Matt Rinella knocking it outta the park

[Pucky Freak]

I find this odd?

Where/how did you draw this conclusion?

If you raffle something to get $ for conservation, how and why is it all/only about r3?

If I’m an outdoor company, I need NEW hunters who don’t have any gear, in order to maintain a revenue stream. BHA focuses on college campuses, young people, and more the granola-type hipster than other conservation orgs. The donated products aren’t for “conservation” - they’re to recruit product-buyers. Local chapters focus on recruitment more than anything else - no other focus comes close.

An outdoor company donating to DU, PF, NWTF, etc., a huge percentage of the raffle/auction $$ goes to conservation projects. Not that BHA doesn’t do any of these, but FAR less your other NP’s.

 

[Nick87]

Meh. That trend has been around for decades.

True, but lately the pedal is to the floor. At least close to home for me. The money spent is mindblowing.

 

[np307]

You need to be influenced to go turkey hunting because it’s such a stupid hunt. It’s like hunting a stupid deer that only yield a few pounds of meat.

I think our brains our hacked by online influences way more than we would like to admit, I know I’ve been at certain points in life.

I feel so bad for people who have never had to go toe-to-toe with a gobbler on public in the Southeast.

 

[El Jason]

Anyone who doesn’t believe the social media effect has altered the distribution of hunters is living on Mars.

Habitat and access loss is 100% a very real and significant issue. Now you have the same amount of kids at recess plus a smaller sandbox.

Now, add to that the increased backcountry use as a result of social media and it becomes harder and harder to find solitude.

I hunted a really cool spring bear unit this year. There was a Peax tipi on every ridge. 10 years ago, you hardly found a soul during spring bear season other than your diehards.

Add in technology such as OnX and it is SO much easier to go out of state to hunt. You still have to find the game, but the information that is available is simply staggering and when you couple that with the social media exposure it’s ludicrous to not believe that has a significant impact.

 

[Nick87]

I take new and newer hunters afield with some regularity. I

I do the same, and while I do enjoy helping them i can't help but wonder about the hole I'm shooting in my foot simultaneously.

 

[Oak]

An outdoor company donating to DU, PF, NWTF, etc., a huge percentage of the raffle/auction $$ goes to conservation projects. Not that BHA doesn’t do any of these, but FAR less your other NP’s.

BHA does a lot to make sure we still have public lands on which those other groups can fulfill their conservation missions and places for those college kids to use their gear.

 

[El Jason]

True, but lately the pedal is to the floor. At least close to home for me. The money spent is mindblowing.

I’m not saying it isn’t speeding up, and that also becomes a chicken or the egg issue. Are people leasing because of lost access? Trying to get in while they can? FOMO?

 

[Pucky Freak]

So is your belief that companies shouldn't be able to develop and sell products to hunters? And that hunting nonprofits must disavow any corporate connections? I dont see much hope for effective advocacy if thats the case.

When you talk about BHAs drive for recruitment, are you speaking of hunter recruitment or member recruitment?

And where on earth is BHA selling side-by-sides?

The most lucrative advertising market for outdoor companies is handing out free gear to small fry douchebag influencers, who are out their killing and posting everything they can manage to in order to boost their follower count. Companies should feel free to do whatever they want to. It is consumer behavior that matters. If I subscribe to an influencer who gets free products, I am fueling hunting markets. If I buy from companies who hand out free gear to influencers, I fuel hunting markets. It is hard to find companies to buy from that aren’t caught up in this crazy scheme, but there are a few out there.

BHA recruits hunters irrespective of membership, so in this context I’m taking about recruiting hunters.

BHA selling side-by-sides: They’re on the sponsors’ teat, and they can’t get off. Sponsors say, oh, we donate to this and that, and are pro-conservation. But then with their other hand they’re doling out sponsorships and gear to influencers, which pushes hunters on the landscape that are there for likes and subscribers. And blowing up spots, and filming kill-shot porn and the like.

 

[Nick87]

I’m not saying it isn’t speeding up, and that also becomes a chicken or the egg issue. Are people leasing because of lost access? Trying to get in while they can? FOMO?

