Rinella article.. CUT AND PASTED

[MTelkHuntress]

Having said that, may ask a quick question: Has anyone intentionally “unfollowed” any instahunters or influencers as a result of Matt’s article?

A couple people I follow have done that and posted about why they did after reading Matt Rinella's article.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

We can all do our part to normalize hunting and wildgame consumption. From quality shows to simple acts, we can all do something about it. As much as I've stopped watching MeatEater and following Steven Rinella, I've also seen the positive the show has done. Tons of non-

We can all do our part to normalize hunting and wildgame consumption. From quality shows to simple acts, we can all do something about it. As much as I've stopped watching MeatEater and following Steven Rinella, I've also seen the positive the show has done. Tons of non-hunters have come to me and said they watched MeatEater and it gave them a better understanding of the sport and in turn made them allies.

For me, normalizing our sport involves bringing in people who have never consumed "real" wildgame, commercial elk burgers you ate at a resto don't count, and show them the why and how. Giving them some meat and talking about my crazy hunting adventures. I have tons of friends who don't hunt ask me about my various trips and are genuinelly intersted, the same way I listen to their stories about their own hobbies with interest.

I think we can all do something to impart a postive spin on hunting; be it not posting gory grip and grin pictures, severed heads on bloody tailgates, driving around town with an uncovered carcass strapped to the hood of your Corolla, dumping carcasses and hides in ditches, etc. Creating quality hunting content that shows the "why we do it" is well beyond most of our abilities and I prefer leaving that to the pros. But every one of us can do simple things to help our sport and not make us look like a bunch of blood thirsty greasy rednecks.

Having a discussion about normalizing the consumption of real wildgame and having the opportunity to donate some of that well prepared meat to those who need it elk burgers you ate at a resto don't count, and show them the why and how. Giving them some meat and talking about my crazy hunting adventures. I have ton

We can all do our part to normalize hunting and wildgame consumption. From quality shows to simple acts, we can all do something about it. As much as I've stopped watching MeatEater and following Steven Rinella, I've also seen the positive the show has done. Tons of non-hunters have come to me and said they watched MeatEater and it gave them a better understanding of the sport and in turn made them allies.

For me, normalizing our sport involves bringing in people who have never consumed "real" wildgame, commercial elk burgers you ate at a resto don't count, and show them the why and how. Giving them some meat and talking about my crazy hunting adventures. I have tons of friends who don't hunt ask me about my various trips and are genuinelly intersted, the same way I listen to their stories about their own hobbies with interest.

I think we can all do something to impart a postive spin on hunting; be it not posting gory grip and grin pictures, severed heads on bloody tailgates, driving around town with an uncovered carcass strapped to the hood of your Corolla, dumping carcasses and hides in ditches, etc. Creating quality hunting content that shows the "why we do it" is well beyond most of our abilities and I prefer leaving that to the pros. But every one of us can do simple things to help our sport and not make us look like a bunch of blood thirsty greasy rednecks.

Having a discussion about normalizing the consumption of real wildgame and having the opportunity to donate some of that well prepared meat to those who need it is a great opportunity, IMO. My ancestors started arriving in NA in the 16th century and have thrived on this land for centuries. What used to be normal, ie eating game, has now become a strange thing to most. My goal isn't to turn everyone to hunting, but to normalize what we do and how we chose to live our lives.

In MA you legally have to leave your deer exposed in your vehicle until it’s checked


I think also on the Steve v. Matt Rinella struggle for the future of hunting debate, you have to acknowledge Matt’s more limited perspective. Steve lived in Michigan and Bozeman, but also NYC and Seattle.

Sure I too try to bring non-hunters into the idea of procuring your own food, I will also say me sharing meat with friends in Bozeman was totally different than doing so in Boston; In terms of how far outside of hunting culture those people were comparatively.

Netflix is a totally different platform than Instagram.

I also imagine there is a Matt Rinella of the outdoors writing diatribes about Jimmy Chin.

 

[TOGIE]

^^

I have been thinking about Jimmy Chin a lot during this whole thread. Dude just dropped a book that’s getting pushed hard on Instagram.

Isn’t climbing and mountaineering supposed to be among the pinnacle of pure and spiritual outdoor pursuits? Talk about one of the most heavily monetized sports on the planet, hunting doesn’t even come close IMO.

