What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I hate it when the hunter/writer/movie star, passes up a buck or bull early in the hunt, only to kill the same animal or a smaller one on the last day of the hunt.
Just shows me they want to kill any animal. If a big one happened to walk by early in the hunt they can brag about how good of hunter they are. They can' t stand going home with a un-filled tag. I call them sore losers.
The secret to killing a big buck or bull is to not shoot the small ones.
Maybe I am getting too old & set in my ways??? I feel hunting is not just about killing any animal to prove your a man?

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

Yeah...Hunting shows...too many canned hunts, the shameless employment and shilling of gadgets and technology of an often dubious nature. How about someone really getting down to basics: Tracking, Habitat recognition and examination, Serious safety, Behavioral study, Fitness, Ethics, etc.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

Beans stole my thunder, gadgets and these canned hunts, notice that Ted Nugent and all his talk of Spirit of the wild is always either on his fenced property or on a " ranch" somewhere[:@]

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

Not showing the kill shot.
Only hunting white tail deer.
Not revealing what make of rifle, caliber, and bullet used.
Good luck.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I agree, its the REDICULOUS flogging we are bombarded with of commercials, gear ads " worked in" while on the hunt etc... I fully understand the costs involved in airtime, production etc, but the " big shows" on the Outdoor channel are flat out getting REDICULOUS. Used to be in a 30 min show you would get 15-20 minutes of actual " in the field" footage and action. Now it literally is under 10 minutes and I watched one show just recently that featured OVER 20 minutes of breaks/commercials and probably only an actual 5-7 minutes of action scattered about in a 30 minute " show" . They keep up with the " infomercials" and I' m just gonna quit watching them all together.

Its gettin plum obnoxious,
RA

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I hate it when they have the camera standing over the harvested animal, and they show the hunter supposedly tracking it, and then looking up and acting surprised to find it. I wish they would just have the camera following the hunter as he actually tracks the animal. I don' t need to see his facial expression when he sees the deer.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I guess I' ll play devil' s advocate. I too hate canned hunts, period. I like realism and seeing the kill shot, and I want to see more hunting than plugs for products. On the Outdoor Channel a show has about 6 minutes of commercial time. You have to have commercials if there is going to be shows. Also, it is very expensive to film and produce a QUALITY show. To do that, you have to have sponsors, and they want plugs in the shows. Now some go way overboard, but there are ways to mention a product during a hunt or on an after the shot wrap up that isn' t too bad, or they can show the logo on a product during a hunt. Bottom line is you have to include some of this to be on TV. If a company pays a $50,000 sponsorship for a quarter (13 weeks) they want something for their money. Now we as viewers have to sit through some of this stuff that we would rather not see, or we won' t get to watch any hunting on TV. It is a tradeoff, and I realize some shows take it too far. But just try to understand where this all comes from and why it is a necessity.

Just think how much license, travel, cameras, tapes, editing equipment, etc. cost for a couple of crews to hunt all year long. Many times the shows have to pay for some or all of their hunts as well. sometimes they are free. Someone said they went to a seminar the other day, and a Primos guy said they were spending $90,000 just on their Colorado elk hunts this fall. That doesn' t include salaries for the cameraguys and other staff. Making a quality hunting show is very expensive.

I have filmed numerous hunts for TV with Knight & Hale, The HUnters Journal, and Mossy Oak. I have been there for the editing process as well, and most folks have no idea how much work, time and money go into something like this.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I agree with everything said above...no real info passed on to anyone just a marketing tool....Have yet to ever find a guide that had a pair of Swarovski El' s but seems like all the guides have them on these so called " hunting shows" i used to subscribe to the outdoor channel myself but that is no longer the case.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

Tim you are WRONG about the 6minutes of commercials per 30 minute show on the O.C. Simply watch a show and look at the clock. Some of the shows are actually getting about 6 minutes of SHOW and the rest is ads (some for the O.C. itself and the rest split for the show). Its just getting outright rediculous. Primos DOES spend a ton of money on their " Truth" shows each year. I' ve been told by my brothers buyer (they are Primos dealers and good friends with Will Primos) that some years they have spent as much as $500k on the show and that it typically is a money LOSING event that is budgeted for losses each year. But its chalked up to " advertising" and without such shows, they wouldnt have the sales that make up for a $500K " ad budget" . The show itself is the ad for them, as is similar shows by BPS, Cabelas etc...

Airtime on T.O.C. is going up steadily, the channel is a runaway success, especially with The Outdoor Life channel being so slanted to kyak paddlers, bird watchers and granola eaters with hiking boots. But the simple BOMBARDMENT of their veiwers with ads ads ads is getting annoying. Obviously there is enough paying advertisers to just about make it possible for anyone that wants a show. That being the case, simply cut the ad numbers in half and double the price of the slots. Something needs to be done to keep the quality of the show in check. I watched a show yesterday that featured a bowhunt in Ohio and and a buck that the bowhunter wanted to take, was first appx 80yds out and closing in toward the stand. By the time the buck was within range and the shot was taken, three breaks were taken (appx 2 minutes each so that is 4 commercials per break) before the " kill" was made. That is simply rediculous and I dont care what anyone says.

