Why do 'hunters' laugh when they put an arrow in an animal on hunting shows??Really eats me up when they break out laughing when they make the shot.What's so funny,am I missing something here.I never thouhgt or had 'funny ' feelings when I took an animals life.Really a bad image to me , we hunters have enough to contend with,then these jokers[pun intended] laugh at taking a life!Any one agree with me or am I getting wierd in my old age? Turkey hunters seem to be the worse.
I totally and fully agree with you !
game (big or small) deserves our respect, specialy when we take their lives.
I don't watch TV hunting shows, but... I do watch the videos on DVD.
You get to know some of the participants on videos over years of watching them in varied settings.
I've come to enjoy the Primos team. There are times when even the most ethical of that group will be in an extremely tense situation and after the shot on some incredible animal, all that tension bursts forth...
I've seen a few almost brought to tears. I have seen others just break down in nervous laughter.
What few shows I've seen on TV years back, haven't made me a fan of them. But, not having seen the shows you reference, I can't comment if that might be the case for "their" laughter, but I have seen where laughter seemed a "release" for a lot of pent up tension prior to the shot...
I quit watching the TV goofballs years ago. They just don't get it.
Hunting shows are the biggest joke on TV. They all give the impression that the kill is the most important part of the hunt. The hunters focus is all on the equipment he uses and how easy it is to be successful. The only respect they give the animal is to the size of the horns it has. The laughing,fist pumping and facial expressions after the killing shot is made is the most deplorable thing on camera. Its sad to say that there are some folks in the world that belive all hunters act this way.
The reasons they have the reactions they do are quite varied I'm sure. I'm also uncomfortable to downright disgusted at some of their reactions. My wife, a non-hunter but definitely supportive of hunting (we wouldn't have lasted 32 years and counting if not) thinks many of these reactions are very strange.
Their reasons:
1. I think Doc Nock is right, the tension release for some of these folks causes some to outburst.
2. I think some are so motivated by money kills (kills on video) they are "laughing all the way to the bank".
3. Some probably just have a giddy personality.
I'm trying to recall how I have reacted over the past 45 years of bowhunting. I know I get excited, I'm sure I break out in a huge (stupid looking I'm sure) grin. I'm also grateful to the Creator for having put the animal and I in the same place for those moments.
The laughing and fist-pumping is a pet peeve of mine. Just add the stupid music, and you've got a really disrespectful and amateur production.
Whats funny about it is that that yuppy just paid a fortune on the hunt and all that camo to sit in a tripod up in the air in an open field and shoot a deer 150 yards away. Note how the guide starts laughing first,money in the bank! :goldtooth:
I think you have to weed out the ones that seem fake in their emotions and find shows that have people on them that are the same person on camera or off.
Most of them are just glorified salesman that are just there to push their mechanical broadheads with nuclear warhead trocar tips, the targets that are 3 times the price of others and only last one season, or whatever new fangled compound that is light years better and faster and better at killing animals than last years model so go out and spend another $900 or you will not be successful this season, or their carbon weave carbon thread biomolecularly bonded thermodynamic clothing that allow you to not shower for a month and stand directly down wind from a deer at 3 feet away and not get winded.
Couldn't agree with you more.
I completely agree with you. I also want to puke every time I hear the word awesome.
I am really cool at the approach & thru the shot, but after I am sure I have a good shot I can start to shake & break down a bit. At this point the adrenaline is on so hard I can hardly talk anyway. The feeling is actually a bit hard to describe. No fist pupming just a deep feeling of accomplishment, greatfulness, reflection & satisfaction for all the hard work that has gone into the season. I suppose everyone reacts differently, but many times I feel the reactions on TV are just for the camera. Mike
I agree it is in bad taste, and not what hunting is about. (At least not for me). I also have a problem with these hunters that only shoot for bucks and horn size. I beleive it takes just as much hunting skill if not more to take a doe. They dont go through a rut and hormones dont let them make mistakes.
Not to say I dont appreciate a nice Rack....I DO
QuoteOriginally posted by Doc Nock:
I don't watch TV hunting shows, but... I do watch the videos on DVD.
You get to know some of the participants on videos over years of watching them in varied settings.
I've come to enjoy the Primos team. There are times when even the most ethical of that group will be in an extremely tense situation and after the shot on some incredible animal, all that tension bursts forth...
I've seen a few almost brought to tears. I have seen others just break down in nervous laughter.
What few shows I've seen on TV years back, haven't made me a fan of them. But, not having seen the shows you reference, I can't comment if that might be the case for "their" laughter, but I have seen where laughter seemed a "release" for a lot of pent up tension prior to the shot...
Good insight.
