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Seek one…. Perspective

I listened to as much of that podcast as I could stomach since I despise all this social media hunting crap. He claims he feels terrible about passing up a good shot just because of a bad camera angle.

I'll believe that when he stops shooting deer for content and just hunts without having to show the entire world what he killed. Until he does that, he kills for content and doesn't value the deer near as much as he claims. These social media hunters are ego maniacs.

One of these days, and the day has yet to come, I'll kill a big buck. It happens to all of us if we hunt long enough. And I'm glad that the only people who will know about it are people I personally know. They'll get texts, my family will get texts and phone calls. I don't need 100,000 strangers to know I killed something.
 
scn said:
I'm wondering if he chose to be quiet because he was illegally trespassing at the time?
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No idea. Seems hard to imagine a sensible reason that doesn't involve cowardice on his behalf. Hard to say. Personally I'd rather trespass and pay the penalty than to knowingly allow the animal to suffer. Choices have consequences and when you hunt deer in the city, one ending up where you don't have permission is a very possible consequence that you're aware of before you even start. Besides, had he trespassed to put the animal down and as result lost his license for the year & paid a fine, I'd have given him some respect for manning up & doing what needed to be done. Cowardly hiding then making excuses & blaming strangers in a boat wasn't the right way to do it.

I once made a bad hit on a buck and it crossed the neighbor's fence and fell down in his hay field, but was still wobbly headed. I'm pretty sure I hit forward and low, cutting his esophagus because the beginning of the blood trail was cud, then vomit, then a steady stream of blood. He wasn't going to live but he also wasn't going to die until he'd inhaled enough blood to drown on. The neighbor was an anti-hunter liberal. Doing what I thought was the right thing, I went to ask permission to put the buck down & retrieve it. After lecturing me on how hunting is inhumane, bow hunting is worse, and how he's watched that buck since he had spots, I was finally given permission. However, he wanted me to take his rifle instead of my bow. It was archery season so I refused and told him I'd just come back in a couple hours, which gives the animal time to expire. He agreed with that but said not to bother knocking when I came back because he was done talking about it. Well, I came back after the two longest hours of my life only to find his little lap dog slurping blood where the buck had laid, a short drag path to truck tracks, and no buck. I have no idea if the buck died whether from the wound or being put down with a rifle, but it was gone. Only the blood puddle and drag path remained. All I can hope is that the animal was put to good use. He did what he felt I was unwilling to do, and I feel bad for ever have putting him in the position to make that decision.

In hindsight I could have simply trespassed and retrieved the buck. Or I could have used his rifle to put the buck down. Either of those would maybe have been better options than I chose, albeit both illegal. I chose the legal way and looking back realized it was probably not necessarily the most ethical way. I'd now rather have paid a penalty for breaking the law than know I left an animal suffering when I didn't have to. But that's hindsight. In the moment my mind was going all different directions and I took the legally safe route. Hard learned lesson. I blame myself for doing things I wish I'd done differently, but I never once blamed the landowner or made excuses. I'm also not advocating lawlessness. I do my best to be law abiding. But that's one rare instance when I wished I had broken the law.

In the Nashville buck case I wouldn't blame the hunter if he'd broken the law to put that deer down. I blame him for purposely taking a bad shot then not being willing to man up & finish the job. I blame myself for not finishing the animal I made suffer, and I blame him for not finishing the animal he made suffer. I learned from my situation. Hopefully he learns from his.
 
BSK said:
Sadly, I think the only thing he will "learn" is whatever will get him more clicks and "likes."
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And whenever he does learn, or pretend to learn, he'll make a YouTube video and 10 Instagram posts about it. Because he's got to keep that content flowing.

Whatever happened to people just hunting for all of the reasons that make hunting so special, then sharing their success with a circle of friends and family whether that be photos, texts, phone calls, even emails? Why are people now absolutely obsessed with letting tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of complete strangers know what they killed?

And why do said strangers have such an obsession with following these social media pages and falling all over themselves to comment how wonderful they are? I swear you'd think these guys in the comments were all gay the way they salivate over them.
 
MidTennFisher said:
Whatever happened to people just hunting for all of the reasons that make hunting so special, then sharing their success with a circle of friends and family whether that be photos, texts, phone calls, even emails? Why are people now absolutely obsessed with letting tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of complete strangers know what they killed?
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Unsure but one of my best friends or I guess used to be fell into the trap, would rather post about it then actually do it. It's amazing how fake it actually is. I do think it will eventually reset, I would say it would have to or we risk losing more then we ever imagined. I've said it before had an opportunity multiple actually to get into the industry and as tempting as it was I am so thankful I listened to my gut. Don't get me wrong there are guys in the industry that are good as gold but there's a lot that I wouldn't want around anyone I remotely care about.
 
MidTennFisher said:
Whatever happened to people just hunting for all of the reasons that make hunting so special, then sharing their success with a circle of friends and family whether that be photos, texts, phone calls, even emails? Why are people now absolutely obsessed with letting tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of complete strangers know what they killed?
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Eh, I like posting pics on here. We talk all year round about land management, hunting experience, and bucks we're after. When someone scores I like seeing it and like congratulating them. Likewise when I get one I like to share a pic. Although technically anybody on earth can see the pics, I'm only posting them to share with the folks I communicate with on here. Common thread kind of thing I guess. I suspect hunters have always had that type community. Used to be deer check stations. Now it's moved online.
 
