Yes, it used to bother me, too. But I haven't watched hunting shows in a number of years. I have always felt that a certain amount of solemn reverence should be observed when taking game, but most of these shows seem to lack any respect for the animals taken. Often its all about tape measures, trophy status, and product endorsements. I would imagine that a lot of the meat goes to waste.

I choose not to watch any of the hunting show garbage.   Myself and the wife with our 5 children use our TV for DVD's the family can watch together... Tonight after a wonderful squirrel hunt with the boys (the girls all traveled north of the Mason-Dixon line for a cousin's birthday), we will enjoy watching Curious George followed by the adventures of Fred Bear. It doesn't get any better boys!  

I watch Fred Eichler. He's a little goofy, but he shoots traditional at least most of the time and his main concern is the meat. He often forgoes a big rack to take home some meat.

I also watch Tred Barta. He's more into the primitive stuff (stone points, etc.) than I am, but he does his best to find the critters he shoots. He also includes the hunts that aren't successful. I don't mean bad shot but no shots sometimes. Too bad he has to do it from a wheel chair now.

Most of the rest either make me sick or angry. They are really just infomercials for the most part. I wish they were actual HUNTING shows. If you think about the number of hours, days, months, even years we spend in the woods WITHOUT killing something you would be amazed. Yet we all love this sport. Too many of the "hunting" shows have to have at least three kills in half an hour. How many times do they show scouting?...never. How many show tracking?...very few. Why don't they show the joy of taking a little nap in the woods?

I PLAN to kill something every time I hunt. Most of the time, I don't, but it's not because I don't have the latest do-dad, scent control, attractant or whatever. Lots of times I pass on deer just because I don't feel like killing them on that particular day. Yes, I eat tag soup a lot, but I still enjoy the hunt.

Sorry, got off topic there a bit. I don't watch many of those shows, and when I do it's not for long as a rule.

I don't watch any TV hunting shows my wife and I have only seen a few and most of these guys really shouldnt be on TV. BUT leaving a deer overnight is good woodsmanship and probably the best thing you can do to recover a deer unless you know you have a double lung or similarly fatal hit with great sign to follow. The rack will last forever and the meat only some meals so the rack is way more important in my opinion. That said I don't think we ever lost meat leaving the out in the 70s range of temp ? we do plung the meat into ice and water immediately after a morning recovery in warm weather. I have even left  hogs overnight in August without meat spoilage. I have lost a few to coyotes, vultres and gators but not enough to worry about. I think most guys complaining and assuming meat is "lost" haven't had enough experience with this situation.
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Left a doe a few years back ( shot a little to far back ) went back at first light... coyote's had eat the entire back side of her. Same day recovery is nice, but sometimes next day is your only option.
As far as the hunting shows go... I don't even have a TV! Got tired of paying 80 bucks a month for nothing.
Jason

I hear ya Cory I don't wory about the meat spoiling left plenty over night here in Ga bow season low's in the 60's I ain't dead either. If the coyotes get them oh well they gotta eat too. I absoulutly hate TV hunting and fishing show reckon I'm getting old and grouchy! Of course I can acutally deal with an uncle ted rant now and then so go figure.

hunting tv is garbage..... i can't watch it. I hate to hear the word "Harvest"- When i walk up to a deer (or whatever), that i've managed to get a good arrow into- it's dead. I killed it, and i'm gonna make arrangements to eat it. Plants get harvested- meat that makes it to my table has been killed.
Leaving game overnight is the smart and ethical thing to do in the event of a ?able hit--- but here's an idea for tv hunters--- PRACTICE. And don't take less than perfect shots.

One more reason to ditch your TV.  We got rid of ours 6 or so years ago and never looked back.

Tom

I've only had to leave a deer overnight once, it was recovered within 100 yards of where it stood when I shot.  It was plenty cold that night, and all the meat was recovered.

I watch a couple fishing shows on the horn porn channels, but I can't stomach the "hunting" shows.  That was a big factor in my decision to go Trad a few years ago.  I hated the thought of my money feeding that beast.

Yeah most hunting shows suck.

That said, I won't condem anybody for not pushing a deer if they thought the hit was questionable.  Since I started bowhunting in 1989, I've left four deer until the next day because of questionable hits.  All of them were recovered and the meat was fine on all of them - even when it wasn't very cool those nights.

It seems like the ethical bow hunters culture teaches us to leave them overnight.  So even if it's 60 degrees over night is that a reason to push the deer if it's a bad hit?

I guess I don't know, but it's a thought to ponder.

I have yet to recover a deer that's spoiled but only had to leave one over night.

I think what the initial post was refering was that it happens with such frequency it borders the ridiculous. I see part of a show about once a month and that has been my observation as well. Sure it is the right decision if you make a bad hit but if that is your response to every hit? Lose the expandable and get some real penatration. That is what I see.

A non hunter asked me about a hunting show he saw a few weeks ago and it got me thinking. I really believe that this tv version of hunting has created its own industry. Anyone else see it this way?

You get better footage in daylight hours..everything else is secondary.

"When in doubt, back out." Seems like they must be making a lot of bad hits these days..they are backing out a lot.

Actually I can't watch but a few minutes of these shows..I always pull for the deer.

And how do you like the guy (or gal) that shoots an animal with the 80% let-off, fall away arrow rest, fiber optic sighted, y-bar stabilizer, release operated thing-a-ma-jig and then turns to the camera and says something like "Did it with a stick and string"   :mad:  

It is their choice to hunt with whatever equipment makes them happy, just don't call that equipment "stick and string"

I'm with Cory and TJ on this one.I'm very badly colorblind and finding blood with a flashlight is all but impossible for me.I have had to leave my fair share overnight in some very warm weather and have never lost one due to spoilage.

I have hunted with a lot of the high dollar industry film people(My buddy is an Outfitter in NM I'm there every year working and hunting)Most of the stuff you see on TV is filler footage and cut aways.More times than not the critter is found that night and brought back out in the am for lighting and filming reasons.

I've been on a few TV hunts first hand and what I saw in person vs what I saw on TV was completely different.I'm not a fan of TV.

I think Cory Mattson is right on. Leaving animals overnight just doesn't spoil the meat...never has for me, in any event.  What would be worse is pushing it and loosing the animals altogehter. The hunting shows....a whole different subject.

Stopped watching them years ago. To commercialized and I just can't stomach the actors.

I never got into those hunting shows or DVDs or even the old VHS tapes when they first became popular. My old hunting buddies loved them though, watching the likes of Bowhunting October Whitetails over and over. No, apparently I didn't get it. And of course we grew apart, me going back to my trad roots and them on a quest for speed and cams and wheels. To me this illustrates why that media turns us off.
I prefer playing back, beginning with my first deer, the memories I have in my head. I can only tell my children or friends about them or show a few photos. I don't have any movies of my hunts only my memories that can be called up any time. So you guys get out from in front of the TV and go make some more memories! (I need to practice what I preach)

Our distain will not stop it.  Money talks and opinions walk.  Big, big dollars are behind these shows.  Celebrity hunters sell, big horns on the ground sell.  A hunter who takes game should be humbled not fist punping, but they continue.  I do not get the channels, but I watch thehistory channel.  It is a great education

I got rid of the so-called hunting channels a couple years ago.Figured why am I paying good money and wasting time watching that crap?I do miss Deer & Deer Hunting though.