I’m also thinking about a particular gorgeous high alpine blue laked icy basin in colorado that has irrefutably been totally “destroyed” by Backpacker Magazine and the ensuing social media insanity.

Matt is far from wrong I still can’t help but believe. But I whole heartedly believe he is not 100% right.

 

[hank4elk]

Man your deep thinkers. Lots to think about here.

66 yrs. old now. There's been a lot of changes since 1955. Post WWII,Pasadena,CA.
But I always wanted to be outside. Mom said when they asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" , my answer was, a Park Ranger. I was 6 she said. She was very proud the day I did,when I was 38. 20 yrs.
Just make sure folks have an enjoyable,safe time in the outdoors. Simple job. But never was.

Was I part of the problem being discussed here?

Late to the interweb. Banned on Jesses,MM & RS...in a couple years....LOL
I was on FB to connect with family and friends. 2 yrs,and done. Got bad feedback when I posted a bull on the ground here at home, from family & friends.....from a sister I fed a few times with game I took or trout I caught. I rarely ever heard from any one I knew before I retired any way.
Never been to IG. I do YT and podcasts. I rarely watch any hunts or outdoors stuff on YT...well Mavericks surfing.....LOL

HT.

I really liked the Joe R comments, since I have been a fan of his comedy for years before I started watching/listening to JRE, at the very start. But I both cringe and look forward to some guests....and never watch some. The guy would not last on a real hunt,solo. I could be wrong.

Am I part of the problem? Am I stoking the algae rythyms?

Been hunting for 50 years. Seen some changes. I started with a push from an uncle. Late 60's.
I added up the deer since that 1st forky the other night in my head. 35 blacktails & 37 mule deer. I had a string of 2 deer a year for 10 years.One on the coast at home and one in the Sierras.
I totaled the elk since 1975.8 bulls and now 7 cows.
I have always shared my good fortune with fish or game.

Am I part of the problem?

I have always hunted alone. Well a hand full of times with others,my brother included.
I have a few photographs of all the years hunting and fishing I have done.
I have posted some here on HT since 09'? I do not recall a GG? Maybe with a buddy or from?
I have always tried to help others,when I could. I did learn what trolls are....lol.
It does feel good to get a like I guess.
I do know how to use I.

Am I part of the problem?

I know very few of you HT folks,personally. Like maybe 6? Prolly less....
Have no idea of where any of you live nor how you go about it on a daily basis.
I should check out the videos that started all this,I guess.
Wildlife habitat,my home is in the trees. All the projects I have worked on in my life. At work,hundreds.RMEF,MDF,DU,fishing clinics. FS projects,amendments,peer reviews. A Congressional hearing....testimony.

Am I part of the problem? Or just lucky?

I'm sure the slight increase in the population here will subside & decline. Bozangeles it is not.
I hope I get skylink and can enjoy some of the stuff I see you folks post or talk about.Someday.

I hope Randy keeps up the good work he does. I have no idea of how he does it.

I do know this place is my family now. Poor me..............LOL

Oh,Carry on.I just did.

 

[SaskHunter]

In MA you legally have to leave your deer exposed in your vehicle until it’s checked

I won't believe you until I see your open carry Corolla set up!!!

 

[vanish]

Has anyone intentionally “unfollowed” any instahunters or influencers as a result of Matt’s article?

I removed 3 YouTube channels that I was subscribed to where I deemed the content had moved from the creators sharing their experience for the love of it, to sharing for the likes ( and usually thus $$ ).

I think this is the difference between the influencers in Matt's article, and people like the woman in the rebuttal article linked recently. What's the motivation? The louder you tell me to "smash that like button" the more likely I will be to never watch your content again.

---

On the topic of meat consumption, I've historically posted the breakdown of meat in my journal. In 2016 + 2017 ( I could be off a year), my wife and I brought home a combined 1400 pounds of venison due to a lucky set of circumstances. I know people had to read my journal and wonder what the heck a family of 2 would do with that.

First thing was to vacuum pack it so it would last. We havent bought beef or pork in more than a decade. Eat a lot by creating variety ( like 10 kinds of sausage ). We used to host a group of 20 people to our house consistently weekly for game nights, and you can go through a lot of meat quickly with 20 people. Lastly, we shared with friends and family who enjoy venison but weren't as fortunate that year, or dont hunt altogether.