Thank GOD for remotes and " favorite" buttons on it. The funny thing is that advertisers havent figured out that NONE of their ads are being seen. The ONLY time " typical America" watches ads is once a year during the SuperBowl!!!

[X(]
RA

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

My complaint comes from the fact that they go on these hunts that regular people could probably NEVER afford to go on.

How about some shows done on public land.

Let' s see these guys pull those monster bucks off the lands that I have available to hunt on. If they can do that, I' ll be impressed. It' s easy to wait for a bigger buck when you know there will be another one along in a few minutes, and not the ONLY deer you will see ALL SEASON.

I remember seeing them talking about a rifle once, they referred to it as " very good and with a price tag that would make it hard to pass up by any sportsman" . Price tag $1800 w/o the scope. I don' t know about you all, but my whole gun collection didn' t cost $1800. To me it' s worth a $1,000,000, but to them it would be junk, and I' d be considered a bum.

That' s what pisses me off, and why I seldom watch.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

While hunting in BC a few years back, Northwest Hunter was filming a hunt with our outfitter. They told us that they only film the kill shot and after that they might spend a day or two filming everything else. They don' t want to waste their time on the pre-kill stuff if it never happens. I like the ones that film the hunter before the shot and you can tell from the angle that they are standing between the hunter and the animal. Yeah right.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I for one, like to watch the hunts I can' t afford. I mean, a public land mule deer hunt in Utah would be like a reality show. Who wants to see that? But a cape buffalo hunt? I' ll probably never do that. (especially with a muzzle loader)
I am a little tired of Texas Whitetail hunts though. Let' s see some Montana or Colorado sheep, goat or lion hunts and a little better, er, real approach to the kill.
Some of the commercials actually show better kill shots than the shows.
And Ted Nugents sound guy needs some serious help. Whispering in the blind is great, but how about some voice overs telling a little about the hunt in a real voice.
Some nuts and bolts shows would be great too, maybe a " shootout" between various manufacturers with regular guys and pros alike rating and using equipment.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

In magazines, I hate the " how to" articles that tell you how to sit in a tree and wait for a deer to walk by. How about some stories about hunting on your hind legs!

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

Lets see, hunting shows


1) Canned hunts....fences

2) Hunting canned hunts and pretending they are not.

3) Lies....Jay Gregory...I rattled..when you damn well he didn' t.

4) Advertising...over doing it, especially ad' s for products you know they are not using.

Seems this is most of the hunts now adays.....

Magazines,

Over advertising as in Field and Stream, more ads than articles.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

For one I' d rather watch the Mulie over the Buff. Ever watch a Cape Buff hunt? They' d have a more challenging hunt goin after Holsteins. Every one I' ve seen they just stood there chewing their cud and waiting to die. No interest in hunting them. As far as the home grown hunting, that' s the best ones, real guys,no guides or farms doing it the way you would. And (this will start an up roar) But I' m tired of hunting Whitetail deer, man if thes shows don' t show how easy it looks to kill one. How ' bout a trophy Cascade Blacktail hunt in the Olympic Rain forest? You think sitting in a tree is tough hunting try spottin' of of these " Boogers" in the really thick stuff.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I don' t understand anyone not wanting to watch a hunt they can' t afford (at that time). I can remember learning to read well by reading the likes of Outdoor Life, Field and Stream and Sports Afield when I was really young.
Those magazines along with hunting and fishing trips with my Dad and older brother gave me a love of the outdoors and the sports we enjoy so much today.
In 1999 my friends and I went to Montana on a trip we named " Web' s Quest" in honor of my father. He had traveled through Montana during WW2 on a troop train heading for the Pacific to camp out with some friends and play with the Japanese boys across the water. His dream was to return there someday and hunt and fish in Montana which was God' s Country to him.
He spent a lifetime working and raising his family always talking about returning to Montana. He never took that trip but magazine articles helped him keep the dream alive. Today' s hunting shows reflect the reality that putting them on TV costs money and marketing is what pays for it.
Thanks to those " mercenary" magazine publishers and TV producers who entertain us and keep dreams alive.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I too believe that it is just a marketing scam. At the end of the shows, they have hunting " tips" , but they just talk about products that will " help you bag game" that the normal working class person can barely afford. And how people go to these high priced hunting ranches, go into an elevated, heated, and covered shooting boxes, with recliners, which are situated over feed sites and game trails, inside a high fence and they won' t go out because of the rain. What' s the challenge in that? You sit in this stand and shoot at a target that goes by. I can do that at the range and shoot paper targets. If I go hunting and I don' t start to get exhausted from walking in the heat or cold, climbing up and down rock slides on my knees and hind end, or worrying about all of the other elements in the outdoors I know that I haven' t worked hard enough to get the satisfaction of being out in the wild. I need a challenge to keep me going. I don' t think that the people on these shows are out there for the satisfaction, they just need a job, and that is the best one for them. Now I know that all shows are not like this, but I have seen shows that just discust me, because of the criteria that I just listed.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I second handloader1' s list and add canned hunts.

