Top 5 Outdoor Influencers of 2019 — Jake's Tails, Tales, and Tips

As we wrap up 2019, I’d like to give a big thanks to everyone that has visited my blog this year. We have grown in numbers substantially, and will continue to grow in 2020. I hope I have provided you all with substance that has fared you well, made you laugh, taught you something, or all of the above.

Today we are going to talk about my top 5 outdoor influencers of 2019. I believe that 2019 has been the year of social media influence for the outdoor community upon platforms of mostly Instagram, YouTube, and podcasts. These influencers spread the word of the outdoors not only amongst our own kind, but among the general public as well. I have met multiple people who have either been made more aware of hunting, have begun hunting, or have had a change of mindset on hunting because of these 5 people. Without further hesitation, let’s get started.

5.) Randy Newberg

With 92,900 Instagram followers and 136,000 followers on YouTube, along with being the host of both Hunt Talk Radio and Elk Talk, Randy Newberg comes in at number 5 on my list. Randy is a generous, light-hearted man who keeps his shows of the same jovial nature. I put Randy at number 5 on the list because of his overall reach to the hunting community, especially of the older crowd - it seems that the younger generation doesn’t connect as well with Randy Newberg. I highly advise watching Randy’s E Scouting series on YouTube, as I think it’s the single best e-scouting tutorial on the internet.

4.) Brian Call

With 68,200 followers on Instagram, 40,000 subscribers on YouTube, and the host of the Gritty Podcast, Brian Call ranks at number 4 on my list. Opposite to Randy Newberg, Brian Call is intense, and his podcast is all about becoming “gritty”, especially for hunting applications. He often posts on social media the rigorous workouts that he performs to prepare for hunting season, of which obviously increase his rate of success. Brian Call is placed at number 4 on his list due to the fact that his Instagram and YouTube following isn’t huge, but his podcast is the number 2 outdoor podcast in my book.

3.) Joe Rogan

With 8,200,000 followers on Instagram, 7,005,000 subscribers on YouTube, and host of one of the biggest podcasts on Earth, The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan comes in at number 3 on the list. Almost everyone knows who Joe Rogan is with his initial television stand on Fear Factor, followed by his hosting of UFC fights. Joe Rogan began hunting several years ago, and has since become an avid bowhunter, especially for elk. Joe Rogan often has big-name hunters and wildlife biologists on his podcast, such as Cameron Hanes, Steven Rinella, Forrest Galante, and John Dudley. While this podcast is not strictly outdoor based, it reaches the greatest number of people than any other podcast. I have had people who aren’t hunters come to me and talk about hunting due to Joe’s podcast.

2.) Cameron Hanes

With 882,000 followers on Instagram, 213,000 subscribers on YouTube, and a common guest on an array of podcasts, TV shows, and other, Cameron Hanes comes in at number 2 on the list. Cameron Hanes is one of the best bowhunters on the planet – I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard of him coming from a hunt unsuccessful. Hanes also is a proponent to training hard for hunting season, and runs nearly a marathon almost every single day. Cameron’s wide spread social media presence and influence is what places him at number 2 on the list.

1.) Steven Rinella

With 629,000 followers on Instagram, 388,000 followers on YouTube, host of the MeatEater podcast, and host of the MeatEater show on Netflix, Steven RInella comes in at number 1 on the list. King of the MeatEater kingdom, Steven Rinella has changed the entire scene of the outdoor industry. His Netflix series MeatEater has become a widespread visual phenomenon, even for those that don’t hunt. The podcast has brought light to many different subjects, including wildlife management, wildlife and hunting politics, and much more. Steven RInella is incredibly well spoken, and is also the author of several different books. As far as I am concerned, RInella will continue to rein king of the outdoor realm for quite a while, and this is why he is ranked at number 1.

That concludes my ranking of the top outdoor influencers of 2019. Going into 202, it will be interesting to see if any changes are made to this list, or whether these individuals will make moves to increase their position.

As the final day of 2019, I want to wish you all a good day, a good year, and a great new year. May your travels be safe, bullets fly fast and arrows be straight. I’ll see you all next year.