YouTube hunting/habitat channels in 2024

[Hoytvectrix]

The problem with that argument is that it assumes that guy has some special right or privilege to that public land. He doesn't have any more right or expectation to it than anyone else. He should just feel lucky he had it to himself for so long. Getting upset about another person enjoying their right to public land is not only foolish, it's downright reprehensible.

I think overall, increased participation on public land is a good thing. It gets more people involved, which means there's a lot more people who care and will have something to say if the government tries to sell public land or ban hunting on public land. I understand that can be challenging for some people, but it also causes us to adapt and become better hunters. In Norway, all wilderness is open to the public. It definitely makes hunting challenging, but I never saw the point in letting it bother me. I just take it on myself to learn to be a better hunter.

This is exactly where my mind is at. A few state conservation departments have actually paid The Hunting Public to come in and hunt some public land in their state as a way to promote it.

People got wind of it after the fact and think it is some conspiracy. Conservation departments still need to raise revenue and they certainly want people to use the resources they manage. The fact that public hunting areas are busy is a GOOD THING. And if hunting areas are too busy, that incentivizes the state or fed to open up more land to hunting or other recreational use. In most cases, The Hunting Public guys go to great lengths to hide where they are hunting. In the most recent video, they didn't even mention what state they were in (!).

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Ruined is relative to the person judging their experience. It’s a subjective context, immeasurable statistically. So from his perspective additional pressure brought on by media spotlight by guys bouncing around our land for clicks to monetize their work, impacts his experience negatively most likely.
I don’t have a problem with people hunting public land, obviously. I do it some and enjoy the challenge. What I don’t like, and I’ve made this clear, is the “pimping” of the resource for a couple guys to make a living at the expense of other users. I’d feel better about it slightly if they felt so inclined to document their experiences but not monetize it, which I know is impossible. In my perfect world you have to go through a process to film on public lands and that process would be very restrictive on for profit businesses, if not impossible.
I don’t have all the answers, just my opinion. And that’s a hill I’m willing to die currently. Western public lands are even worse with people essentially claiming ownership due to financial implications (mining, energy, logging, outfitting, ski resorts, etc). I have this belief that public lands are the one sacred ideal we have left that is spared from negatives of capitalism.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Habitat Solutions 360 (Jake Ehlinger)

See More Bucks (Randy VanderVeen)

Management Advantage

Jared Mills

Bill Winke

Purpose-Filled Habitat Solutions

Love The Grind TV (more of an outfitting business but I think it's pretty neat what they've done with food plot architecture.)

Bowhunt or Die / Bowhunting.com

Whitetail Properties

Growing Deer TV

I don't subscribe to any of these channels but enjoy watching them. I like to see what others have done on their properties.

Jared Mills is another great one I forgot to mention. He just bought a property and is starting to make videos on habitat.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Jared Mills is another great one I forgot to mention. He just bought a property and is starting to make videos on habitat.

Love Jared. He does it right

 

[Telemark]

Ruined is relative to the person judging their experience. It’s a subjective context, immeasurable statistically. So from his perspective additional pressure brought on by media spotlight by guys bouncing around our land for clicks to monetize their work, impacts his experience negatively most likely.

I do understand that any normal person's initial reaction would be "aw bummer, I no longer have what I used to have." That's normal for everyone I think, even me. But if the thing that the individual has "lost" is exclusive use of public property, then that person has no reasonable right or expectation to such exclusive use, so that initial sense of disappointment should be quickly followed by "oh well, it was good while it lasted".

I don't think it really matters what the other people are doing on the public land, as long as it is legal and ethical. They might be beginner hunters who just fumble about and scare the deer. They might be expert hunters who kill the nicest buck in the area. They might me picking mushrooms, walking their pet hamster, or just gazing around enjoying God's creation.

If the Hunting Public guys need to make money from their show/channel in order to get more people excited about nature and utilizing public land, then I think that's reasonable. If a photographer wants to charge money to take wedding photos on public land, then that's fine too. If a drone operator wants to charge money to a public land hunter for recovering his deer, I have zero issue with that. I don't think there is anything unsavory about utilizing public land so long as it does not exclude anyone else.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I do understand that any normal person's initial reaction would be "aw bummer, I no longer have what I used to have." That's normal for everyone I think, even me. But if the thing that the individual has "lost" is exclusive use of public property, then that person has no reasonable right or expectation to such exclusive use, so that initial sense of disappointment should be quickly followed by "oh well, it was good while it lasted".

I don't think it really matters what the other people are doing on the public land, as long as it is legal and ethical. They might be beginner hunters who just fumble about and scare the deer. They might be expert hunters who kill the nicest buck in the area. They might me picking mushrooms, walking their pet hamster, or just gazing around enjoying God's creation.

If the Hunting Public guys need to make money from their show/channel in order to get more people excited about nature and utilizing public land, then I think that's reasonable. If a photographer wants to charge money to take wedding photos on public land, then that's fine too. If a drone operator wants to charge money to a public land hunter for recovering his deer, I have zero issue with that. I don't think there is anything unsavory about utilizing public land so long as it does not exclude anyone else.

I respect your opinion. I disagree with some of it and that’s fine. Just how i personally feel about this particular situation. It’s a band aid on an axe wound, but I won’t click on their videos as my only means for disagreeing with their model. It’s stupid I know but I have some convictions!

 

[chucker66]

So is it OK for the states to make money off the public land?

 

[Telemark]

So is it OK for the states to make money off the public land?

They already do. You have to pay the state if you want to hunt on the public land in that state.

 

[SD51555]

It's getting harder to find good content on youtube. There's just no bar to meet other than uploading videos. My feed gets boogered up by all kinds of experts regurgitating old information as if they discovered it. I saw one a few days ago where a guy was talking about rye like he was showing the world the iphone for the very first time.

