Give me a break
 

I'm sure someone has posted something similar to this little rant that I am about to undertake!!!

This is about the so called "HUNTING"??? shows that I have seen (especially lately) on t.v
PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![:'(]
A guy shows up at a "RANCH" where he/she sets up in a tree stand over a "Food plot" where they pass up deer after deer (or whatever they are "HUNTING"???) because they "JUST WEREN'T BIG ENOUGH???????" Then climb down and head back to "CAMP" ( Usually a plush living space with "ALL OF THE AMENITIES"????) and then have the B@!!$ to say "WOW what a tough hunt BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA"
What a LOAD OF CR*P !!!!!!!!! and they can sell this as HUNTING??????????
Then when ( not if) they shoot something more often than not the first thing out of their mouths is about what it might score. They don't even appreciate the gift in front of them!!! Don't make me puke!!!!@#$% Put these guy's on the ground or take them off the RANCHE'S and let's see how they do??? It's not just the show but the commercials and magazines as well:(

Whatever happened to getting together with you buddie's and scouting or making a plan of action on how to hunt your quarry???
Don't give me that "It's the evolution of hunting"........Bull !!!!!!!! It's called LAZINESS !!!!!!!!!! Plant some DEER FOOD so that they will come to us and we won't have to do much of anything.........WOOOO HOOO sounds like a good way to polish our skills [:@][:'(]

I'm not against trophy hunting. Ithink most of us would like to hang that big one on the wall. But at least "Hunt" the darn thing!!!!!!!

I could go on!! But chew on this for a while. I'm curious as to the reaction I'll get????

Bill

RE: Give me a break
 

Hi Bill:

I share your feelings. However, there must be enough "hunters" watching/reading the programming to make money for these "producer/hunters". I guess more people think hunting is done over salt blocks than not...

How would those producers keep up with you on your weeklong pack-in smokepole hunts!

Good luck this year.
CE

RE: Give me a break
 

I agree with you glob!! I get sick when I see these hunting shows where people are hunting over feeders in these heated stands with shooting rests and cushioned seats, and just wait for the deer to come in. And yes, that is the first word out of their mouth is what it will score. These people need to get out and really "hunt" and re-learn how to camp. When I go hunting, I wake up to temps of near 0, have to get out of a sleeping bag, and muster the energy to start a fire, then get out and set out on foot to hunt what I am pursuing. I started to get fed up with these "hunting" shows and quit watching them! They need to get off of their soapboxes and experience what is like to really hunt!

RE: Give me a break
 

Hey John How are ya??

I'm afraid those producer's wouldn't fair very well at all.
Like CB said sometimes it's all you can do just to get out of your bag at 0*
I may have one of those pack in ML spots open if your game?

I haven't givin' up on the shows and mags yet there are a couple here and there where they almost hunt like the rest of us????
But as for the others......[:'(]

RE: Give me a break
 

I'll agree with you glob3006. I do like to watch Mike Eastmans show on the outdoor channel, but it as not been on lately.

As much as I respect Ted Nugent for his pro-hunting, shooting, gun owning, NRA board member, etc ways. He hunts a lot of the ranches the way you mentioned, though the one thing I notice about Ted is he seems to kill what most of us would consider average or less than average deer, so its not always about the "score" for him.

RE: Give me a break
 

In "NRA's July 2004 American Hunter" they have a article by Bill Buckley "Meat Hunter" Pg. 35 that talks about meat hunters VS trophy hunters. I really enjoyed the article (check it out). Good luck.

RE: Give me a break
 

I guess Ted Nugent and Eatsman's would be a couple of the few exceptions that still know the true value of hunting. Fore example, Ted Nugent's family only eats the meat from game taken every year, not from any other source, and the Eastman family has spent many years traveling to the farthest reaches of the continent in search of the toughest game on the planet. I think they still really know how to hunt, and know what it means to hunt. Some people that I do actually have respect for.

RE: Give me a break
 

I second that. This is a really good article.