I actually canceled a hunt with my dad in 2017 as I was uncomfortable with the idea of possibly bringing home any more. The idea of hunting with the knowledge that should I pull the trigger I would be forced to donate the meat to some place unknown to me just didn't sit right.

2018 saw me being much more selective than usual, and I haven't bought a doe tag or cow elk tag since. We finished off the 2017 meat by the end of 2019, and caught up to current year finally this year and we are glad we've got some meat from 2020 still, as this year we only brought home 70 pounds.

---

I really like posing the question "What are you doing differently because of social media?"

If the answer is "bringing a camera along", this is probably fine. This would be akin to the woman in the rebuttal.

If its "buying tags in 15 states instead of 2 or 3", that's a problem.

"Doing it for the Gram" is bad for everything, not just hunting.

 

[idahohuntr]

I don't have any problem donating meat to friends, family, or charities. If you've wacked so many animals to create content *cough Working Class Bow Wounder* that you have to look for places to offload meat you're probably hunting for the wrong reasons.

This brings up a point I've thought of (and raised) before: How much public land, public tag opportunity should be allowed/allocated to commercial activity? Mostly thinking of limited quota tags/applications in western states...

All these social media types are incentivized to produce content, so they all start putting themselves and their staff and their family etc. in for all kinds of limited quota hunts for the express purpose of producing 'content' for commercial value/purpose. I'd like to see those folks capped and limited to a small subset of tags. They are taking opportunity from non-commercial/non-professional diy folks and I think it needs to be heavily regulated.

 

[TOGIE]

This brings up a point I've thought of (and raised) before: How much public land, public tag opportunity should be allowed/allocated to commercial activity? Mostly thinking of limited quota tags/applications in western states...

All these social media types are incentivized to produce content, so they all start putting themselves and their staff and their family etc. in for all kinds of limited quota hunts for the express purpose of producing 'content' for commercial value/purpose. I'd like to see those folks capped and limited to a small subset of tags. They are taking opportunity from non-commercial/non-professional diy folks and I think it needs to be heavily regulated.

careful with that question/thought. montana leadership could get some ideas and run the other way with. you know, like, see another opportunity to carve away more tags to be guaranteed to influencers for some sweet sweet cash and a stipulation to use the right hash tags

 

[kansasdad]

I'd like to see those folks capped and limited to a small subset of tags. They are taking opportunity from non-commercial/non-professional diy folks and I think it needs to be heavily regulated.

I think I see it differently. Each person applying should be treated exactly the same, whether applying for one tag in one state, or in every state of the union, and in every province of Canada. Each states rules should apply equally uniform to all, whether you be the President's son or an everyday Tom, Dick or Harry. No preferences given to famous folks and captains of industry (looking at you Wyoming, and OneShot Antelope hunts) and no less a chance to little ol' peons like kansasdad.

And as I type this, I confess how conflicted I am with the Governor's tags (and each state's equivalent auction tags, and even the many raffle tag options) many states have. Some tags go for $100K every year, which is supposed to go towards habitat and wildlife improvements, which is laudable, but it allows fortunate/rich folks to jump the line to pulling a tag. Not egalitarian.

 

[Sytes]

The problem with being 9 pages late to a thread is that I want to contribute/join the conversation, but not derail the direction this thing is naturally going.
Having said that, may ask a quick question: Has anyone intentionally “unfollowed” any instahunters or influencers as a result of Matt’s article?

Seems the majority of those I randomly passed were beyond my interest to begin. The only real show that captured my attention was back whenever On Your Own Adventures first aired. The "real" sense of hunting, public land, and meaningful dialogue captured my attention. That introduction was the best!

 

[BenInMT]

If you are killing dozens of game animals a year for sport you might need to get checked out because you could be a sociopath.

 

[Randi]

Approx 10 years ago it got so bad on the Cabelas forum, the forum was shut down. Several members of this forum will remember, but not fondly.

They attempted to get Pat fired from his job because he hunted. They managed to get a wonderful group hunt organized by Walt cancelled because they were not included. April was vilified for being generous. She bought three different forum friends rifles and gave one a hunt, but one fellow who was not a recipient of her generosity was brutally nasty to her, but as you would suspect, she didn't give an inch. From memory Panda Bear had it the worst however, as they threatened her, her family and her job. It got so scary for her that law enforcement was notified.

