Matt Rinella knocking it outta the park

[Nameless Range]

I’m not trying to connect dots to make an argument exactly logical, but one data point I observe that makes me think Matt’s too drunk on his own theory is the way he attacks Randy.

If the United States of America had exactly 0 influencers in the hunting sphere, soft-handed dorks in Washington DC would still be trying to skin Americans of their public lands.

Matt is a scientist, and something something correlation does not something something causation. It would be no less of a leap to tie the existence of influencers to the reduction of hunting opportunity or quality in given geographies than it would be to tie the existence of influencers to the massive network of oppositional momentum when those shitty ideas come out of those dorks in Washington DC. We recently saw that in fact.

From an anecdotal perspective extrapolated, I think a lot of the people reading this are far more educated and effective as advocates for hunting because of at least one influencer. I am.

To be clear, that’s not a defense of influencers at large nor a claim that everything Matt says is wrong - he’s just implementing the conclusion of his hypothesis too broadly and/or in the wrong way.

 

[Bowmannate2000]

These off season threads are heating up early this year!

 

[mevertsen]

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.

That was my impression of them when I hunted mine 15 years ago.

 

[SaskHunter]

Even worse is when people show up at the house.

Buddy, reading this gave me anxiety.

 

[Irrelevant]

I’m not trying to connect dots to make an argument exactly logical, but one data point I observe that makes me think Matt’s too drunk on his own theory is the way he attacks Randy.

If the United States of America had exactly 0 influencers in the hunting sphere, soft-handed dorks in Washington DC would still be trying to skin Americans of their public lands.

Matt is a scientist, and something something correlation does not something something causation. It would be no less of a leap to tie the existence of influencers to the reduction of hunting opportunity or quality in given geographies than it would be to tie the existence of influencers to the massive network of oppositional momentum when those shitty ideas come out of those dorks in Washington DC. We recently saw that in fact.

From an anecdotal perspective extrapolated, I think a lot of the people reading this are far more educated and effective as advocates for hunting because of at least one influencer. I am.

To be clear, that’s not a defense of influencers at large nor a claim that everything Matt says is wrong - he’s just implementing the conclusion of his hypothesis too broadly and/or in the wrong way.

I think that's the grey area that most of us have landed on.

But it's hard to make a clear and concise point, especially a controversial one, while only using grey colors. I also think Matt aligns with another point I've heard others make, we shouldn't NEED to hunt in order to be public land advocates. He similarly views that we don't need influencers and hunting media to be wildlife and hunting advocates. And/or that while Randy has certainly helped most of us become better advocates its come at too great of cost when you talley all the negatives.

 

[sclancy27]

I think that's the grey area that most of us have landed on.

But it's hard to make a clear and concise point, especially a controversial one, while only using grey colors. I also think Matt aligns with another point I've heard others make, we shouldn't NEED to hunt in order to be public land advocates. He similarly views that we don't need influencers and hunting media to be wildlife and hunting advocates. And/or that while Randy has certainly helped most of us become better advocates its come at too great of cost when you talley all the negatives.

I'd go a step further and say high 90's% of public land advocates are not hunters, in my experience.

 

[MTGomer]

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

I’m sure it’s actually a good time and a challenge but this is my daily reality. Probably has me biased

Took this 10 minutes ago.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I’m sure it’s actually a good time and a challenge but this is my daily reality. Probably has me biased

Took this 10 minutes ago.

View attachment 392542

My view of them is much the same. I could shoot them off my deck frequently (legally - i'm not in city limits) and I could have shot turkeys from my tree stand most sits this fall so the path to hunting them doesn't appeal. I'm sure if I intentionally tried to hunt them where they aren't reliably located i'd get my ass handed to me.

