Can we break the fourth wall and naval gaze for a moment? If you regularly follow Sporting Classics Daily, you might have noticed an essay we ran two weeks ago entitled “The Rise of Hipster Hunters” by JR Sullivan caught the attention of sportsmen beyond our typical readership. The essay received more pageviews, shares, and retweets than any piece we’ve ever published online (thanks for that, by the way!). It was exciting to see the piece get passed around by enthused sportsmen and industry leaders—the good folks at Field & Stream even commented on the emerging trend a few days after our piece ran.
Given the polarizing nature of these hip, socially engaged sportsmen, the essay also inspired more comments than any piece that’s appeared on our humble website. Given Sullivan neither fully endorses nor completely discredits hipster hunters, readers unsurprisingly both praised and condemned the movement.
The remarks ranged from witty and outrageous to concerned and insightful. We’ve included a few of our favorite quips below—but we’ll let you decide which are of merit and which are from left field. Regardless of the sentiments, we’re glad we could encourage discussion among those passionate about the outdoors.
Check out a short video about Jesse Griffiths, who plays a prominent role in the essay, at the end of this post.
Nick Viau of the Michigan Longbow Association even wrote a reactionary essay about Sullivan’s piece.
Austin chef Jesse Griffiths in From the Wild, produced by Dark Rye:
From the Wild from Dark Rye on Vimeo.