RE: Sportsmanship disgust on TV
I posted this as a reply on another page as well, but it fits here also.
As someone that has had a lot of experience both behind and in front of the camera on hunting shows made for TV, I can
tell you that they not what you think they are.
There is a lot of acting, re-shoots on footage etc.
A lot of the "hunting" and "spot stalking" is done when the animal is already dead. This happens when you don't have enough footage to make a full show because the animal was killed quickly in the hunt. You need 22 min of footage for a 30 min show. The rest is for commercials.
Ever notice how they talk in a "loud whisper" a lot? Acting. All the high fives..acting. I saw a show where two "hunters" were talking in a loud whisper next to a running diesel pick-up making it's loud "clack clack clack" noises, whats the point of whispering?
All of the "oh man this is a beautiful buck, folks it just doesnt get any better than this...."..........acting.
You can learn a lot more with the TV off. Go to the woods. Listen to and watch animals especially in the off season.
There is NO substitute for time spent in the woods. Go hunting with experienced hunters and try different types of hunts
as much as you can. Most of all, remember that hunting TV shows are for entertainment and you should not compare what you kill to the "hunts" you see on TV.