They got a huge influx of cash, they sold a big chunk of meat eater to a private equity group.Thus why they are buying up brands. They probably have bigger coffers then Plano Synergy group and will probably be making a run at being bigger Then Vista Outdoors one day, that’s my guess atleast

If they could start a platform that could prevent Hunting censorship but still get same reach, it would be extremely powerful and profitable, I think that’s where they are headed. Time frame no idea but I bet it’s at top of the list. From a Business perspective it has to be

I don’t know the breakdown, but I’m assuming Rinella owned majority or all of meat eater at one time? Wonder what his ownership is now?

I like the guy. Some of his pals, as mentioned are a little out there. He was the only one not to put up the blackout on social media immediately after George Floyd, unlike his chums Janis and Ol’ Cal. Which I respected him for not making a knee jerk reaction like everyone else, including Cameron Haynes.

Overall, I think his platform does more for hunters as a whole to paint it in a positive light for non-hunters, even though most experienced hunters don’t buy completely into what he is selling, than 99% of other hunting shows. He is articulate and well read and a complete 180 degree opposite of the normal Bubba that is the norm with most hunting shows.

Good info. I agree. I don’t think that’s why season nine is split up, though.

Guessing yes assuming he didn’t have an angel investor on start up.

I really go back and forth, he does a good job of staying politically natural and realistically conservation focused. But some of his guest I just can’t stand. Yvon Chouinard is straight up left wing hack, and would sell his mom for his personal cause. I’ve met Yvon and stand by my statement.

Steve does get multi- use public land, But still knows it cant be wide open. He gives and takes well on conservation. I’d like to meet him. He is a plus for the hunting world and our way of life, it’s hard for someone to really poke holes in him. I disagree with you on bubbas, we have some really smart, self made men among us, that just speak softly but carry a big stick. The hunting bubbas can handle a lot and articulate just as well when we want too. The difference is most of us don’t think we need or have to.


I just watched first two episodes of 9. Good elk spot is gone and I’m going to have to book 3 years in advance with S@S now, thank god I’m a regular.

To the average non-Texan non-hunter, Steve Rinella comes across as a much better spokesman for our sport than someone like Colorado Buck, Pigman or Ted Nugent. He is a lot more like "one of them" than the typical hunting show host

Good point, I forget about those guys

He’s similar to Joe Rogan in the free thinker world, but almost 100% hunter/conservationist oriented. He helped get Rogan into hunting/sustainable lifestyle.

A lot of people thing Rogan and Rinella are left wing, and I think they are more libertarian than left or right wing. Regardless, they’re both people we want in the hunting world’s corner, in my opinion.

Well said.

Rinella wanted to create a brand/platform and created a show that was much more palatable to the general public, being under the guise that hunting for sustenance is a more noble endeavor than "trophy" hunting, which we as hunters know is bullsh*t because A. Trophy hunting pumps far more money into the hunting world than meat hunting and B. Animals taken for their unique headgear are not laid to waste, in far off locales its gladly received by the local populations. But this is a point wasted on Suburban Sally taking her kids to school in her minivan between episodes of "The View" or Hipster Rick who is his 3rd semester of his liberal arts degree he studies for online while sipping a latte' at the local non-profit coffee house. Those are the people he tries not necessarily to reach out to, but to get to see the other side of the coin, and he was able to do that by promoting a "kill to eat" image instead of a "kill to have a good time, have some horns of the wall and then eat" theme that is pretty much the reality of hunting in the United States today. Meateater was recived by Netflix, while Bone Collector never had a snowballs chance in hell

Its gonna be a interesting observation in the next 5 years to see how many in the millennial/hipster class( who often share some left or left of center political views) take up hunting for the long term. Its already been noted by the state of Colorado has seen this demographic have a big upswing in hunter participation.

Guys like Rogan reach out to the Urban and Suburban male ( and probably many females) who will look at hunting with less disdain because guys like Joe Rogan, a forward thinking, intellectual Alpha Male, is a proponent of Hunting. If Joe does it, it must be alright, cause he smokes pot and eats mushrooms like we do. ( I have no issues if a person wants to smoke pot or trip on shroom's ) He is much more relatable to the general urban and suburban public than people like Me and probably like most people here on the THF, but with 85% of people living in either a Urban or Suburban environment he has a pretty big platform.

I like the show. My favorite was when he went to South America