Breaking Game Laws THEN Uploading It To YouTube?

[Brn2hnt]

Watched the latest video on the mule deer hunt in ID...

Lighted nocks have been a illegal method of take in Idaho for quite a while.

Curious choice to upload footage like that after the fact.

Hopefully there is something else going on that is explained in the next video. Would hate for this to be another Ted Nugent ordeal.

 

[Big Fin]

Yup, lighted nocks are not allowed in Idaho. Marcus was not aware that Idaho was the last remaining state where lighted nocks are not allowed.

The video will be coming down. He did not fill his tag and Part 2 will not be loaded to YouTube. Our mistake. A lot of sunk costs and time (money) in content that won't be used and could have consequences beyond just that.

Nothing else to explain, other than a mistake. Marcus is in Alaska right now. I got ahold of him last night via an inReach. He confirmed he was using lighted nocks. He feels terrible. He sent me messages last night apologizing. Not much he/we can do. When you make a mistake, you admit it, accept whatever comes of it, and move on.

As to your curiosity of the "choice," this might help. I was in Idaho hunting elk (without lighted nocks) until Sunday night. While I was gone, the crew grabbed Marcus' footage, edited it, Marcus reviewed before leaving to AK, and it got loaded to YouTube for a Monday morning release. Neither Marcus or the editors were aware of the rule. I was. Had I reviewed it before it went live, it would have never been used. I would have talked about it with Marcus.

I'm the owner and I will take responsibility for any further consequences. Marcus is a key employee who tries his best to do everything at his highest level. I will support him, no matter what kind of outcomes may develop. I will work on additional checklists for our crews to make sure we know every nuance of every state we hunt in such that things like this don't happen in the field. I will do the same for our internal review processes to catch such things in the event another mistake is made in the field.

Nothing can be done other than admit it was a mistake, take the video down, and let it go down whatever path happens. If folks point it out to authorities and we get in trouble, we will deal with whatever that outcome is. Not hiding anything. Many folks have emailed me. I have told them the same as what I provided here.

I feel bad for Marcus. Anyone who knows him understands what kind of person he is and how he would never do anything intentionally. He's harder on himself than anyone else will be.

 

[2rocky]

Class Act Randy. We shouldn't be surprised.

 

[dgc1963]

I dont know Marcus but for me Id never make any waves on an issue like this one everyone makes a mistake and some are not worth making trouble for another person and some are

 

[Brn2hnt]

Sounds like every other workplace I've been at. There's multiple checks and balances in place, and the one time something goes wrong is when way out of normal situations conspire to eliminate/delay certain checks/balances.

I actually met Marcus while volunteering at the Boise Rendezvous, which contributed heavily to my shock and confusion as to the difference between what I was seeing on screen vs what I saw in person.

Very glad to hear that it was just a nearly impossible combination of circumstances, and for your continued unwavering integrity, especially towards employees.

Always standing right beside them and in front.

Not to mention, it is quite possibly the stupidest game law in existence (Sunday hunting in whatever Eastern states notwithstanding)

 

[Finnman]

Stuff happens. Archery hunted Montana the first week and saw a guy with Montana plates checking trail cams. On public land.

 

[406LIFE]

Marcus's character has been above reproach in my experience and Randy's support is admirable. A mistake, sure, but not one that should marr an otherwise sterling reputation for both Marcus and Randy's outfit. A lesson I'm sure will be heeded in the future.

 

[Point Creep]

Stuff happens. Archery hunted Montana the first week and saw a guy with Montana plates checking trail cams. On public land.

Is that illegal?

 

[golfer]

Stuff happens. Archery hunted Montana the first week and saw a guy with Montana plates checking trail cams. On public land.

Game cameras aren’t illegal in Montana during season as long as they don’t transmit images instantly.

 

[thomas89]

Not the crime of the century. I am not afraid to admit I have inadvertently broke rules before and been waiting for the outcome with that pit in my stomach.

Sad anymore that it seems so damn “AHA GOTCHA!” Vs. a “hey just something I think you should know...”. Seems amplified by the “celebrity” status of this platform. It also seems almost inevitable with hunting different states with the same equipment with quick turnarounds in between trips. Not to “justify” it, but hardly seems worth getting worked up over.

 

[Finnman]

Oh, my bad! Must have changed the law.

 

[huntid73]

Yup, lighted nocks are not allowed in Idaho. Marcus was not aware that Idaho was the last remaining state where lighted nocks are not allowed.

The video will be coming down. He did not fill his tag and Part 2 will not be loaded to YouTube. Our mistake. A lot of sunk costs and time (money) in content that won't be used and could have consequences beyond just that.