Honestly, I am far more concerned by their claiming they made a great shot when in fact they missed where they were aiming completely or when they take a very low percentage straight down shot with a light arrow and mechanical head...almost guarnteed to have poor penetration and onlty catch one lung.
If the laughter or shouting is their tension release so be it as long as it is " honest"
For me it is not about their behavior after the shots, as much as it is about their total lack of integrity. I have seen multiple shows where they claim a great shot and show a pic of the offside of the animal with a perfect shot. All this while I watched the arrow hit low, back, etc.... on the far side of the animal at the shot. I watched a Muzzy video last night and one of the hunters hit a buck in the middle of its spine and instead of finishing it off he just sat there and watched it struggle and slowly die. Ethics seem to be subsumed by their need to make kills and make money.
Makes me glad I have never bought a Muzzy big game product and confirmed I never will. I would be ashamed of myself for the kind of behavior that was shown on their video. The only good part of it was I won the video as a door prize at a 3D shoot and I enjoyed throwing the thing in the trash.
I hardly if ever watch those shows,not for me. But I'm with those who say they don't find it funny. I shot a bear in 1984 in Katahden, Maine and to this day when I look at the pictures I still feel a little sad, because he was magnificent looking, walking thru his domain, which I still see in my mind as if yesterday. I have shot other game but that bear......
52,
Agree with you 100% !!!!! Stopped watching hunting shows years ago,
So what started out with a guy with a sideways hat, goofy grin, wiggling eyebrows, and a thumbs up, entertaining us as now evolved into someone else trying to make their own trademark. Kind of like Bear bows, the old company was cool, the new one is crap. But that depends on who is watching or looking. Most of those shows aren't made for us and they frankly give a rats butt about us. But, call/contact the producers and express your concerns. See what they have to say. If you want to see a neat video check out South Cox on the Stalker Recurve website and watch the video on his home page there. I liked it, what do you think? Does it pass the tradgang muster?
I agree with the general consensus that the laughing gets on my nerves, and seems like a scripted reaction. I have always wandered why they laugh at death? My only logical conclusion would be that they are scripted to laugh so that it would appear to all age of audience that they are having fun. Maybe they feel like this takes the seriousness and edge off so that more on the fence viewers would feel more comfortable watching the kill? Dunno, just a thought.
well im kinda on the other side i guess.i get all messed up when everything goes the way its supposed too.im the guy you hear three hills over and have to have help getting to my feet cause of the addreniline dump i just had.there is a member here who was there when i shot my first turkey with a bow and deer i justed get jacked up i cant help it.no disrespect to the animal,but omg i just did what i set out to do with a stick and string...never seen anyone tell an athlete or olympic gold medalist to calm down when their dreams came true,not that an animal and a medal are the same...
I refuse to be an emotionless robot when I'm hunting.
Whats acceptable?? A solemn approach to the animal like your bored? If I ever get that look on my face, I'll take up knitting.
Seriously we worry too much about being PC when it comes to hunting. We do have to present it in a positive light but we want to show it fun enough for non-hunters to wanna join in.
I do not like slob hunters who waste meat and take antlers but rest assured if I am lucky enough to arrow an animal, I will party like a rock star!!!
:jumper:
Lighten up and enjoy hunting. Genuine raw emotion is way more entertaining. And yes, I do giggle when I make a lethal shot.
I sometimes laugh after taking an animal but it's not meant in a disrespectful way. It's because of the culmination of an exciting and very successful hunt. Now, I don't jump up and down and hoot and holler and such but I do enjoy my success in a respectful way. It's not a laugh because anything seems funny but because of the break in the tension of the moment. I get somewhat upset if I miss, very upset if I should make a bad hit, and excited when I'm successful. By the way, after the excitement of the moment there is a bit of sorrow because after all, I have just taken a life.
However, I have saw some people who do apear to be completly disrespectful, but maybe this is just how they deal with the excitement.
I've got a couple friends with shows so I've been around when a few were shot, even guided hog hunts for a few as a favor, and the reason that some of the guys are laughing (I don't watch them so can't say for sure) is that they are happy. Happy that they just made a show. Shows are business and the pressure to make a show in a given amount of time is huge. Let me tell you, they are thrilled to get a good shot on camera. TV shows are not about hunting, they are about making a show, selling products, and generating business. Nothing wrong with that in a free market, but it sure isn't what hunting means to me. What amazes me, frankly, is that people find them interesting enough to watch. If you've seen one guy kill a deer or turky on film, you've seen them all. My two cents, worth exactly that.
What's worse...the laughing....or Stan Potts' reactions??