RE: Give me a break
 

glob3006

I guess you are right in certain aspects, and wrong in the others, the main thing i disagree on is you said planting food plots and letting them come to you, that is done alot here in the south because of how thick the woods are, is it thick where you hunt or can u see a mile, but yes alot of these shows are jokes

RE: Give me a break
 

Hmmm...actually food plots have benefitted deer for many years. Even when they were called corn fields...bean fields...or alfalfa fields...etc. Yes, I too am getting tired of videos showing rich guys going to these "resorts" to hunt deer that rarly, if ever, venture onto public lands. I do have a problem with your view on food plots and so called "lazy" hunters. You are now part of the problem of distancing hunters from ourselves which makes it easier for the anti-hunters to win, if you start "name-calling" your fellow hunters. Being in Colorado...do you use binoculars for your spot and stalk hunts? Why? Are you that lazy not to track? How far of a shot do you take? 300, 250, 200, 150 yrds? Why not get closer? Just too lazy? See my point. Human beings, by nature, will always try to find an easier way to do things. Food plots for those over in this part of the country are very benneficial. We have less "wild" or open areas than in the bread-basket and mountain states. Recently, food plots are being designed around deer instead of cattle use and are benefitting hunters in areas where there is an extremely low number of larger bucks. There are not as many people in this part of the world that have the funds to go to the areas of this continent where there are larger numbers of big bucks that one can effectivly travel to scout those areas properly. I don't care if you are 14 or 90 years old we all have dreams of getting a big buck or at least seeing one. If one has even a little bit of land food plots can help that hunter see more deer and increase the odds of seeing or getting a big buck or maybe not a big buck but a smaller one...it is up to how that hunter wants to manage the land. Which all in all allows for better herd management because deer in areas where they are mostly nocturnal have difficult time managing the numbers which increase car deer accidents. This method also allows the state game agencies in their efforts because of money issues that they have. Which when it all boils down to the skinny...herd management is what hunting's back-bone is in todays day-in-age. Yes, "the Heritage", "Family Values", "putting meat on the table", "going on the HUNT" I too embrace. Unfortunatly, when it comes to defending the act of hunting against the anti-hunting movement...the management angle is the ONLY angle they can't defend against. You have to remember something videos are intended for one purpose...to get you geeked for the hunt and go buy the products they are selling. No different than that of a NASCAR sponser. I have said this before I wish I had the video equipment so I could make my own video showing true scouting, stand placement, what a stalk entails..etc...But I am limited in my time & money. I will someday though.

RE: Give me a break
 

That was indeed an awesome article!

RE: Give me a break
 

I would agree on the Nugent and Eastman comments. While Ted is a bit wacky somtimes he is most often about the meat and if he gets a big one.....Well thats just a King size backstrap on the BBQ.Eastman gets my vote!!!
But let's not turn this into a "Hunter vs Hunter" thing.... Somehow I knew that would come up????Let me just say that 25% are hunters 25% are antis and 50% are indifferent I could careless about what the "Anti's" think and as for the 50% well.... I believe that they would be more in favor of a person that goes out and earns his game meat over a guy that buys his way onto a ranch ,"Hunts" over a pre determined food plot, has all of the work done for him, stays at "Caesar's Palace" and calls that hunting .....It's not!! and except for special circumstances it is LAZY. That's not to say that hunting private property is in anyway wrong or bad!!!!! I also pre cursered the EVOLUTION OF HUNTING argument. Using binoculars is a far cry from planting a food plot that has only two purposes ......Attract and grow deer !! Where is the skill in that????? There is a BIG difference in managing herd numbers and specifically growing deer so that one can "harvest" a "BIG ONE" It's their land and a man should be able to do what he want's. You don't have to live out west to actually HUNT and i'm sure that there are people who use plots that actually,positivly hunt their butts off!!!!!!!! My argument is about these guys / gals that we watch or read about that put in absolutely no time scouting,mapping or preparing for one of their "Hunts" then it's ho hum I got one but he's only a "130 class"and they try to sell us on the fact that , that's the way it should be. That's HUNTING.............. We're supposed to admire these hunting legends???????
What a tough hunt
Sorry I'm ramblin' ( Gotta see the Doc about that)
Bill

RE: Give me a break
 

I agree about it being crap that they focus on the score so much, a trophy deer should be left as a opinion of the hunter and not commercialized through politics and advertising by a score of inches. Most shows are that way because success on large game sells better even if on a huge ranch than what the average joe does or how and where the average joe hunts. In michigan the politics regarding antler size is taking the fun out of hunting for many, myself included, and this is brought on by the promotion of scores and trophies, i dont personally believe in killing any buck but why take away somebodies glory by saying things(or having to hear these comments - in my case) that degrades a "nice" buck or somebodies biggest buck like - you should have let him go another year, or why did you shoot that thing it sure had potential? I just think some of these shows are taking away from the real reasons to be in the woods.