 

[PoleX]

Some interesting takes on here. I agree that social media is the largest factor I've noticed negatively impacting my personal hunting experiences (at least in the past 10 years). All these video's with click bait titles (giant this, 900 yard kill shot, etc..). I don't know how word spreads so fast, but a guy can send a photo out to a couple buddies and next thing you know you're at church on Sunday and the pastor is asking you if you think there's any more good bucks up X drainage. Between the iPhone, internet, onX, and social media there are so many ways to meet people and pick up on information you would of never even known about just 10 years ago. It's probably impacted the units/states I apply for more than I'd like to give it credit. A couple years ago SG posted an add with one of my friends trucks with a nice bull on the top. The image showed them driving through a fast food joint and anyone that knows the area knew the general area they were hunting based on that picture and some photos they shared of the elk in the field.

I'd have to look into the numbers but i'd image Idaho bear hunting has increased significantly in popularity. When did dudes start hunting out of state/burning PTO to drive across the country to bear hunt?

I know of multiple areas I hunt deer/elk in that have been posted all over the internet by influencers. I also ran into a elk huntress cowgirl/real-estate influencer in an area a couple years ago. Sure enough video's were all over her IG that afternoon. IDK, seems like it's one thing to share some experiences with like minded folks but when it's all about self promotion and profits at the expense of a public resource it turns me off. At least Matzinger hunts private ranches and isn't blowing up public places like a lot of the other influencers. Maybe he'll motivate the next batch of zombies to spend all their money leasing private ranches.

I tend to agree with Matt and look at him more like an activist trying to create awareness. I don't think he's concerned about working nicely with others. You gotta think a lot of the hunters that work in or for these large hunting conglomerates probably see things similar to Matt and it will eventually start to influence the leadership of these companies. Nothing sounds worse to me than sitting in the office listening to some first lite adult onset hunter in a meat eater t-shirt trying to tell me how to kill an elk. Happens all the time at my work BTW. Folks that move in from california, stop in my office to tell me how to hunt elk. I just play dumb anymore and just nod and smile.

I've shared stuff on here and it's the only place I post anything hunting related. The honest truth is people could care less about the buck or bull you shot. My mom still tells me nice buck when I send her a picture of an elk, lol. I like reading about public land hunts cause that's the kind of hunting I can relate too. But it is a limited resource so if someone could convince me even writing on a forum is detrimental to the resource, I'll take my ball and go hunt quietly. I initially stopped posting dead animals on IG and FB like 5-6 years ago when I felt like I needed to evaluate why I was hunting. There is so much over stimulation of dead animals and kill shots anymore it kind of de-sensitizes you and gives the average person a skewed perspective of what hunting is in it's entirety. I realized without any external validation I still was a hunting fool. Then I joined this forum and figured it was an appropriate place to learn about conservation and share hunting stories. Sure there's personalities and writing styles I tend to relate too more but it's still interesting to see/read about hunting from a variety of perspectives.

 

[SaskHunter]

I'd go a step further and say high 90's% of public land advocates are not hunters, in my experience.

bUt bUT BuT, hUnTInG iS cOnSErvAtIoN!!!

From experience, hunters are some of the biggest slobs and most disrespectful "outdoor recreationists" out there, who are only looking out for themselves and their own successes. There are obviously hunters who are outstanding users of this resource who do great advocacy, but from personal experience, the worst of the worst call themselves "hunters".

I've rarely, if ever, seen or heard of bird watchers, hikers or trail riders, etc., completely destroy areas, leave piles of garbage, cut fences, leave gates open, etc., etc., etc., as I have heard or witnessed hunters do.

To think that hunters are the only ones who care and advocate for wildlife is asinine. The National Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited do more for conservation here in Canada than any hunting organizations.

 

[Pucky Freak]

“Hunting influencers” is a broad term. Matt R is 100% one. The distinction is what the person does with the platform.

I see these arguments (hyperbole): “Bowmars used their platform to challenge Mike Lee.” If <insert influencer> did that, wonderful. And thank you.

The helpful doesn’t cancel the harmful though. There is a world in which consumers reject certain behaviors.

Many of us can agree SM platforms are helpful for:
-conservation initiatives
-laws and politics concerning public land, hunting access, and habitat, and practical ways to be involved
-dialogue and networking for getting involved in the two above
-“campfire” camaraderie and building relationships with fellow hunters.

