Steve rinellas blue mountains bull hunt

[idaho guy]

Overall, out door (hunting TV) television shows have hurt the sport more than helped (My opinion here folks).  I'm as guilty as anyone and like to watch them.  But it has driven the sport into a direction that eventually will implode the sport.  It has taken hunting into a direction of trophy hunting.  There are less and less hunters each year in the US but more and more trophy hunters.  This has driven industry into a point that anyone owning land has went from a "ask for permission to hunt" to a "pay for permission to hunt".  I know I'm going to get some flack here because Steve isn't a trophy hunter but he is in the industry.  His show is to make money!  Its all about money.  The day of the guy going out and harvesting a small buck or doe deer to feed his family has turned into everyone out looking for the 175 plus inch mule deer, the 360 inch elk, or the 150 plus inch whitetail.  I know these statements are general and don't apply to all but hunting TV has slowly taken the hunter in this direction.  I'm as guilty as the next guy.  Go out hunting and look at the average age of your fellow hunters.  In general, that age is getting older and older each year.  Very few youth are getting into the sport because of the skyrocketing costs and absolutely no access issues.   The day of the high school kid hitting their favorite pheasant spot on the way home from school are over.  That is why so many people are jumping ship and choosing to leave the Washington zoo behind and start to spend their money in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and other states.  These states are about 20-30 years behind Washington but will catch up in time.  Hunting will eventually become a rich mans sport.  As it is now, there is no way you can justify the cost of the meat with the cost of your hunting experience.  So the day for the normal guy going out hunting to feed his family is all but over.  Price per pound, wild game is the most expensive meat on the planet in most cases.  I could go on and on but will stop here.

I agree with a lot of what you said. I think the social media flat bill army has had the most negative impact and don't like hunting being about antler inches over pounds of meat. I don't actually really like Steve Rinella but I do see where he is representing hunting in a good light to a lot of people that wouldn't otherwise get it and mostly hear just from the other side(anti hunters). Some of his shows have been really good and some not so much. I still think you can hunt on a budget but I guess you might need to live in the right state. My sons and my deer in Idaho cost very little and we spent 1500 bucks in montana on tags but came home with 2 big deer and 2 nice bull elk. Probably 2-3 dollars per pound? spent a couple hundred on gas and stayed with family. I don't know but I am optimistic about the future of hunting in Idaho and other western states. All my sons friends hunt a lot as do most of the kids I know his age. There is still a lot of family hunt camps the tradition lives on around here. I have been closed out of private property due to outfitters leasing stuff up so that is discouraging. I admit I watch hunting shows quite a bit and most of them are not very good and usually some guy shooting deer over a food plot or a feeder but its just supposed to be entertainment.  I have no dog in this fight but I don't know how Rinella can really ruin what are already absolutely terrible odds. I totally get the other side and would hate for my worst spot to be broadcast on the intendent. Its been an interesting discussion anyways

[davk]

In general, that age is getting older and older each year.  Very few youth are getting into the sport because of the skyrocketing costs and absolutely no access issues.   The day of the high school kid hitting their favorite pheasant spot on the way home from school are over.  That is why so many people are jumping ship and choosing to leave the Washington zoo behind and start to spend their money in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and other states.  These states are about 20-30 years behind Washington but will catch up in time.  Hunting will eventually become a rich mans sport.  As it is now, there is no way you can justify the cost of the meat with the cost of your hunting experience.  So the day for the normal guy going out hunting to feed his family is all but over.  Price per pound, wild game is the most expensive meat on the planet in most cases.  I could go on and on but will stop here.

I have never gotten the point that its so expensive.  You can CHOOSE to make it incredibly expensive.  Its not.  Deer, elk, bear and cougar tag is $100 ... take a 300$ gun/scope combo with $20 box of 3006.  I also dont get the access thing.  Maybe its the areas I have been that I dont see it(besides everything being gated).  Its more about education on where you can go.  I usually cant decide where to go because I have too many spots, and have maps with hundreds of spots to check out probably all within 2hrs.

