What Started It All Hunting Shows of the Past / Television / Now YouTube

[El Pavo Grande]

I started with American Sportsman also.   Evolved into others most likely the Knight and Hale series on both TV and vcr tapes.  It isn't going to matter how many scream and kick their feet the YouTube and other "spot burners" are here to stay.  Live with it, ban everything you can possibly think of, or adapt.  Almost tired of arguing it.   It is a useless flight of fantasy to think that turkey hunting will ever return to the glory days.  I lived through the glory days.  Fun stuff to legally take multiple turkey in multiple states.  Now the one and two bird limits are just fine.  Maybe those one or two birds are a little more special.  Maybe "Whiner on Board" can be the bumper sticker for this new millennium crew of turkey hunters.  Pfft!

Here's a thought... Just maybe if rational discussions of substance were held there could be a change in attitudes towards protecting the resource and future of turkey hunting. Or we can just "adapt", call each other names, not call out spot burners, and watch it burn to the ground.  Make a list of pros and cons with sharing specifics.  There is a reason no sound justification or argument to support such actions is ever shared. It's because there are zero positives.   

The apathy to just "adapt" to times is enlightening.  Heaven forbid China ever invades us.... Just adapt. 

[FLGobstopper]

You win the award for the worst analogy of July 2023.  China invasion??? Please spare us the drama with this desperate response.

He actually has a really great point!

I'm pretty thankful when market hunting, habitat destruction and all the other issues going on with turkeys and many more wildlife species were in decline years ago some really amazing men and women didn't just sit around and watch it all disappear.

[g8rvet]

The genie IS NOT going back in the bottle.  At some point, there will need to be changes to protect the resource.  When the redfish in my area went to 2 per day, everyone locally was happy, folks from further away were mad about their limit, but willing to make the drive to further strain our local resource.  After a while it went back to one, but lots of folks were mad.  As long as the changes are driven by science and not dollars, I am all for anything that protects the resource, be it turkey, duck, redfish, etc. 

A great example here in N Florida is black bear.  There is no doubt there is a sustainable, huntable population.  But the state screwed up the first attempt at a re-open and has not been willing to start it up again due to public pressure.  Forget that, if the science says it can be opened, open it up (and I have plenty of bear on my property and no desire to shoot one even if it opens). 

[El Pavo Grande]

Different times.  Different attitudes.  Beating your head against the wall over YouTube/social media will give you an ulcer and not change a thing.  I don't expect to see buffalo from horizon to horizon like they did in the 1870s or turkey populations as I witnessed in the 1980s and 1990s.  Being a realist is my meaning of "adapt". No Chinese involved.  Those that want to fight YouTube and social media go for it.  Ban anything that tickles your fancy and then scratch your head and be amazed little changed. Reduced limits and quota hunts are your future. You will adapt to that or not.  Your choice.

Just an observation, since you mentioned millennials previously.   Your attitude on the subject is more along the lines of a new age turkey hunter, not one of however many long years it is.  I find that interesting.  "Adapting" in this case is apathy.  110% apathy and that doesn't bode well for the future.  "Oh, shucks Barbara.  They done breached the gate. Oh, well". 

While I take issues with some millennial type attitudes, I'll admit many don't adhere to norms they are labeled with.  I know some young guys that "get it" while long time participants of the sport don't.  Age and longevity aren't always the best gauge.... in various walks of life.

[El Pavo Grande]

"Hi, my name is......"

46 years old.  Arkansas.  My dad was a turkey hunter, so I've been turkey hunting since old enough to remember.  I grew up both fall and spring hunting.  Killed my first turkey 35 years ago. 

We can agree to disagree.  Apathy by definition is "the lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern".  So, to suggest we should just ADAPT, accepting the practices of burning specific spots and other concerning trends while populations struggle in many areas and hunter opportunities dwindle, is being apathetic.  In my opinion.  It's not about destroying social media, it's about maybe influencing the mindset of hunters to place turkey populations #1 and hunting opportunities #2 on the priority list.  The issue within the current culture is that many place Self as #1.  That's not sustainable.  It's compounding at an alarming rate with new hunters.   Unfortunately, it's an issue influenced greatly by those that have influence... YouTubers, hunting celebrities, companies marketing products, etc.  All that profit in some way, whether it's personal notoriety or $$.   It's not about banning, it's about realigning the mindset.  What should be priority #1?   It's not debatable.  The actions of many speak otherwise.

