Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Thanks Randy, Jay Scott, Meateater, HUSH, etc. etc.

One of the problems with a country as geographically big as USA is statements like "hunting is declining". sorry numbers show it is NATION WIDE. I grew up in the east and it is declining, more and land not being open, lower animal numbers/success etc.

West is now the "in thing" and with the economy being great, more money and possibilities open. It may be shrinking in the east, but if you look at things like tag/points needed, how far out outfitters are booked, hunting in the west is growing.

I see shows like HUSH and Randy as just the next evolution of people like chuck Adams. They are doing the same, but to a faster availability, more widespread media.

Yeah, the probably shouldn't show trailhead signs, but scenery signs of a draw or mountain, probably not as identifiable. No more so than the pictures that are in magazines from "the good old days", just a wider audience.

Yes, maybe they need to adjust, but it's today.

There's also other tools that make "remote scouting" easier for traveling hunters, everything form google earth to OnX type systems, allow an eastern person to scout the west without boots on the ground.

It is a simple fact that the population has increased significantly thus a larger pool of potential hunters. Social media is a fact of life and there are those that exploit its' potential as providers and consumers of content. I would love to be able to park at a trailhead and walk to where game was ample and have the area to myself but I no longer know where that spot is. Times change. I have found that snowshoeing into the back country hunting predators is a very solitary pursuit. Lots of folks go home when it gets cold.

Edited to add that I would attribute much of the decline in hunt quality in the west to the widespread use of ATVs expanding the domain of road hunters. Noisy, stinky machines that bring the weak, lame and lazy to spots that they otherwise would never see.


mike r

Well schit, if ya cant beat them, join them. I'll start planning my eastern hunts now...

The orange army in PA is drastically declining, hunters ed classes that used to have 30-40 students have single digits in some cases. I hunted almost every legal day in Pa for spring turkey, many different properties public and private, never met another hunter, period. Last year ran into one. Deer season is more , but not even close to my early years . The economy is good, plenty of expendable income, the once in a lifetime trip can now be an annual event. Since I didn’t draw where I was planning out west, and really want to take my son I might just hunt the PA big woods.

MM

My last yr hunting in Colorado we ran into a lot of guys from Pennsylvania. Saw one fella get his first elk, he was like a kid on Christmas morning. I told them that was one hell of drive, they said they only stopped for gas and food. Great guys glad they got themselves an elk.

Haha did you get the PM too?

Connecticut has no shortage of Deer and Turkey to hunt. Plenty of Public land. Fairly easy Private land to gain access to in the Southern part of the state. Hell you can even use a crossbow in Archery season. When they opened up the Archery season to crossbow hunters the woods got flooded. Bear season maybe coming soon too.

I hope some of these guys read this. What is so difficult about not showing details that give away a specific location? Giving details on a specific location only ensures crowds and a negative experience for all who hunt there including the newcomers who may be turned off for good. I can hear it now: "I tried hunting once and it sucked, there were people behind every tree." In fact, I have heard it before in my own hunting area after some clown in a "major outdoor magazine" wrote an article about it. Why not educate new hunters on how to scout new locations and what to look for? In other words, don't hand them a fish, teach them to fish.

If your goal is to teach new hunters, the most valuable lesson is not "where to go" it's what to look for and how to find your own hunting spots.

This is very similar to what happened years ago with Mark Henckel, Outdoors Writer for the Billings Gazette. Henckel would find out about really good hunting or fishing spots, write up an article with far too many details, and soon after the spot would be inundated with big city Montana A-bags. The guy died around ten years ago, and even today when his name is brought up in certain circles, it's met with curses.

Interesting you should say that... and I agree completely. I don’t know of anyone who does that better than Newberg... he’s got entire series devoted to the use of technology and “e-scouting”. He has podcasts and videos on the different phases of elk hunting, and what terrain to look for depending on where the elk are at in this cycle. I’ve referred this series to several new elk hunters... who have absolutely no desire to find the next “hot unit”... they simply want to learn about elk hunting.

I’ve never watched a hunting show looking for a particular area to hunt... but I definitely appreciate much of the info being relayed. We used to get info like that from magazines.... visa vis the Chuck Adams reference. I devoured Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, American Hunter, and the like when I was a kid. I read everything I could find on hunting, I drove the local library staff nuts. Now, magazines seem to be bullschitt advertising and ambiguous fluff pieces (no offense JB and Phil). The content just isn’t there. This is simply the evolution of the way info is relayed... it ain’t going away. You can cry about it, or you can try to stay ahead of it...

I find it kind of interesting that one of the primary complaints is “they wrecked my area”..... if that truly was the case.... how do these guys continue to hunt those same areas year after year, and be successful? I’ve seen Newberg kill elk and deer in many of the same units for the past 6 or 7 seasons... on public land... that he has been obvious about. He obviously hasn’t pissed too much in his own pool.... or he’d be moving on to more of “your” areas.

You are assuming he is swimming in "his own pool". I'm sure he doesn't get spots from the very folks allowed to grace his majestie's show...lol. Just like they all magically buy the same gear he's sponsored by....hmm quid pro quo?

I’m not assuming anything..., watch the show... you see a lot of the same public ground from year to year. He’s definitely swimming in his own pool a lot.

These shows are not about hunter recruitment, it’s about making $$ plain and simple..

So what does Newberg have to say about it? Does he look at like he's doing everyone a service or what? I don't have a dog in the fight, just curious.

In his mind he is a crusader for public land DIY hunters.

In reality he is a rich guy that found a way to make money off his past time. Nothing wrong with that. As Judman said "These shows are not about hunter recruitment, it’s about making $$ plain and simple.."

But make no mistake about it Randy is in it for Randy, anyone that thinks different is a fool. His political alignment as far as I am concerned sucks! Honestly he is a politician personality wise. So I guess if you like that type of personality you might like him.



In fairness I will admit my bias, I am a staunch Conservative and dislike for those that do not support the 2nd Amendment first and foremost. I unlike Randy am unwilling to defend and support a Democrat in any way. I also do not and will not support BHA in any capacity.

I don’t know about all of that. I think Randy had/has the best intentions for diy hunters, yes a big part of that is on the political side.. The fact that he is political proves to me he’s not in it fo himself or money, who needs that Ass ache!

He’s achieved what he set out to do, kudos to him.. my gripe is there is an effect, weather he planned on it or not I don’t know, but if this is the future of hunting it isn’t an improvement..

honestly I wouldn't give a damn but every time those guys go anywhere they have to show Telling landmarks of where they are exactly at. That's the part that bothers me.

Good point. I will give him credit for that.

I think its this simple:

More location information = more viewers = more dollars.

I am the same as you. I don't advertise that I am driving a hunting truck. That truck spends too many nights in hotel parking lots and public places.
I don't want to be saying hey I got expensive optics and firearms in here.