[idaho guy]

In general, that age is getting older and older each year.  Very few youth are getting into the sport because of the skyrocketing costs and absolutely no access issues.   The day of the high school kid hitting their favorite pheasant spot on the way home from school are over.  That is why so many people are jumping ship and choosing to leave the Washington zoo behind and start to spend their money in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and other states.  These states are about 20-30 years behind Washington but will catch up in time.  Hunting will eventually become a rich mans sport.  As it is now, there is no way you can justify the cost of the meat with the cost of your hunting experience.  So the day for the normal guy going out hunting to feed his family is all but over.  Price per pound, wild game is the most expensive meat on the planet in most cases.  I could go on and on but will stop here.

I have never gotten the point that its so expensive.  You can CHOOSE to make it incredibly expensive.  Its not.  Deer, elk, bear and cougar tag is $100 ... take a 300$ gun/scope combo with $20 box of 3006.  I also dont get the access thing.  Maybe its the areas I have been that I dont see it(besides everything being gated).  Its more about education on where you can go.  I usually cant decide where to go because I have too many spots, and have maps with hundreds of spots to check out probably all within 2hrs.

 

  it’s a choice for sure. I get lion,bear,turkey,deer,elk and wolf tag for 150 bucks roughly including the extra permit for hound hunting etc. add in my trapping license and I am in the woods 11 months a year for under 200 bucks. I rarely have to go over 2-3 hours to have all the hunting and trapping I can handle.  Compare that to golf I could spend that much in one day. A few years ago I went to Africa I don’t even want to talk about what that cost  it was a once in a lifetime experience that I was glad I did at least once. It was more like a vacation where I hunted and definitely not like our yearly hunting trips. Anyways it’s a choice you can spend from hundreds of dollars each year to literally millions

[JWEBB]

I’m so sick and tired of all the folks backing this guy like they are his best friend. My family has hunted that unit since the 1930s and every local in that area is not ok with his broadcasting of the unit. Even talked to 2 local game wardens this season and they also agree that his big mouth was completely unacceptable. And yeah go ahead and keep saying that it’s a quality hunt unit and everyone knows that. Keep up the bashing I can handle it.  Mtn view is way more than a quality hunt. Many generations have relied on this area to provide food for their family and still do. Way more to it than a trophy elk hunt! Maybe the draw won’t go up in apps dramatically but it’s still completely unacceptable as a hunter to blast all these details out to everyone. The more talk, the more idiots in the unit. I always drive to all the campsites after the season and check for trash left behind. I’ve never had to pick up more trash as I had this year at campsites. Disgusting! Long story short, this isn’t just a quality elk hunt. It’s a way of life for many and the original hunters of this area are completely disgusted with Steve

You should put to practice your profile signature, those 3 words ring true in a situation like this.

And you should practice not being a suck up    I’ll prolly get tossed for saying that  And I could care less. So tired of the peanut gallery chiming In on an area they have never touched and couldn’t handle for 2 seconds

[JWEBB]

I’m so sick and tired of all the folks backing this guy like they are his best friend. My family has hunted that unit since the 1930s and every local in that area is not ok with his broadcasting of the unit. Even talked to 2 local game wardens this season and they also agree that his big mouth was completely unacceptable. And yeah go ahead and keep saying that it’s a quality hunt unit and everyone knows that. Keep up the bashing I can handle it.  Mtn view is way more than a quality hunt. Many generations have relied on this area to provide food for their family and still do. Way more to it than a trophy elk hunt! Maybe the draw won’t go up in apps dramatically but it’s still completely unacceptable as a hunter to blast all these details out to everyone. The more talk, the more idiots in the unit. I always drive to all the campsites after the season and check for trash left behind. I’ve never had to pick up more trash as I had this year at campsites. Disgusting! Long story short, this isn’t just a quality elk hunt. It’s a way of life for many and the original hunters of this area are completely disgusted with Steve