We could list endless of examples of the above. I personally have benefitted from many dozens.

Then there are things many of us identify as the seedier side of hunting SM:
-disrespect for animals
-spot burning
-killing for content
-tanking draw odds

To a significant extent, the second list leverages the first. I question that being an inevitability or a necessary evil though.

Maybe small changes would make a difference. Can I film a hunt and do everything I can to not burn the spot, or tank draw odds? Do I have to show the projectile impacting the animal, and the animal dying?

Do I have to make hunting media my livelihood? Because if I do, I’m incentivized to take marginal shots, break laws, kill in excess, and become dishonest. I’m more sad for Lampers than I am angry. As hunting opportunity dries up, it pushes everyone who needs it for a paycheck towards doing ethically risky things they’ve never previously considered.

For every conservation-driven, altruistic, visionary, and hyper law- abiding Newberg, there’s how many more dingbat influencers ruining things for the rest of us?

At one point I was consuming a huge amount of content from “SlockMaster” Tim Wells. The guy is an absolute freak of nature w/ a bow. Entertaining? Sure. But at what cost?

 

[Bux_N_Beards]

I’m sure it’s actually a good time and a challenge but this is my daily reality. Probably has me biased

Took this 10 minutes ago.

View attachment 392542

You can expect the Chasing 49 crew on your street next spring. Great Instagram photo op in front of the HOA sign.
#suburbanthunderchickens

 

[Irrelevant]

Seriously, let's stop lying to ourselves and others. We're not going to make more habitat, we're not going to put more critters on the mountain. We might make some modest gains in places but they'll almost certainly be countered with losses elsewhere. The job is to slow the decline, but we don't need to bring every potential hunter into the fold to do that.

The only things that could actually help would be large population reductions (i.e COVID-19 but deadlier, world war/s with high casualties, greatly reduced fertility rate combined with no immigration) or massive economic collapse.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I took my twin 5-year-olds fishing from shore at a local pond last fall. There was a kid, maybe 14 y.o. w/ a GoPro filming himself casting a plastic bass bait, and providing commentary. He eventually walked over and asked if he could stand in our spot and cast. Sure, kid. So we stood back as he continued his thing.

No strikes and he walks back so we resume our bluegill worm and bobber sit w/ our 1 pole. He’s talking my ear off, and eventually my kid delightfully reels in a tiny fish. The teen asks if he can have my pole. Sure again, kid. So he takes my pole and more GoPro commentary as tiny bluegill nibble on the soggy worm, as my twins watch.

Not that I really had to let Mr. Instafamous interrupt quality time w/ my kids, but my curiosity got the best of me as to observe how far gone our society has become.

 

[Bowmannate2000]

I took my twin 5-year-olds fishing from shore at a local pond last fall. There was a kid, maybe 14 y.o. w/ a GoPro filming himself casting a plastic bass bait, and providing commentary. He eventually walked over and asked if he could stand in our spot and cast. Sure, kid. So we stood back as he continued his thing.

No strikes and he walks back so we resume our bluegill worm and bobber sit w/ our 1 pole. He’s talking my ear off, and eventually my kid delightfully reels in a tiny fish. The teen asks if he can have my pole. Sure again, kid. So he takes my pole and more GoPro commentary as tiny bluegill nibble on the soggy worm, as my twins watch.

Not that I really had to let Mr. Instafamous interrupt quality time w/ my kids, but my curiosity got the best of me as to observe how far gone our society has become.

Social media seems to stoke the fires of narcissistic traits in people. People think their opinions are so great we must all want to look up their nostrils as they pontificate into their selfie cams.

 

[Treeshark]

At one point I was consuming a huge amount of content from “SlockMaster” Tim Wells. The guy is an absolute freak of nature w/ a bow. Entertaining? Sure. But at what cost?

I don’t know, but his episode of bow hunting the coon rut is awesome.