YouTube and public land

[Dtrkyman]

I hear that Hobbs, I travel for tags not to avoid pressure, That is why I like the Midwest, I can hunt 4 or 5 states in 10 days and kill 5-10 birds or more if it goes really well!

I am living out west now so not sure what my Midwest hunts will look like?  But I have plans to hunt 2 states out here and all on public.

[Hobbes]

Where are you located now?  I used to go back home to the Midwest yearly from Colorado, but Montana added quite a bit of travel time.

[Old Timer]

I don`t over think this deal. I take it as entertainment.

[Hobbes]

I don`t over think this deal. I take it as entertainment.

Yes!

[GobbleNut]

I don`t over think this deal. I take it as entertainment.

Yes!

You know, I agree with this statement in that spring gobbler hunting started out for me as just another "hunting thing to do in the springtime" form of entertainment.  Somehow, some way, it just morphed into something a lot bigger and more important to me.  From what I can see here on OG, there are an awful lot of folks that had the same thing happen to them.   

[Hobbes]

I don`t over think this deal. I take it as entertainment.

Yes!

You know, I agree with this statement in that spring gobbler hunting started out for me as just another "hunting thing to do in the springtime" form of entertainment.  Somehow, some way, it just morphed into something a lot bigger and more important to me.  From what I can see here on OG, there are an awful lot of folks that had the same thing happen to them.   

YouTube is the entertainment.  Spring turkey hunting is an obsession.

[quavers59]

   To be successful- all these Utube Channels+ Hunting Groups obviously their #1 Thing to do is to make sure to walk on in before anyone one else.
  But by now all these Channels ( stopped looking at # 10)- must have run into a Super Serious Local like me who has no problem walking on in at 3.40am or 3.30am.
   That's what,I  do if,I  see headlights pulling in. I just walk in 15 or 20 minutes earlier.
     Just curious- I wonder how many times these Utube Channel  Groups had to go to plan B because a Local Turkey Fanatic was in their area that studied on and had chose.
     That must have happened  by now.

[deerhunt1988]

I don`t over think this deal. I take it as entertainment.

Yes!

You know, I agree with this statement in that spring gobbler hunting started out for me as just another "hunting thing to do in the springtime" form of entertainment.  Somehow, some way, it just morphed into something a lot bigger and more important to me. 

Amen.

I'm not one of the ones blaming YouTube for my lack of success in the spring woods. I am one of the ones that had his life completely changed by turkey hunting. I am one of the ones who structures his life around turkey hunting. I actually even chose a career path that involves managing public lands, including turkey hunting.

I care. I care about the hunting quality of areas I've hunted previously, even if I'll never go back. I care about the locals who have had their primary public hunting spots overrun with hunters that otherwise wouldn't be there without social media. I care about hunting opportunity and don't want it taken away from us. I care about all things wild turkey.

I have access to information on draw hunt data that shows direct correlations between YouTubers highlighting an area and a giant jump in applicants to those spots the following springs. And here is a tip, you have access to that information too. If not available on the state's game and fish website, you can simply ask for the data (coin it: "Formal Information Request"). Florida, Tennessee, and Wisconsin have all given me the data in the past week. I had planned on analyzing the data more and putting it into a presentable form to post, but I'm simply running out of time now due to turkey season approaching. I'll say this, if you want a south Florida Osceola, you better start working towards it NOW! For those of you familiar with point creep, it is steadily getting worse the past 3 years. After being dang near stable the previous decade.

I've saw many areas/regions rise and fall over the years. No matter how long its been since I've hunted an area, I still get sad when I see it falling. Most of us travel to explore new ground and have a quality hunting experience. I believe it is important to maintain that quality hunting experience. If folks would just quit naming states, a lot of this would die down. It'd make the folks worshipping these YouTubers work a little harder to get their info.

A few things I've noticed from these threads:

-The YouTubers will always defends the YouTubers. Which is completely understandable.
-The majority of hunters who adamantly defend them aren't hardcore traveling turkey hunters themselves and/or haven't had their public lands affected YET
-A lot of hunters who don't see the issue with YouTube and social media are not from the southeast where turkey numbers have taken big downturns in recent years in a lot of areas and public land pressure can get absolutely ridiculous. The southeasterners are a whole 'nother breed of turkey hunter and I think most will vouch for this.
-I see many defenders from states/regions where turkeys are still in somewhat of a boom and the turkey hunting culture is not near as strong as it is down south. The tide will turn fellas. Populations are cyclical. Always have been. Believe me, your turkey won't be at that high forever.
-More hunters are coming out to post their negative experiences. Yet they are often told they are making excuses for their lack of success (even though a lot are extremely successful turkey hunters) or are told to suck it up and find a new area.


One bright side to all the discussion. More people are becoming aware of the potential impacts and implications. Including the producers. A lot of great ideas and discussion points have also been brought up. And to their credit, basically all the YouTubers causing an impact do in fact exhibit public land etiquette. Which hopefully rubs off on the ones following their footsteps.



Continue forth!

[quavers59]

   Very good post above  DeerHunt1988!!

[CALLM2U]

deerhunt1988, while I think you've hit on some of the contributors, it's not a one size fits all and I think painting with a broad brush is why we can't make progress on this topic (or most things in this country)  For example:


-The YouTubers will always defends the YouTubers. Which is completely understandable.  - Ageed

-The majority of hunters who adamantly defend them aren't hardcore traveling turkey hunters themselves and/or haven't had their public lands affected YET - I'm not sure if I'm defending, but I'm sure not attacking them and I have seen an impact to my local area. 

-A lot of hunters who don't see the issue with YouTube and social media are not from the southeast where turkey numbers have taken big downturns in recent years in a lot of areas and public land pressure can get absolutely ridiculous. The southeasterners are a whole 'nother breed of turkey hunter and I think most will vouch for this. - I live in TN and hunt the SE. 

-I see many defenders from states/regions where turkeys are still in somewhat of a boom and the turkey hunting culture is not near as strong as it is down south. The tide will turn fellas. Populations are cyclical. Always have been. Believe me, your turkey won't be at that high forever.  - Where I live in TN, we're seeing a huge decrease. 

-More hunters are coming out to post their negative experiences. Yet they are often told they are making excuses for their lack of success (even though a lot are extremely successful turkey hunters) or are told to suck it up and find a new area.  - Agree, probably not the root cause. 


One bright side to all the discussion. More people are becoming aware of the potential impacts and implications. Including the producers. A lot of great ideas and discussion points have also been brought up. And to their credit, basically all the YouTubers causing an impact do in fact exhibit public land etiquette. Which hopefully rubs off on the ones following their footsteps.


I've been alive long enough to see the ebb and flow of deer, turkey and small game hunting.  It's really difficult to pin all the issues on YouTube or social media.  I'm sure they contribute, but given there have been challenges in the past, prior to these resources, it's difficult to say this is the root cause.  Of course we can learn and do better, but I can't see any defined causation link from pressure on public land, tied exclusively to YouTube.

[Hobbes]

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.

[arkrem870]

Deerhunt1988 is 100% correct. If you deny the facts then you deny the facts. But remember you were warned.

[cuttinAR]

It's obvious that YouTube draws hunters to locations based on the facts presented in this thread.  I still stand by they should title the videos 5-10-21 Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, etc and make it more regional.  It's still shows the travel aspect which is a draw to their tours but is more ambiguous.  I think that's a compromise for all sides.

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. 

[GobbleNut]

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?...   

[tracker vi]

Maybe just recruit the hunters with access to private land . lol