Hey guys, I'm sitting around today doing what used to be one of my favorite things, watching hunting shows and to be honest I'm starting to wonder why I even bother. There are several things that seem to be on all these programs and they make my skin crawl every time I see them.
First, I hate it when after putting a decent shot on an animal the hunter turns to the camera, pumps his fist and says "I smoked him!" You "smoked" him, really? In my opinion "smoking" a deer is done after the deer has been processed and your wondering how to prepare it for the table not a way of talking about the shot.
Second, I'm so sick of hearing the "professionals" talk about bucks being on their "hit list." I mean seriously, what are we in the mob? It just seems dumb to me. I admire their discipline in passing young bucks and only targeting mature animals, but "hit list," come on.
Finally, I Hate it when one of these yahoos shoots an animal and next thing you know they turn into a nascar driver in the post race interview, "I drew back my Mathews Z7, lined up my Tru-glow sight, and sent my Rage tipped Easton Axis arrow through it's vitals and blah blah blah." I realize they get payed by endorsement dollars but that doesn't mean you have to be a walking/ talking billboard. Why not let the 3 million commercials they play during these shows tell us what we're supposed to use.
Sorry guys, didn't mean to jump on soapbox and go on a rant but I had to blow off some steam. Thanks, just one guys opinion. TRW
Don't think we get any of the channels that have those shows. Guess I'm not missing much either.
I agree with you completely. Another thing that causes me to change the channel is the raging, over the top and uncalled for "music" that they play, as if hunting were some sort of Mad Max thing.
It didn't occur to me immediately but after I watched a couple of these shows I realized that they are little more than commercials for the various sponsors that are required to get the show on the air and I would be more than surprised if these so called hunts were fair chase events that weren't soaked in bait or C'mere Deer.
If you guys are looking for a great hunting show, tune into the travel channel for the show, The Wild Within. This show is about a guy who travels around learning the local fair of different wild places. He then sets out to obtain the meats, and plants on his own fair chase. At the end of the show he prepares a meal for his hosts, family, and friends. The guy has more respect for the wild in his big toe than any of those clowns on the hunting channels. He talks repeatedly about using what you take, and not disrespecting an animal that you have killed. He portrays the fact that he kills animals for food and nothing else. He enjoys the fact that he supplies his family with the meat that they need to get through the year, and he doesn't waiver in that mentality one single bit.
It may not be trad bowhunting, but it has traditional bowhunter values all over it.
Look it up you'll like it.
PS. I am not endorsed to promote this show and I did zero fist pumps and fake "yeah baby's" when typing this up. hahaha
I can't watch them anymore, not sure if it's me or the commercialism has gotten worse over the last several years. The music and antics with the camera's is so disrespectful to the animals, it makes me uncomfortable. I have to say, I watched Tred Barta last week, and there wasn't one commercial for any type of hunting equipment.
Rod
I can't defend the rediculous "hit list" attitude and talk, but for what those companies have to pay for sponsoring, I would want my product plugged constantly. I think all of us get annoyed with the constant barrage of advertisements and commercials so when they force it into every aspect it becomes too much.
In the hunting industry, the commercial spots work differently that the majority of other channels. The show has to purchase the air time for their show, and the show is responsible for selling their own ads to cover the cost of production and airtime. So this generally creates a close relationship between the two parties. It makes it easy for the advertiser to become very embedded in the show.
I wish I had the numbers of what it cost to run a single commercial. Recently I was looking at the cost to advertise in some of the main stream hunting magazines. Circulation is around 120,000 per month and it would cost close to $30,000 for a full page color ad in one issue. That's right, $30,000!! Guess what a commercial would cost...
As distasteful as I find the constant product plugging, I understand it. As for the rest of the hooplah about smokin' animals and hit lists, hopefully it's a phase that will pass for something a little more tolerable. All it would take is for a lot people to start shutting it off and shows and advertisers would respond rapidly.
I like to count how many times they say awesome.
I watched one today about a bear hunt.There were several bears at the bait in front of his tree stand and he is talking non stop and the bears did not even look up at him. He finally shot one bear and then had to drop rocks on one of the others that was trying to climb up his tree.Didnt seem like very wild bears to me.
