bullbugle307
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I’ve gotten to where I do the exact opposite. If I see the influencer crowd pushing a hunt opportunity, I figure that’s pretty well ruined at that point.
Influenced
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noharleyyet
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Sometimes it's ok to be whipped while under duress.
-Wendy Rhoads
2rocky
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The last time I was influenced was when Badlands 4500 was THE hunting pack. Then I started shooting well and had a few animals under my belt. I wrote about a few hunts and some companies wanted me to write about their stuff. Somewhere along the line, I think I was at an ISE show, and I saw some bleach blond dude in head to toe Kings Camo and thought to myself "I don't wanna be that dude."
At that same show I recall seeing Jim Shockey standing all alone at his booth. Hands behind his back, with an expression of .....I don't know....Expectation? Kinda like the prom queen walking into a room waiting to be recognized. I could have had his undivided attention and a good conversation could have ensued, But I was kinda just put off. (And I've heard good things about Jim as a Person).
Never Meet your Heroes
At that same show I recall seeing Jim Shockey standing all alone at his booth. Hands behind his back, with an expression of .....I don't know....Expectation? Kinda like the prom queen walking into a room waiting to be recognized. I could have had his undivided attention and a good conversation could have ensued, But I was kinda just put off. (And I've heard good things about Jim as a Person).
Never Meet your Heroes
I think part of the difference between those guys and the current crop is the barriers to entry have been tremendously reduced and the body counts for content have gone up tremendously. Guys are killing 5 elk, 5-6 deer, a bear or two every year just to keep the content flowing. I’d guess most of today’s influencers couldn’t write a coherent magazine article or book if their life depended on it
D
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Keep hammering bro
rogerthat
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Yeah I forgot Hanes. What the hell. When I built my house I used Sheetrock nails instead of screws…so I could keep hammering. #influenced
2rocky
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OntarioHunter
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I am influenced ... by myself. I make my choices mostly based on what I see and feel, not what some celebrity tells me I must have to be a better hunter. Being a better hunter is 99% experience in the field and the remainder is gear, gun, ammo, and range time.
My gear choices:
Waterfowl 4-in-1 jacket I found on sale at Scheels a couple years ago for $150 (vs essentially the same thing Cabelas brand @ $300+). For extreme cold I can zip in a better liner jacket from new 4-in-1 Remington jacket found in Goodwill for $35 (shell on that one is not great).
Browning Pheasants Are Forever upland vest on sale also at Grand Forks Scheels about four years ago to replace the worn out nice Walls one I bought on sale at Havre Big R's about fifteen years ago (now discontinued).
Big game hunting I often wear the red no name fleece jacket my late wife ordered from Canadian Geographic maybe twenty years ago.
My daypack is a small cheap no name one bought at the local university bookstore circa 1991. I also have a discontinued fancy Browning one I bought on sale at Kalispell Ski Haus maybe six years ago, but rarely use it for anything but plane carry-on going to Africa. Hate the bulky kidney pads (totally overkill for a pack that size). Looks nice and cheap enough so what the hell.
I have a fancy lined Kuiu vest that was a gift for signing up with SCI. I guess they are expensive but I don't like it. Their camo pattern is an eyesore and it doesn't breathe worth crap. If I need an extra layer i typically wear a forest green no name unlined fleece vest found at Goodwill for $3.50. Very nice quality with former owner's company logo embroidered discreetly on front (guess I could remove it but why?)
Pants are anything I can find that fits and is the right color. Used to prefer green Wrangler jeans but they stopped making them in that color. Camo pants (and boots!) is silly overkill. Waste of money. Pants rarely last me more than a couple of years anyway no matter who makes them. Cathart is crap. Wrangler jeans held up much better.
Similarly, I don't get too wound up about footwear. I wear the soles off just about any boot in less than three years. Mostly these days I stick to Muck Boots. My first pair was a gift from my daughter about nine years ago. Never looked back. On my third pair now and they're about done.
An influencer girlfriend convinced me I needed merino socks for our Alaska fishing trip. Pfft! Big $$$ and they didn't last through the end of hunting season.
I have an awful time finding a ball cap that fits properly. All made for little Chinamen's heads. Right now I'm wearing my old Park Service uniform cap. Only one I've ever put on my head that is actually too big. Fleece stocking cap style is big with all the influencers right now but most of them aren't old enough yet to need glasses. Their brimless days are numbered!
My guns are old, well worn, and cobbled together. But they still kill a lot of shit. On most days my 1961 A-5 Magnum Twelve wearing ugly black plastic blows the doors off all the fancy O/Us at the range. What influencer shoots big game with WWII surplus military guns (except in Africa)?
My hunting dogs have almost entirely been from garage breeders (Fr Brit is the exception) ... and they have all been great. Best in the lot cost me $35. Never owned a dog training book or video.
My gear choices:
Waterfowl 4-in-1 jacket I found on sale at Scheels a couple years ago for $150 (vs essentially the same thing Cabelas brand @ $300+). For extreme cold I can zip in a better liner jacket from new 4-in-1 Remington jacket found in Goodwill for $35 (shell on that one is not great).
Browning Pheasants Are Forever upland vest on sale also at Grand Forks Scheels about four years ago to replace the worn out nice Walls one I bought on sale at Havre Big R's about fifteen years ago (now discontinued).