I'm too busy raising kids, going to kids sports and playing golf to care. Didn't even know who "Sneek One" was till about 3 weeks ago.

I'm no longer eat up with deer hunting. When it's not deer season, I take up other priorities and hobbies. Right now is when I start getting excited about being in the deer woods.
 
Lost Lake said:
I really didn't even want to give an opinion on this one way or another. I don't follow them, or know much other than what I've heard from others. I've tried to keep an open mind regarding them, until I listened to the podcast concerning the Nashville River buck. It made me sick.

Based on his own assertion on that podcast, that he always does what's best for the deer, I've gotta disagree.

By his own admission, does passing up a good shot in favor of a really crappy shot sound good for the deer? We all have made bad shots, but my take on this one is that it was done for nothing more than video footage, which translates to likes, subscribes, and money.

Does asking for retrieval permission after the fact sound good for the deer? Is it a habit with his group??? No, it's not good for the deer, and is begging to let an animal go to waste if a home owner denies retrieval permission. But, it gives video footage and likes and subscribes.

I heard Lee say that he doesn't like attention. I don't know him, but from what I heard on the podcast, I'd seriously doubt that's the case. Why do the type videos he does then? If he doesn't like attention, from the remarks of his admirers at his side, they're gonna make sure he gets it.

There's nothing wrong legally about hunting heavily populated areas and going after a good buck or any deer for that matter. But more than any place you could hunt that I can think of, toeing the line is even more necessary in tiny wood lots and back yards. The way that subdivisions are sprouting from the ground in middle Tennessee, it's making it even tougher on the larger tracts of land around them as well. We'll all be faced with it when the lot owners are claiming the deer as their pets.

The podcast made me sick, and I don't really need to hear more from him. What stood out was excuses, self-glorification, and encouragement from his friend-groupies.

I heard the mention of Tennessee Rednecks. From what was told in another thread, it sounds like the " Tennessee Redneck's" in the boats main concern was finishing off a miserably wounded deer, because of piss-poor shot placement, purposely chosen by the group leader over a better shot, all for video footage, likes and subscribes and ego.

I tell you, I'd share a campfire anytime with the "Tennessee Rednecks", and based on his own comments, I seriously doubt he'd do well debating his detractors and holding them accountable.
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Could not agree more.

My perspective of the shooter, is that he is a self serving glory hound. I have no use for this type people.
Ski said:
Eh, I like posting pics on here. We talk all year round about land management, hunting experience, and bucks we're after. When someone scores I like seeing it and like congratulating them. Likewise when I get one I like to share a pic. Although technically anybody on earth can see the pics, I'm only posting them to share with the folks I communicate with on here. Common thread kind of thing I guess. I suspect hunters have always had that type community. Used to be deer check stations. Now it's moved online.
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Yep, I do share pics of deer here. I also enjoy seeing what others kill, reading their stories, and congratulating them.
 
BSK said:
Seek One is just a reflection of what deer hunting has become: the only thing that matters is what is killed, not how it was killed. Unless of course, you include "convincing some dumb Karen to let me shoot their pet deer" is part of the "how."
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You mean how it used to be someone asking if you killed a buck or doe, turning into how old of a buck did you kill and being shamed if it's not old enough. I blame social media for that too, including some on here. How many age this one post do we see? Was that as big of a concern 20 years ago? We were dropped to a two buck limit, because people thought that would increase their chance at monsters. Do you think that was a concern before the internet and posting every deer killled?
 
RobbyW said:
You mean how it used to be someone asking if you killed a buck or doe, turning into how old of a buck did you kill and being shamed if it's not old enough. I blame social media for that too, including some on here. How many age this one post do we see? Was that as big of a concern 20 years ago? We were dropped to a two buck limit, because people thought that would increase their chance at monsters. Do you think that was a concern before the internet and posting every deer killled?
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First of all anybody who shames another hunter for killing a young buck is an @$$hole. Unfortunately those have always existed.

My take on the changes/evolution of deer hunting is a little different. I grew up hunting deer but the generation before didn't. When my father was a boy, deer were as rare as unicorns. Turkeys even rarer. He grew up in the mountains and never saw a deer on the hoof until his twenties. Deer were all but extinct in many areas of the country. Intense conservation, hunting regulations, and reintroduction efforts are why we have deer to hunt today.

As the herd grew we collectively learned more about them, and much of that has coincided with the rise of the internet. As long as I've been alive hunters have wanted to kill big bucks. And ever since I was a kid dreaming of them, I've been told in order to kill one I've got to let them grow up. That was before internet was a thing and phones had actual dials. Every hunter wanted a big buck but not everyone knew how to do it, and without trail cameras we never knew how many there were.