RE: Give me a break
 

Yes I agree, I was watching a show yesterday where the men were wearing pressed long sleeve shirts, and dress pants. They walked around talking with a tri pod attached to their guns. They would spot some sort of exotic deer and look at it through the sites and say, "Nahhh, not big enough". They spent days just walking around looking for the right one, it reminded me of shopping at a super market. "Ahh I really don't like this cut of meat as much as that one". Finally they found a "trophy", one of the men set up his rifle on his tri-pod, taking all the time in the world, and finally squeezed the trigger... he missed! They followed the same animal for a while (obviously not fazed in the slightest!) and once again set up for the shot, finally he brought down the deer.

Summary: It made me want to puke!! That is not hunting! That is shopping.

RE: Give me a break
 

I agree 100% The one show that I used to quite enjoy was "Bushnell's secrets of the hunt" This show appeared to me to be fair chase hunts. I belive the host was Dave Watson, and he seemed to me anyways to actually be hunting. The one episode that stands out in my mind was when he crawled through a creek bed and came up quickly from behind a downed log and put a 12 gauge slug into a huge boar. That was a great shot on camara that made me respect that man. Unfortunatly, I no longer get that show. None of the other ones interest me in the least.

RE: Give me a break
 

I know all to well what you guys are saying.I watched a show one day taken in texas and a guy was in his ground blind with his friend or guide,anyways there were like 20 bucks feeding in this field at once,all ranging from small spikes to big 8's and very large 10's.Any deer anyone would shoot and be proud of.Well anyways low and behold 3 more come into the field,and wouldent you know it,3 more bucks and there monsters.Anyways the guy takes the largest one.
JUst looked to me like it was a dream,i mean comeon,20-25 bucks in the field all at one time.Makes me wonder if there hiding something from us viewers.
Unfortuately they no longer show these hunting shows on my t.v any more,took them off tnn because real men dont watch these shows---lol

RE: Give me a break
 

I agree with you about the resort ranches and the "buying" of your deer. Most of the time they already know exactly which deer they will shoot. I have even heard of the guide shooting it for them!

But please do not include the Lord Fontleroy type who pays for everything to be done for him with the private individual that plants food plots for his own use.

Seven buddies and I are on a 1300 acre piece of property leased from a cattle rancher. No agricultural fields. Just pasture land and woods. We have been planting food plots for the last few years to augment the sparse browse that is available. There are plenty of acorns in the fall, but little the rest of the year. We are not talking multi acre plots with farm tractors, these are 1/4 to 1/2 acre and are tilled and planted with garden type equipment. We start planting in early spring and plant again in summer and fall.

You talk about getting together with your buddies and planning your hunt. Our season starts at the end of last season. We are scouting and observing all year. For a food plot to be productive it requires constant care. We are planning and preparing for our hunt 9 months in advance.

What this has gotten us is more deer, healthier does, and better quality bucks. Everyone is also more in tune with management and being selective in our harvest. Most importantly though is I have learned more about whitetail behavior in the last few years than in 15 prior years because I see how the different seasons affect them.

Believe me, building and tending a good food plot is anything but laziness. It is year round work.

Another note. We do not hunt directly over our food plots. We want them to EAT in our plots not die there.

RE: Give me a break
 

Good points all around. I noticed that alot of the footage is staged or spliced in. You ever noticed when they are tracking a deer and the cameraman is beyond the deer filming them coming to it. Then they acted surprised to find it. What a joke. Plus the camera showing a hunter pulling up on a gobbler when he is in full view and the cameraman is between the hunter and the gobbler. Then you see the next camera angle where he shoots and the cameraman is behind the hunter. Either they have two cameramen or those segments are spliced in. You are right about them not appreciating what they have and the emphasis on trophy deer. I do like some of them though and especially the "Best of the west" on the Men's Channel.