Around here its mostly because you ain't really hunting unless you have a big price you can manage for big bucks, food plots etc. You know just like the guys on TV (dated myself there, shoukdve said social media). It's funny the last few new hunters including the two brothers I took out this last weekend. One of the first things they mention is they can't wait to lease or purchase there own property. But I agree with your chicken or egg sentiment. One thing for sure its not going away anytime soon.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I’m not saying it isn’t speeding up, and that also becomes a chicken or the egg issue. Are people leasing because of lost access? Trying to get in while they can? FOMO?

I think people are doing it because hunting, especially with a majority private land ownership, are over hunted.

Just a few threads ago we were talking about upending seasons because of 10k hunter days - turkey and upland hunters have blown past that amount alone.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I do the same, and while I do enjoy helping them i can't help but wonder about the hole I'm shooting in my foot simultaneously.

What is the hole shot in your foot, so to speak?

 

[El Jason]

I think people are doing it because hunting, especially with a majority private land ownership, are over hunted.

They are doing it because they can, and they want to kill big bucks. The blueprint has been set for decades.

 

[Nick87]

What is the hole shot in your foot, so to speak?

Competition for access at least around home.

 

[DFS]

Pictures are often better than words

 

[Nick87]

View attachment 392291
Pictures are often better than words

My bad, did I derail?

 

[DFS]

My bad, did I derail?

Not at all that is the future of public land hunting in the west at least.

 

[Nick87]

Not at all that is the future of public land hunting in the west at least.

In the east were pissing on the ashes of that train wreck lol.

 

[Forkyfinder]

View attachment 392291
Pictures are often better than words

Maybe someone can educate us all on what happened in the 2023 legislature?

I cant think how pathetic it is that opposing this benefitted exactly 0 constituents.

2023 Legislative Session Recap - Montana BHA

Congrats! We made it through the 2023 Montana Legislative Session! Thanks to the tireless efforts from our chapter leaders, staff, and lobbyists in the Capitol - and more importantly thanks to YOU! - we were able to successfully influence dozens of bills this session. As you read through the...

www.backcountryhunters.org

"SB 525 – Generally revise laws related to hunting licenses and permits - sponsored by Sen. Flowers (D - Bozeman). Bill would have directed FWP to set reasonable caps/limits for licenses, tags or permits that are currently unlimited for nonresidents. This would not have impacted moose, sheep, goat, antelope, deer or elk tags/permits for nonresidents since those are already capped or limited. According to FWP, the number of nonresident hunters in Montana have jumped 80% over the last decade. This bill was designed to help prevent that number from climbing much higher. Additionally, the bill would have strengthened prohibitions on selling/transferring licenses or permits, and it also would have required FWP to give residents an opportunity at surplus permits rather than giving those to nonresidents automatically (as is current practice). The bill was voted down on party lines in the Senate Fish & Game Committee."

 

[Forkyfinder]

Maybe someone can educate us all on what happened in the 2023 legislature?

I cant think how pathetic it is that opposing this benefitted exactly 0 constituents.

2023 Legislative Session Recap - Montana BHA

Congrats! We made it through the 2023 Montana Legislative Session! Thanks to the tireless efforts from our chapter leaders, staff, and lobbyists in the Capitol - and more importantly thanks to YOU! - we were able to successfully influence dozens of bills this session. As you read through the...

www.backcountryhunters.org

"SB 525 – Generally revise laws related to hunting licenses and permits - sponsored by Sen. Flowers (D - Bozeman). Bill would have directed FWP to set reasonable caps/limits for licenses, tags or permits that are currently unlimited for nonresidents. This would not have impacted moose, sheep, goat, antelope, deer or elk tags/permits for nonresidents since those are already capped or limited. According to FWP, the number of nonresident hunters in Montana have jumped 80% over the last decade. This bill was designed to help prevent that number from climbing much higher. Additionally, the bill would have strengthened prohibitions on selling/transferring licenses or permits, and it also would have required FWP to give residents an opportunity at surplus permits rather than giving those to nonresidents automatically (as is current practice). The bill was voted down on party lines in the Senate Fish & Game Committee."

Post in thread 'Non resident Landowner incentive.' https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/non-resident-landowner-incentive.318189/post-3583054

Oh wait - nevermind - we dont have enough funding? How did the bma payments double again?

 

[geetar]

I feel so bad for people who have never had to go toe-to-toe with a gobbler on public in the Southeast.

I get my butt kicked by them every spring here. I've never hunted them out west but they must be as dumb as a blue grouse by the way people talk about them.