Meat Eater - Steve Rinella in Africa

[baxterb]

He’s doesn’t come off as thinking he’s an expert in the podcasts or claim to be. He asks a lot of questions. He calls it a life changing experience. I won’t understand the negativity. Someone influential who previously had an incorrect view now has a very different and positive perspective on hunting Africa. Whether someone personally likes him or not is irrelevant. It’s a good thing for African hunting.

He does have a bit of sanctimony though. Just the other day he said that when you die from malaria it’s called Blackwater Fever. He was quite sure of himself but never explained that BWF is only a very small percentage of malaria deaths and that after many exposures. Also, he has yet to correct any of his other reductive comments on African hunting. Still, I’m glad he went, but given his prominence, he might want to be a tad more careful of what he says.

 

[baxterb]

I've heard Matt speak extensively. I'll keep my opinion.

Matt is not anti-hunting. I know him. He is anti-hunting-for-monetary-gain.

 

[Vintageguy]

Watched one of his podcast leading up to this trip where he said he was hoping for a buffalo charge…. He’s someone I can take or leave but I haven’t made it through one of his “safari” videos yet. What I’ve seen so far has just been on location podcasts that I’ve left midway through from boredom. Is there actually any hunting footage.
This is Africa podcasts with famous Professional Hunters are much better.

 

[375Fox]

Watched one of his podcast leading up to this trip where he said he was hoping for a buffalo charge…. He’s someone I can take or leave but I haven’t made it through one of his “safari” videos yet. What I’ve seen so far has just been on location podcasts that I’ve left midway through from boredom. Is there actually any hunting footage.
This is Africa podcasts with famous Professional Hunters are much better.

There is a significant difference in tone from the podcast before trip vs after the trip. The footage is likely several months away after final editing for show. The TIA podcasts are much better however most people listening are already African hunters. Meateater reaches a different audience. I can’t see downloads on Spotify but you can look at views on YouTube. Looks like Meateater gets about 3x the views.

 

[375Fox]

He does have a bit of sanctimony though. Just the other day he said that when you die from malaria it’s called Blackwater Fever. He was quite sure of himself but never explained that BWF is only a very small percentage of malaria deaths and that after many exposures. Also, he has yet to correct any of his other reductive comments on African hunting. Still, I’m glad he went, but given his prominence, he might want to be a tad more careful of what he says.

Not really any different than his books or other material he puts out to me. I’d assume it’s his personality. Like him or not, I think he’s a much better ambassador than many other outdoor personalities.

 

[RLD]

I've heard Matt speak extensively. I'll keep my opinion.

So have I, but here is what Steve says about his brother as a hunter:

Anyone who watched the Montana mule deer episode of MeatEater will remember meeting my brother Matt. He’s the guy who hauls three pack llamas around in the back of his 12-seater Dodge van. While there are plenty of reasons why things turned out the way they did, I’ve always been disappointed that Matt didn’t get more exposure in that mule deer episode. He’s one of the absolute best hunters I know, and there’s nothing I like more than to show him off. And so, this past spring, our crew dragged him back into the hills to film another MeatEater episode. This time, we made sure to follow his every move with a camera. Viewers will be able to check out the results when they tune into Big Sky, Bigger Country, our most recent show.

To be honest, Matt’s skills in hunting are not attributable to any particular secret or skill. He’s not a great caller; he’s not a crack archer or marksman; he’s not married into a family that owns a huge private ranch. Instead, what he has going for him is best described in not-so-delicate terms: he’s got balls.

And no, I don’t mean balls in the literal sense (though Matt actually does have balls in the literal sense…man, this is getting confusing). Instead, what I mean is that he’s an unstoppable force. He’s impervious to heat and cold. He will walk any distance, over any kind of ground, in search of game. He gets up early and stays up late. He conquers loneliness and doesn’t leave the mountain. He’s the kind of guy who hunts on his own for a total 21 days before arrowing a bull elk on a patch of public land that holds one of the densest populations of grizzly bears in the lower-48.

He’s the kind of guy who walks into unfamiliar country in the Alaskan arctic with no sleeping bag and then comes back the next morning with a whole boned-out caribou on his back. He’s the kind of guy who sets up his tree stand on a little patch of public land outside of town, between a set of railroad tracks and a boat launch, and then kills a couple of whitetails with his bow. He’s the kind of guy who gashes his leg open, and then, against his doctor’s orders, goes on an extended backcountry Dall sheep hunt and has to cut his underwear into strips in order to cover a gangrenous-looking infection that’s swelled to the size of a 35-millimeter film canister– all without ever mentioning any of it.

He is neither anti-hunter, nor a socialist.

 

[Altitude sickness]

At least he isn’t one of the Douchebag TV “personalities” that use ridiculous trendy lines.
BOOYAA, SMACKDOWN, smoked em, macdaddy, after shooting an animal.

 

[Laniarius]

Yeah, Stephen Rinella's speaking style is the opposite of the WWE wrestling style of lots of hunting shows. Overall I think he is pretty fair. While he's had insufferable lefties on his podcast like the Patagonia founder, he's also had Don Jr and Ted Nugent on his show. Some might say that was just for clicks, l don't know.

What I really appreciate about the Meateater Podcast is the interviews with archeologists and wildlife biologists. Some of those have led me to read some interesting books.

 

[Philip Glass]

Matt is not anti-hunting. I know him. He is anti-hunting-for-monetary-gain.

ie. Socialist

 

[Philip Glass]

He’s doesn’t come off as thinking he’s an expert in the podcasts or claim to be. He asks a lot of questions. He calls it a life changing experience. I won’t understand the negativity. Someone influential who previously had an incorrect view now has a very different and positive perspective on hunting Africa. Whether someone personally likes him or not is irrelevant. It’s a good thing for African hunting.