I don't know why people pay $30+ dollars a month to be able to watch "commercials".
All TV I need I get with my HD antenna for free.
Why spend money on something I don't enjoy?
I just thought of another thing that gets my goat. When one of them TV hunters has a buck walking in an does that "mmehh" sound they do to stop him, I hate that. I realize you have to stop the deer to shoot it but I saw one of them chuckle heads make that sound to a deer standing dead still. It's almost like there mental checklist goes: come to full draw-check; settle the pin-check; make ridiculous sound to stop the deer-check; release the arrow-check; look at camera and say I smoked it-check. TRW
I frankly could give a Hoot Less what "Fred Would Do?" Ya know...... WHO CARES????
What gets me is the false whisper these guys always do. They talk to the camera for about five minutes with the deer 30 yards away, then they shoot it. I suspect they film the whispering after the fact - no deer I've ever hunted would let me get away with that kind of noise and movement.
The only show I thought was cool that I saw was backland something not sure the name. Anyway this guy made his arrow to hunt mule deer with. He napped a flint head, cut his arrow from willow tree, and tied on feathers and broadhead then used pine pitch on it. He did kill one with it.
IMO, "hunting" shows,are just that shows, not hunting.
I am intelligent enough to make up my own mind what I what as far as equipment goes, and sure can make up my mind which animals I want to harvest.
If you live to hunt horns, your are neither a hunter or conservationist.
Probably stepped on some toes, so be it, as the lead in says In My Opinion.
I kinda gotten used to all the junk that you see on the shows no days but the one thing the really gets me is when they make a shot and they watch the animal run off and just before it goes out of sight they see it stumble and fall then climb down and say "well were going to back out and give it some time" Really you saw it fall go get the dang thing.
My family gave up television over two years ago, and we don't miss it----well, sometimes during football season we do, but, outside of that we don't.
Tiffany, she's just cute as a button, makes me want to puke! Stop by and ask permission to hunt on one of their dozen farms in Iowa or Illinious and see how hard they laugh then escort you to the road! Look at the giant buck I shot on my private, food plotted, deer sanctuary. We've been watching him for 6 years now. We only shoot MATURE deer. Mature where I live means it's not nursing anymore. Sorry I get a little dizzy when I start thinking about it!
Glenn
I just find it repulsive .... Nothing more to say.
I agree with Dustin - The Wild Within, has been the best hunting show on TV... and it's on the freakin travel chanel.
I didn't catch all the episodes, but the ones I did, sure were good.
I've heard they're not doing another season.
Ah... "The times they are a changen"
It would seem that your deer only counts if its a +170, and then ya had to get it with this kind of tree stand, this kind of bow, this kind of broadhead... s#$t... I wonder why they don't tell us what kind of underware they have (or for some) don't have on.
I enjoyed the origional American Sportsman TV show... even with Shattners stupid shot at a griz or brown bear.. I don't remember which.
This whole TV "hunting" thing has gone a long way down the wrong road. I admonish my students to be carful what they see and or believe on these shows and the videos that are out there. I have been around some of these ya-hoos and they are idiots with guns and bows.
Manufacturers want their product touted... some wanna-be's are salavating to become "sponsored" and there is the perfect storm.
I dont watch any of them. I don't have cable or sat connections... I love it, but I damn sure do not like what these shows are selling to our younger generation and "new hunters" in general.
Just the thoughts of an older guy.
It is what drove me to traditional archery!!!
The price of some of these bucks cost more than new cars and trucks... The *Sponsors* send their *pros* on these hunts to showcase their products...
Ain't like no hunting I've ever done.... These type hunts are passed off as hunting in order to *CREATE DEMAND* for a product. This goes against everything I ever learned about the value of life and death from hunting.... It is why I began hating the hunting TV shows....
I would rather shoot a spike on public land than a Booner on one these "so called hunts..."
