What has hunting become?

[Ben Lamb]

I find it interesting how some on this site disagree with this gentleman paying thousands to hunt an animal that he didn't put any time into scouting but have no problem with other people and outfitters who specialize in the same kind of auction tags, governors tags, etc... who basically do the exact same thing.

Absolutely no problem with him purchasing a Gov's tag. 90% of that goes back to FWP & MDF gets to keep 10% to cover their costs. That's fair & equitable for all.

The disdain comes from his willingness to spin seeking access as some form of higher calling to mule deer. If he wants to blow $5k on access, that's up to him. Just as hiring an outfitter is up to him. To claim that this $5K is going to conservation though is a bigger stretch than Stretch Armstrong could have made.

 

[tjones]

Absolutely no problem with him purchasing a Gov's tag. 90% of that goes back to FWP & MDF gets to keep 10% to cover their costs. That's fair & equitable for all.

The disdain comes from his willingness to spin seeking access as some form of higher calling to mule deer. If he wants to blow $5k on access, that's up to him. Just as hiring an outfitter is up to him. To claim that this $5K is going to conservation though is a bigger stretch than Stretch Armstrong could have made.

^^^^This^^^

 

[noharleyyet]

$5000 is pretty cheap

"Chump change"...-(enter celebrity posse here)

 

[twodot]

I don't know,Ben.
His whole deal sounds very "Theodore Roosevelt" to me. What are your thoughts on him?

 

[RobG]

The disdain comes from his willingness to spin seeking access as some form of higher calling to mule deer. If he wants to blow $5k on access, that's up to him. Just as hiring an outfitter is up to him. To claim that this $5K is going to conservation though is a bigger stretch than Stretch Armstrong could have made.

I think those are Montana Outdoors' words claiming the connection, not a stretch by Newsom. A more plausible explanation than them actually thinking paying trespass is conservation is that they are just sloppy writers. Or maybe they just wanted to get a bunch of hits to their site for ad money .

 

[2rocky]

There was a TV hunter named Paul Newsom. Wonder if this is his Kin? Or for all we know he is the San Francisco Mayor's shirtail cousin....

But there is a saying that when your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

In this gentleman's case, his hammer is disposable income.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I don't know,Ben.
His whole deal sounds very "Theodore Roosevelt" to me. What are your thoughts on him?

Not sure I follow. TR worked to find his critters, often times being gone for weeks or a month (or more) in search of game in the west. He never advertised in search of private land to hunt or offer a monetary award for smacking a booner buck.

In fact, when he was presented the opportunity to shoot a large bear that had been found and tied to a tree just for him, he asked that it be turned loose since it was not an actual hunt.

I have no problem with this guy buying the tag, seeking to find a place to hunt or even paying an access fee or hiring a guide. It's the silly spin that the $5K is "for conservation."

It's not. It's to help him secure an advantage in harvesting a large, trophy animal. If it were truly about conservation, then he'd donate that tag back and let MDF auction it again and raise twice the money.

 

[2rocky]

I have no problem with this guy buying the tag, seeking to find a place to hunt or even paying an access fee or hiring a guide. It's the silly spin that the $5K is "for conservation."

It's not. It's to help him secure an advantage in harvesting a large, trophy animal. If it were truly about conservation, then he'd donate that tag back and let MDF auction it again and raise twice the money.

It could be argued that high $ access fees encourage private landowners to provide habitat, but I think it is the part I bolded.

I will state this here...If I ever have the income to purchase a governors tag, I am going to hold a conservation essay contest for a hunter under 21. Then Fin can film the hunt.

 

[tjones]

He is not JUST looking for access or paying a trespass fee.

"He is offering a $5,000 finder’s fee reward to the sportsman or landowner that is able to help him harvest a mule deer with his statewide tag. "

 

[sbhooper]

Unfortunately, this is what hunting has become, not became. He has done nothing that 90 percent of the people on TV haven't done. The conservation bit might be a stretch, but that is a matter of perspective I suppose.

If he is paying a land owner for access, then I guess it would encourage the land owner to take care of the resource. If he is just paying someone to take him into public land to a honey hole, then he is no different than anyone who hires a guide. Since I am getting old, I would forgo a lot of the self-torture and hire someone if I had the money to throw away/justify to buy a guide every year.

The guy will be making someone happy, whether it is for conservation, or some good guy that needs money for his kids' college. There are worse out there for sure.

 

[roadhunter]

Absolutely no problem with him purchasing a Gov's tag. 90% of that goes back to FWP & MDF gets to keep 10% to cover their costs. That's fair & equitable for all.

The disdain comes from his willingness to spin seeking access as some form of higher calling to mule deer. If he wants to blow $5k on access, that's up to him. Just as hiring an outfitter is up to him. To claim that this $5K is going to conservation though is a bigger stretch than Stretch Armstrong could have made.

