Missouribreaks's Link
"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."
This point was missed in Rinella’s article.
His point could have been made about every subject to every post made to social media.
The entire platform screams “look at me” the subject is irrelevant. Young girls are more insecure because they don’t look like the enhanced photos all over Instagram, guys do outrageous and often dangerous stunts to look tough and get attention on TikTok, racism and divisions are amplified to the point where there’s riots thanks to those algorithms.
The entire platforms are bad for our culture. Period. Trophy photos are the least of our problems.
“KEEP ON HUNTING, BUT POST NOTHING IN 2022. THIS WILL PROVE YOU’VE MOVED PAST THE ATTENTION-SEEKING TODDLER STAGE IN YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS A HUNTER AND NOW GO AFIELD FOR MATURE REASONS.”
I moved past the "attention seeking toddler stage" over 20 years ago. Yes, I occasionaly still share my hunting experiences here, but I usually try to portray a greater message than just showing off my kills.
Matt
The bottom line to all of this is how it is looked at by the mostly non hunting public. In the end, we will continue to hunt as long as most Americans think hunting is acceptable. In spite of all of the good, bad and ugly that you see on social media, we still enjoy a very favorable image (almost always over 80%) among the entire nation. That is absolutely amazing when you consider all of the negative BS they throw at us.
The most important thing to consider when presenting a picture or story is the method and purpose. That 80% approval applies to fair chase, ethical hunting where the meat is important. When they consider deer farms, high fence, cutting corners and slob activity, all of that drops our approval to doomsday numbers.
I see dozens of non hunters leaving positive comments on hunters posts. This is the norm, not the exception. Social media is our only platform for reaching those who will decide our future. Present a positive message and you will advance our cause, even when the human racists try to tear us down. We can't let the less than 10% dictate how we live and who we interact with. They are counting on us to cower.
Social media is not going away. I agree that it is bad for the human existence and has a mostly negative effect, but it is the reality of the day. We either embrace it and use it to our benefit or we hide in our fox holes and slowly get covered up.
Matt
I’d rather look at pictures a dead animals with proud hunters myself
I’m not on Facebook Instagram or any of those others
Bowsite is the extent of my social media
I don't have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or anything else, but I most certainly use social media just like every other person on this website.
Bravo Sierra. One only need to turn on damn near any hunting show and listen as the "bowhunter" whispers "Laid the smack down on him" as the deer runs off with 3/4 of the arrow hanging. Cue the recovery later the next morning after "giving him some time" on a supposedly perfect shot.
I do also agree that social media and YouTube posters increase the amount of folks in the woods. Especially with the pandemic and new people wanting to get into the woods/hunting for the first time.
I wish you tubers would do a better job of concealing their location. It’s one thing to post which state you’re hunting in, but posting trailheads or obvious landmarks just Burns spots that us common folks work hard to find.
I think you may be confusing the author of the article, Matt Rinella, with his brother Steve Rinella of Meateater fame. Also, I don't believe the Matt Rinella has any affiliation with the website that posted his op-ed piece, or their podcasts and advertisers.
I'm sure there's a bit of sibling rivalry and jealously going on between the two brothers that influenced Matt's article, but I admire him for speaking out.
Matt
It’s on the Internet, and I doubt however it got posted on the Internet. Wasn’t for the good of mankind for free. Someone is pushing a product somewhere to pay for it.
Smells like purist syndrome to me
Matt
Ancient tribes, camps and villages paraded the successful hunter and his prize all though the clan or tribe. Yes it fed the tribe, at least the family. But the strongest hunters/warriors held the highest of social ranks. Their stories told in cave drawings. Storytellers (the original MSM...) told tall tails of their exploits and deeds and did so verbally passed on through the generations long before the written word existed. For the most part it's always been exaggerations if not outright lies. And it has always been about amassing a following if not leveraged for fame and power.
The issue now IMO is two fold. The speed it is spread and vast size of an audience that is based on whipping up outrage or emotion. And the lack of common sense and level headed thinking that seems more and more lacking in the masses. It is far too easy to get an emotional dopamine hit and then to be led on to the next by someone (something now with AI algorithms) without any rational thought process, any logic or reason. WRT hunting and dozens of other aspects of living, there is zero thought given to how or what is on the shelves at the grocery store or how it gets there.