With the growth of internet and trail cameras, deer hunting culture has changed. We now can see first hand how big bucks can grow and how long it takes, even how to manipulate habitat to keep them around. There are colleges offering graduate programs in the study of deer. And all of the information and more is available to anybody with Google. Furthermore we can real time compare notes and share experiences. Yes deer hunting has changed and likely will continue to change. And although not all the changes have been good, overall I think like the trend.
 
MidTennFisher said:
Whatever happened to people just hunting for all of the reasons that make hunting so special, then sharing their success with a circle of friends and family whether that be photos, texts, phone calls, even emails?
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That still exists, but it doesn't get the press the "social media warriors" get.

MidTennFisher said:
Why are people now absolutely obsessed with letting tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of complete strangers know what they killed?
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It's the social media generation. If it isn't on social media, it didn't happen. In addition, social media is the perfect venue for narcissists and those who need to be famous (or think they're famous).

MidTennFisher said:
And why do said strangers have such an obsession with following these social media pages and falling all over themselves to comment how wonderful they are? I swear you'd think these guys in the comments were all gay the way they salivate over them.
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That's the part I don't understand. Did you know there are now artificial "influencers?" They are completely computer generated. Yet, even knowing that, hundreds of thousands of people watch their content. Why? They're not a real person! I'm not a psychologist nor did I sleep at a Holiday Inn last night, so I just don't understand this desire by some to watch other people living better lives (supposedly - the media is so easily manipulated to make things look very different than reality).
 
RobbyW said:
You mean how it used to be someone asking if you killed a buck or doe, turning into how old of a buck did you kill and being shamed if it's not old enough. I blame social media for that too, including some on here. How many age this one post do we see? Was that as big of a concern 20 years ago? We were dropped to a two buck limit, because people thought that would increase their chance at monsters. Do you think that was a concern before the internet and posting every deer killled?
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I think a lot of that comes down to why a person hunts. What do they want out of the experience? For me, hunting is about the challenge. Yes, I receive great psychic healing out of being in the woods, watching the sun rise, and being an active participant in Nature. But ultimately, I hunt for the challenge of pitting myself against the ultimate survival machine. I want to beat the best at their own game. It didn't take long to learn how to outwit yearling bucks. Eventually I needed to shift my goals higher to more and more rare and wary animals like older bucks. I still get great satisfaction out of trying to outwit older bucks.

But I agree with you that the worst thing to happen to hunting is the hunters who criticize others for not killing an old enough buck. It's called "trophyism," and it's a true scourge of the deer hunting world. I'll be the first to congratulate any hunter who kills any deer they are thrilled with, no matter the deer's sex or age.
 
Molonlabemike said:
My wife doesn't care for watching hunting shows as she's face first into her books. She didn't grow up hunting or had anyone in her family who hunted. She doesn't mind me hunting and supports my hobby but has zero interest in hunting.

She watched one of the episodes where Lee broke down his first filmed hunt. As it started she started looking up then looked down and 5min later the booked closed and she's watching. She made the comment that she never understood how much work goes into targeting specific deer and was impressed by the work that went into it. Never once did she comment on how it's not "real hunting" or he's to close to houses. People who are in fact are outraged are still outraged by us hunting no matter how you slice and dice it. Remember when that dentist shot that lion in Africa? People here were pissed and tried to cancel him and threaten him for hunting something in another damn country.

Also I would love to know any of these outraged members have done the victory lap with the dead deer through town to show it off. Kinda the same principle.
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well you said it yourself. your wife did not grow up with the traditions of hunting. she would not understand why shooting a deer next to the pool is not hunting.
 
MidTennFisher said:
I listened to as much of that podcast as I could stomach since I despise all this social media hunting crap. He claims he feels terrible about passing up a good shot just because of a bad camera angle.

I'll believe that when he stops shooting deer for content and just hunts without having to show the entire world what he killed. Until he does that, he kills for content and doesn't value the deer near as much as he claims. These social media hunters are ego maniacs.

One of these days, and the day has yet to come, I'll kill a big buck. It happens to all of us if we hunt long enough. And I'm glad that the only people who will know about it are people I personally know. They'll get texts, my family will get texts and phone calls. I don't need 100,000 strangers to know I killed something.
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Camera fame becomes a monster. I have a sister in law like that. Its not going to beach and enjoy timr with her family- creating memories that will endure. Its a scripted photo shoot full or takes
And retakes and loaded witg artificial smiles, highlighting good light and her "best" side. Then staring at her phone as she broadcast those pictures to the masses and spends the rest of her day wrapped up in a blanket on the coach, commenting on all her comments. Its not about the vactation- she dont really want to be there- its using the vacation to project an image that isnt accurate for the sake of impressing an acquaintance. And she has programmed her 2 teen daughters to be attention sluts just like her. I went on one vacation with her (and it was years ago) and told them im done.

The bad thing is people focus so much on documenting the experience , for the sake of some form on public compensation (money, likes, attention etc) that they never fully focus on the the one image that really matters -those precious memories in your minds. We are just throwing the baby out with the bath water and dont even realize it…
 
JedEckert said:
Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter have ruined society more than we'll probably be able to comeback from. Thats how we treat the wound
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I fully agree. This, GoWild, and LinkedIn are the only social media I have or used. The rest is a tree in the forest. 👍😂
 

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