The socials!

[ScottTaulbee]

My boy killed his first longbeard on his 3rd hunt at 7 years old and called it in himself with a wingbone made by a friend of mine.
He shot his first deer with a cross bow at 6 years old and shot his second one just a few minutes later. He's put 4 deer in our freezer in 3 years.

I can't imagine any adult having a problem with that. Well, some think it's terrible I teach my kids to kill animals all together, but aside from that I can't understand it. A young kid shooting an animal really bothers you? Are you the guy that gets in the cake and ice cream line ahead of the kids at a birthday party too? I've seen that before.

I run into some dad's who piss and moan about little league baseball, youth wrestling, and even lately a Rube Goldberg competition I had my girls to on the first day of out trout season. Complaining they had to be with their kids, rather than on a stream with their buddies.
Had a guy lean in the dugout and ask me if we could cut the game short the other night because he wasn't having a good time. I told him to ask the 17 girls I was coaching if they wanted to quit? Nope we are undefeated so far. We aren't quitting early.
Me, I'm the guy that coaches both softball and baseball, runs the boy to every wrestling practice, helps my girls set up early for the Rube Goldberg contest, gets them to church each Sunday..........and yep, takes them hunting whenever they ask.

Lord forbid, what is this world coming to! I guess I'm part of your problem. You're just going to have to deal with it.

Maybe I should take that tail fan plaque with his beard, spurs, and wingbone that he proudly keeps in his room and toss it down in the woods because some internet guys says he doesn't deserve it? Would that make you feel better or worse? Honestly.

I agree 100%. My daughter doesn't care much for hunting with dad anymore as her mom in her is coming out more by the day and hunting just doesn't appeal to her anymore but at nearly 6 years old I guarantee that she can use a turkey call, name what deer, turkey, ducks and squirrels are eating, what each track is, and name oak, hickory, hackle berry etc trees, flowers, berries, and what not better than most grown "woodsmen" can. Age has nothing to do with having a passion for wanting to learn. She does like to fish still. And my 2 year old boy is fascinated with turkey calls, turkeys, and ducks and duck calls. Just like I am and have been since his age. I can tell you, with the gods honest truth, that I would rather take my two year old with no gun, call up a gobbler to 15 or 20 yards and sit with him and watch the bird and how excited he gets than to kill a pile of them myself.


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[ScottTaulbee]

He sat on my lap when I killed this one. 18 months old. Had to change his diaper he got so excited.

That's awesome!.
She was a year and 9 months old sitting in my lap when I killed this one, no blind, no decoys.


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[Moore]

He sat on my lap when I killed this one. 18 months old. Had to change his diaper he got so excited.

I love the photo,

[Number17]

He sat on my lap when I killed this one. 18 months old. Had to change his diaper he got so excited.

That's awesome!.
She was a year and 9 months old sitting in my lap when I killed this one, no blind, no decoys.


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Yessir, you're a good dad.

[Number17]

He sat on my lap when I killed this one. 18 months old. Had to change his diaper he got so excited.

I love photo,

That photo will bring a smile to my face for the rest of my day. If I left him home I wouldn't even remember that bird. Just another set of spurs in the spur box.

[ScottTaulbee]

He sat on my lap when I killed this one. 18 months old. Had to change his diaper he got so excited.

I love photo,

That photo will bring a smile to my face for the rest of my day. If I left him home I wouldn't even remember that bird. Just another set of spurs in the spur box.

I get it completely. After awhile the spurs and beards don't mean anything and I couldn't tell you one from the other. But those hunts with the kids sure stand out don't they?.


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[Moore]

I don't know if it is everywhere, but hunter recruitment is low. We should  be happy that people are getting out in the woods and supporting it. If someone embellishes of their harvest impress people then it shows low charter. If the means they get done is legal that is what counts. I may not agree with it but I'm not going to tell another hunter how to hunt. That is what the anti want is us battling against each other instead of coming together. Kids are our future if they don't picked up then our passion and knowledge dies with us. There is always going to be ding dongs out there try to impress people so let them, and let's carry on like we should, and support those coming up, kids,teens and even adults, because the future of hunting depends on us.

[arkrem870]

Hunter recruitment is a high as I've ever seen it on public lands.  In facts it's suffocating all across the south

[silvestris]

If.  If every turkey hunter had three children and two of them became turkey hunters, in twenty years there would be at least twice the number of turkey hunters that we have have today.  I wonder where we would put them.

[El Pavo Grande]

Hunter recruitment is a high as I've ever seen it on public lands.  In facts it's suffocating all across the south

And wonder why???  Turkey hunter recruitment in the south is definitely at an all time high.  I think many from other regions of the country don't realize to the level that it is. 

[quavers59]

    Up here in New York,I have been seeing alot more Hunters Roaming around on Public since 2020 and the Chinese Virus.   

[dublelung]

You can still buy your own land and hunt the way you want with who you want you know? I find it amusing hunters being butthurt over other hunters hunting.

[Spurs]

It is aggravating for sure, but I love how these conversations always gravitate towards the YT guys when there are so many other factors that created the monster.  Take a look at the big names out there that created the idea of killing on every hunt.  Primos, Knight and Hale, Realtree...last and LEAST Bone Collector to name a few.  Those guys started the whole fist bumping, whooping/hollaring, full strut decoys, 'next best thing'.  They staged 90% of their hunts on some TX rios at a private ranch that hasn't seen a hunter in a decade, film themselves smashing 4-5 birds in a few days, and then preaching their products/way of hunting as the ONLY way.

Most (I emphasize most and not all) of the YT guys are pretty dang chill, respectful and seem to want to help people find other ways of hunting.  I can honestly say I don't remember a time where a bigger YT channel did anything overly unethical, hunted over the top of another hunter or did anything that I wouldn't do on my own hunt that would otherwise be looked down at by the masses.  The only thing most of them have done is follow the market and provide a product that the market wanted. 

I guess this is what I am trying to say:  YT guys have done FAR FAR FAR less damage than half of the guys over on the Outdoor channel.  Prove me wrong.


P.S. For the OP.  I kinda get a chuckle every time I see someone post some obvious BS on the socials.  Especially when I know that person.  Reminds me why I have a small hunting friend group and have almost given up on allowing anyone else to enter the 'circle of trust'. 

[Number17]

I always got a kick out of our local river smallmouth tournaments. I was a heck of a good fisherman and placed consistently, but a 4lb smallie was pretty rare to come by.
All week long you'd hear guys talking about catching 4-6lb smallmouth, but come tournament day you would see a sub 4 pound lunker week in week out. 60 of the best local anglers who claimed to catch pigs all week long couldn't put a 4 pounder on the scale. It happened occasionally, but man it was rare and it would cause quite a ruckus when it happened.

[arkrem870]

Social media/YouTube is directly responsible for this current public land madness.  Loose lips sink ships.  For profit filming on public lands should be banned. Pimping out a limited resource for profit - killing dozens per year for profit has consequences.  Bet it. Glad I got to see it before the it show it's become.