The problem with most TV hunting shows is that they represent a very small minority of hunters. Most TV shows are produced on private hunting ranches. These animals have not had to adapt to the pressures of public land or moderate to heavily hunted private land. In other words pressured critters learn quickly, that if they want to survive they must be ultra sensitive to intrusion. I know both.....I hunt public land and have an uncle in Central Montana who owns over 70,000 acres of the best elk and deer country you can find on this planet. He invites me to hunt his land along with his outfitters which makes up a total of 15-20 hunters per season. I choose not to for personal reasons. But I have visited his Ranch and its like a different world. The animals are TAME! very TAME! They feed the elk and deer annually. The animal behavior is nothing like their cousins I hunt on public ground here in my home state. As a matter of fact my uncle has had High Country Archery's top dogs hunt his land in which in 99 they took a 402 inch bull elk with a bow. The men (Five Attornys form Wyoming) that lease his property for outfitting... They paid him 1 Million dollars for the hunting rights and outfitting rights. These types of properties represent what a great deal of tv shows pay to hunt on or get invited to hunt on in exchange for publicity ....via their tv shows.

For example my father in law used to raise elk in Ark. He would sell his bulls to private hunting ranches...the price depending on the score of their antlers .....just so a high roller could come in and shoot the tame animal. They would even run the elk around for a week or two with dogs to make it appear semi wild. That is pretty extreme of course but sadly it happens. The wisest critters you will ever hunt will exist on heavily to moderately hunted ground. These animals have been forced to adapt to survive. How many times do you see "TV" self proclaimed hunting pros tell you what it costs to hunt the ranch they just hunted? Do you see many shows boasting about hunting public land that everyone else has to hunt? Not very often. Some do but not many. Remember they need to promote and advertise products. I feel most tv hunting shows portray a false sense of reality when it comes to hunting.....where I live BIG BUCKS and BULLS GET SHOT IF THEY "WALK" around in the open in broad daylight!

IHW,
Shed

Edited by - shed1 on 01/16/2002 13:32:08