So the problem is associating the $5k finders fee with conservation. So really all he needs to do is pay the $5k access fee and then pay another $5k to the MDF for conservation and he would be good, or just not claim the $5k finders fee had anything to do with conservation.

Sounds like the guy is active with MDF and on top of purchasing the governors tag he has also spent $50k on another conservation project. No idea what the paid for the governors tag but it sound like he has recently put between $50k and $100k in money that actually helps conservation and we are bashing him because an article said he tried to include the $5k finders/trespass fee as helping conservation.

His method is actually a pretty good idea IMO. Why pick 1 outfitter when you can bypass them and go straight to the landowners. We dont' know if he actually said that the $5k was for conservation or if the guy who wrote the article got that mixed up either. Seems like we are nit picking a guy who does a lot of good for mule deer conservation over something pretty minor IMO. I know I have not put $50k in mule deer conservation so he has already done more than most of us ever will for conservation.

 

[tjones]

So the problem is associating the $5k finders fee with conservation. So really all he needs to do is pay the $5k access fee and then pay another $5k to the MDF for conservation and he would be good, or just not claim the $5k finders fee had anything to do with conservation.

Sounds like the guy is active with MDF and on top of purchasing the governors tag he has also spent $50k on another conservation project. No idea what the paid for the governors tag but it sound like he has recently put between $50k and $100k in money that actually helps conservation and we are bashing him because an article said he tried to include the $5k finders/trespass fee as helping conservation.

His method is actually a pretty good idea IMO. Why pick 1 outfitter when you can bypass them and go straight to the landowners. We dont' know if he actually said that the $5k was for conservation or if the guy who wrote the article got that mixed up either. Seems like we are nit picking a guy who does a lot of good for mule deer conservation over something pretty minor IMO. I know I have not put $50k in mule deer conservation so he has already done more than most of us ever will for conservation.

sheesh,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Rat Fink]

Pay that 5,000 dollars to someone that is not a guide or landowner, and they will be getting a visit from FWP for illegal outfitting.

 

[jryoung]

The project was funded by CTD....though I think there could be a lot more to the story given how poorly it was written.

a $50,000 project with the organization, that was funded by Cheaper than Dirt,

 

[shootist]

I see it the same way most of you do, with a twist. I have no moral or ethical problem with what he is doing. It is not "hunting" the way I do it or grew up doing it, but I'm okay with it. But I think he is reaching to act like his $5000 helps conservation. If I was a landowner with a giant deer that would be easy pickens I would contact him and squeeze more money if he was interested based on the video/photos I showed him.

 

[Biscuit Hunter]

The article appears to have undergone an edit. Gone is the language about harvesting the biggest and oldest buck in the state, and also the $5,000 being a finders fee open to anyone. Either he is in CYA mode, or the writer got the story wrong the first time.

 

[roadhunter]

Article about him.

http://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/darren-newsom-of-bvac-talks-about-ammunition/

20 years ago, Darren Newsom made himself a promise. By 2008, he would own his own business. The years came and went, and when 2008 arrived, Darren made the obvious decision to continue his work in an industry he’d spent more than two decades in: small arms ammunition. In 2008, Darren Newsom started up Bitterroot Valley Ammunition & Components, better known as BVAC. His timing couldn’t have been better. Nestled in a valley just south of Missoula amidst the mountains of Western Montana, BVAC began their mission to provide high quality and low priced ammunition and components to shooters and manufacturers alike.

 

[The Hedgehog]

"I pay by the head" isn't shameful for everybody? Go figure.

I remember in '06 having lunch with a crew of hunters and an ultra wealthy, very famous, pay by the head TV "sportsman" was bragging about how little he had to pay a tribe of natives to track a large male elephant for the better part of a year, to keep track of it before he showed up to kill it. His custom arrows were more expensive than paying a tribe of natives to hunt for him for months. He then went on to brag about the size of the tusks, etc. Another friend of mine (whose family owns some great whitetail river bottom in MT) was also there and listened in. When this guy found out how good the deer hunting was on my pal's family ranch, he tried his best to get access and was emailing both of us for months afterwards. Needless to say - he didn't get on.

 

[tjones]

The article appears to have undergone an edit. Gone is the language about harvesting the biggest and oldest buck in the state, and also the $5,000 being a finders fee open to anyone. Either he is in CYA mode, or the writer got the story wrong the first time.

Wow! Big time edit.

 

[belly-deep]

There are plenty of "chodes" to go around, and this guy isn't doing anything new.

As I sit here now, I'd like to say I wouldn't make a similar offer if given the chance. But I don't have that kind of cash, so I'll never know.

I will say that just because you don't agree with someone's choice does not make them a bad person.