I'll be honest, I watch TV hunting shows and DVD's, I hunt vicariously thru the shows, as this is the only hunting my health has allowed in the last 4+ years. Anyone with common sense can tell that most of it is hunting made easy for the show, but you can also tell when the real stuff happens. As to the laughing, I've had my moments of adrenaline shaking rush to down and out man hug, back thumping laugh fest. I don't do the laughing as disrespect to the animal, the reaction is just spur of the moment. I always respect the animal. I agree with Arwin- enjoy the hunt, everyone is different- vive la difference
Butch L
I have a hard time believing after all the easy animals most of these guys and girls have killed that they could be so emotional.
Back when they shot cows in the slaughter house I think most houses wouldn't let the same person do it but for so long.
I agree that the laughter you sometimes see could be considered disrespectful. However, it could be that since they have at least one other person present(camera man), it's probably just a release of pent up emotion/tension.
I highly doubt that they giggle when they make a shot when hunting alone.
On the flip-side, I can't stand when people pose with a game animal with a bored look on their face. You can be respectful of the animal and still be happy, smile for God's sake.
All these new shows Lee @ tiffany,Michael Waddell bone collector crap makes me sick to watch!
Most of these shows portray such a negative image for the "real" hunters. When you have a show titled, "The Bone Collector"...what is that teaching our youth? To me the title conveys the wrong image. Hunting is not about the antler, or horn size, but the art of hunting and spending time with family and friends.
For most of these "followers", buying a new compound bow is like buying a new computer...each year they have to have the latest and greatest. I think T.J.'s column titled, "Editor's Note" in the Aug/Sept 2010 issue of TBM summed it up in regards to today's compound arena...very well put T.J.
I dont think its really the laughing thats getting people upset it just they have no respect for anything really and how could they how many deer do these guys on tv kill a year i have seen them buy tags and fill them like nothing there really cant be much excitment for them its a job to them on the other hand there is nothing wrong with laughing or jumping up and down just loosing all control when we wait all year for that chance you get excited when it happens if a deer could laugh he would laugh when you miss him does anyone think that would be wrong
Im with steve if your so pumped up from the filling let her rip. If laughing is what happens so be it. Only if its a true reaction, If its fake dont be a poser. Thats why were out there anyway.
I agree totally. That laughing is hurting in the eyes of the general public....
I agree with Arwin. I usually hunt alone but when with someone we have smiled, laughed, pats on the back etc. A celebration of success as the adrenaline dumps and recounting how everything came together. Certainly not disrespect for the animal. When the time comes to field dress I often reflect on the animals life... how old it is, it's home range, how it survived the last winter etc.. I'm sure the native americans would let out whoops and yells when they had a successful hunt and I've seen the Wensel boys get pretty goofy in the woods. If I felt sorrowful and sad I wouldn't hunt, or at least I wouldn't shoot.
I promise the "Anti's are watching :saywhat:
i don't own a TV, but occasionally i see these sorry excuses for entertainment at public places...those shows are only interesting to me for one reason; it's sickening to watch, from all their gadgets and gear to their fancy clothes...but i guess i still look to see just HOW RIDICULOUS a "hunter" ("Harvester", really)can get by today's definition...
if you don't think those shows are AWFUL, i feel sorry for you... the way i grew up hunting---and what they're pushing as "Hunting" on these shows these days are two completely different worlds, and you'd need a spaceship to get to one from the other...
if these shows would have been my example of a hunter, i'd have no respect for hunters either...Thankfully, they're nothing more than really putrid fashion shows...
most of the shows are all about the product they push not the actual hunt or kill.thats just to get you to watch it.period.theres a couple shows that are ok in my book...memories in the field has real people not pushing anything.then you have easton bowhunting tv with fred eichler.i would say freds about as excitable as they get but his is genuinely for the sport not the products.jmho
QuoteOriginally posted by Jason Hansen:
Hunting is not about the antler, or horn size, but the art of hunting and spending time with family and friends.
This is exactly why I love the Fred Eikler show Easton Bowhunting TV, Fred treats every animal like a trophy regardless of size. He says when he has marginal shots and even goes whole shows without getting an animal. He cheers for his shot and talks about "I smoked em" but that is all the post shot excitement. When you see him with his harvest he is like a kid at Christmas and truly appreciates his trophy. I loaded a non-hunting buddy of mine a couple of his DVD's and he went hunting with me last year. It's just a great show, he even did an episode on a Special Forces Army base with his dad.
I find the fakeness of the whole High fiveing and fist pumping annoying as well. I do have to admit having a "cat that ate the canary grin" and maybe a chuckle when it all comes together. Not that I find anything funny about taking a animal, but it's the moment you watch the fletching dissappear in the perfect spot. The hours of practice in the yard. The buckets of sweat shed cutting paths and setting stands. And the empty hours spent motionless while every fanged criiter under the sun making sure you leave the woods a quart low on blood. For me in the instant of success, its redempation and validation for all the passion and work I put into making that instant happen. I smile evrytime and there are no cameras on me. we all work very hard to make success happen and we all express our joy differently. I don't beleive in the theatrics on tv its all to fake for me, but I beleive there is a place in our sport for apropriate celebrations.