It's not about Arkansas.  It's not about chasing a #.  It's not about lost honey holes or jealousy.  I have been fortunate to hunt several states, and I will likely never step foot on ground in multiple states, I want turkeys to thrive on every inch of ground possible, from coast to coast. 

Accepting it?  Playing it?  Bluffing it?  Folding (giving up)?   That's a hard pass for me. 

[GobbleNut]

I may be wrong in my interpretation of many of the comments above, but it appears to me that many of us are just arguing the same points from the same side of the fence.  The bottom line is that THE RESOURCE (i.e...turkey populations everywhere) should ALWAYS come first.  After stating that fact that ALL OF US should agree on, the question then becomes how to we go about ensuring the welfare of the resource?

There are a number of ways of achieving that goal, and that discussion seems to be where the debate is.  Choose your poison as to what position you want to take on it.  All of them come down to the simple formula that we can't continue to take more turkeys out of the population than are being replaced through reproduction (or other means). 

Until that happens, wildlife managers have no choice but to try to address the problem.  The path they choose to do that may or may not be the ones each of us might prefer.  The ultimate result of leaving obviously failing management strategies in place with fingers crossed that things will magically turn around by themselves could be one that none of us wants to see. 

[Greg Massey]

It's about making changes in our overall attitudes and making adjustments in how we were influenced and now making changes to protect the resources for future generations. Nothing wrong with good debate about the issues we see facing the wild turkeys for the future of all states...  The post was started by me to bring about what influenced some of us to begin hunting in the first place ... We were all influenced by someone or something to want to hunt. So now it's our turn to try and change attitudes and make adjustments for the future ... Save the RESOURCE .... Great Post ... GobbleNut .... 

So again, it's not about who's at Fault or who's right or wrong it's about coming together to help with finding solutions, even if it's only for your state or multiple states public or private grounds included in saving the resource...

[WV Flopper]

 To The OP:

I remember those shows when I was young. I tried to watch all I could! I remember Field and Stream and Outdoor Life, they were the Bible to me. I also recognized in the 90's that Turkey hunting was being commercialized and that the commercialization would be the ruination of Turkey hunting. Thank you for the reminder, Oh, and Marty Stauffer, loved his show!

That is all it is, people are making money from the turkey.

Do I like it, No. No, I do not. But, as stated, there is not a reverse for this. The only slow down for this issue would be the Bud Light syndrome. Us harping about it here continually does nothing to help the situation. Not watching You Tube Vids may help, by a large joint effort from sportspeople globally.

Lots of these guys are trying to do what a lot of us have said and heard all our lives. "Do what you love to do and you'll never work a day in your life." I am not sure that's a true statement once money is introduced to what you love. Has anyone here not heard this statement before?

[Happy]

Yep, I have heard it. But then there is the flip side of the coin. If you're forced to do what you love all of the time, then you may grow to hate it. The truth is, the explosion of social media has caused three main problems as i see it. A desire to be constantly getting attention, a possible loophole to avoid actually working, and being a productive member of society, and giving everyone a fake perception of reality. That's gonna bode well for the future

[WV Flopper]

 I realized in "About" 2000 I didn't want to do what I love for money. I am happy that I realized that, once money is introduced it's a job. Same as all the other jobs.

The do what you love saying is stupid today. Do what you can to make a good living and enjoy your time off. That should be the saying for today.

[El Pavo Grande]

I may be wrong in my interpretation of many of the comments above, but it appears to me that many of us are just arguing the same points from the same side of the fence.  The bottom line is that THE RESOURCE (i.e...turkey populations everywhere) should ALWAYS come first.  After stating that fact that ALL OF US should agree on, the question then becomes how to we go about ensuring the welfare of the resource?