 

[Telemark]

I like Bill Winke and Jared Mills, but holy jeez are they long winded. I listen to them while mowing the lawn, but if I'm trying to get to the meat of their episodes I end up fast forwarding to try to find the main point and then move on to the next.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I think one of the things I like most about Winke is that he doesn't oversell his advertisers. They all have to keep the lights on in some way, and I don't mind them plugging a sponsor when it is relevant. If you look at any of the major hunting channels, every single one gushes over their advertisers' products. Winke doesn't over promise and isn't name dropping a sponsor every other sentence.

Grant Woods and Growing Deer is one that comes to mind. He is incredibly knowledgeable and uses a lot of on-site visual demonstrations to make his point in real time. But holy hell is he over the top with sponsor plugs. Almost as bad as the Drurys.

 

[Tree Spud]

I like Winke and his descriptions of how to hunt.

The minute one of these shows start with head banger rock, repeat half the previous segment after a commercial break (meaning actual content show is ~ 4-5 minutes), or minutes consumed with some riding in his truck in the dark, they are off the list.

 

[Native Hunter]

I have a hard time staying really interested in most of those folks, but when something from Dr Craig Harper on habitat pops up I stop and start listening.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I have a hard time staying really interested in most of those folks, but when something from Dr Craig Harper on habitat pops up I stop and start listening.

Craig Harper could be on The View and I’m staying home from work to watch

 

[Native Hunter]

Craig Harper could be on The View and I’m staying home from work to watch

LOL, that is true dedication!!

 

[SwampCat]

I do understand that any normal person's initial reaction would be "aw bummer, I no longer have what I used to have." That's normal for everyone I think, even me. But if the thing that the individual has "lost" is exclusive use of public property, then that person has no reasonable right or expectation to such exclusive use, so that initial sense of disappointment should be quickly followed by "oh well, it was good while it lasted".

I don't think it really matters what the other people are doing on the public land, as long as it is legal and ethical. They might be beginner hunters who just fumble about and scare the deer. They might be expert hunters who kill the nicest buck in the area. They might me picking mushrooms, walking their pet hamster, or just gazing around enjoying God's creation.

If the Hunting Public guys need to make money from their show/channel in order to get more people excited about nature and utilizing public land, then I think that's reasonable. If a photographer wants to charge money to take wedding photos on public land, then that's fine too. If a drone operator wants to charge money to a public land hunter for recovering his deer, I have zero issue with that. I don't think there is anything unsavory about utilizing public land so long as it does not exclude anyone else.

Yes, it is legal and you cant do anything about it, but you cant make me like it

That is what I hear. In our state - we have folks lining up before duck season at the boat ramp ten days before season opens - and sleeping in their truck. Public land is at a premium and a lot of people invest a lot of time finding the best spots - only to have some out of state guys who make a living hunting on public and showing vids of it.

It is like THP is not smart enough to realize - or they probably dont care - that what made the spot good in the first place was fewer than normal folks hunted there - and their videos may well have ruined the very reason they had success hunting there in the first place. Chances are, they will never be back and the old local boy doesnt have that luxury

I really dont think THP pulls many new hunters into the fold. What they do, often; is pull many established hunters to areas that were previously not over crowded - but are after THP leaves.

Yes, it is legal. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and so are ethics.

 

[Prairie Acres]

Purpose-Filled Habitat Solutions also puts out a bunch of great habitat content. It is upper Midwest focused, but the principles should be relatable.

This channel looks really good. Thanks for recommending it.

 

[Brian662]

This channel looks really good. Thanks for recommending it.

Sam is a good dude. He was at one of my properties helping with some work earlier this summer and even created a video on it. He's about the only one I watch every video from. Been watching his stuff for years, relatable invasive species control, kids, Christian, the whole works.

I can't get into the videos that come out of Iowa, it isn't relatable to my hunting and mostly just stroking sponsors. Jared Mills will be the closest, he's a stand up dude. I like Winke's content but some of his hunting practices leave me scratching my head.

Sturgis hunts very similar locations to me (bluff country) so a lot of his strategy stuff is relevant but since he started selling seed, he's become almost unwatchable.
Higgins is too much for me, can't do it.

I like Craig Harper and Bronson Strickland because I nerd out on the science studies and data backed communication instead of selling product. Unfortunately not much of their stuff is relevant to someone in the upper Midwest.

Same with Land and Legacy, good stuff and habitat focused, but not always relatable in my climate.

Jake Elinger, Jake Ward, Jake Blow (lots of Jakes) all provide upper midwest good habitat related videos from time to time but they don't put out much content.

The theme for me and why I like this place so much is because I've gotten more involved in the enjoyment of creating better habitat for deer and pheasants on my properties. I love targeting trophy whitetails but seeing the changes to the landscape and how the critters relate to it is just as enjoyable for me.

 

[g squared 23]

Winke and the hunting beast for me. I’ve learned a lot from both, more from Dan. The guy puts in more effort and scouting than most will put in a decade. He’s the reason I even bother hunting public land and have one giant buck to show for it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gjs4]

I am more of a podcast guy.....

but theres also the Land Podcast, Bowhunting.com s Farm Series, Joe the Farmer, Land and Legacy, Native Habitat, Jim Ward, Brauker, Tony LaPratt, Management Advantage, Colin K, Coy Bishop, Jason Say, Jason Snavely, Whitetail Partners, DIY Foodplot Pro, Jon Teater, ...... There are a ton out there. I glean and ignore at will. I used to take in everything from everyone, most just throw a technique out to the frustrated and we wiggle on the hook