This post is really confusing to me.
I almost always get overly excited and yes you can count on me having a huge smile on my face when it all comes together.
The day i stop getting excited and that huge smile goes away i will find something else to do.
QuoteOriginally posted by joevan125:
This post is really confusing to me.
I almost always get overly excited and yes you can count on me having a huge smile on my face when it all comes together.
The day i stop getting excited and that huge smile goes away i will find something else to do.
YUP!! that is my point also. I may make someone mad here, but I can honestly tell you that it will not be my intention.
All of the guys that say it is not about horns or that horns mean nothing, if two bucks walked up, would you shoot the smaller one if given equal shot opportunities? If hunting makes you sad or makes you cry, why do it? Why spend countless hours practicing, hanging tree stands, scouting, and perfecting your gear if there is not excitement or joy? It is cheaper to buy meat from the store, if you figure gear, gas, tags, stands, time, ect...
You stand here bashing these guys for doing what they enjoy, are you not doing the same, doing what you enjoy? You bash all of their equiptment, their "gadgets and gizmos" you call them, have you ever talked to one of them. Most compound shooters will tell you that they either cannot shoot a stick or that they do not feel they are efficient enough with trad to hunt with trad gear. I am not trying to stir the pot, just trying to understand where all of the "us vs. them" attitude comes from. We are all hunters, we all support the same things, but we all have different emotions that cause different reactions.
Like I said, I am not tring to offend anyone, but some of these replys sound like an elitest's rant against everyone and everyting that is not conformed to their own point of view.
John
The clearly faked or orchestrated reactions are the only ones that truly bother me. As long as the emotions are genuine, I can accept any reaction I suppose. I remember when my 12 yr old niece finally fired at game for the first time (missed a rabbit with a shotgun). She shook like a leaf, got weak at the knees, and we laughed ourselves silly. I don't think we were being disrespectful, just revelling in the culmination of a long process of becoming a true hunter.
I guess you guys shouldn't smile in hero shots then either? Look we all know that most of these hunting shows are crap, but I don't think it is because the guys laugh when they are successful.
Why do we get so excited or happy when we are successful? Why are we so attracted to horns? I hear a lot of this term "horn porn" going around, are you guys telling me that you would pass on a massive buck because the horns are too big? If the answer to that is yes than you are probably lying.
Sure I think most of us would be just as excited filling our tags with does but we would love to get that wall hanger.
If you don't get excited or laugh when you are successful then you are not a good representation of the lifestyle.
I think the general consensus is that genuine emotion in whatever form doesn't bother us. It is the fakeness that alot of the show hosts portray.
Fred Eichler is a prime example of genuine emotion coming out after a kill. He gets just as excited shooting a doe or a spike as he does shooting a big moose, and makes no apolgies for it. Laughing, crying, smiling, high fiving, pats on the back are all real emotions that people show after accomplishing things not just hunting related.
Baseball players after winning the world series, football players after winning the super bowl, fighters after winning a title bout all show the same emotions and reactions listed above because it is the cullmination of a lot of hard work, dedication, preparation, and practice. Which pretty much sums up a hunting season for most people, so to expect hunters to act like they are at a funeral after a kill, no pun intended, is a little bit ridiculous.
When I get my first tradbow kill, you can bet that I will probably as my dad would call it, "act a fool!"
No big deal to me.
Also, another thing to consider, how many of us hunt with someone always at their side? That creates a different scenario also.
I totally agree with the idea that there's "honor" - if you will, in displaying true emotion on making a great shot or walking up on downed prey in contrast to the obigatory "sounds of success" that a lot of TV hunting celebs habitually emit for sponsor driven hunting segments. That can be very distasteful.
Let me relate an example of an "archery celeb" who left his true emotions in the woods on one of our hunts together. Jerry Simmons (designer of the Simmons Shark heads)and I were with exhibition shooter Byron Ferguson the morning he claimed his biggest bear ever. When Byron made the shot the previous evening the bear hadn't exactly bolted away the way you like to see them do whenever they're hit hard. The bear basically walked into the dark Canadian bush and disappeared. Byron brought the arrow into camp that night with a subdued look on his face. I examined the arrow, which had a lot of dark venous blood from front to back, so we decided to wait until sunrise to pursue the bruin. Byron didn't sleep much, none of us did for that matter, so we were up early and anxious to settle the issue. Long story short, Jerry was filming as Byron carefully took up the trail with his eyeglasses on for insurance. Ha, you won't see those worn on TV. I guess he didn't want to miss a drop of blood. When Byron finally got a glimpse of dark hair through a maze of greenery he LOCKED UP, looked at Jerry's camera and whispered "I think that's HIM and I sure hope he's dead. If we don't come out of here and somebody sees this tape, tell mama (Referring to his wife Wanda) that I love her.!" You can't make that kind of thing up; it flowed from his lips with concern and anticipation. Well, the bear was indeed dead and all of us were estatic, especially Byron. Jerry turned the camera off and we all began to back slap and celebrate a very private and LOUD moment. Here's a photo taken afterwards. You can probably still see a hint of relief in our faces. When emotions are real I don't mind seeing them on film . . . just wished Jerry had left that camera on a bit longer.
