I used to always look forward to your “recaps” on GON 15 years ago. You and DJ were my inspiration to begin the public land super slam. When you started pinhoti, I was all aboard, because the content was relatable. At the time, I didn’t realize the repercussions that were to come. I’d imagine you may be in this same boat. I’m not one to call names, or pretend to know your motivations. Did the pursuit of the slam cause the world of turkey hunting to become more fulfilling for you? not the actual slam per say- but the nature of traveling to far of destinations to lock minds with a foe that was so familiar? I'm assuming that answer is yes because it did for me. Should I feel guilty for exposing someone who may have been in your (or my) shoes to that fulfilling experience much the way you were during those early GON days? Keeping it all for myself feels selfish. I want everyone to have that same feeling of accomplishment when I "strike gold" after tirelessly working over maps of far away land. Is that wrong? Maybe. It's still out for debate I suppose.

So here is the problem. Your intentions may have been to showcase the correct way to pursue these birds. It didn’t work. The new people are largely more worried about their social media pictures of fanned out gobblers, than the way they got them there. The old people hunt how they always have. The difference is this. You and THP have now given both groups the roadmap and incentive to travel in droves. When you combine that with Covid allowing those folks the freedom to travel, we’ve got a perfect storm. Think back 10 years ago. You and I both know plenty of fanatical turkey hunters in Georgia and Alabama. How many of them travelled and hunted public land? Almost none. So were are still assuming having more turkey hunters is a bad thing? You had certain people that would run to Texas or Nebraska every year and hunt private land, but otherwise stay in their home states. Today? You can be dang near to Canada in may, and there’s more people from Mississippi hunting than there used to be total hunters over the entire season. Places tend to be specifically harmed, when y’all showcase them. I’m sure that is part of the reason Chubbs has jumped off the bandwagon. His backyard has been showcased by you, catman, THP, the untamed, etc. As you know, there’s 10x the oosers now, compared to 5 years ago. Same for a lot of specific states. Chubbs is featured less due to logistics for 1, we are no longer neighbors. And secondly, because he doesn't like holding a camera. Simple as that. In order to create content you have to be mindful of a camera- he didn't like the camera as much as he'd thought and the ship sails on. We look forward to hunting together when the opportunity arises but we are both tunnel-visioned turkey hunters once spring arrives and seldom entertain anyone's plans but our own. Our opinions concerning social media and turkey hunting align more than they don't. In short, we both agree in many respects its degrading the thing we love most (why Pinhoti was created). My approach is to introduce positive influence into the space rather than letting the degradation run ramped. I'm unsure what his approach would be but I can't imagine sending social media on it's own course could be productive for our past time. As for pressure, no doubt it has increased. Glance back at my original response for the multitude of additional reasons why traveling to turkey hunt has exploded although I am not denying the fact YouTube has its influence. Videoing your hunts comes with responsibility. I refuse to allow anyone else to edit my content due to that fact. Being able to release more content would benefit me greatly. Unfortunately it's not an option, I will not allow it to happen simply because I intend to protect the areas I hunt. It's my responsibility to have first hand knowledge of what's going out for the public eye. Without local knowledge, I would find it extremely difficult to believe anyone can find my location with one exception.

So, at what point does the negative overtake the positive? Is it when our opportunities are cut back, because of record out of state pressure? Is it when you are dang near to Canada in late may, and can’t find a place to park because of all the Mississippi tags? So we are going to point fingers at a craze that started 3/4 years ago for a trend that originated a decade ago? I agree with the correlation. But it's just a correlation. Can we say for sure states would have not made these same decisions if YouTube didn't exist? No. My opinion is these changes were coming because again, our poult per hen numbers started tanking a decade ago. We have a turkey factory problem. Hens are not carrying enough poults to adulthood. If we concentrate on figuring out why that is the supply will match our demands and no one will lose opportunities nor will tactics be questioned.

If I really saw an influx of new hunters who revered a long beard like I do, I could get on board with you. Then I urge you realize that the negatives glare exceedingly brighter than the positives. I promise. Turkey hunting has gained popularity from a league of appreciative souls as well. They can be found if you look. I have a friend I can tell is on the fence about social media/ YouTube and made a statement that, "I can get behind what you do to a certain extent because I got this young kid that's started joining me in the mountains that's new to the game but he wears your hat, has a bicycle and a no-quit attitude. Plus he says people who use decoys are *expletive.*" While I don't want to pit any tactic against another, I do appreciate that he noticed the journey to killing a gobbler is much more enjoyable than the act itself. If I saw public lands being added, or turkey habitat being better managed because of license sales, I could get on board. But neither of those is happening. I don't know how else to approach this rather than saying that's entirely untrue. I suggest you look at fwc.com at the amount of acreage improved in Florida specifically for turkeys the past 2 years due to the sale of their turkey permit (hint- it's in the millions). Arkansas introduced a VOLUNTARY stamp that was a huge success because the concern for turkeys is a front runner for mind space currently. Rumor has it if you're an AL resident, more property is on it's way (I have no confirmation to point you toward at this point, maybe make a call?). This popularity of turkey hunting has research initiated across the country that could have possibly gone "undone" had it not been for the increase in spending power and influence of the newly motivated crowd. That research in itself could give us answers to our supply issue. There is SO MUCH good. But, a pessimistic attitude only views the glass half empty. I'm guilty as well. I am not denying the fact that on my initial observations I see much the same as you.

I don’t blame you, or really expect you to step back. Your livelihood is now tied to continuing to believe, that the positives of Pinhoti outweigh the negatives. I really believe that you’re having the opposite effect than what you intended. These migrating masses of hunters, may kill turkey hunting culture forever. As opportunities become more regulated, public lands become more crowded, and hunter satisfaction diminishes, I fear that places like Alabama and Georgia will soon have the turkey culture of Idaho or Maine. My question in response, without these masses of hunters- who is going to fund the conservation of our resource? who's voice is going to challenge the threats from ill-informed government officials who encroach on our right to hunt? or encroach on our hunting opportunities without well advised truth and reason for that matter? It is a complex balancing act I don't have the answers to. We have a demand without a matching supply. For now, I'm putting faith in our agencies to do the balancing with what little science they have. Whether I like it or not, until more answers are provided- this is the card we as sportsman must play.