YouTuber Outdoor Boys reveals real reason he quit channel with 18M subscribers amid controversy over new career

The YouTube life isn't for everyone, and while some would sell their grandma to be the next PewDiePie or Kids Diana Show, it's not as easy as simply uploading content.

While Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson remains the king of content as the most-subscribed YouTube channel, a new generation of young creators is snapping at his heels.

Ultimately, you never know what's going to fly on YouTube, with some of the most unusual niches topping the charts. Everything from old Bob Ross videos to LEGO tsunamis have their own legion of followers, while outdoor hobbies are also a certified hit.

One man who knows this all too well is Luke Nichols, who made a name for himself with his Outdoor Boys channel. Originally starting with Catfish & Carp in 2013, Nichols started Outdoor Boys in May 2015 with a video about hand-feeding a carp in Virginia's Lake Anna.

As his popularity grew for his wholesome and family-friendly videos, Nichols moved to focus on Outdoor Boys full-time when it became bigger than his law practice in 2020. Despite his follower count booming, Nichols stepped away from YouTube earlier this year, sharing an emotional video titled "Goodbye".

While he's since dabbled in returning to his roots ot help cover for MyLifeOutdoors' Steven Smith, Nichols recently shocked when his next move was revealed. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed that he’d been asked to serve as part of the Young Men General Advisory Council.

In a rare interview, Nichols has revealed more about why he decided it was time to call it quits on Outdoor Boys. Speaking to Smith, the popular YouTuber said: "A big part of it was the exposure. I want to be able to go out in public & eat dinner with my wife at a restaurant & not have it cause problems, I want to be able to go to my kids school event & not have it be a distraction to them."

Saying the fame was never for him, Nichols reiterated that the channel 'blew up' more than he thought it would, adding that people recognized him wherever he went.

Having serious conversations about security and safety issues, he also said: "I always knew that I wasn't going to do this forever.

"The idea of me being out 60 or 70 years old [and saying] like, click, subscribe! Being a YouTuber is probably analogous to being a professional athlete.

"It's not a career that most people grow old in, so I've always kind of knew that there would be an end to it. I've been thinking about retiring for a couple years, actually."

Even though the full-blown celebrity lifestyle wasn't for him, many would’ve loved Nichols' fame. It's interesting to hear another side to this, with Nichols thankfully saying his wife was supportive through it all.

Still, with the peak of Outdoor Boys' success reportedly leading to working 100 hours a week, he was happy to step away from this 'unhealthy lifestyle'.

He ended with a great analogy where he compared it to clam digging. Saying he loves clam digging, there's the idea that you collect six five-gallon buckets and then you have to prepare them: "You spend 12 hours cleaning clams, processing clams, and you eat clam chowder for three years... you have to know when is enough.

"I think fame can be like digging clams. You need to know when is enough and stop. I limited out on clams, and it was time."