YouTube and public land

[deerhunt1988]

You're correct that I'm not in a state that the turkey hunting YouTubers will affect very much.  If you are under the impression that it's limited to turkeys look at the number of guys doing the same thing with big game hunting out west.  Also, don't assume that you have the market cornered on a love of turkeys because you are in the Southeast.  I've hunted the Southeast some and lived much closer at one time, I understand the difference in hunting culture.  Point creep has existed forever in the West so it's nothing new.  Go to sites like Rokslide and you'll see Western guys with the same complaints about elk and mule deer.

I'm not defending the YouTube guys necessarily, but it's not going away. 

I shouldn't have started in on this.  Carry on without me.

No doubt its happening to big game. Many states are receiving record numbers of applications out there too. I'm extremely familiar with western state big game and draw systems and am vested in a bunch of them myself. Never said point creep was new. But, it has never really been an issue before in turkey hunting because the demand wasn't there. Now it is. South Florida is headed the way of a good elk tag! And a good chance Florida may end up limiting non-residents on quota hunts to protect their residents. If this happens, very likely non-residents will be waiting 5-10+ years for a south Florida quota hunt. Where for the decade prior, you could get down there about every other year. By the way, I actually have the Florida draw data from 2017-18 season through now. It shows everything. But I've been 'mentally' tracking some of the draws since ~2008. Creep didn't start taking a toll until in the last couple years for some reason....

Never claim I had the 'market cornered'. But its no secret southeast turkey hunters are on another level compared to most other regions of the U.S. And the lengths some of these hunters will go through.....You just don't see it near as often elsewhere.

No doubt its not going anyway. But when an act as simple as not naming states can help reduce the effects, why not? Oh yeah, YoUtUbE vIeWs!

[deerhunt1988]

It's not all YouTube though and that needs to be acknowledged by some.  For instance, no one in their right mind has my home state of Arkansas as a destination for spring turkey.  However, our WMA applications were up 35 percent this year compared to last.  That's independent of YouTube and likely from new people introduced last spring during Covid.  Overcrowding is a real issue and one to be taken seriously but let's see all sides.

The Arkansas increased surprised me as well. I do agree COVID is the bulk of that, but still believe social media is a contributing factor as well. I know way too many people from multiple states starting to travel to hunt for the first time due to seeing so much about it on social media. Which is great! I just hope most have the sense not to post about any 'hot spots' they find all over social media.

Interestingly enough, I have the TN draw data and they had a 35% increase in WMA apps too. Went from 2,375 applicants in 2020 to 3,205 in 2021. They couldn't provide me with the number of resident vs non-resident apps. That is what I was wanting to analyze because the amount of TN talk has exploded over the past couple years.

I've also heard from a reliable source that Mississippi WMAs saw a 30-40%+ increase in applicants for a lot of WMAs.


Regardless of the cause, we can't deny public lands are bout to CROWDED! Spring 2020 wasn't a lone anomaly.

[Spitten and drummen]

It's not all YouTube though and that needs to be acknowledged by some.  For instance, no one in their right mind has my home state of Arkansas as a destination for spring turkey.  However, our WMA applications were up 35 percent this year compared to last.  That's independent of YouTube and likely from new people introduced last spring during Covid.  Overcrowding is a real issue and one to be taken seriously but let's see all sides.

....And yet, some of the folks that are screaming "public lands are too crowded" are the very same ones that are preaching "we gotta recruit more hunters".  How is that working out for you where you hunt?...   

This right here. It makes my skin crawl everytime somebody uses hunter number declines to justify whatever their agenda is. Come down here where I hunt and see if there is a hunter decline. Its absurd. All about the all mighty dollar.

[kytrkyhntr]

I think there are a LOT of people on this forum that are simply just mad there are people hunting the same land as you and killing more turkeys and making money while doing it. With the same resources you have. Some people just pimped out the public land and made a dollar. That's capitalism. Heck I wish I made money to go hunt on public land for free but that isn't realistic to me. The biggest YouTube issue for me are the copy cats. There are 10-20 guys on YouTube right now who are trying so hard to make pinhoti videos down to the b roll it's laughable. It isn't the youtubers y'all have named. They been doing it for a while. My opinion it's the ones who wanna imitate it.

