I just got done watching a tv show that is put on by our state department of fish and wildlife. The show starts out with the host talking about how he has not been able to get on deer this year but he has high hopes for this hunt because the weather has cooled. He finally has a doe come in and she is looking at the host or at least his cameraman. She knows something's up. The host draws his bow at a deer that is facing him and shoots her in the neck. He gets lucky one because he hits the tiny spot that you have to hit at that shot angle and because she didn't jump string like most alerted deer will do. She drops in her tracks.
 He then gets down and proceeds to tell the camera that only very experienced shooters should take this shot and how you should really aim for the vitals.
 I shut the show off, so mad I could have chewed nails in half. Is this what we want new bowhunters to think is acceptable?? What's next, the ole eyeball shot?
Is there anybody that thinks I am unjustified for being upset here? Our state puts this show on, is this where bowhunting is headed? Had to rant guys thanks for reading.

You are correct...a deer looking at you is a no-go because of the chance of wounding so he should never have shot in the first place...and that would have been a great opportunity to educate new or future bowhunters...then he compounded his unethical practice by lying about missing his aiming point...I think you should call the sponsors and point that out while at the same time referring them to the ethical standards promoted by the International Bow hunter Education Program

DDave

Dave, I fully intend to call people on this. Bowhunting is my life and I refuse to stand by idly and let people make us look bad.

Rave on.  Do it factually and control emotions.  Make it compelling with a diagram or two showing how small a target he had, and call it ultra risky.  Expect to be ignored, but someone has to call them on it

Good on you!

If it was "your" State Fish and Game folks who sponsored this show I would definitely contact them, at the highest level possible in their organization. It should be easy to make that contact ... also you might look at their web site and see if there is a code of ethics the department has and do they offer hunter education. Look for contradictions of their own polices that the show would present.

Good luck and please post your follow up contact, should be interesting.

There is a good chance you will not be the only one contacting them...ethical bow hunters who use compound bows will be just as upset...and for sure keep us posted on the response you get

DDave

You are certainly justified. It is foolishness to think you could intentionally spine shoot a deer with a bow. It seems to me that he would have made that statement only to save face.

I have always gotten a kick out of professional hunters (Self Proclaimed i might add)  that travel from a state to state and get in the stands someone else scouted and hung for them.  Then they make some of the worst shots I have ever seen. Then say That's why I shoot a Matthews.

QuoteOriginally posted by Widowdoublelung:
I have always gotten a kick out of professional hunters (Self Proclaimed i might add)  that travel from a state to state and get in the stands someone else scouted and hung for them.  Then they make some of the worst shots I have ever seen.

could not of said it better myself!

I too, would be calling if i had seen this. Im not sure our world is benifiting from the hunting shows that are on the air right now.

have you ever watched Tom  Marandas videos,, that guys a hack with a bow if I ever seen one and then puts on the whole show about how good the shot was when it was a bad shot plain as day.

I can't watch any of those hunting shows on TV that has a "professional hunter" its just ignorance instead of hunting most of the show.

QuoteOriginally posted by Tajue17:
have you ever watched Tom  Marandas videos,, that guys a hack with a bow if I ever seen one and then puts on the whole show about how good the shot was when it was a bad shot plain as day.

I can't watch any of those hunting shows on TV that has a "professional hunter" its just ignorance instead of hunting most of the show.

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY ...ITS THE WORLD WE LIVE IN OF COURSE!!!SOME people just think they have it figured out

Lots of good comments and feed back here.  And I agree with all of them. However lets be cautious about using people's names with relation to direct negative impact.   It in itself could give us a bad name.  It's a great idea to take a stand for our sport and what we believe. Keep us posted on what happens.

I quit watching hunting shows a ways back because every time I turned it on there was some woman with a ton of make-up acting ditsy. Please don't get me wrong because I am all for women hunting and enjoying the outdoors but these women on TV look like they just stepped out of a salon with their hair & nails done and plastered with mascara & make-up. It doesn't fly in my book!! It's nothing more than a marketing scheme. And yes, Tom Marandas is a "hack" but so is a lot of other TV self proclaimed hunting professionals. And from my observation, most of these self proclaimed "professional hunters" don't even do their own scouting or hang their own stands!! Just one time I want to see them hunt public land for a entire season and do all their own scouting and blind & stand placements!!

That's why I refuse to watch a certain "hunting" show on the Sportsman Channel that's sponsored by a certain rifle company. I used to shoot against him in 3D shoots when I was stationed at Camp Lejeune in the early 2000's. He was a complete ass hat when he would lose, and he was a spoiled little baby at all times.

The only ones I watch are vids made my non-professional hunters. There's something about having a day job that makes you a better hunter.

I would also like to see the "professional" (self proclaimed or otherwise) hunt public land in competition with everyone else.

Stan Potts did the same thing on one of his shows. Sometimes making the kill (or attempting to)  misses the whole point.

> :(  Makes me sick. I hate how these guys get away with never admitting that they have made a bad shot. Mostly because the public that's watching normally doesen't hunt. The very few times that I have sat down to watch a hunting show that was on ended with me shutting it off in rage. No wonder it's so hard for us to crawl out of the hole that media has created.

Ahh that's nothing. I posted that I watched a show the other night where a guy shot at an Asiatic buffalo with his compound from at least 60 yards head on. Amazingly he never found it.

P.S. this thread will get deleted! Which I don't agree with as we need to let the public know that we do not agree with those unethical shots.

There is very little real hunting done on TV anymore. Its all about greed and not having to eat their so called 'tag soup'. The kill is important to these guys otherwise they fear the sponsors or people watching will turn away from their shows. At times all methods and means become necessary to film the 'kill shot' which turns into an unethical shot being made on an animal. I don't watch much outdoor television anymore because its just not hunting any longer.

Ron

fellas ....... dont you get it ? ......... those rock star hunters "HAD TO TAKE' those low percentage risky shots !

They just couldnt do the right thing and pass the shot and wait for another day .........8^(


dey be prOfessional hunters ........ only da pro's are allowed to do such things cause ...... dey just gotta luv it when a plan comes together ....give dem a minute folks... punch the air 4 times ,give a thumbs up and jump up and down like a teenage boy that just had his first bedroom experience .............. oh yes and den we be tellin ya'll fools how da only broadhead dat would have worked on dis shot is da one dat someone is payin me to use >


it makes me want to puke ....... I have bowhunted since the late 60s and for 40 years I have been proud to be known as a bowhunter ......... for the last 10 years I am embarrassed to tell non hunters that I am a bowhunter.

I don't watch that junk because I wind up getting mad and I don't need that.