Nothing else to explain, other than a mistake. Marcus is in Alaska right now. I got ahold of him last night via an inReach. He confirmed he was using lighted nocks. He feels terrible. He sent me messages last night apologizing. Not much he/we can do. When you make a mistake, you admit it, accept whatever comes of it, and move on.

As to your curiosity of the "choice," this might help. I was in Idaho hunting elk (without lighted nocks) until Sunday night. While I was gone, the crew grabbed Marcus' footage, edited it, Marcus reviewed before leaving to AK, and it got loaded to YouTube for a Monday morning release. Neither Marcus or the editors were aware of the rule. I was. Had I reviewed it before it went live, it would have never been used. I would have talked about it with Marcus.

I'm the owner and I will take responsibility for any further consequences. Marcus is a key employee who tries his to do everything at his highest level. I will support him, no matter what kind outcomes may develop. I will work on additional checklists for our crews to make sure we know every nuance of every state we hunt in such that things like this don't happen in the field. I will do the same for our internal review processes to catch such things in the event another mistake is made in the field.

Nothing can be done other than admit it was a mistake, take the video down, and let it go down whatever path happens. If folks point it out to authorities and we get in trouble, we will deal with whatever that outcome is. Not hiding anything. Many folks have emailed me. I have told them the same as what I provided here.

I feel bad for Marcus. Anyone who knows him understands what kind of person he is and how he would never do anything intentionally. He's harder on himself than anyone else will be.

This is why I follow your channels. Thanks Randy and crew for owning mistakes! I wish other outdoorsman who push their shows and merch would hold themselves to the standards you guys do your best to uphold.

 

[Gellar]

Dang, I had my money on Randy going all Chris Brackett on Marcus.

Just kidding, this is exactly how I would have guessed this situation to be handled and in my opinion shows why Randy and crew are the best in the business. A lot harsher game crimes are being committed by hunters everyday and I would hope this results in no more then a written warning.

 

[NoWiser]

A simple PM to Randy as a heads-up would have been sufficient. I don't really understand why it's necessary to publicly call out what, to me, was obviously an innocent mistake on Marcus's part. Anyone who has hunted long enough has surely made a few of their own.

 

[thomas89]

A simple PM to Randy as a heads-up would have been sufficient. I don't really understand why it's necessary to publicly call out what, to me, was obviously an innocent mistake on Marcus's part. Anyone who has hunted long enough has surely made a few of their own.

False, a “holier than thou” approach is much better!

 

[Deleted member 38069]

You must have been fun to play games with as a kid!

 

[beginnerhunter]

Similar thing happened to Hushin a while back with a habitat stamp or something (was it also Idaho?). The fine minutiae and variation of rules across the country is one obstacle to hunter recruitment. So easy to make a mistake in your OWN state let alone another. Not saying states don't have the right to make the rules, they obviously do, but it does make things more difficult. Still, our duty is to comply best we can.

Feel bad for Marcus, but I don't think anyone would accuse him of flaunting the rules. Lighted nocks are a recovery tool, IMO, that does not give a hunter any advantage in the taking of a game animal. Hopefully he won't be punished too severely.

Glad I got to see the video before it was taken down, excellent videography.

 

[BuzzH]

For anyone that hunts a bunch of states, it often takes a while to read through, remember, and make sure you have all your ducks in a row.

My wife and I hunted NM for pronghorn a number of years ago, and even after reading through the regs a couple times, there was a stamp that was required that I missed the first time. Luckily we got there in time to purchase them the day before.

I have a bunch of friends that hunt here in Wyoming that I have to remind to get their required conservation stamps, make sure they have hunters orange, make sure they know how to take care of the landowner coupons, make sure they have the elk feed ground stamp, make sure they have proof of their hunters education, all requirements that many aren't even aware of, etc. etc.

Point is, there's just a whole pile of hoops and laws that vary from state to state...pretty easy, once you've hunted multiple states a year, to see how things can get missed.

 

[FlatlanderAZ]

I actually met Marcus while volunteering at the Boise Rendezvous, which contributed heavily to my shock and confusion as to the difference between what I was seeing on screen vs what I saw in person.

Not to mention, it is quite possibly the stupidest game law in existence (Sunday hunting in whatever Eastern states notwithstanding)

Shock and confusion? Are you posting on a hunting board or writing a press release? This was easily recognizable as a mistake from a NR who doesn’t hunt ID regularly.

Last year I nearly showed up to my moose hunt with hybrid broadheads because of ID’s archaic primitive weapons laws. Pretty easy to do if you don’t have a local buddy to rely on.

I would collectively lump ID’s archery/muzzleloader laws into your assertion about dumb game laws.

 

[Point Creep]

I personally think Marcus should be publicly bull whipped before being crucified. Frikkin poacher.