For my Resource Mining post I chose a somewhat unconventional topic – hunting podcasts. I understand hunting itself is a controversial topic but please hear me out. Hunting podcasts are very much a niche market and it is an example of how podcasts do best when they target a select audience with specialized content. In North America, at least, hunting podcasts have found a loyal and captivated audience that is interested in learning from this medium.
The Rookie Hunter, Wired to Hunt, The MeatEater Podcast, Hunt Talk Radio, The Hunter Conservationist Podcast… and the list goes on. Search for the top hunting podcasts and you will find annual lists of the to 40, or top 100 shows. The mass migration of traditional hunting media from TV, the web and magazines to podcasts over the past five years, on all the major platforms, is one of the best examples of the breadth, depth and reach of the podcast medium.
More successful than most hunting video channels on You Tube the primary objective of these podcasts is to promote the education and recruitment of hunters. Specifically these podcast creators are targeting the young adult population as boomers start to age out of the sport. This audience is tuned into mobile media, they have disposable income and they are up for adventure. A quick review of the topics covered in these podcasts reveals a trend toward topics that appeal to today’s youth who are especially concerned with conservation and the environment. Even the number one podcast on the web, The Joe Rogan Experience routinely hosts celebrity hunters in an effort to inform his audience about the complex issues facing the future of hunting and wildlife management.
Here are some of my thoughts on the success of these podcasts.
- Podcasts are more mobile than video and more accessible.
- Podcasts are more personal than video and digital text and they are specifically designed to create a following. They are excellent at creating community.
- The initial value proposition for the users is education and eventually more successful hunts but over the long run the knowledge they gain helps prepare them for thoughtful discussions with critics and novice hunters.
- The attraction to producers is obviously advertising dollars and the rapid commercialization of the entire online hunting industry. The top hunting podcasts are sponsored by brands such as onX, and Netflix.
- Education and conservation are in fact major concerns of modern hunters.
Here are a few episodes I recommend because they demonstrate the range of messaging in hunting podcasts.
- Wired to Hunt – Ep. 339: The Greatest Conservation Win in Decades? https://www.themeateater.com/listen/wired-to-hunt/ep-339-the-greatest-conservation-win-in-decades-with-land-tawney
- Joe Rogan Experience – Ep. 1365: Cameron Hanes – The bow hunting athlete. http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/cameron-hanes-9
- The Rookie Hunter – Ep. 123: Live Show – Vancouver BC. https://www.therookiehunter.com/listen/2020/2/15/episode-123-live-show-vancouver
- The MeatEater Podcast – Ep. 217 Mark Kurlansky on Saving Salmon. https://www.themeateater.com/listen/meateater/ep-217-mark-kurlansky-on-saving-salmon
Thanks for reading. I welcome and invite any comments, suggestions and feedback.