nubo

I have to agree with you Jeff ,there's a lot of this crap out there now ,bowhunting mag's used to be cheap to buy ,the other day I thought I would buy a new mag ,so I grabbed the one that appealed to me and when I got it to the counter they wanted 12.95 for it ,so back to the shelf it went .I've also noticed that the DVD's that I've picked up that they do center their show's around the equipment being used .As far as I'm concerned it's not the equipment doing the shooting it's the hunter ,so what's the big deal .The hunter's are giving credit to certain type's of equipment for their harvest's ,and that's utterly crap .So i agree but I'm afraid this is what the industry is coming to ,anything to sell .

nubo

minnesotahunter

I'd have to agree. My wife bought me Muzzy's Bad to the Bone 4 the other day, (probably just to shut me up for while) and while they talk about their "Muzzy Moment's" it's not nearly as bad as other's I've seen.

Arthur P

You gots a point there, Jeff. But in the overall scheme of things, Brunner's stature in the traditional community is easily overlooked.

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Lord, I apologize for that right there, and be with the starvin' pygmies in New Guinea.

atlasman

Are they to blame???..............or are we??

If it didn't work they wouldn't do it. So what does that say about the hunting target market in general that we fall for this stuff and hand over our hard earned money pretty much just because someone tells you to. I started my "scams" thread to try and figure out this very point.........it got sidetracked and product specific so this point got lost...........but I would love to know what people think the answer is.

We all seem to agree that these ads and claims and antics are all stupid.........but they obviously are working...........the only questions is why?? Is the hunting market in general gullable?........lazy?.....uneducated?.........des perate?? You would almost HAVE to answer yes to a certain degree on all of those if these are the kinds of marketing gimmicks we fall for wouldn't ya??

I look at stuff the same way you described the way you do..........I find myself rolling my eyes and almost cringing in embarrassment sometimes at how stupid some of these ads and product claims are.............yet I must be the serious minority because people are buying this stuff and handing over truckloads of money because of what they saw on TV or read in their magazine last night.

I mean seriously............have you EVER read a magazine give a bad product review?? EVERY bow they review gets 4 1/2 or 5 out of 5 stars........EVERY product is the best thing since sliced bread.

I really think a lot of guys out there just don't know that much and have real lives and families that are a much bigger priority in their life then spending 365 days a year chasing a deer with a camera and then a bow and then a gun.

I really believe there are 2 kinds of products in the hunting world and they are marketed as such. There is the high quality products that are well known thoughout the hunting world by the well educated, detail oriented, focused hunter who wants a quality product and is not afraid to pay for it..........but knows enough to spot junk when he sees it.

Then there is the weekend warrior products that are marketed to the guy who blows the dust off his bow the day before the season and runs out to get his license and a few of the latest gadgets and gimmicks in hopes of finding magic in a bottle that will do all the work for him........this stuff is usually very affordable and guys grab tons of it off the shelves because even if it doesn't work it was worth the try. So they head into the woods and rub stuff all over themselves and spray things in the air and blow a few calls and shake their bone bags and hope that they get lucky and SOMETHING works. If not it's no big deal.........they have gone out and saw nothing a million times........why would this be any different. They may even head back to the store and buy some other stuff in the hopes that they just grabbed the wrong magic bottle and this time they will get the right one.

Look at mechanical heads for a good example............"Fly just like field points" You know this was marketed at the guy who can shoot field tips OK but when he put on a fixed head he shot the neighbors garbage cans..........forget tuning the bow......that takes too long and requires too much effort. Just buy the quick fix mechanicals and your problem is solved. No mention of KE needs or anything like that.........Nah........just sell 2 1/2" cutting diameter mechs to people shooting a 25 year old compound pulling 40 lbs..........no problem An entire product line geared towards those that didn't want to bother doing things correctly and were looking for a shortcut.

