associated politics of it, that just isn't realistic. Since I started hunting in 1979, that hasn't changed...everyone likes to complain, very few step up to the plate to invoke change or even to keep what they have. I would also like to see more advocacy and less takers of the resource, but again, that's not new or unique to the hunting world. Every club, group, organization or group of people it never changes, 5% of the people do 95% of the work. Hunting world is no different...its the minority that are willing to stick their necks out to put the work in to keep what we have or improve it.

May want to consider what you haven't done for hunters, before you start critiquing what others have done to help.

 

[SwaggyD]

Is randy to blame for cwd, too? Asking for a friend.

 

[TheTone]

How about the irony that the ONLY REASON, he even has a platform is because he is holding on to the coat tails of his brother. Who is exactly the type of hunting influencer he is railing against!!! Matt has literally done nothing to be heard, his last name is the only "credibility" he has. He may not like the profession Big Fin is in or the effects of it but at least Fin worked his ass off to create the platform, not profit from his brothers hard work! My last point is that Matt's poorly thought out argument is with the state biologists, not Randy. Go bitch to them and have them decrease tag allocations to NRs, I have zero problems with that as a NR. Okay one more point..... I've been working with high school kids for 15+ years and have also been a state sponsored Learn to Hunt instructor in Wisconsin that time and hunting is going to decrease in my opinion and kids live in the social media space and that's just the way it is. You can fight that all you want but the kid who we convince to hunt and loves it is the same kid who wants to show his adventure on social media.

How about the irony that the ONLY REASON, he even has a platform is because he is holding on to the coat tails of his brother. Who is exactly the type of hunting influencer he is railing against!!! Matt has literally done nothing to be heard, his last name is the only "credibility" he has. He may not like the profession Big Fin is in or the effects of it but at least Fin worked his ass off to create the platform, not profit from his brothers hard work! My last point is that Matt's poorly thought out argument is with the state biologists, not Randy. Go bitch to them and have them decrease tag allocations to NRs, I have zero problems with that as a NR. Okay one more point..... I've been working with high school kids for 15+ years and have also been a state sponsored Learn to Hunt instructor in Wisconsin that time and hunting is going to decrease in my opinion and kids live in the social media space and that's just the way it is. You can fight that all you want but the kid who we convince to hunt and loves it is the same kid who wants to show his adventure on social media.

I’d say Matt has done well to be a voice for the environment and wild places. I mean he does have a phd and makes a living studying invasive weeds and managing them. I’ll also say he was cool as can be to talk with in the Ketchikan airport a couple years ago, way better than some influencers I’ve interacted with

 

[DFS]

May want to consider what you haven't done for hunters, before you start critiquing what others have done to help.

I could give a care less about any hunter, if I never shoot another animal I’m fine with that. I’m waiting for the wins to come in for wildlife and habitat which simply hasn’t happened. That’s the point of this correct?

 

[BuzzH]

I could give a care less about any hunter, if I never shoot another animal I’m fine with that. I’m waiting for the wins to come in for wildlife and habitat which simply hasn’t happened. That’s the point of this correct?

What are YOU doing to fix it?

Pitter-Patter...

 

[BuzzH]

Crickets, why am I not surprised?

 

[Gerald Martin]

What are YOU doing to fix it?

Pitter-Patter...

Asking Randy Newberg tough questions…

 

[hearteater]

I think one thing you need to keep in mind, is you're not considering how much WORSE it could be if not for the involvement of people like Randy.

As Ben pointed out, there was a bunch of crap legislation that could have likely passed without the public engaging on issues.

If you don't believe that what Randy is promoting isn't helping to move the needle you're wrong. I can say with 100% certainty that I wouldn't be nearly as involved with issues in the West without much of the information that is shared on this board. It's also helped immensely for me to get the word out on bad things that go on in Wyoming. Things like the Bonander land exchange, drone/aircraft regulations, corner crossing, saving a few HMA's, and a bunch of other work we get done in Wyoming. Just recently, 2,600 comments, a majority against for outfitter set asides in Wyoming...a good many of those comments from this board.

What's funny, is that lots of people whining the loudest, they weren't actively involved 20-30-40 years ago, they were too busy taking advantage of the good old days to be bothered helping anything to do with wildlife. But, guess who was there, in the trenches? Guess who still is?

Yeah, the guy you're raking over the coals. Make no mistake hunter complacency over the past 2-3 decades has as much, if not more to do with the place we find ourselves than any hunting personality. While you were busy enjoying the good old days, there were groups like MOGA, WOGA, etc. that were/are systematically dismantling the NAM.

Another thing that I appreciate about Randy is that if a person shows ANY kind of initiative to get involved, he makes himself pretty damn accessible. I talk to him all the time about issues in MT and WY. He also offers advice, lends a hand when needed, and makes his platforms available for the betterment of wildlife and public lands. He has a ton of useful contacts that he can either get in touch with, or put you in touch with to assist in the complicated issues hunting, fishing, trapping, and public lands involves.

Its seems very unfair to complain that Randy has only hurt your hunting, I would contend without his platforms, help, and involvement things would be much much worse for you and everyone else.

I do agree that I wish there were more people willing to step up and do more, but as much as I would like to FORCE people to become active participants in hunting, wildlife, habitat, and the associated politics of it, that just isn't realistic. Since I started hunting in 1979, that hasn't changed...everyone likes to complain, very few step up to the plate to invoke change or even to keep what they have. I would also like to see more advocacy and less takers of the resource, but again, that's not new or unique to the hunting world. Every club, group, organization or group of people it never changes, 5% of the people do 95% of the work. Hunting world is no different...its the minority that are willing to stick their necks out to put the work in to keep what we have or improve it.

May want to consider what you haven't done for hunters, before you start critiquing what others have done to help.

All good points but no one answers the simple question: If social media and promoting western hunting to gain advocates for the cause is helping then why is it getting so much worse?
Buzz, many people wish you weren’t involved at all. Nonresidents that have funded your state for years lost half their quota in the big 3 and likely the same or worse for DEA in the near future. New Mexico is likely to cut nonresident eligible quota from 16 to 10 percent. Not to mention it’s likely they will eliminate nonresident sheep tags. Colorado… who knows end result but rumblings are major cuts. Idaho new capped zones if you’ve tried for that you know the debacle. Montana at war with elk and in bed with landowner/guides. I’d bet on outfitter set asides there within the next couple years. MN and WI losing wolf seasons. BC losing grizzly seasons. Washington losing black bear seasons. Arizona eliminating unlimited otc deer. Colorado OTC elk that will be a fond memory soon. I’m sure I’m missing a bunch but damn if this is helping I’d like to try the complete opposite for awhile just to see.

 

[DFS]

Crickets, why am I not surprised?

What would you like me to say I make my public comments attend meetings when I have time and work 8-6 in the private sector. I didn’t ask for this. I saw some damn good years and it’s a shell of its former self. I won’t apologize for my thoughts even if they are unpopular. I truly want to see better access, more wildlife, and better hunting for everyone. You guys are riding Randy’s jock strap but no one has answered my question if your hunting has improved?

 

[fwagner]

I’d say Matt has done well to be a voice for the environment and wild places. I mean he does have a phd and makes a living studying invasive weeds and managing them. I’ll also say he was cool as can be to talk with in the Ketchikan airport a couple years ago, way better than some influencers I’ve interacted with

Is that Maynard on your profile pic? Saw them live many years ago.... the best!