With all the holiday festivities going on I haven't been on line for about 4 days so I didn't see this post earlier, but would like to throw in my opinion. This is coming from a guy who was a member of of Ted's organization for about 12 years before letting his membership run out about 2 years ago and not renewing it. I was a member back when it was "World Bowhunters", and honestly hated it when the name was changed to "United Sportsmen of America." I used to really proud to be a member. I had the decals on the back of my truck and on my bow cases, had the black jacket with the Zebra striped shoulders and alot of other Ted gear. I live about an hour from Jackson, Mich where his store used to be so my buddies and I used to go to his store a few times a year. I met Ted a few times at members meetings and still have my old Alpine two wheeler that he signed for me, plus a few hats that he signed. I talked to him for quite a while the one time. It was a really cool talk. When you get him out of view of the cameras and talk to him one on one he can really be cool, very polite and civil. He is truly a very intelligent guy who truly does know his facts and is very passionate about standing up for us as sportsmen. I was most impressed with the way he was with kids groups. He spoke to a 4-h group before the one meeting and it was incredible the way that he spoke to the kids and the way that he tried to steer kids away from the garbage that they face today and push them into the woods to an exciting and healthy lifestyle. I was a huge Ted supporter. I own several of his older videos and really liked the ones where he actually got out in the wilds and did some hunting.
Well unfortunately about three years ago I really started seeing him a little differently. I will agree that the man does do more in a week to preserve our rights as hunters and that he truly is a bundle of energy and a tireless promoter ( and unfortunately very much a self promoter). But some of his actions started to really make me wonder. Some of the things he would say and do would make me wonder if he was harming the hunting community more that help. Let me say right now, emphatically, I am no politically correct guy at all. I believe in telling it like it is. But you also have to do it with some sensitivity to not turn those that are undecided in their beliefs to the other side by arrogance and brashness. This is where I started to see Ted change. I seemed like he started to read his press about how in your face and controversial that he was that he kicked that into a higher gear. Hey I am all for standing up against the Antis and the Petas and the tree huggers, but I want to represent in a positive light to those who are watching and trying to decide thier position, not as insulting maniac. I want to them drawn to us by positive actions, not pushed away but negative actions and statements.
I also watched his show start to change. As many mentioned, the show became more like alot of the other shows that I hate. Hunt at this game ranch this week, this ranck next week etc. Sit in this blind over the timed feeder, shoot these 3 exotics within a half hour of each other etc. It became more about putting on the kill footage that the hunt of a truly wild animal. I know a guy at work that lives about a half a mile from one of the woods I hunt. He was kind of against bowhunting and hunting in general. He and I satrted having some really nice discussions about why I hunt etc. and the need for hunting for preservation purposes. Next thing you know he really started seeing hunting as a positive thing. Anytime he saw that I hunted that woods he wanted to know what I saw etc. He started telling me what he saw back by my woods and where he thought I should set stands at etc. It was really cool. He would watch a hunting show on Outdoor Channel occasionally. He would talk to me about the shows and what I thought of them ( he knows I watch it all the time). He heard me and another guy talking about Teds show one day. A few weeks later he watched the SOTW. Unfortunately it was the one ( of the many ) at the YO ranch where Ted, Shemane, his son Rocco and two band members were all up in the box blind shooting different exotics. One would shoot one, then a few minutes later another would shoot another etc. Well, the next day he came up to me and said "hey I saw you guy's boy Ted on his show last night. That was pathetic!! If that is hunting you can count me out. That was like hunting in a zoo" Now he will not talk hunting at all. He is totally against it and won't even let me explain my thoughts on it. So Ted didn't do alot of good there. And I am sure there are many others out there like the guy I work with who have formed an opinion because of this show and others like it.
I very rarely even watch Ted's show anymore because I know that everything will be on a ranch ar a preserve, and that it will also be one long comercial for the Products he uses or him in concert. I like the old days of the Spirit of Th eWild. Before, all the beast stuff, the mystical flight of the arrow and all that. Give me the Primos boys, and Micheal Waddell any day.
To sum it up I am just not a big supporter of Ted anymore. I am not a Ted hater like some guys on here, but I am not a big supporter anymore. Also the deal about the 10 year old kid that he had while married to Shmane, that he hasn't seen and barely pays any support on ( and this is the guy winning awards for his pro family and family ethics stance?) really soured me.
I wish Ted would take a step back and rethink the way that he prsents his message sometime. There is no doubt that he is passionate about his beliefs and really could do the hunting community a world of good, but I just feel that thses days with every good that he does, he turns others away, so basically he is cancelling out any good he does, and truthfully I am starting to wonder if he is doing more harm than good these days. I know his intentions are great. I wish he would tone it down a bit and reach more people is a positive way. Let the tree huggers and the Anti's be the idiots!! The project an image of intelligence AND class!!
Sorry to be so long winded. I guess I had more to say that I thought.
P.S. Just a warning... don't even think of going over to Ted's forum and say anything even remotely anti Ted, you will be ripped apart and kicked off in no time.