THAT is a yuge issue. Bigger than any "social media" IMO. (in the stripped down sense Bowsite itself is social media) So many make the claim of "science" and "facts" or reality. Yet all they are doing is following the herd. And scream at any strays to get back in the herd. Facts, reality..... it's just a word in their head that means whatever they like. Just look at all the demonstrable racists and fascists calling everyone else racists and fascists......
I have met a number of new friends of both sexes by attending fitness classes twice a week during the off season. None of them hunt. When I don't show up, they ask where I was. I tell them that I hunt in the spring and fall. I do not know what they thought about hunting before I met them, but they now ask what I got so far. Some want to be to see pictures and talk about it. I am requested to text them a picture. Some social media is good for hunting. But again, the author is complaining about social media successfully attracting hunters to start hunting or to hunt more. I definitely agree with the author that social media by the hunting industry to promote hunting is causing changes that I do not like and that are not beneficial to most hunters.
Recently a FB friend asked why I hunted. I posted the essay about ‘Why I Hunt’ that I first posted here on BS. A couple of days later she called my wife, and was crying as she said she never knew that side of me.
She is a retired HS Environmental Science teacher, and after discussing my essay with her in my man cave over venison burgers with our spouses, she ended up with 3 buck mounts (would have qualified for P&Y but never submitted, bobcat, coyote, full flying turkey, pheasant, wood duck, mallard, bear skull and a box of shed antlers donated to her former science lab. If they encourage one kid to hunt, it is well worth it to me.
No more mounts or trophy hunting here. I wrote this while finishing lunch, two venison sloppyjoes!
His brother has done more for the hunting industry and the preservation of wildlife then he will ever do. (Well maybe - I don't know anything about him so maybe he IS some kind of wildlife hero or something)
I very much enjoy looking at "dead" animal pics posted on here and other social media sites. If someone doesn't like it --- don't look.
OK, I'm off my soap box now. :)
I don't know about you guys, but I'd gladly go back to the days before the internet, social media, and the over-commercialization and capitalization of hunting. Many things in our lives have improved because of the Internet, but hunting and social relations are not part of them, IMO.
There's something seriously screwed up when posting your trophy pics to social media is a bigger priority than skinning and properly caring for the meat of your kills. When your number of likes, or followers, or whatever the hell they're called, is more important to you than the number of packages of wild game in your freezer, I don't consider you a real hunter. When killing a trophy animal that has been conditioned to feed at a bait pile, like livestock, becomes the most anticipated celebrity "Live Hunt", and it is praise--worthy by the majority of hunters here, we have lost the battle.
End of rant.
Matt
I can post my kills to FB and here after taking care of my game. We should have comfort in tastefully posting pictures of any legal/ethical pursuit, hunting should be no different.
If we are hesitant to do so, others will question why and might conclude we know it is wrong. I want to hear of venison donated to the hungry for example. Let’s be proud of a long shared activity even though we can feed ourselves without doing it. People still knit clothes, build their own homes, we feed ourselves. No difference IMO.
I don’t think comparing the tv or full time internet hunters to regular guys sharing is even reasonable.
I don’t disagree with him, but I’m absolutely gobsmacked by the depth of the hypocrisy.
It was at least 20 years ago when I first started talking about the then relatively new crop of celebrity hunters and designer-camo Fashionistas as being the market hunters of the 20th/21st-century.
All about that cha-ching thing…
Years ago I found some Greenland pics I personally took and posted on a warbird site show up on someone else's site in internet-land. When ya post your pic or vid on a social media site for anyone to see, folks with anti agendas can snip your pic and vid and use it to peddle their agendas. Just curious how frequent that is...if at all.
I think your response mostly agreed with my post. Please correct me, if I'm wrong. I think we both know what social media hunting content has a positive impact on hunting sentiments with the general public, and those that don't.
Matt
Agreed.
JL, I found some of my deer and elk hat success photos from Bowsite being used without my permission on the BeTheDecoy website. They took them down after I contacted them.
Are you kidding, Lou???
Anything that shows up on a screen is just a screen capture and a coupla clicks from being the #1 Trending Topic on the whole damned internet, and headed for National broadcast news coverage. For Good or Ill.