Big game hunting I often wear the red no name fleece jacket my late wife ordered from Canadian Geographic maybe twenty years ago.
My daypack is a small cheap no name one bought at the local university bookstore circa 1991. I also have a discontinued fancy Browning one I bought on sale at Kalispell Ski Haus maybe six years ago, but rarely use it for anything but plane carry-on going to Africa. Hate the bulky kidney pads (totally overkill for a pack that size). Looks nice and cheap enough so what the hell.
I have a fancy lined Kuiu vest that was a gift for signing up with SCI. I guess they are expensive but I don't like it. Their camo pattern is an eyesore and it doesn't breathe worth crap. If I need an extra layer i typically wear a forest green no name unlined fleece vest found at Goodwill for $3.50. Very nice quality with former owner's company logo embroidered discreetly on front (guess I could remove it but why?)
Pants are anything I can find that fits and is the right color. Used to prefer green Wrangler jeans but they stopped making them in that color. Camo pants (and boots!) is silly overkill. Waste of money. Pants rarely last me more than a couple of years anyway no matter who makes them. Cathart is crap. Wrangler jeans held up much better.
Similarly, I don't get too wound up about footwear. I wear the soles off just about any boot in less than three years. Mostly these days I stick to Muck Boots. My first pair was a gift from my daughter about nine years ago. Never looked back. On my third pair now and they're about done.
An influencer girlfriend convinced me I needed merino socks for our Alaska fishing trip. Pfft! Big $$$ and they didn't last through the end of hunting season.
I have an awful time finding a ball cap that fits properly. All made for little Chinamen's heads. Right now I'm wearing my old Park Service uniform cap. Only one I've ever put on my head that is actually too big. Fleece stocking cap style is big with all the influencers right now but most of them aren't old enough yet to need glasses. Their brimless days are numbered!
My guns are old, well worn, and cobbled together. But they still kill a lot of shit. On most days my 1961 A-5 Magnum Twelve wearing ugly black plastic blows the doors off all the fancy O/Us at the range. What influencer shoots big game with WWII surplus military guns (except in Africa)?
My hunting dogs have almost entirely been from garage breeders (Fr Brit is the exception) ... and they have all been great. Best in the lot cost me $35. Never owned a dog training book or video.
MTLabrador
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If you guys all see me hunting elk in white scratchy cotton socks and muck boots this fall I guess you can consider me influenced.
I have been influenced 100%, also having worked a lot of management and outdoor retail gigs, I have been able to buy the fancy stuff for the normal gear price or better.
I undoubtedly wear First Lite because of Meat Eater. Many reasons, but I think Meat Eater is probably the best made hunting content out there. I dont necessarily like the growth of hunting "influencers", shed hunters and especially how bow hunting has grown. I hate seeing celebrities and other brands just all the sudden pump out hunting content and act like they are all about it. Things get "douchey" very fast. However I think it comes from true passion and love of the outdoors for cases like Steve Rinella and Ryan Callaghan. The stories and highs and lows of hunting and how they show it all is amazing. I feel like they are worlds apart than most in documenting our way of life and passion.
I absolutely love my first lite gear, its my guilty pleasure. I know I dont need it and I know its overpriced but I love it and buy it when I can. I love having certain gear and apparel for hunting and if it helps support guys like them than I am all for it. Especially when it seems like they are very in tune with laws, organizations, and fighting for our way of life.
I heard a lot of hype around Crispi Boots, I tried a pair because I was moving away from Under Armour, and they fit my feet and I liked them. I will use and buy them until something tells me to change.
I shoot Mathews mainly because it was my first bow, my dad gave it to me when he could no longer use it. I liked it and kept buying Mathews.
I have two mystery ranch packs, mainly because I heard great things and love the meat shelf idea, since I had a bad experience with a crummy Rustic Ridge meat frame. Again, having worked outdoor retail I have both packs for less than one on the shelf at a store.
Probably can go on and on, I think as long as you are influenced in a good way other than conned by people just wanting likes and trying to grow fast so they can quit there job is key. I have taken influence from people like Randy Newberg and Steve Rinella and haven't felt scammed. Its obvious to see these guys have done this and shared there passions before it was cool and before the framework of how to do it was built. A lot of band waggoners now, and you see them more and more be frauds or caught with wildlife violations. There are a few guys left that I feel like it comes from straight honesty and passion and I'm ok with listening to them and then finding out on my own what works for me.
In the long run it probably has saved me more money then going with some other brand or item and letting it let me down.
rogerthat
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Boy speaking of crispi boots, those things are pos. The pair I got leaked water instantly. Wish I hadn’t been influenced to by those by my wife telling me to stop being a cheap skate and buying cheap boots. I will take the cheap keens that don’t leak all day long over those expensive pos boots
Good stuff right there.
Typical response from someone who probably had one bad experience. lol. I bet you had a truck with a flat tire once and immediately rushed to the dealership of another brand.
Irishman
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If I've been influenced, I'm not aware of it. I've bowhunted many times not even wearing camo. I buy stuff if I think it's a good deal and it works. I think my cheapness makes it hard for me to be influenced.
rogerthat
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Sheesh man. They cost $350. Should I buy another pair?
No lol. I'm just saying I haven't heard of an outdoor brand that doesn't have or had issues. You make enough products your bound for some unique quality control issues. I just wouldn't say Crispi is POS and Keen is Perfect. I was just poking fun lol
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