You are correct that it is good for African hunting. As a lover of all things Africa I enjoy seeing these hunters finally see the light after years of dogging the rest of us.

 

[baxterb]

ie. Socialist

That is not correct. Saying you do not want a public resource (game animals) exploited for the sake of pure monetary gain does not make you a socialist.

this is essentially a new form of market hunting. The Tragedy of the Commons is heavily at work here. Prudence is not.

I would be happy to forward you his phone number. He would be more than glad to have you on the podcast where you and he can hash it out. He’s always looking for guests.

 

[Hunt anything]

What do you mean? You can shoot crows in Alabama

Just re-reading this thread. They stated you CANNOT shoot crows in Alabama. Need to proof read my own posts.

I’m definitely watching his shows with a more critical eye since this thread has come up. Actually watching his shows more than I did in the past before this thread.

 

[Philip Glass]

That is not correct. Saying you do not want a public resource (game animals) exploited for the sake of pure monetary gain does not make you a socialist.

this is essentially a new form of market hunting. The Tragedy of the Commons is heavily at work here. Prudence is not.

I would be happy to forward you his phone number. He would be more than glad to have you on the podcast where you and he can hash it out. He’s always looking for guests

Exploited? If an animal has monetary value there will be more of them. Why does simple economics apply everywhere else but in the public land discussion?
I am always up for a good debate and have a very different perspective on some of these issues.

 

[rookhawk]

Exploited? If an animal has monetary value there will be more of them. Why does simple economics apply everywhere else but in the public land discussion?
I am always up for a good debate and have a very different perspective on some of these issues.

Just to stir the pot, I bring you two points of pseudo capitalism that do not gel with my definition:

1.) Why don't we increase tag fees astromically until 95%-98% of the tags are sold? I surely would buy them every year at fair market value, but I have little patience for the nonsense of building points, buying hunting license I never use, all in the name of letting the "poor folk" have equal access. They chose to live where they make nothing, I chose to work 100 hour weeks in hellholes, my money should be valid to outbid them.

2.) The fact I pay taxes for Federal lands all over the West and have zero access to hunt those resources, yet those that live in those States have disproportionate access with less taxation is unjust. They are killing the elk I paid for and will never hunt.

The above is pure capitalism of a public, renewable resource, yet those policies do not exist. Western State residents are not paying their fair share, they are shooting my game that I pay for every day and will never be able to hunt.

 

[Hunt anything]

@rookhawk, I 100% agree with point #2. Every taxpayer should have equal chances to draw on public land.

 

[rookhawk]

@rookhawk, I 100% agree with point #2. Every taxpayer should have equal chances to draw on public land.

Public FEDERAL lands no less. Why does a WY or MT resident get special access to MY federal resource I pay for and cannot utilize. If it’s State land in their States I should shut up and take what comes my way as a non-resident.

 

[Russ16]

Public FEDERAL lands no less. Why does a WY or MT resident get special access to MY federal resource I pay for and cannot utilize. If it’s State land in their States I should shut up and take what comes my way as a non-resident.

I understand that point but you have equal access to the land just not the game. Non-migratory animals like elk belong to the people of state rather than the nation. At least that would be the argument.

Which does beg the question why they are allowed to charge more for announcing state migratory bird license.

Migratory birds are where I have a conflict about guided hunting. Limits were set to end market gunning. But we allow a guide or outfitter to plant food plots on their land to attract and hold the public resource of birds and run group after group of hunters through that property. They are killing much higher numbers of birds than would be taken for personal use and profiting off of it. But it isn’t market hunting because multiple people are pulling the trigger rather than one person. I know if one well known operation that took close to 10,000 birds off a single property in one season.

Yes they are maintaining habitat but almost always in the wintering grounds which are not nearly as critical to the population as nesting grounds up north.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I understand that states game agencies manage the animals. And the state agencies incur those costs and pass those on to the state taxpayer.
I thought that is why NRs pay 3x the amount for tags and permits.

My beef is with Wyoming getting away with locking non residents out of hunting in “Wilderness” areas without a guide. Every other state allows NRs to hunt Wilderness areas.

If they can’t abide free men being alone in the forest then perhaps a search and rescue fee applied to the hunting license.

 

[Russ16]

I understand that states game agencies manage the animals. And the state agencies incur those costs and pass those on to the state taxpayer.
I thought that is why NRs pay 3x the amount for tags and permits.

My beef is with Wyoming getting away with locking non residents out of hunting in “Wilderness” areas without a guide. Every other state allows NRs to hunt Wilderness areas.

If they can’t abide free men being alone in the forest then perhaps a search and rescue fee applied to the hunting license.

That makes total sense.

 

[Philip Glass]

Just to stir the pot, I bring you two points of pseudo capitalism that do not gel with my definition:

1.) Why don't we increase tag fees astromically until 95%-98% of the tags are sold? I surely would buy them every year at fair market value, but I have little patience for the nonsense of building points, buying hunting license I never use, all in the name of letting the "poor folk" have equal access. They chose to live where they make nothing, I chose to work 100 hour weeks in hellholes, my money should be valid to outbid them.

2.) The fact I pay taxes for Federal lands all over the West and have zero access to hunt those resources, yet those that live in those States have disproportionate access with less taxation is unjust. They are killing the elk I paid for and will never hunt.

The above is pure capitalism of a public, renewable resource, yet those policies do not exist. Western State residents are not paying their fair share, they are shooting my game that I pay for every day and will never be able to hunt.

Very true sir