Column: Overexposure
Elk guru Corey Jacobsen and his crew recently returned home from an absolutely miserable Alaskan elk hunt. Not typical Alaskan misery, a brand of dangerous misery that necessitates the Coast Guard for the unprepared or the unlucky. It didn’t for them, because they don’t hack up the gritless, deep-pocket, private land hunting content like their predecessors and some contemporaries. They trained for the hunt, respected the severity, and I can’t wait to watch the footage.
But since he and his crew did it, will it attract more hunters? Will the spot be ruined or impossible to draw? Will he be the latest in the long line of big names from the Lower 48 who come up here, document their adventures, and be blamed for an overstress of the resource?
It’s hard not to imagine an impact when content makers from down south come up here to do as we do for a week, then return home to hundreds of thousands of “likes,” endorsements and appearances on shows and podcasts to talk about how great our backyard is.
But the answer to whether destination shows, travel writing and podcast recaps are good or bad, is far more complex than a simplistic yes or no.
Either answer is too shallow. Too convenient.