(Hit F5 on your keyboard to refresh the page if the photo fails to load.)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/moments21.jpg)
A buddy filmed me killing my first eastern gobbler with a bow several years ago. When I looked at the video I was shocked that my eyes could open so wide -- but not quite so wide as my mouth. I shook his hand (it was his blind, his spot, and mostly his advice that produced this opportunity) and was genuinely excited. When I killed the first live deer I ever saw in my life with a bow when I was 16 years old in 1969 I actually shook the 2-trunked hickory tree my stand was in and shouted, "I got one, I got one!" My buddy across the field told me to shut up so the rest of us can hunt. Like many have said here, its when the enthusiasm seems to be for the show instead of from the heart that's what bothers me. When the hunter is obviously out-of-breath excited and relieved (the fellow and wife on Archer's Choice comes to mind) I think that's real and I like it. I too like Fred. I sent his wife an e-mail and told her I watched his show because of his genuine enthusiasm for every bow kill. I also think Roger (can't recall last name) of Jimminy Cricket fame comes across as very real. My favorites though, maybe because they are a bit more subdued and stress the hunt more are Tim Strickland (Strickland's Hunting Adventures) and Dave Watson.
Litmus test for me. If the host feels a need to display the big fancy travel bus in the show, they are more about building celebrity than promoting hunting, hunters, or archery. There's another strategy that turns me off and I won't describe it here but it is becoming a very common approach by many of the shows and some archery advertisements. I won't even look at a product endorsed using this kind of message.
Nice pic Mr. Logsdon, and an awesome cover photo of the sillohette bowhunter on TBM.
I will admit, there is something to the guys that just stand there shaking, showing there trembling hand to the camera to show how much they are shaking. That may or may not stop ofter the 100th Whitetail you harvest, I hope it never goes away.
Roy, "big fancy travel bus"? That's what country music stars sometime refer to when they say "the eagle has arrived". Hank Jr. once told me about singers who think they've arrived and try to show it when they buy themselves at least one "Touring Silver Eagle." Of course he had three at the time, so look who's talking, HA. Maybe some of the bowhunting "talent" out there have become confused and think that they're actually country stars? I've noticed one or two who have a habit of hosting country singers on their TV shows which feature THEIR travel buses!
Thanks Candler, I like the way the TBM cover turned out; the image contrasts with the others on the store racks . . . sort of gets your attention. I try to capture those special moments we all have either experienced or aspire to, which I guess in a way relates to this thread. "Personal satisfaction" is pretty darn subjective.
Yep. I sure miss Mr. Bear.
I realize people have to make a living. I also suspect being a professional hunter is probably hard work if you do your own sponsorship gathering, scouting, stand set-up, etc.
I probably should lighten up a bit regarding my ever-hardening stance against cooperating to help build someone's celebrity. I guess I respect hard work more than genes. Maybe that's because I buy my "jeans" at Sears?
He often told people to just call him "Fred", and was a very humble man who believed in the power of a handshake and keeping your word. I was always amazed at how good Fred's memory was when it came to minor events and people. He liked to pick on my wife each time he saw her holding a camera. He would brag on her new toy, and then describe the camera she was carrying the last time he saw her, often years before. He liked to joke about how good she was becoming with it. Sometimes it was difficult to pry the details of his numerous adventures out of him. Fred was always more interested in where I'd been recently than where he'd been . . . gee, no comparison there! The last time I visited him he had been released from the hospital and anxious to hear about my recent bear hunt above the U.P. Fred missed living in Grayling and was all ears whenever he heard anything about recent travels in the area.
Yes, he's missed.
I never met him. It is very cool that you have (and more)! According to my collegue in Elk Range Kentucky I think you might have handed down a Great Northern bow to him? He didn't say who gave it to him but my guess is you're one bow short?
I came close once just months before he died. I was the typical archer/tourist visiting his museum and shop in Gainsville. I bought one of his hats which they said he would have signed (for anyone) but he wasn't in that day.I left it and he signed and they mailed it to me! Alas, I misplaced the hat in one of my nearly 14 moves over the years.
Sorry guys, I hope you will "bear" with Gary and I a moment as we contemplate a legend.