In response to shooting an animal on the last day I have to say I do the same. I am a meat hunter first and a trophy hunter second. So on the first day I may pass up an animal in hopes of finding a bigger one. If I don' t find a bigger one then its all about filling the freezer.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

They always seem to make bagging big animals look easy. It aint that easy, and it usually aint that easy to find em, unless of coarse you' re hunting on prized private land. I' ve noticed that quite a few of the hunters taking these monster bucks or bulls dont seem overjoyed, almost like it' s just another animal in the freezer. Also, I would like to see more stalking on hunting shows; the hard hunts generally are the most memorable.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I can' t stand it when a magazine is written at a grade school level, which is most of them. My two current favorite mags are In-Fisherman and Gray' s Sporting Journal. Both are written with adult readers in mind, both mag' s advertising drives me nuts. There is a regular advertisment for hunting in Argentina in Gray' s that has triplet brothers shooting about a gazillion doves and piling them in front of each person, I think is absolutely disgustingly wrong and unconsiousable (nor do I give a rats behinny about how many lodges are orvis certified). I don' t care how liberal the seasons are in that country or how many bagazillion birds they have that those guys can shoot a gazillion apiece. But it has incredibly cool photography and articles that are intelligently written. For the most part this applies to In-Fisherman.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

what i hate about tv , is that there are too many advertisements , and the shows go by so quickly , as for magazines , not enough photos to go along with the story :D

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

Comercial, climb in treestand, 5 minutes later ( or 4, or 3 or 2) a big buck comes in, buck is shot, show over, now time for another comercial.
Take care, good hunting and god bless you and yours.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

Try watching any of the shows put on by Penn' s Woods. These guys really do it the right way, no canned hunts, with a majority taking place on public land in PA and OH. These guys do plug their own line of calls and scents, but they have no problem filming and producing a hunt when the biggest animal taken is a 6 point buck. Definately a reality hunting show.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I hate watching shows where they shoot " tame" animals. They get the game animals used to being fed and then come stand in a blind and shoot the them while they' re eating. Real hard to do.

Another thing I hate. They whisper all the time. Even after they' ve dropped the animal. They' re patting each other on the back about the animal they just dropped and they' re still whispering.

And do they actually take care of the meat of the animals they drop? When it' s a night shot and they have to have all those pictures and film to show on television. Do they take care of the meat or let it set so they can have better light the next morning. Always wondered how they do that.

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

I have an idea for a movie but I don' t want to give it away.
I know what I would want to see in a hunting video and any of you who hunt, and I mean actually hunt with your instincs and skill and less hardware and gadgets.
I' ld like to see it from my eye' s point of view so when I watch it I get that feeling that I' m reliving an actual hunt that I would have typically done.

After all reliving the memory is the thing that you' ll do more than anything in your lifetime and bringing back the feeling of that memory is what makes us feel good.
If a show can do that than it' s done it' s job.
If it makes me think back to a feeling I had when I shot my first buck and what it was like when I told my brother who was my teacher in the field and
what it was like to drag it a half a mile out of the woods to where the old man was eagerly waiting to hear the story and to know weather he should go get the old 1940' s jeep or not and what it was like to cut and care for all the meat and then to finally sit down with family and enjoy and be proud of that wonderful thing called venison or other wild game that you alone had gleaned from the woods on the outskirts of town.
And best of all, the look on all those older hunters faces that were laughing at the holes in my hunting attire and making fun of my old army boots, when they counted all the points on that buck and the heart I held up with the hole right through the middle.
Yea recreate that and you got yourself a show......
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOD BLESS,

RE: What is one thing you hate about hunting shows & magazines?
 

oldelkhunter, I beg to disagree with you on the subject of guides using Swarovski optics. I have been on several hunts where the guides used them.

On a hunt in Idaho, the guide used Swarovski 10X42 binocs. In Texas, the guide used 8 X 56. In Alberta and BC, both guides used them. On the latest hunt in BC, my guide used a Swarovski spotting scope and a pair of 10 X 42 binoculars.

Guides who are really professional spend money on their optics. More often than not, I find they have better stuff than I do when it comes to binoculars and spotting scopes. Their other gear may be a bit spartan, but they spend money on what makes them money.

As to hunting shows, I seldom watch them. I had one experience where I was on a hunt where one of the " Great White Hunters" was filming footage for a show. It left a horrible impression on me when they dragged a buck around for three days and wasted the meat (spoilage). Most of these guys are self-promoters of the highest water. Hunting is just a business to them. If it doesn' t make them money, they aren' t interested.