[quavers59]

   Deerhunt1988 ,I  agree with much of what you are writing about. Now ,I  am starting  to think that the Tremendous Popularity  of Hiking + Especially  Mountain Biking up here in New York + New Jersey on all Public Lands might help the Local Hunters and keep the Utube Channel/ Groups away as the Mountain  Bikers get out at the crack of Dawn and Love to Bike around Fields as well as trails.
    I don't  know if Mountain  Biking is as popular down South- but up North here- it grows in popularity  every Spring.
 

[idratherb]

 

[dzsmith]

I think there are a LOT of people on this forum that are simply just mad there are people hunting the same land as you and killing more turkeys and making money while doing it. With the same resources you have. Some people just pimped out the public land and made a dollar. That's capitalism. Heck I wish I made money to go hunt on public land for free but that isn't realistic to me. The biggest YouTube issue for me are the copy cats. There are 10-20 guys on YouTube right now who are trying so hard to make pinhoti videos down to the b roll it's laughable. It isn't the youtubers y'all have named. They been doing it for a while. My opinion it's the ones who wanna imitate it.

when theres no turkeys left to hunt....you will be mad. when the government tells you theres fewer hunters than ever...yet the places you hunt have drastically more hunters than you've seen in your lifetime with the added bonus of less turkeys ....you should be mad. Not to say its exclusively anyones fault, or there is any malicious intent with the making of video content. But yes I understand why it bothers people...I completely understand even if they aren't right...and im not mad at youtube, but I understand completely how one could be.

[catman529]

   Deerhunt1988 ,I  agree with much of what you are writing about. Now ,I  am starting  to think that the Tremendous Popularity  of Hiking + Especially  Mountain Biking up here in New York + New Jersey on all Public Lands might help the Local Hunters and keep the Utube Channel/ Groups away as the Mountain  Bikers get out at the crack of Dawn and Love to Bike around Fields as well as trails.
    I don't  know if Mountain  Biking is as popular down South- but up North here- it grows in popularity  every Spring.

We have some of that down here but dirt bikes  running all over land where motor vehicles aren't allowed is the big one. Lol


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[Cull_none]

I love watching the videos but they have sure pimped out and ruins some spots for some folks

[silent tom]

I love watching the videos but they have sure pimped out and ruins some spots for some folks

For a LOT of folks.
People need to go to the "youtubers" social media pages. Look at the shares, "reactions", and comments.

They are reaching an audience far bigger than most realize. And doing it for next to nothing. The revenue on most of these videos won't even cover the cost of gas or a license out of state.
Google "youtube monetization rates" and get a good look at what our public lands are being pimped out for...

[dublelung]

You tubers / facebookers / twitters/ coyotes / skunks / hawks / owls / coons /coonasses / arkies / loggers /
Corn hunters / decoy deployers / tss / Democrats / fire ants / cut overs / reaper fanners / hogs /
And last but not least ,, covid !!  Even with all this ,,, I can't wait till it opens so I can get after these unbelievable survival artists!

Finally! A post I agree with!   

I've watched them all and will continue to be what some of you call a "fan boy" of the youtube hunters. If the majority of you who are bitching would turn in your friends who you know shoot over the limit each year and trap some nest predators you'd be doing way more for the wild turkey than trying to shame someone who has figured out how to supplement their income while traveling and hunting.

[g8rvet]

You tubers / facebookers / twitters/ coyotes / skunks / hawks / owls / coons /coonasses / arkies / loggers /
Corn hunters / decoy deployers / tss / Democrats / fire ants / cut overs / reaper fanners / hogs /
And last but not least ,, covid !!  Even with all this ,,, I can't wait till it opens so I can get after these unbelievable survival artists!

Finally! A post I agree with!   

I've watched them all and will continue to be what some of you call a "fan boy" of the youtube hunters. If the majority of you who are bitching would turn in your friends who you know shoot over the limit each year and trap some nest predators you'd be doing way more for the wild turkey than trying to shame someone who has figured out how to supplement their income while traveling and hunting.

LOL  How do you know that they DON'T turn in friends that shoot over their limit and trap predators? 

This thread turned silly about 10 pages ago, if not before. Y'all have fun. 

[Howie g]

Bout like a pic of a shot X-rayed turkey head silly ??

[Candyman]

Bout like a pic of a shot X-rayed turkey head silly ??

That's funny.

[g8rvet]

Bout like a pic of a shot X-rayed turkey head silly ??

yeah   that's about right.  It is intended to be silly. 

I watch them too (not all of them, but a few).  No apology from me to anyone.  I do feel for folks that may have had their spots burned by someone.  At this point, everyone has their mind made up about how they feel about it.