QuoteOriginally posted by Buckeye Trad Hunter:
I sometimes laugh after taking an animal but it's not meant in a disrespectful way. It's because of the culmination of an exciting and very successful hunt. Now, I don't jump up and down and hoot and holler and such but I do enjoy my success in a respectful way. It's not a laugh because anything seems funny but because of the break in the tension of the moment. I get somewhat upset if I miss, very upset if I should make a bad hit, and excited when I'm successful. By the way, after the excitement of the moment there is a bit of sorrow because after all, I have just taken a life.
However, I have saw some people who do apear to be completly disrespectful, but maybe this is just how they deal with the excitement.
Thats the way I feel about it! :thumbsup:
I think the term "horn porn" came about as bowhunting videos became more and more explicit and the emphasis is predominantly on big antlers. I first heard the term years ago and a hunting show where a bunch of rednecks stood mesmerized before a tv showing a guy bloodily killing a boar with a long knife.
Personally, I have nothing against horns, but how I get those horns does mean a lot to me. If I had a chance to shoot a world record with a gun, or in a pen, I would pass as would most of you because I'd just as soon hit it with a truck. I personally get a lot more satisfaction out of killing a doe on my ground in GA, than I would killing a nice buck over a feeder in Fl or TX. And I am not saying I wouldn't do both, because I have. Why should be pretty obvious. But, and I can only speak for me, I don't really care how other folks do it unless I think they are damaging the sport.
I love giving gifts to my little children because the gets so excited and can't hardly control themselves. At what point does that excitement need to be turned off?
I am half glad I don't have video of my first elk harvest. I had worked for very hard for 5 seasons to make it happen and when everything finally came together and I had my bull, I am sure I would have looked, sounded, and acted like a fool. No matter how improper, I don't think I contained myself in those first moments. It was a humbling experience to which I offered my prayers of gratitude.
I don't know how many people here could win $25,000 and not pump your fists and jump around around like a goof. I have a hard time faulting true emotion. I think many may be right that it may not look good for the sport on TV. Some may fake the excitement but Eichler's responses, at times, seem over the top but I believe that is just how he is and I am happy for him.
One more thing about Fred Roy and then I'll get off of here:^) No surprise that he sent that hat to you. He was a hands on guy and many times worried that he had forgotten to do things like that for folks. Fred kept an old fashioned black "30s era" typewriter in his office that he used to peck out notes and letters with. It was badly misaligned which explained the uneven distribution of letters in the wording of the Bear stationary. Fred kept a bottle of whiteout handy as he was constantly having to make corrections. Oh, that's probably not one of my old Great Northerns. I just did a head count and they're all still there:^) Okay, someone take us back to the original topic of this thread!
Thanks for the input guys, everyone has his own opinion.I'm a whitetail fanatic and watch the different deer reactions--most of the other content is put on or just stomach wrenching.A turn of the head with a nice smile after the shot tells all-- the best is Barry Wensels eyebrow twitter!!!!!
What a coincidence! I'm sitting on my recliner watching some show i've never evern heard of before (whitetail properties) on the sportsmans channel and this fella just arrowed a magnifacent, beautiful buck. Then, the typical cliche ensues with the fist pump and other various gesticulations. As Gene Wensel says, we as hunters should not apologize for taking an animals life however he also stresses the importance of personal clarity as to why you hunt. Thus, I don't think it makes sense to display this hyper celebration sequence after killing something. I think it has lead to a deeper issue. The real issue I have with the "new" hunting culture is how its being turned into a competitive sport. Hunting is not and should not be a competition amongst each other but, as Gene W. would say, it should be a competition amongst ourselves. This new phenomanon has lead to an all or nothing ambition by hunters that corrupts one's intentions. Ethics and woodsmanship should be stressed, not the kill. It shouldn't just be about the kill. If that was the case, you probably shouldn't choose to hunt with a bow in the first place. I wish we could see hunting shows where the hosts want to teach their viewers about woodsmanship and the importance of why we hunt and not just a slaughterfest that resembles a stupid video game or summer action movie.
QuoteOriginally posted by Gary Logsdon:
Thanks Candler, I like the way the TBM cover turned out; the image contrasts with the others on the store racks . . . sort of gets your attention. I try to capture those special moments we all have either experienced or aspire to, which I guess in a way relates to this thread. "Personal satisfaction" is pretty darn subjective.
Too bad they spelled your name Longston in the credits. But with a first name like Candler, I have become quite accustomed to having my name misspelled and mispronounced.
QuoteOriginally posted by Northwest_Bowhunter:
QuoteOriginally posted by Jason Hansen:
Hunting is not about the antler, or horn size, but the art of hunting and spending time with family and friends.
