T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Don't get me wrong there's nothing better to me than scouting and setting in the woods all day. BUT some of these shows? There not hunting 10 yards away with the animals head sticking in a feed bucket. Or "Hunting" a lease where the deer are almost pet's hand raised in food plot's and seeing people is common since birth. The worst part is these guy's-Gal's are proud of there self for filming the shot. Let's see them go to the common wood that most of us hunt and have to actually HUNT. Some of these kinda make me sick and i feel sorry for the animal. How many of you have been to the woods 2 or 3 times in the same day and had heards of bucks walking within 15 yards and you pass the shot on a 10 point because you are waiting on a bigger one? There is several deer in my land that comes in the front yard but there no challenge and i drive 30 miles to actually hunt. These guy's look at the camera,Talk and move around like crazy. If i breath with a deer under my stand he's GONE.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Unfortunately, it seems you don't quite realize what you're watching. Most of these shows are not 'hunting' shows. They are almost always 30 minute info-mercials for some canned hunt resort/guide service, not to mention the products they feature on the show.It's not abouthunting at all. Strictly about making $$$$$$$$ They don't make $$$$$$ unless they can show the stuff they're advertising works. Ethics be damned, something's gotta die or we're gonna losesponsors.

Ifirst sawit was all turning to garbagearound 20years ago when Allen and Keith Warrenstarted selling a tape called "How to Cash In On the Outdoors". They laid out the blueprintfortoday's hunting shows.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I have to agree, at least a little bit. There are a "few" shows where they don't care if the fence is in the frame, they show them walking up to a group of deer (animals) that just looks at the so called hunters less than 20 yards away without spooking and they are talking in normal tones, or the worst is when you see them drive the deer into a corner of fenced property. That stuff makes my stomach sick.

I don't think it is all shows, some I really enjoy. I guess that is tv for you, calling a tv show actual "hunting" is misleading. It's just video footage of some guys with weapons trying to shoot things. Some times that footage is captured during the actual "hunting" of animals other times it is footage captured purely to create the illusion of "hunting" animals. If you want to influence TV, that's easy, just don't watch it. If enough people do that the show won't be back.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Well if you feel sorry for deer that are in fenced areas or whatever, do you feel bad when youre chomping down that steak or hamburger?? No one films steer while there are standing with their head in a feed bucket when they get harvested or killed for money and makes that a TV show. You probably should be an activest, same mentality. I dont believe in fenced hunts andNEVER will but if someone makes a business out of it then so be it, good for them, they buy/breed and raise deer/sheep, pigs, whatever,to make money just like farmers raise steers and chickens. I just choose not to go to these type of preserves. If you dont like watching the TV shows then turn the damn channel and watch Leave It To Beaver or whatever you in the mood for. Whats the problem here. Do you only have one cable channel? Maybe some people dont have "trophy" places to hunt and will pay to go hunt somewhere they know they can harvest a trophyanimal? Like I said, I dont like nor condone fenced hunting but its a legal business and thats that.

Heres a morality question for you Hoytvtec, do you, or have you ever watched pornography or looked at it in a magazine, answerhonestly? Do you condone strip clubs, porno mags or movies etc??? But you dont condone fenced hunting or harvesting animals that are fed like cattle, chickens, pigs, etc...?

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

OK what about Drury outdoors. They say they are 100% fair chase, well I guess it would be fair chase cause the deer can always run to the other end of the fence. Hey I know there are some ethical issues about fenced hunting but I really like to watch these people harvest those big monsters. So I guess i will be damned also along with these other fellas.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Those shows make me even prouder when I shoot a deer that can run on about a thousand acres of unfenced land. To me what they do is not hunting. But I like to watch the shows anyways.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

You have to pick and choose your shows. The Drury shows are the only ones I make a point of catching.

I believe that several, if not most, of these shows put our sport in a bad light and therefore we should be opposed to them.

Last night, I flipped one on and they showed guys getting of a truck and taking a shot at a Muley. Very sporting, indeed.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Dang DIESEL77 if your going to hand Hoytvtec his nads on a platter you could at least gift wrap them. He's got a point, these hunting shows make me sick too.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Hoytvtec,

I was thinking of starting a post exactly like yours. You couldn't have said it better. Everytime I try to get my wife onboard and appreciated what I do as a hobby, shes watches one of these shows and it makes her sick. I must say I get pretty sick myself and it is embarrasing that other people who don't know are sport think this is really what we do when we are gone in the woods for 4 days. Others can justify it as $$$ of whatever else, but that's because that's all they know and how they were raised. Most who don't see anything wrong with these shows, don't have a clue how much effort it takes to perform a real hunt. I can see having it for younger kids with short attention spans, but to see these adults whispering and acting like they are really sneaky makes me wish the deer was armed. Train the deer for weeks to a certain location, with the ground blind already in position. Then along these great white hunters come. They take that "long" 200 yard walk from their truck, sit in the blind and BAM! Ya, that's a real man and a mighty hunter for sure. NOT! How do they have the heart to do it on camera and then smile when it's all over like they really put out allot of effort. I could go on for days, but enough said.:D

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

what pisses me off about those shows is when the make a horrible shot and are proud of it. And if you can find the bloopers of those shows you get to see how many they miss before they finaly get one. and the only reason they probly find those deer are because they have dogs trained to track them...