Panda Bear and her race are still vilified, even here. i.e. The poison arrow thread.

My point is obvious. "Social Media" can be entertaining, educational, and dangerous.

This forum is very well managed. The support of my statement that not all women who hunt and post on Facebook are "hoes" was appreciated. I was glad to see the thread by the female asking for votes deleted, but I was disappointed in some of the dialogue that followed. Regardless the entire thread is gone, thank you Randy.

I dont envy Randy and his crew, it is a tough balancing act for sure. I totally respect his willingness to post his failures--missed shot, wounded animal, lost animal and the reason that he does it. It is real, it happens to all of us, if you hunt often enough and/or long enough.

Personally I would not, nor would I show "finishing" off an animal. I very simply would not give the "antis" any additional ammo, so to speak.

As to meat in the freezer. We have enough family and friends that all the meat from each animal we hunt goes into the freezer. Sometimes, in order ro free up freezer space, we are forced to eat some kind of wild game with our eggs for breakfast but that is o.k.

 

[geetar]

Gotta wonder how those who oppose hunting would feel about there vegan diet if you attached a go pro to some farm equipment to capture live footage of how many living things die so they can live their non violent lifestyle. All joking aside just think before you post. If you kill something and make a bad shot it’s okay and even honorable to admit it but no one who wasn’t there needs to see someone shoot the last 3 arrows in their quiver at a wounded animal and then do a talk about how even if you shoot every day stuff still goes wrong.

 

[redhub1]

I do agree with Matt on a few points, but even if we were able to keep ourselves off of social media and Steve didn't have Meateater, hunting is doomed. Probably not in our lifetimes but maybe, in our grandchildren's lives. The number of people in the U.S. is expanding exponentially. Even if the number of hunters remains 1-5% of the population, we are not making any new public land. Maybe the meat eater and Randy are getting more people into hunting, but even if they weren't, it wouldn't matter anyway. No way are we going to have enough public land or animals to hunt in the near future. It is inevitably going to be for the rich and elite in a few generations. We all know what happens to the price of a good or service when the demand outstrips supply. Social media is not the problem, population and expansion is. But, you can't get the genie back into the bottle. Just my two cents.

 

[LousyResident]

I seem to recall Matt talking in the "Stars in the Sky" film where he basically said something like, "I'm not concerned about whether people are still hunting in the future. I'm concerned about hunting now and how I can preserve my rights to do this thing."

I'm sure that's a butchering of the actual statement but it really stood out to me when I watched it. I recall being confused by him basically saying that he didn't care whether hunting was preserved long term. Does anyone else remember that?

 

[88man]

more peer group research

 

[Irrelevant]

So I agreed more with Matt's article than I did that podcast. I came away after listening that he's just a cranky hypocritical old man.

Is showing people pics of your dead critters any worse for promoting hunting that reading Jack O'Conner stories about far off lands and game? How can you be fine with O'Conner and not Steve or Randy? Did Outdoor Life not sell ads alongside Jack's stories?

He seems to be more against the general idea of profiteering off public resources.

 

[vanish]

So I agreed more with Matt's article than I did that podcast. I came away after listening that he's just a cranky hypocritical old man.

The Blood Origins podcast, or is there a new one with MeatEater?

Though I agreed with many concepts in the article as stated earlier, I found the BO podcast pretty difficult to listen to. His POV there is overboard, elitist and tunnel visioned.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I seem to recall Matt talking in the "Stars in the Sky" film where he basically said something like, "I'm not concerned about whether people are still hunting in the future. I'm concerned about hunting now and how I can preserve my rights to do this thing."

I'm sure that's a butchering of the actual statement but it really stood out to me when I watched it. I recall being confused by him basically saying that he didn't care whether hunting was preserved long term. Does anyone else remember that?

Yeah I think that's a fairly close paraphrase. Fully statement is actually in the trailer. ^

It does seem at times if the rhetoric is just there to justify being pissed about having other folks in your elk spot.

I think I'm more on the opposite side of the spectrum and would be fine if tomorrow someone said, so we are going to let public land hunting continue but you never get to pull the trigger again.

 

[Irrelevant]

I found the BO podcast pretty difficult to listen to. His POV there is overboard, elitist and tunnel visioned.

This one. I haven't listened to the new ME yet.