Rinella didn't ruin a way of life  if anything he is about preserving a way of life.  His show is one of the few that has respect for the tradition and providing meat for the family the majority of hunting shows focus on the exact opposite they focus on the trophy aspect which only creates more individuals wanting to shift from opportunistic hunters providing meat to trophy hunters focused on a measuring tape.  Nothing torques me off more then watching some jackwang shoot a bull or buck on tv then watch as the unskinned ungutted rigamortis carcass is not being taken care of first instead they whip out a tape and calculator that is what has ruined your way of life.  When shows started getting more popular and a greater population shifted to trophy hunting thats when landowners who use to let you hunt for a simple knock on the door and a box of apples saw an opportunity to make money and close lands and start leasing and charging for access I have only ever heard of a trophy fee being charged to hunt not a way to provide meat for my family fee.  I totally agree with your frustrations my family hunts with the mindset of opportunist and meat and if we happen to get lucky on a nice animal once in awhile its a bonus.  To many people not enough open land to many predators to much technology the list goes on as to what has ruined a way of life and it certainly isn't one tv show it's many plus.  As said i totally agree and cant stand that hunting as a lifestyle has changed and i'm not sure its for the better and have to deal with it.  It is not a cost effective way to provide meat for the family anymore it would be cheaper to by beef but it is about the experience and it is great on the table for sure. Bottom line to many people and to much greed and not enough connection with the heritage land and wildlife in general is what has ruined hunting as a way of life and has turned it into a flat bill competition if SCI scores were measured in pounds of meat rather inches of horns the value of the trophy wouldn't exist for the competition to one up the next guy and not nearly as many people would be in your spot.  On a side note nobody is going to flock to the blues or anywhere else from out of state and i think some posts on this sites and facebook and other social media have created just as much or even more competition in some of our best spots in the state.

You have no clue my friend

[fishngamereaper]

I’m so sick and tired of all the folks backing this guy like they are his best friend. My family has hunted that unit since the 1930s and every local in that area is not ok with his broadcasting of the unit. Even talked to 2 local game wardens this season and they also agree that his big mouth was completely unacceptable. And yeah go ahead and keep saying that it’s a quality hunt unit and everyone knows that. Keep up the bashing I can handle it.  Mtn view is way more than a quality hunt. Many generations have relied on this area to provide food for their family and still do. Way more to it than a trophy elk hunt! Maybe the draw won’t go up in apps dramatically but it’s still completely unacceptable as a hunter to blast all these details out to everyone. The more talk, the more idiots in the unit. I always drive to all the campsites after the season and check for trash left behind. I’ve never had to pick up more trash as I had this year at campsites. Disgusting! Long story short, this isn’t just a quality elk hunt. It’s a way of life for many and the original hunters of this area are completely disgusted with Steve

You should put to practice your profile signature, those 3 words ring true in a situation like this.

And you should practice not being a suck up    I’ll prolly get tossed for saying that  And I could care less. So tired of the peanut gallery chiming In on an area they have never touched and couldn’t handle for 2 seconds

Wow...your perception of your fellow sportsman is impressive...way to take the high road..

[nwwanderer]

Have ties to that country since 1880s, the transplanted elk have always caused a stir, this too shall pass.  Be careful out there

[Kazekurt]

Personally, I like that Steve hunts places that I can hunt as it makes the show realistic and less canned.  I hunt lots of public land in multiple states and the reality is that if an area is good, people will eventually catch on.  I have family and friends that own land in the desert unit, have seen lots of nice bucks out there, but have never drawn the tag myself...but I don’t complain when people post pics of the deer they get out there, even though I know it just encourages more people to apply for the tag.  Honestly, I enjoy seeing the pics.  I learned long ago to find happiness in other people’s hunting success.  I have been blessed to take a number of trophy animals in my life, and it’s an amazing feeling that I’ll never forget; and honestly, I hope every hunter that puts in the work and hunts ethically Gets to feel that feeling at least once in their lifetime.  The reality is that public land is public land and popularity of areas will come and go.  I have lots of spots that have increased in popularity the last 5 years.  With modern GPS technology, aps like ON X, etc, people are becoming more aware of public land and since private land is becoming more difficult to access without money changing hands you will continue to see added pressure on public land going forward; but remember that  it’s just other people like you who are trying to enjoy the outdoors, put food on their table, and pass on the hunting tradition to their family.  With that in mind, if someone else shoots a buck or bull I’ve been watching, or draws a tag I covet good for them!  Since I tend to gravitate to hard to reach places that require lots of effort and am willing to hunt with more than just a rifle I mitigate some of the traffic but i still run into other hunters from time to time and I just don’t let I bother me.  I certainly don’t own the land, or the animals...  Anyway, don’t be too hard on Steve.  He puts out a great show and represents hunting in a positive way.  I’ve watched the show for years and even though I recognize some of the places he hunts, have never hunted any of them as a result of watching the show.  Both Steve and Randy Newberg have been reasonably specific on MT hunts on a number of occasions so it isn’t unprecedented.  Most of what Steve does is back country anyway so most people couldn’t pull it off even if they wanted too. 

