What if the fastest way to fall out of love with hunting is to make your first hunts too hard? Jesse Holt grew up in Arizona in a house where hunting was simply where food came from. His dad hunted, his mom worked as a meat processor, and Jesse took his hunter education at 10 years old. He later drifted away from hunting for a career in tournament fishing, then came back to it for the same reason he started: better food, and more fun. This year, Jesse did something that surprised him. Offered the kind of invitations many hunters dream about, including a hosted trip to Africa and remote bear hunts, he turned most of them down. He had burned himself out chasing hunts that were too hard, and it clarified the message he now wants to pass to new hunters: start with fun, high probability hunts you actually enjoy, learn the basics properly, and do not let social media or the gear industry set your expectations. Jesse is also a board member of the American Bear Foundation, and he and Jae, both South Carolinians, get into bear management, working with state agencies, and why the practical, unglamorous work, like bear proof trash cans, does more for bears than almost anything else. In this episode: Jesse's path: Arizona roots, food first hunting, tournament fishing, and coming backWhy he turned down dream hunts, and what burnout taught him about helping beginnersWhy you do not need a thousand yard rifle, a wall of gear, or a trophy to be a real hunterMentoring without forcing: meet kids and new hunters at their level (bluegill before marlin), and South Carolina DNR's Take One Make One program as Jesse describes itSocial media's two sides: unrealistic trophy expectations on one hand, real help and connection on the otherThe honest side of killing: Jesse's Florida alligator hunt, and a new hunter who was not prepared for what taking an animal actually looks likeThe processing gap: why new hunters ask for field dressing and processing help more than almost anything, and how Jesse teaches it hands onOutdoor skills are hunting skills: first aid training before bear gun debates, wool after a fall in an Idaho river, dehydration on a winter wolf hunt, and why judgment is the first thing hypothermia takesWhy a delayed care emergency can start a hundred yards from your truck, or in your own backyardThe American Bear Foundation: bears first, bear proof trash cans, electric fences, identifying boars and sows, and the flaw Jesse sees in sow quota systemsWorking with state agencies: show up with clear evidence instead of yelling, state versus federal management, the wild turkey comeback, and trapping and quail in South CarolinaJesse's roadmap for a brand new hunter: hunter education first, a low hanging fruit first hunt, find out whether you actually like the killing and processing part, then pick one style of hunting and go all in on itHave a question for the show? Email community@evolvinghunter.com and it may be answered in a future episode, with our guests weighing in. Check out Jesse on Instagram: @chasing_dinner Learn more about the American Bear Foundation Follow along: https://linktr.ee/evolvinghunter Instagram and YouTube: @evolvinghunterpodcast Interested in getting into hunting? Start your journey with our show partner, CertifiedHunter.com