RE: Give me a break
 

i don't know if this was said already but many of these ranches that these guys are hunting are fenced in areas. i watched a show last night where the owner had 4 different "hunting areas" acutally it was just four different areas where they fenced in different animals.

then the next show on the guy passes up a huge 12 point because his guide told him there was a bigger 13 point in the area. !!!!!!! i turned the show off right there.

however their are some great hunting shows out there that i enjoy. where the guys are really "hunting" and are glad no matter how big there animal is

RE: Give me a break
 

Its not a "dream", this is how it is for me just about every time I go out hunting. Seeing 15 bucks in a day is not uncommon. Most of the time I will see atleast 10 different bucks from the time I leave the ranch headquarters until I get to my stand. Just because the deer numbers are high around here, dosent mean that if you shoot one your less of a hunter.


Why would you want to shoot a buck if you knew there was a bigger one in the same area? Especially if you still had several more days left to hunt.



I admit hunting some of the high fenced areas is wrong. But there is a big difference between a 50 acre high fenced lot in a eastern state and a multi-thousand acre high fenced ranch. On the bigger places, the fence never comes into play while the hunter is hunting.


And what is wrong with that??? This is what happens when you hunt on private land that is taken care off and not over hunted.

RE: Give me a break
 

This is one of those threads that make me sick. Its nothing but a bunch of guys who are bitching because somebody has better hunting then they do. [:@]

Look, hunting is different every where. I cant imagine hunting a food plot while elk hunting in Nevada. But at the same time you cant expect to climb a mountain and glass for miles while your deer hunting in S. Texas.

This is nothing more then public land hunters who are bashing private land hunters. Public land hunters seem to think they are more "elite" then the private land hunter. Public land hunters think that there 1 1/2 year old spike is far more greater then the 200" buck that was killed on private land. I dont understand this, I guess its just a form of jealousy and a "if I cant have it, nobody can" attitude.

I have no problem with people who want to hunt public land. But people who hunt public land seem to have a problem with me hunting private. Why? Not everybody hunts on public land, I personally have never stepped foot on a single inch of state/federal/public owned property.

If you want to hunt pressured public land and try to get that "huge trophy" 110" buck, then more power to you. Happy hunting. But if I want to hunt on a large private ranch, hunt over a 50 acre food plot, pass 15 bucks each day, and finally decide to shoot a mature 160"+ buck. Then I expect you to to say "more power to you, and happy hunting" just like I did for you.

Look were all hunters, it dosent matter how/where/when we hunt, as long as its legal then what the hell does it matter? Why bash another hunter? Dont you have anything better to do???

RE: Give me a break
 

Let's face it, when someone in a stand over a food plot sees a high scoring buck and shoots it, it is likely legal. When they gets off the stand and "track" the animal, it starts to get ridiculous. When the shooter finds the animal, with the photographer on the other side of the carcass, and appears surprised, it is acting, pure and simple.

If someone wants to buy an animal to shoot, more power to them, go to royal rut, or whatever they call themselves these days. If you want locate game over a food plot, that is great too, but it is shooting, not hunting. It is a different experience.

I have sole access to 14,000 acres for hunting and see huge animals throughout the year. It is too easy and is not even enjoyable to hunt there, yet the neighboring ranch sells "guided-hunts" for $3,500. There is a two year-old doe that runs in the house and sits on the couch if you leave the door open. If you are dead tired from working (and sweating) and sit on the porch, the deer come in and lick the salt off the nape of your neck, and try to chew the hair out of the back of your head. The size of the acreage is irrelevant. Most ranches are dryland (in CO), and find the few hundred acres of crops, and guess where the deer are. The pack-in timberline muley hunt, where you might not even see an animal, much less a legal one, is more enjoyable, at least for me.

Nobody is going to watch a hunting show for days while the hunter tracks an animal for miles and ends up busted, and learn something. However, they will watch a dude on the ranch shoot a buck from a stand, and think they have gained valuable information. Let's chalk one up for the marketers and go about our business...