I hadn't watched TV hunting or fishing shows in years till lately when I've been locked up in the hotel room with nothing to do..couple Sundays ago I watched the "Outdoor" channel all day. I was really turned off by about every one of them,more like disgusted really. The whole marketing and commercialization thing is really to hard too watch. I really don't like the horn hunters either, nothing wrong with wanting to shoot a big buck but it's the way they are consumed with the horns and it's not worth shooting if it isn't a trophy. Every animal I kill is a trophy. It's sad really that people who don't know hunting and watch these shows think that's what hunting is all about. Don't think I'll be watching any more any time soon.
The thing that gets me is, it's a half hour show. 10 min. of actual hunting and 20 min. of commercial. Here comes a deer go to com. he's getting a little closer go to com. And so on and so on.
I think most of them are phonies, a joke, and strictly a TV show and not real hunting. They are just as bad as those reality shows, give me a break.
I quit watching these programs many years ago. However, about once a year, I force myself to watch a morning's worth of outhouse channel hunting programs. Don't pay too much attention to the shows, but I jot down every sponsor and product plug. Usually I can't keep up and miss some. However, I end up with a list of sponsors and products that I WILL NOT PATRONIZE. If I didn't have such a list, I'm sure I'd sometimes buy some of their stuff by accident. I'm sure they don't feel the effects of my boycott, but it's my way of showing disapproval. :readit:
Oh, Lets start with the ones who act like total idiots, and start jumping up and down, yelling, scream, and even crying at the the camera like some doped up idiot "DID YOU SEE THAT, DID YOU SEE THAT!!!?? By the way THATS WHAT FRED DOES!! Yes moron, I did!! You filmed it so you could make your show!! And the comment, "That deer's not exactly what I was looking for......." for that reason, I hope they go home with nothing!! Unappreciative ba.....!! We are part of this world, and we hunters choose to be more of a part of it that most people. I appreciate every opportunity I can have interacting with nature. If I choose not to kill an animal, it involves ethical reasons. Either I can't make a good shot, or I have no intention of keeping it for my consumption. I'd rather just watch them and maybe take a picture and appreciate that it made itself visible to me.
And while were on the subject of KILLING!! That's what it is, KILLING!! The wild animals on OUR ranch, and I gather on most ranches or farms, were not planted from a seed!! Therefore I do not HARVEST!! That is a bunch of PC bul.....! I have no reason to use that word when talking about hunting! It's something of a PC fashion statement that makes one seem humane for the ones who think we are not. To those, I say go back to cocoons and PC sheltered lives, where you don't want to offend! This PC BS is the reason that people like Cass Sunstein are given any merit. I refuse to teach my child when he's old enough to hunt, to be ashamed of what a hunter really does.
Oh, and one more thing, I thing Jennay Weiter is way more better looking that that Tiffany girl. Even though she does hunt with a compound, I'd hold Jennay's hand at the mall!!
Never watch them. They depress me.
Killdeer
No Sh#$, Depressing as hell! Actually more embarassing when I have to explain to my GF who is definitely open to the Idea of sitting in a blind or doing a little stalking with me how that stuff that's on TV is all crap and just plain disrespectful in general. :rolleyes:
Keep the faith,
Nathan
X3 on The Wild Within. Best hunting show on tv. I also like Tred Barta; his fishing shows are fun to watch as well. I also don't like the "smoked 'em" line. Might make sense if they were shooting a black powder rifle.
QuoteI also don't like the "smoked 'em" line.
How about "Whack em & Stack em" or "If it's brown it's down"
I guess I just got sucked in....LOL...
I watch my own hunting shows...everytime I go for a walk in the woods, take my shorthair into the field or sit in a stand. I get to be the leading man and audience all at the same time. It's my video and nobody elses.
I'm my own best sponsor, I do my own advertising to me and all the video I don't shoot I get to watch all by myself. Nobody else has to see it, and personally I couldn't care less.
When the show is over I might take a few pictures. And if a few look good and I want to share them with family or friends I will. If somebody wants to hear the story...great, but nobody is going to make me.
i think i could care less about the sayings and stuff if they would stop throwing all their products down are throughts. i mean stop telling me what to use its not going to make me a better hunter,its just goin to give me a bunch of hoopla i dont want to keep checking on. less is more. in my opinion.