This is exactly why I love the Fred Eikler show Easton Bowhunting TV, Fred treats every animal like a trophy regardless of size. He says when he has marginal shots and even goes whole shows without getting an animal. He cheers for his shot and talks about "I smoked em" but that is all the post shot excitement. When you see him with his harvest he is like a kid at Christmas and truly appreciates his trophy. I loaded a non-hunting buddy of mine a couple of his DVD's and he went hunting with me last year. It's just a great show, he even did an episode on a Special Forces Army base with his dad. [/b]
Yes, I totally agree with your statement about Fred Eichler. His show is one of the few I will watch...he is such a character too.
Quit watching them myself, as nothing can be learned from them. Its all about this product or that.
Watch the DVD's that are available from Traditional Hunters.
Other wise, go shoot your bow and keep practicing.
I think it has lead to a deeper issue... Ethics and woodsmanship should be stressed, not the kill. It shouldn't just be about the kill. If that was the case, you probably shouldn't choose to hunt with a bow in the first place. I wish we could see hunting shows where the hosts want to teach their viewers about woodsmanship and the importance of why we hunt and not just a slaughterfest that resembles a stupid video game or summer action movie. [/QB][/QUOTE]
My feelings EXACTLY...
Yep Candler, they sure did. The editor apologized for the mistake on the spelling. To his credit, he had caught it and sent a correction to the printers but the magazine had already been printed. Look for a revision next issue.
Yeah Don, I always wonder why some fellows want to have their cake and eat it too. I know a few guys who do everything that's barely within the regulations in order to score with their high-tech bows just so they can claim the downed animal as a "bow kill". Woodsmanship and personal challenge be damned:^( I've heard others boast that they weren't really that much into bowhunting; they basically saw it as a chance to scout for the firearms season with a weapon in their hands "just in case". Gimmee a break!
QuoteOriginally posted by Running Buck:
Hunting shows are the biggest joke on TV. They all give the impression that the kill is the most important part of the hunt. The hunters focus is all on the equipment he uses and how easy it is to be successful. The only respect they give the animal is to the size of the horns it has. The laughing,fist pumping and facial expressions after the killing shot is made is the most deplorable thing on camera. Its sad to say that there are some folks in the world that belive all hunters act this way.
I agree 100%. Very disrespectful to the animal and what hunting is really about. Gives the non-hunting public a poor image of hunters and embaresses me to think that some people could associate me being a hunter and acting that way.
I don't very often watch a hunting show but the host of my favorite show celebrates more than anyone I have seen and when he finally after many years made a good shot on a grizzly he rolled around on the ground giggling, but then again the show is called "The Best and Worst of Tred Barta". I guess it depends on what you think the "worst" part is. When our nation goes to war we look for all the allies we can find. Are those allies perfect? No. Are they just like us? No, but we share a common enemy. This is how I view the war against the antis. The only behavior change you can make to appease the antis is to stop hunting. Not me. It is a political fight and to win requires numbers and money. That is something all hunters can contribute to. There are far more hunters that hunt with compounds or rifles and in the war on the antis they are brothers on the battlefield. If I don't like the show I change the channel.
Hunting shows on TV: One more reason I don't have a television.
I am finding it more and more difficult to watch the hunting shows on tv. Yes- Fred Eichler is enthusiastic to the nth degree.
I like him; and can understand his satisfaction upon making a shot; as he is hunting like I do for the most part.
I watched a show on hunting; where the main character shoots a bow; and he was talking about deer management; and how you really need a thousand acres to manage- otherwise your really just managing other peoples deer.
Which brings up the whole 'management deer' ~thing~ which I find really offensive.
I understand the motive; but personally- I am disturbed when someone shoots a deer because it will 'never be a trophy' - and seem to apologize for killing what most of us would be really happy to have taken.
They buy their 'success'. They hunt either on large tracts of private land; or high fence; or they pay big money to be taken to remote places- and then have to wait for the guide to tell them to shoot.
They put the crosshairs on the deer; and wait for the animal to be in the right position; then they 'squeeze the trigger' and 'bang' they 'smoked him' 'BABY'; for "That's what I am talking about BABY" - " I smoked him".
~With a 'bow'~?
So - when one of these people start laughing after a shot... well I do have problems trying to figure out just what the laugh is for.
Is it because their money has defeated the animal; that they bought what they know they cannot work for?
See that is where I question the laughter. When a deer runs off with an arrow hanging out; and they say- ' well that 2 inch rage will take it down'; and then they laugh when it staggers and falls..... I am not sure what they are trying to achieve- so their laughter is also based in an unknown.
I watched one 'elite hunter' - as they have decided who is and who is not elite- who hit a buck in the back leg. The buck ran off with the arrow dangling out; with a very bloody back leg.
And the guy says he screwed up; but he is doing the 'right thing' by getting out of there and coming back the next day.