RE: Give me a break
 

Hunting over a food plot is NO DIFFERENT then hunting a corn, grain, sunflower, or soybean field. So I guess all the bucks that are taken in the Mid-west are not trophies and the hunters are nothing more then "shooters" because they hunted over a food source.

Hunting out of the blinds that some of ya'll are talking about on this thread the "deer condos" that can be seen on some of the hunting shows are no different then hunting in a tree stand. Actually hunting in a tree stand could be considered more "unfair" to the animal because you can relocate the tree stands in a short period of time. Unlike the deerstands which takes alot of time, a trailer, and a couple of guys to move.

To me this entire post is dumb. Everybody has there own idea of what hunting is, I dont really care what your defintion is just like I'm sure you dont care what my defintion is. So we get nothing accomplished with threads like this, other then pissing each other off. Which is all most of you guys want to do.

As long as its legal, who cares. Stop acting more "elite" and thinking your more of a "great white hunter" then the other guy, just because you hunt different then they do.

RE: Give me a break
 

I tried to post this a couple of posts ago (Locked up) so I may be behind the discussion????? Good points CE

TXhighrack
If this makes you sick ...........Please !!!!!! don't get any on my BOOTS !!!!!!!!!
How should I respond to that????? I suppose that I should just agree......Because having a debate about how people feel about the way that hunting is portrayed or about the direction it is going is just plain anti hunting. Hunter vs Hunter................ BULL!!!!!!! Nobody has said that hunting private land or paying to hunt or even just paying to shoot an animal is wrong>>>>But call it what it is!!!!!!!! It is hard to be BOTH jealous AND elite. Jealous of someone that has BETTER hunting than I do. Lord knows I'll never be able to afford a Texas Ranch hunt or have the $ to buy land so that I can hunt a food plot. TO BAD................. I'll just have to stick with being ELITE...... What with my 1981 Ford truck...... a $300 rifle........Army surplus for hunting clothes and High mountain PUBLIC LAND meadows that I get to share with ALL who join up and come out. Maybe I'm just cheap????? It's tough being ELITE. By the way...... how many P&Y/ B&C are taken on public land?..............You might be surprised............ Jealous of better hunting......... Elite......... I think not!!!!!!!!!
Since I was the one who started this thread I was wandering if you could point out where all of the bashing of other hunters was located. Did you read the replies or just ASSume?????????????? I do believe this thread was directed towards the T.V. shows that portray hunting as anything but just an act of getting out of the truck, shooting an animal (with no excitement involved) and going back to Caesar's Palace!!!!!! There is a BIG difference between that and.................Planning, Scouting and working up a strategy and in the end "MAYBE" just MAYBE you will be successful AND be HAPPY about it!!!!!............. You know....HUNTING!!!!!!!!!!! By the way... I do have better things to do....Planning , scouting , range work and getting in shape for HUNTING season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like to say to WISKEYSNOOT Your point about your Food Plot and your situation is one I can't "REALLY" disagree with.

I may be rambln' again??????????????????
GLOB !!!!!!!!!

RE: Give me a break
 

I totally agree with glob

RE: Give me a break
 

TXHighrack:

Hunting over a food plot is VERY different than hunting over crops.

"Hunting over a food plot is NO DIFFERENT then hunting a corn, grain, sunflower, or soybean field. So I guess all the bucks that are taken in the Mid-west are not trophies and the hunters are nothing more then "shooters" because they hunted over a food source."

Is that what you said???

It is illegal to hunt over food plots in Colorado. For you to say there is no difference further illustrates your ignorance. Folks will read your "wisdom", and say, gosh, I better plant/spread some deer food so I can shoot and look over 10 bucks per day.

The Colorado Division of Wildife Regulations clearly state: "It is illegal to put, expose, deposit, distribute or scatter salt, minerals, grain, animal deposits or any other food as a lure, attraction or enticement for big game." Regardless of ownership of the land.

Are you willing to have folks prosecuted because you don't understand various state laws???

I would like to remind you the CDOW successfully prosecuted three hunters who, on public land, created piles of corn, from the adjacent property's crops (private) to entice deer . Loss of hunting priviledges for five years aand $2,500 each fine.