The only one I have some respect for is Tred Barta.
All they do is promote all the high tech stuff that is being used for hunting today.
The stuff they promote is at the point of ridiculous
I am glad I am not persuaded and still know my own mind.
i know the feeling. I put a post on few weeks ago, never realized how bad till had total knee sdone and all I been watching. Makes me mad, what happend to the hunt? They do promote to younger crowd, but we need a few more shows like tred barta or strickland. I understand hunting with cam is hard and have to promote equipment, lets be honest, if Bear was alive he would too. But how about little more hunt, the work, the passing of knowledge. I am really teaching my self on how to video and upload it (puter dumb) to try and get a video library to perhaps get a show. But guess if my ferguson didn't make it I cann't, guess shows what kind of people really watch these shows. yesterday threw a pillow at tv, because a tv hunter looked right in camera and dared to say, "I know it looks like we have fun and live the life, but it gets hard carrying all the stuff, camera and extra stand and travel to these places". I am serious, he was complaining, wow. Bowhunter tv is still pretty good, babe winkleman. I would do more of a bowhunting wide world of sports.
I dislike almost everything about almost all of the hunting shows on TV. In addition to what's been mentioned, there's almost always bait on the ground in the deer hunting episodes (and I recognize that it's legal in some places and I don't want to argue the ethics of it) and that many of the hunts are on high fenced areas.
It reminds me of the time last year when I was in a local coffee shop and a couple of "dudes" in a marked truck came in, obviously wanting to talk with all of the locals. One of them finally plucked up the courage and mentioned to the locals sitting around that they were on their way to the local boar hunting preserve to film a TV show. With a completely straight face I told them to come up to my place after they were done with the boar because I had a bunch of Highland cows in a pasture that they could shoot for money.
I do occasionally see a bird hunting show that I enjoy but almost everything else is too fast paced, too commercial and too fake for me.
As for EUROPE:
we don`t have hunting shows on tv.
But do I get this right !!!
You folks have to pay to watch it ???
If that is the case I don`t get it.
With all my respect - why paying for something that you don`t like !!!
It is up to you .
NO SPECTATORS NO SHOW !!!!
I don't even own a tv, so I see very little television. Occassionally at friends' places I might see a bit by accident. Of the "hunting" shows I have seens bit of, none have been interesting and most have been offensive. Someone mentioned "The Wild Within". While I can't personally attest to the quality of the show, a fly fishing aquaintance whose opinion I trust and value highly reccomends this show. It's not traditional/primitive bowhunting so far as I know (it might be sometimes?), but it apparantly is fair, respectful, and appropriate from what I have heard. If I were to try and watch a hunting show, I would try to seek out this one.
I agree with the positive comments for the Wild Within. Even non-hunters enjoy watching this show.
In contrast, I am sick and tired and quit watching all the idiots on the hunting channels that for the most part are one long infomercial. Hey, let's get Billy Mays out of the cemetary and give him a show to promote! Who are all these people with their tv shows? I mean, we never heard of any of them, for the most part, before they showed up on some tv show acting like a full-fledged idiot and self-promoter.
QuoteOriginally posted by yononindo:
As for EUROPE:
we don`t have hunting shows on tv.
But do I get this right !!!
You folks have to pay to watch it ???
If that is the case I don`t get it.
With all my respect - why paying for something that you don`t like !!!
It is up to you .
NO SPECTATORS NO SHOW !!!!
Most of these shows are seen on satilte tv and the channels come as a package and most of the time about 75% of the package is junk, they dont sell them ala-cart, I wish they did i would only be paying for about 6 channels.
Back in 1998 I won a contest from Walmart where I got to go on a 4 day hunting trip with the biggest show at the time. The hunt was a celebrity hunt where sports stars and country music stars attended.
The celebrity who ran the show was nice, but he was a "tv star" not a hunter in my mind. It opened my eyes so to speak...
I had a good time and it was an experience, but I find the best hunting highlights are self made.