It’s hard to imagine waking up to a world with no social media geared toward the outdoors. No grip and grin photos. No constant advertisements for the latest and greatest outdoor gear, clothing and hunting or fishing destinations.
I have to wonder who our role models would be if we could no longer follow our favorite hunting or fishing celebrities as they chronicle fairytale dream lives one post at a time. We wouldn’t know what latest brand of technical camo pants to wear, or what “success” looks like.
We would not have anyone to measure ourselves against to figure out where we stand in the hunting and angling communities.
And we might question why we are hunting and fishing at all if we cannot post pictures of trophy animals or fish for the world to see.
The real question is just how easily are we influenced in our social media world of outdoor influencers.
I am as guilty as anyone of becoming hopelessly sucked into the vacuum of scrolling, swiping and click-bait articles.
With turkey season just weeks away, my social media accounts have been flooded with gear ads and hunting professionals offering advice while narrating short clips of behemoth toms falling victim to new TSS shotshell loads feet away from overpriced decoys.
I almost caved to the pressure, nearly convincing myself that I not only needed a new shotgun with a red dot sight, and all new turkey gear, but that I also had to find a way to budget for a public land turkey hunt in Missouri.
Luckily, before I drained bank accounts, I realized my old Remington 870 20-gauge shotgun, a pile of perfectly good turkey gear in the basement and access to prime turkey habitat from my front door is still all I need.
Don’t get me wrong. Outdoor social media can be incredibly entertaining, and I consume it willingly. But we need to remember it is truly just that: entertainment.
Over-paid hunting personalities outfitted with half a year’s wages worth of clothing and gear while they hunt or fish in the world’s premier locations is hardly reality.
At least not for most of us.
I’m sure many of those personalities are truly skilled hunters or anglers who made their way by hard work, dedication and perseverance.
But if you spend any amount of time perusing outdoor social media, it’s clear that some of those folks would be lost without a guide to point out a big deer, and would struggle to tell the difference between a red oak leaf and a pine needle.
And while you’re at it, keep in mind that anyone can claim to be an expert, pretending to play one on social media where they offer up uneducated opinions, or how-to content.
Catching a brook trout in a stocked pond with a guide hardly makes someone an expert fly fisherman. Similarly, trapping a handful of beaver one winter under the guidance of a seasoned mentor does not make someone an expert beaver trapper.
A few jazzed-up pictures, some well-written lines and a healthy dose of self-promotion can sure make it seem otherwise.
To a certain extent, human beings are naturally programmed to follow. We want to connect with others, feel a sense of kinship and belong to something bigger than ourselves. While we are all capable of thinking critically to navigate life circumstances, it’s far easier to lean on others who already seem to have the answers, and forget about how valuable an education from the school of hard knocks can be.
The outdoor space is no different. Why not allow social media experts to tell you what clothes to wear, where to kill the biggest bucks and how to establish yourself as a not-so-bonafide elite member of the sporting community just like they are?
Hunting and fishing were never meant to be celebrity spectacles.
Social media’s presence in the outdoor space has birthed a new era that is creeping ever-closer to threatening heritage, tradition, fair chase and ethics. We are putting far too much emphasis on pictures, posts and fanboy mentalities in the outdoors than focusing on the things that really matter.
There’s a sense of pressure to be the first to post pictures of a catch or kill, and showcase new gear with hashtags. Sometimes, it seems as though success hasn’t truly been achieved unless something is made “Facebook official” for the world to see.
Hunting and fishing social media isn’t likely to disappear anytime soon, so by all means, keep enjoying it.
Just remember to not be so easily influenced.
