Social media and the impact of influencers on hunting today.

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JimNv

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https://freerangeamerican.us/matt-rinella-unfollowing-hunting-social-media/

Interesting article on the impact of posting harvest Pics, influencers and social media. Here is a taste:

Social media has corrupted our motivations for hunting and is risking the future of the very activity we love so much. Traditionally, we hunters took to the woods for hides, horns, meat, personal enjoyment, and a sense of self-reliance. Now, for the first time in human history, many seek a digital harvest. Rather than butchering meat for the freezer or tanning a hide, these kinds of hunters mostly want photos on their iPhones to beam out across the internet. More than cooking and eating what they shoot, they’re interested in exchanging it for likes and followers — and even corporate sponsorships in gear and dollars.

Give it a read, see what you think.
 
Every criter I've harvested has tied to it the pursuit, the scouting, the hard work .... each a memory that lasts a lifetime. I'll add that every critter I've taken always leaves me with a sense of humility as I walk up to it after I've harvested it.
 
Best article I have seen in 20 years. For sure the pure essence of hunting has been compromised in my opinion, by digital hunting. Last 10 years abso, f***ing lutley.

I don’t think most creators foreseen this being the case. Best of intentions on their end.

Sadly, good intentions pave the road to hell.
 
The Rinellas push their oppurtunity hunting because everyone deserves to bring home some meat. They don’t care about horns or antlers ( B S). The Rinellas are making a ton of money off of hunting. Hey Matt maybe we should get rid of MM, Rocslide and the other hunting sights where members can show pictures and write a short story. We can all tune into the Meateater every week, and really learn what hunting is all about. This crap of guys only hunting for meat is B.S. again and again. I am a trophy hunter, I enjoy seeing big mature animals weather I harvest or not. I eat a lot of tags, that’s my choice. If it wasn’t for guys like me there would not be a 2 point buck left out there and there is a lot of us doing this so new hunters have a chance and kids have a chance at an animal. Look at Idaho it is a f**king mess and it’s going to get a lot tougher for guys and gals if you do not want waiting periods. Celebrity Hunters are far more damaging then guys posting hunting stories on a Web site
 
Thanks for posting the article. It brought up a lot of thoughts and reaffirmed some opinions that I've had for years.

First and foremost for me, social media in general offers no value to my life. I've never had any type of it and likely never will. I've never felt like I was missing anything and I've also watched close family and friends go through depression and anxiety that was very likely tied to social media and feeling of inadequacy from it.

On the flip side of that, I don't completely share his opinions about these so called influencers. Yes, I think most are clowns. I can't help but roll my eyes whenever I see Cam Hanes or Joe Rogan hunting Deseret and acting like they're on some DIY hunt somewhere. With that said, if someone is dumb enough to go out and buy a bow and think they are going to kill a 340" bull on their first hunt, let them. They won't get far from the truck and they won't hunt for very long before calling it quits. Same thing with the guys who march all over the mountain blowing their bugles every 30 seconds thinking a giant is about to walk in. They're likely creating call shy elk, but it's likely not going to work out for them very well.
 
I just come here for the ads...
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Matt is an "interesting" guy.

I've heard him argue for years about adding hunters. Notice, he's also from Michigan.
It's ironic that a guy moves to Montana, then bitches about all the other guys who move to Montana. All those ridges that older Mont residents had hunted, were now being hunted by dudes from Michigan, yet I doubt he cared.

Personally I think there are 3types of hunters.

1. Meat hunters. Self explained.

2. Livestyle hunters. I consider myself this. The meat is great, but the lifestyle is the reason. When I buy a truck, I do so picturing how it will do on the MTN. Same with clothes, boots, etc, etc, etc. I generally have some type of camo on, and generally some type of outdoor t shirt/hoodie. I hunt. I frequent MM obviously. In free time I read about hunting issues. The majority of my time off is hunting/outdoors. My friends hunt, my family hunts, etc, etc, etc.

3. Show offs.

They exist in all walks of life. They are the dudes with the biggest trucks, fastest rzr, woman with most plastic. They are trend chasers. New bow every year, new hot caliber. Newest gear, newest boat, etc, etc. Most chase spots, never into tradition. Not afraid to spend $$$$ they don't have to pay guides and outfitters.

That last group is the group that hurts us. Mainly because everyone in life, not just hunting, knows these dudes. They knew them in sports. They know them at the bar. They know them in the stores, etc, etc, etc.

So when those dudes are flashing pics, and IG famous, people easily see the motivation isn't meat, or part of a lifestyle, they it's a big dick contest.

I partially agree with Matt. I've been in banquets and watched the ego show, be it bidding on tags, or rolling mama with her new DD stuffed into a XS shirt. I've seen them at hunting shows. I've seen them at hunting stores. They are offensive to me, and we at least share a little in common. They are a very poor representation to the world of what hunters/outdoorsmen are.
 
Hunting forums are a form of social media. if you've ever posted a kill photo on one, you're guilty of contributing.

