I'm not an experienced deer hunter (went on a two-day triplast year, and in terms of game saw exactly one feral cat and nothing else), but I enjoy the videos.

Before I tore up one of my knees, I was an enthusiastic skier, and I loved watching ski movies. They showed me some great locations and really got me all worked up for the coming ski season (and living in Texas, you don't get other clues like approaching cold weather or--God forbid--actual snow).

Hunting videos serve the same purpose for me, even though I know a lot of the action is staged.
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Example: When the deer has been shot and the hunter & guide are "looking for it" andin the next shot the camerais between the hunter and the camera...obviously, they found the deer in time to set up the camera. Having the guide point at the deer and say, "There he is!" doesn't exactly fool me. I always expect the other guy in the shot to say, "Where? You mean right in front of the guy who's pointing the video camera at us?"

Another example:Supposedly as the hunt is taking place, we get a sudden close-up of the hunter firing his rifle/bow. I doubt that they dragged another camera along and kept it pointed on Our Hero during the whole hunt, just to capture six seconds of him aiming and shooting. [/blockquote]
But what the heck. It's show biz.I know they have to hype the sponsors' products; it's easy enough to filter that stuff out. (How did anybody ever kill a deerbefore the days of scent-free clothing, $1000 optics, photo-camouflage, rattlin' bags, and all that?Were the deer dumber?)

I don't think I've learned all that much from them. I started watching just to give myself an idea of what happens to a deer when it's shot, as a way of preparing myself (I don't have much experience watching animals die, especially by my hand). I guess I picked up a pointer or two, but when you're on somebody's ranch and they have the box blinds set up for you, tips about stand placement or where to dump mineral licks aren't very helpful.

I have noticed, though,that the guys in the videos are pretty careful about observing safety practices, whether climbing into a stand or handling weapons. That at least sets a good example.

When it comes to watching videos, I just have to try to watch them when my wife isn't around. If she walks into the room and sees (*sigh*, another) hunting video on the TV, she says something like, "Oh. Deer porn again."

Yeah, yeah.