If you hit a leg- you make that wound stay open and start tracking now- you do not go home and wait for it to die.
But the guy is an elite bowhunter; and he 'knows his stuff'.
So yeah - I wonder what motivates the laugh. Is it a bet they won; or another dead monster that they can put on the wall; and perhaps guarantee their existence on the 'elite bowhunter' list?
I do find a satisfaction in keeping it together and making a good shot on a game animal; and I am not crying about it when I find the animal. But I am not laughing at the animal; if I am laughing its at the 100 times I screwed up to get there...or maybe 10,000 times I screwed up to get there.
I really think these hunting shows are burning themselves out.
In the meantime- I am working on figuring out how to get a shot in the upcoming elk;deer; and bear season. I am practicing; sharpening broadheads; and hoping for a shot.
And that is where I am happiest - embroiled in the effort it takes: to hunt with a traditional bow.
Shooting a trophy animal is one of the most exciting things we can do as hunters. Killing a trophy animal is one of the saddest things, taking a life should not be considered a time to party. We hunt for different reasons but the TV hunting stars are playing to the camera and trying to sell products at the expense of a living animal. The older I get the harder it is for me to take a life and to do it for the wrong reason is wrong as to left feet.
I may have seen some of the same negative shows as Brian . . . which is why I rarely watch the Outdoors R US channel. Good points. I talked to "Cuz" Strickland last year about two Mossy Oak segments I had recently scene that, in my opinion, presented the hunts in a positive light. Cuz told me that his philosphy was to present the circumstances of the hunts first (locations, animal sought, preparation, etc.) and the hunter as a personality LAST - if at all. I complimented him. He went on to say "and that's the way it's going to be as long as I have anything to do with it." I think he "gets it". Did anyone see the episodes of Hunting the Country with Gene and Barry Wensel? Heck, it showed Barry missing a buck one year and finally lucking out by getting a shot at the same buck the next year. It took Mossy Oak two broadcasting years and two shows for him to kill one buck! Those guys must not be nearly as good as the bowhunters that take a B&C within the first 10 minutes of their shows each week! Maybe Barry needs a better place to hunt?
Joking aside, this helps to illustrate two totally different approaches to filming a TV show.
as far as I am concerned those shows are scripted from start to finish, that's why I don't watch them.
Some shows are offensive, other now. There was one DVD I watched maybe 5 mins of called "whitetail Maddness" or something pathetic like that... it was loaned to me and I figured what the hell... it was horn porn... pumping gadgets and turning deer into strippers with metal guitar music and everything. I turned it off, put on Easton Bowhunting with Fred Eichler, and returned it.
My view is that some videos are useful. I've learned some woodsmanship and hunting skills and even seen ethics practiced watching Primos, Fred Eichler,and especial the Wensels and Mitten in "Primal Dreams." I watch the shows with my family around, especially Primal Dreams, mainly because they are more honest. They show the beauty of nature, not just arrows in animals and bloodtrails. Do they get excited when they make a good shot, yeah, but so do I. Its been said here that genuine emotion is good, and I couldn't agree more. I feel happiness and sadness when I kill, and that is about as honest as it gets for me...
Long answer shot: some videos have a place in my library, some belong in a burning barrel.
Mrpenguin said of one video:
"...pumping gadgets and turning deer into strippers with metal guitar music and everything."
That's actually quite disturbing. They anthropomorphized deer into women. Then they kill the deer. Some very sick psychological dynamics there. These are the kinds of things we need to speak up and say, "These sickos are NOT hunters."
Agree with the above 1000%, and we should ALL have humility after taking an animal's life. I don't care how excited you are. If you don't feel a little pang of sadness that this deer, bear, elk, or moose, and maybe a really amazing one in a lifetime version, is gone for good, then you aren't a hunter, but rather a killer.
The worst show, featuring the most disrespectful offender of wildlife's name rhymes with Spread Tugent. If I met him, I'd implant a size 10 in his rear with great force.
I agree...
I do like to watch Easton Bowhunting TV with Fred Eichler.
He's a cool guy and usually he hunts with a Hoyt recurve. Not to mention, his wife is hot and owns Muzzy Broadheads.
However, the Outdoor Channel rarely airs the show.
I believe The Outdoor Channel tries to stay clear of any traditional hunting because it doesn't bring the big advertising dollars that these glorified, spoiled, private ranch, highlighted hair, celebrity compound hunters bring in.
I don't know- does not get much more genuine than Fred Eichler and he goes nuts. I really enjoy his enthusiasm.
I bet some of it could be that someone else is there participating in the moment. I notice when I stand hunt with others (not very often) we visit a bit and cut up at times. Just a different type of hunting than when you are by yourself- which seems to be more subdued and contemplative.