If you're a hunter, and you think there are too many hunters, you're part of the problem.
 
hawkbill said:
The Rinellas push their oppurtunity hunting because everyone deserves to bring home some meat. They don’t care about horns or antlers ( B S). The Rinellas are making a ton of money off of hunting. Hey Matt maybe we should get rid of MM, Rocslide and the other hunting sights where members can show pictures and write a short story. We can all tune into the Meateater every week, and really learn what hunting is all about. This crap of guys only hunting for meat is B.S. again and again. I am a trophy hunter, I enjoy seeing big mature animals weather I harvest or not. I eat a lot of tags, that’s my choice. If it wasn’t for guys like me there would not be a 2 point buck left out there and there is a lot of us doing this so new hunters have a chance and kids have a chance at an animal. Look at Idaho it is a f**king mess and it’s going to get a lot tougher for guys and gals if you do not want waiting periods. Celebrity Hunters are far more damaging then guys posting hunting stories on a Web site
Click to expand...
I sometimes eat multiple tags per year intentionally. I could’ve shot a spike this year, but I figured helping my friends pack out their 6x6 was higher priority so I let him walk. I could harvest small bucks every year on my muzzleloader hunt, out of the 25 yrs I’ve only harvested 2 small bucks for the meat. I think not all but some guides, trail cams and social media are ruining hunting. In the end it comes down to greed, and it ruins everything great. Look at our country right now ?‍♂️
 
Show-Offs!

LMMFAO!

hossblur said:
Matt is an "interesting" guy.

I've heard him argue for years about adding hunters. Notice, he's also from Michigan.
It's ironic that a guy moves to Montana, then bitches about all the other guys who move to Montana. All those ridges that older Mont residents had hunted, were now being hunted by dudes from Michigan, yet I doubt he cared.

Personally I think there are 3types of hunters.

1. Meat hunters. Self explained.

2. Livestyle hunters. I consider myself this. The meat is great, but the lifestyle is the reason. When I buy a truck, I do so picturing how it will do on the MTN. Same with clothes, boots, etc, etc, etc. I generally have some type of camo on, and generally some type of outdoor t shirt/hoodie. I hunt. I frequent MM obviously. In free time I read about hunting issues. The majority of my time off is hunting/outdoors. My friends hunt, my family hunts, etc, etc, etc.

3. Show offs.

They exist in all walks of life. They are the dudes with the biggest trucks, fastest rzr, woman with most plastic. They are trend chasers. New bow every year, new hot caliber. Newest gear, newest boat, etc, etc. Most chase spots, never into tradition. Not afraid to spend $$$$ they don't have to pay guides and outfitters.

That last group is the group that hurts us. Mainly because everyone in life, not just hunting, knows these dudes. They knew them in sports. They know them at the bar. They know them in the stores, etc, etc, etc.

So when those dudes are flashing pics, and IG famous, people easily see the motivation isn't meat, or part of a lifestyle, they it's a big dick contest.

I partially agree with Matt. I've been in banquets and watched the ego show, be it bidding on tags, or rolling mama with her new DD stuffed into a XS shirt. I've seen them at hunting shows. I've seen them at hunting stores. They are offensive to me, and we at least share a little in common. They are a very poor representation to the world of what hunters/outdoorsmen are.
Click to expand...
 
I can still remember the brook trout cover photo of my first-ever, 1975, Field and Stream magazine. To this day, brookies remain my favorite fish. I could not wait for each new periodical to arrive. I read them cover-to-cover and kept them for years. O'Connor, McClane, Trueblood and Hill shared their experiences and informed us of our opportunities outdoors. Certainly, these men earned money and endorsements, yet they never indulged their egos in the effort to to make the experience about them.

Years later, Ray Eye and Cuz Strickland got me started as a turkey hunter the right way--meeting the birds in the woods, on their own turf, rather than drinking coffee in a blind over a chufa field. In those days, a young hunter watching a TV program did not have to sit through a visit to the bunkhouse, learn the life story of the host, or listen to twenty minutes of guitar before getting into the action. Over the Holidays I spent time with family and could not escape watching a show where a man drew a raffle ticket to hunt elk in Pennsylvania. The entire first episode showed the drawing and all those who made it possible. No hunting. Not that it mattered anyway because the elk just stood in their pastures as the prospective hunter drove past to inspect. But all was not lost; the teaser at the end of the program revealed that the second episode would present a tour of the property! As ElkA$$ would say, JFP!!!

The difference between these days and those lies with the audience. More and more people have absolutely nothing going on. They live vicariously through "reality" TV. It is comfort enough to know that, at the very least, one is not nearly as messed up as Ozzy Osborne. We have become a nation of sports fans and almost nobody can actually play. I feel bad for the youngest generation of hunters, many of whom grew up in an ORV. How are they to understand that the forked horn on the mountain is more interesting than the four-point standing along the road?

In the end, the best course of action may depend on whether one shares information selfishly or for the benefit of others. At the very least it seems risky to hide. To hide what we do implicitly acknowledges that we are uncertain that society should accept our activity. I would prefer that the photo of a special animal should appear in the local paper as readily as the Champion Steer at the county fair. Done right, both are achievements to be proud of, and this is the message we must make clear through example.
 
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Hey there! I just read the article, and it definitely got me thinking. I mean, back in the day, people would go out hunting for the thrill of the chase, the satisfaction of providing for themselves, and the joy of being in nature. But nowadays, it seems like some folks are more interested in showcasing their kills on Instagram. I guess it's a sign of the times, with everyone craving that validation and recognition online. It's just sad to think that the true essence of hunting is being overshadowed by the pursuit of likes and followers. I've read several other discussions on the Reddit forums.
 
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Just completed my grand slam this morning, right from my couch! I feel good, now for a shower before I sit in traffic.
 

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