Are there guys that use mechs properly and are well educated to their needs and limits?? Of course...........they are a serious minority IMO. Most mechs are sold to people that tried fixed blades and were shooting all over the place.

Everything out there promises a short cut............just use this broadhead, bow, suit, scent, stand, call, camo, hat, boots, gloves, arrow, gum, soap etc and YOU too can kill a HUGE buck like the one on our package.

I really think that people lose touch with reality sometimes when spending too much time on this forum. This is a GREAT forum with tons of information and hundreds of well educated and experienced hunters who know what to do in the woods and what to expect from products............but it's not reality. We make up a tiny drop in the bucket of the hunting world. Millions of hunters are out there gobbling this stuff up hook, line, and sinker.

Hard to believe............and sad but true.

Bravak

Bottom line is that the companies involved here all want/need to make money (obviously). The mags want subscribers to raise ad prices, companies want proper promotion of their products to increase sales, and the consumer is caught in the middle. Also, the quest for the "big one", the mythical idea that all of us can bag the same buck they see on cable TV makes us want to buy more.

"It can't be me or the land I hunt, it must be the equipment" - or something like that, haunts many of us.

I keep thinking this though - my dad's family grew up on a farm and was dirt poor. Yet, they harvested many fine deer, bow and all. No souped up 600 dollar bows, no scent lok, no this and that..yet we feel like we need any edge possible. I bet that most of the equipment and products sold do perform some service, but at what price. MArketing is a key component of pricing and demand, so factor that in as well. It comes down to diminishing returns.

Here is a case in point for myself - I shoot a 9 year old PSE. I can hit the vitals no problem at 30 yards. Yet, I keep thinking I "need" a new bow. Why? Subconciously I feel I will have better luck. But then reasoning comes in. Why spend $600 plus for a whole new rig when a little tuning and maintenance more than works? I bet a shoot the same amount of deer as if I had anew bow.

Mainly, this stuff is all a part of market environments. People are always looking for the magic pill, especially if it takes away any hard work. Why scout and clear lanes if you can totally - descent? Why try to work at getting within 20 yards if you can shoot a super fast bow out to 50? Why work on calling when you can just push a button on some device?

The problem is, I think, that there is so much BS out there that people may really miss what REALLY works, even from a product standpoint. I tend to ignore the ads and listen to hunters and opinions here. Seems to work better for me.

DoctorDeath

Ahhhhhh thus the money trail .... thanks to all the Bill Jordans, Jackie Bushmans of the world ..

DD

HuntinGUS

Theolder I get the less atteactive the "new and improved" stuff looks. As a younger lad, I jumped on everything I could to give me an advantage....based on what I seen advertised on the shows and in the mags. Now I take a much more simple approach, so I just chuckle at the promises and the premisis that using a particular product will help you bag the big buck.

The hunting shows however are getting to be too much! I tend to watch the shows that are a little more simple and a lttle more my speed. I love to see a guy shoot a 4 point or a doe and get as excited as I do in doing it. I would love to see him gut it, drag it and take it back to camp to show off to all of his buddies.

I am so sick of seeing a corporate mouthpeice set in a stand, that is hung by thefarm hands..........pass up 4-5 great bucks and shoot an absolute monster and rave about how well the camo, broadheard, arrow and grunt call performed!????????????????? Gimme a break! This is not hunting where I come from. Please. Please. show something real.

rybohunter

It's not just hunting, its life that is commercialized. The world is one big advertisement. From drug companies to soda, to hunting, everyone is bombarded with reasons to buy the newest, latest, greatest gadget.

adams

If it weren't for the martin ads I'd likely never pick a bow hunting mag.

PABowhntr

I would tend to agree Jeff. Even 4 or 5 years ago it wasn't as bad as it is now. I enjoyed watching hunting videos back then..and enjoyed reading the magazines even if there were a few 5 or 6 page ads here and there. Now....

...it is getting out of hand. I wonder how long it will last before it just collapses in on itself.