[JWEBB]

I’m so sick and tired of all the folks backing this guy like they are his best friend. My family has hunted that unit since the 1930s and every local in that area is not ok with his broadcasting of the unit. Even talked to 2 local game wardens this season and they also agree that his big mouth was completely unacceptable. And yeah go ahead and keep saying that it’s a quality hunt unit and everyone knows that. Keep up the bashing I can handle it.  Mtn view is way more than a quality hunt. Many generations have relied on this area to provide food for their family and still do. Way more to it than a trophy elk hunt! Maybe the draw won’t go up in apps dramatically but it’s still completely unacceptable as a hunter to blast all these details out to everyone. The more talk, the more idiots in the unit. I always drive to all the campsites after the season and check for trash left behind. I’ve never had to pick up more trash as I had this year at campsites. Disgusting! Long story short, this isn’t just a quality elk hunt. It’s a way of life for many and the original hunters of this area are completely disgusted with Steve

You should put to practice your profile signature, those 3 words ring true in a situation like this.

And you should practice not being a suck up    I’ll prolly get tossed for saying that  And I could care less. So tired of the peanut gallery chiming In on an area they have never touched and couldn’t handle for 2 seconds

Wow...your perception of your fellow sportsman is impressive...way to take the high road..

Thanks 

[Dan-o]

Interesting thread.   I thought it would die out.

I was waffling, but after this much attention I am definitely putting myself, my kids and my hunting partners in for this hunt.

If it generates this much heat, it must be a GREAT unit.

[KFhunter]

 


I do appreciate your irony and since of humor though Dan-o     

(let this thread die, or keep bumping it and creating more attention to that hunt)

[idaho guy]

Personally, I like that Steve hunts places that I can hunt as it makes the show realistic and less canned.  I hunt lots of public land in multiple states and the reality is that if an area is good, people will eventually catch on.  I have family and friends that own land in the desert unit, have seen lots of nice bucks out there, but have never drawn the tag myself...but I don’t complain when people post pics of the deer they get out there, even though I know it just encourages more people to apply for the tag.  Honestly, I enjoy seeing the pics.  I learned long ago to find happiness in other people’s hunting success.  I have been blessed to take a number of trophy animals in my life, and it’s an amazing feeling that I’ll never forget; and honestly, I hope every hunter that puts in the work and hunts ethically Gets to feel that feeling at least once in their lifetime.  The reality is that public land is public land and popularity of areas will come and go.  I have lots of spots that have increased in popularity the last 5 years.  With modern GPS technology, aps like ON X, etc, people are becoming more aware of public land and since private land is becoming more difficult to access without money changing hands you will continue to see added pressure on public land going forward; but remember that  it’s just other people like you who are trying to enjoy the outdoors, put food on their table, and pass on the hunting tradition to their family.  With that in mind, if someone else shoots a buck or bull I’ve been watching, or draws a tag I covet good for them!  Since I tend to gravitate to hard to reach places that require lots of effort and am willing to hunt with more than just a rifle I mitigate some of the traffic but i still run into other hunters from time to time and I just don’t let I bother me.  I certainly don’t own the land, or the animals...  Anyway, don’t be too hard on Steve.  He puts out a great show and represents hunting in a positive way.  I’ve watched the show for years and even though I recognize some of the places he hunts, have never hunted any of them as a result of watching the show.  Both Steve and Randy Newberg have been reasonably specific on MT hunts on a number of occasions so it isn’t unprecedented.  Most of what Steve does is back country anyway so most people couldn’t pull it off even if they wanted too.

 

OnX and the gps has ruined more of “my” spots than anything else. I love onx and absolutely hate it at the same time 

[idaho guy]

Interesting thread.   I thought it would die out.

I was waffling, but after this much attention I am definitely putting myself, my kids and my hunting partners in for this hunt.

If it generates this much heat, it must be a GREAT unit.

 

How could 100,000 applicants be wrong?  I say go for it!

[Dan-o]

Interesting thread.   I thought it would die out.

I was waffling, but after this much attention I am definitely putting myself, my kids and my hunting partners in for this hunt.

If it generates this much heat, it must be a GREAT unit.

 

How could 100,000 applicants be wrong?  I say go for it!

Make that 100,008.       

[M_ray]

OnX and the gps has ruined more of “my” spots than anything else. I love onx and absolutely hate it at the same time 

  This