You might choose to revisit your statements.

RE: Give me a break
 

Not to sound rude, but I dont give a damn about the rules or regulations in another state. I'm not hunting that state, so why should I care what the regulations are?? And it is not my job to translate the Colorado regulations to anybody. If somebody is going to hunt in that state, then it is up to them to determine and understand the law.


If somebody reads my post, goes out and plants a food plot in Colorado, then gets a ticket for it. Then that is there own fault, and they deserve to get tickets for being dumb.



I couldnt care less what the Colorado D of WR say. No where in my first post did I say "go plant a food plot in Colorado". I've never been to Colorado, I'm from Texas where food plots are legal.



Because I dont know the regulations of Colorado I'm an idiot? I get it. Well if you think I'm suppose to "watch my comments, and translate the Co regulations to everybody" then your a much bigger idiot then I am.

RE: Give me a break
 

The first post was getting long, but I'm not done yet.........


No its not, its the exact some thing. Just because in your state its illegal to do one, yet legal to do the other, does not mean they are different.



Wow, I'm really scared now. I think I better go change my shorts.[:'(]
Honestly, what does this have to do with me?? Am I suppose to be impressed that your state actually prosecuted somebody for breaking a game law??


I think not, I stand by everything I say. But you on the other hand might want to realize that there is a bigger world out there and that everything does not revolve around Colorado.

RE: Give me a break
 

I have never been on one of the ranch delux hunts. That said I say to each his own. It does not appeal to me but I have no problem with someone else doing it if its legal and that makes them happy then go for it. I hunt mostly private land including my own but the animals are not managed and are some times here today and gone tomorrow. I do hunt public land in the Black Hills some times. A friend of mine has a ranch in the Black Hills and there are usually elk there but most my shooting there has been with a camera.

RE: Give me a break
 

hey boys are we getting off of the point a little. I think we would all agree some of the hunting shows are a bit much. Not much like the hunting most of us are used to. Is it wrong?

RE: Give me a break
 

Sounds like to me that you guys are compairing apples with oranges. Get on with it.

RE: Give me a break
 

I have watched a bunch of different hunting shows.Some are good and some not so good.I think the shows depend on who is watching and what time of year it is.Different types and styles of hunting for different types of hunters.
I think they should come up with a show that takes place in a different state each time, with local hunters from that state to show how they hunt and leave all the acting in Hollywood.Also coordinate shows with the seasons.
I like primos and a few others.
Elkshed

RE: Give me a break
 

I do think we have gotten off of the point a little.

Remember this thread is about how FAKE the hunting shows are that they try to sell us on! Not a thread to bad mouth other people!!!!!!!!!! I may be guilty also (Just not ELITE)
and Sorry but I do think that certain types of "Hunting" is NOT hunting at all!!!! BUT.....This IS the good ol' US of A and that is your privilege. I just wish that if they are going to put these hunts on T.V. they would make them more like...........Hunting. I think it sends the wrong message.
There are only a couple of shows that produce. I haven't seen many of Realtree Road trips but the last one I saw was a Caribou hunt and it was good! Also there is an archery one...American Archer ? and they seem to get out there and what about Jimmy Houston....Go figure............. So far the shows I've seen of him have been excellent!!
I used to think Dave Watson was all about realism but his shows have gone to pre-staging as well.
You know.........If they wanted to put on a GOOD reality hunt show. They would get 4 guys together of different hunting backgrounds and skill.....Give them only so much to work with (Old truck, set budget) but get them the tags and see what they can do unguided private or public!! that would be fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GLOB!

RE: Give me a break
 

ColoradoElk:

What you have described is "baiting", not a food plot. There is a distinct difference. A food plot is something that is planted and grown. Just as it is illegal to bait migratory birds with an intentionally placed pile of corn, it is perfectly legal to plant millet to grow as a food plot. If I'm wrong then any time the state wildlife deps. plant on public land, they should be breaking the law?

That being said, I personally find no offense to either method so long as it is legal in the state in which you are hunting. I leave this to an individuals own preference and not a condemnation of their ethics.