There are a number of ways of achieving that goal, and that discussion seems to be where the debate is.  Choose your poison as to what position you want to take on it.  All of them come down to the simple formula that we can't continue to take more turkeys out of the population than are being replaced through reproduction (or other means). 

Until that happens, wildlife managers have no choice but to try to address the problem.  The path they choose to do that may or may not be the ones each of us might prefer.  The ultimate result of leaving obviously failing management strategies in place with fingers crossed that things will magically turn around by themselves could be one that none of us wants to see.

Great post.  100% my point...... turkey populations (the resource) should be top priority #1 and that's not even debatable.   It's like my service oriented field of work.  Without customers, we have no sales, no business, and I don't have a job.  But, we have certain employees (that didn't help establish the business from the ground up) that think the customers are privileged to do business with us.  It's a backwards mindset.  I just can't get on board with shrugging our shoulders and accepting it as a "sign of the times".  We are now an instant gratification, social media driven society and it has evolved the hunting culture into a less desirable one.  And the resource suffers from it.  We should be able to discuss and provide arguments of substance.  The reality is the community is as divided as many conservative and liberals in our country currently. 

Where are the non-profit organizations and hunting industry companies in this?  Why not educate and teach the "resource first" philosophy.  It might be in their words, but I don't see it in their actions.  What I see is hunters first, i.e. promotion and profits.  At the very least, have a message of caution, "Is this good for the resource?  Is this good for the future of hunting?"   Some do some great things, but seem to avoid the "elephant in the room" at all costs.

[Greg Massey]

SORRY you feel this way.... Sometimes you just can't change a person's way of thinking.... 

[El Pavo Grande]

To paraphrase an old prayer:

Lord help me to CHANGE what I can change,
ACCEPT what I can not, and the
WISDOM to know the difference.

Very aprapo to this discussion.  When Primos sends a press release saying please don't buy our decoys and blinds or watch our shows and Apex voluntarily stops selling TSS you'll know mindsets have been changed.  The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Maybe next February will see demonstrators in front of the Opryland Hotel with DECOYS SUCK signs.  Maybe not.   Might just ban displays altogether and have several motivational speakers instead.

I don't expect Primos to do that, anymore than I expect Micheal Waddell to quit pushing reaping decoys, Mossy Oak to caution of social media content, the NWTF to educate hunter etiquette in the social media realm, or THP to not name states or regions within states.   Each has too many reasons ($$$) not to.   What we could do is tune out or not purchase their products.  OR as you suggest... sit down, shut up, and adapt.  I'm not saying it will ever change on a grand scale, for that mountain is steep, BUT I do know accepting a turd leads to a bigger pile of turds. 

You might as well start learning Mandarin, and turn your guns in. 

[arkrem870]

Nobody has pimped the wild turkey more than mossy oak. And they are laughing all the way to the bank.     That's a fact like it or not.  More turkey hunters = more money. And they play it both ways. They sponsor people that exploit wild turkeys for profit while spending on conservation and talking the talk. It's the same thing thp does etc. with fundraising for chamberlain. Buy our merchandise (so we can make money) and we will donate a portion to wild turkey science. 

[El Pavo Grande]

Is that the best you got? I doubt if condescending and holier than tho replies gain much traction.  You seem to have a China fixation. Why is that?

Condescending and holier than thou?  You are the one slinging around labels..... "whiners" etc.  So, you disagree with everything I've said?

Answer if you have any substance to add....

Should the resource (turkey populations) be priority #1?

Do they or don't they (hunting industry companies, social media influencers, non-profit wildlife organization) profit from promoting hunter recruitment?

Do the above promote this recruitment above ALL else?

What are any positives for populations and hunting opportunities of promoting (highlighting) specific locales to hunt on for unlimited access?  WMA, National Forests, states?

Do you think it's acceptable for influencers promoting states for profit? 

Do you think it's acceptable to share OnX pins on social media outlets?

Do you think it's acceptable to share pictures at WMA signs? 

Just a few.  Don't want to overwhelm you with more, or waste more time if you choose not to answer these simple questions.   

No China fixation, just making an observation based on the suggestion to accept and adapt, regardless of what comes our way. 

I'll hang up and listen...