Up to us to make good choices.
But in principle… I have zero qualms with a year without hornography.
Yeah, I think that is a bit of hysteria or hyperbole if you’re trying to apply that to Bowsite.
There are already sites that provide hundreds of thousands of “screen shots” for any subject matter. The anti’s aren’t hanging around here waiting anxiously for someone to post a pic they can sensationalize.
This particular site may (or may not) attract a lot of Antis, but FB (for just one) will boost an image to anyone and everyone who is likely to like, hate, share, or comment on it. That’s their business model and they’re damned good at it.
That’s just the way the world IS these days. Pays to not forget that.
Honestly the best thing for social media and hunting would probably be if every regular Joe showed the entire hunt process on social media. I only use Facebook, and my posts are limited to friends and friends of friends and I rarely post. But every now and then I share a hunt and it usually starts with scouting and ends in table fare. I am ROUTINELY told by non-hunting people how much they enjoy my hunting posts. Just before Christmas a filmographer I’ve hired before mentioned to me how fascinating he found all my hunting stuff. He doesn’t hunt. But he mentioned that it blew him away how much goes into it. He doesn’t hunt and likely never will, but it was once again a reminder that I should post some things now and then for the good of the hunting image. Because the sad reality is people will only see what is available for them to see. If their social media feeds are filled by “Insta-hunters” and people out for fame, likes and sponsorships, the average persons view of hunting will be skewed to the bad. If every hunter shared their story, the average image would be MUCH better and we’d also drown out the crap.
So I probably think he’s 180 degrees wrong. We need everyone to post. And when you post with real pictures and it comes across how much time, effort, and suffering went into getting your animal people begin to understand the grip and grin. They understand what went into that final result and why you’re so happy. They also won’t necessarily want to undertake Bowhunting, but they will appreciate what goes into it. So there; you increase the overall view of hunting while keeping your spots safe :) Flame away gentlemen!!
I don’t think we should feed the radicals money by posting on FB, Instagram and Twitter.
As mentioned their programs and algorithms push divisive topics and show divisive pictures to people that are already opposed to our way of life purposely trying to show us in a negative light.
We are making billionaires out of socialist radicals.
BUT! IMHO, If we cower and don’t post here and show others (in respectful ways) our real, honest, and natural way of life. It shows we have something to hide.
Don’t feed the beast!
But feed the positive sites like Bowsite!
That will solve all of the problems. We will finally have truth and honesty and things like giraffe hunting will be explained in ways the public will understand. Just hope it doesn’t become political but rather deliver all sides of the news. This is exciting don’t you think?
spike78's Link
If there is no counter narrative then the anti’s own the whole arena and get to say what people see.
I’d say Joe Rogan has done more to combat the anti’s and win over more non-hunters than anyone in decades. And he is the epitome of the “media whore”. Most of his listeners don’t hunt, don’t think about hunting and couldn’t care less about hunting. But they likely associate hunting with Joe. “Well, I like Joe and Joe is good with it so, I am too.”
No profile or low profile is a losing strategy. Unless of course you’re just worried about hunting out the rest of your days and screw the future.
I've never embraced FB, Twitter, Instagram, etc...they always seemed like a popularity contest, where people only post the highlights of their lives, then their self-worth and esteem is measured by how many strangers like/follow/befriend them.
I'll never forget the time my 20 year old God-daughter cried, when she was on vacation with us, because her instagram post didn't receive as many likes as she was hoping for. I began reading about the psychological impacts of social media, especially on young people. I learned that teenage suicides rates are way up largely due to social media. That solidified my anti-social media stance.
And yes, I understand I'm posting this on a social media platform of a sort, but I view the Bowsite much differently than all the popular mass platforms. We're mostly a relatively small group of adults with a common hobby that we enjoy, and most of us are too old and stuck in our ways and opinions to ever let anything that is said here affect us.
Matt
There’s no virtue in ignorance of reality.
A person also needs to have some common sense about it. On my first African hunt I shot a zebra, and even friends and family were like "How could you shoot a horse?!"
So this latest trip, I posted pictures, but not of several "iconic" species that people go ape&*%$ about. My family and friends that were interested were texted pictures of those if they wanted.
In summary, post away. But have some damn common sense about you.