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Sorry if I came off harsh or offensive, I appologize if I offended Hoytvtec and anyone else. I honestly do understand not liking this type of hunting as I myself dont approve of it like I said in my above post. But I just turn the channel if I dont like something.

Was that nicer?? lol

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I have a corn feeder that I hunt over at my house. Deer also come in contact with people quite often as my land and the surrounding lands are pretty much developed.

Am I unethical?

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I've never watched the "hunting shows". Never understood the appeal. For tactics/techniques, I prefer to talk to older/more experienced hunters from my part of the country, and to experiment on my own. The only thing I've ever watched was a video by Tree Lounge, and it was a long time ago. The only thing I remember was that there was a woman who "squealed" every time she made a kill...I kinda wanted to punch her by the end of the tape.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I hear ya every time these great white hunters make a bow kill they first give their disrespectful sinckers and fist pumps about falling out of the stand. Then they preceed to about pass out from all of theadrenalin built up from that canned hunt. Some of their facial expressions make you think some kind a alien is crawling out of their arse to get a breath of fresh air.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

That is FUNNY MOTOWN.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Maybe they're just not shown in my area or maybe I just don't pay close enough attention, but I've never seen a fence in any of the shows on ESPN or The Outdoor Channel.

I've also met several guys who film their hunts for shows who go hunting on the same pieces the "rest" of us do. Granted it was in Illinois and not Massachusetts, but filiming a hunt in Massachusetts could take you a month and a half and you might still come up with nothing. (Well not ME, but maybe YOU ;):D;):D;) )

My biggest peeve about "hunting" shows is the blatantly fake "tracking". Just yesterday I saw one where the guy clearly spined the deer as it went down like a ton of bricks in the middle of a field with the arrow sticking straight out up in the air. Cut to the scene when he says "I've got a deer down out here somewhere....let's go find him." What? Does this guy have amnesia and forget the thing is laid out in the open with his fletching standing up in the air like an ice-fishing tip-up flag gone off?

When he gets there, saying "there his is, over there...", the arrow is nowhere to be seen. I always knew these stupid scenes were faked, but COME-ON!

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I wish they would ashow close up of the impact shot location because
they say they made a great shot when it doesn't look that way to me.the
recovery camera shots look like they are all staged.You would think they would do a better job acting and filming.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Froman, you're not unethical, your hunting method is differant than mine, BUT that doesn't make you unethical.
I guess I've never seen the shows you guys talk about, with high fences in the scene. I don't catch a lot of the shows, but I do watch them from time to time. And as far as the tracking and recovering being staged, think about it guys, the show is 30 minutes long, would you like to watch a 30 minute tracking show, and even then,end the show with, "to be continued next week, as we still haven't found him"! They have to make the show "a hunt start to finish" and fit it in a 30 minute time frame. SO, to do that they have to condence reality! Does it show them sitting for possibly days, NO, does it show them tracking for hours, NO, because they can't!!
One of my pet peeves, how ever, is when they say that they ran out of shooting light, or they shoot one when the camera can't hardly see. Well, the fact is,the camera equipment that they use can see BETTER then the human eye. SO, if they take a shot and it looks so dark that the viewer can't hardly see the animal, THEN it was way past shooting light anyways!! I've got a high dollar camera, and it can gather light and "see" well before(in the morning)and after(in the evening)I can "see" well enough to shoot at any thing, legally!!

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I think some of the shows may be exactly that, shows. They have to get everything into a 30 minute or 1 hour show including commercial time. I know Bob Foulkrod does the real thing. My neighbor, taxidermist and personal friend http://grizzlyhunter.com/has guided for him in Alaska and other places. Sometimes they have trophy animals close enough to shoot but cant get good video angles or shots on the animal so they sometimes have to pass on world class trophies in order to bring us the viewergood footage. Once the animals are shot, then they sometimes re-create some of the pre shot footage to make it more viewable. As far as shooting animals in fenced areas well I think thats BS but like I said, its a business that some people feel its worth spending money on I guess.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

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
I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THE DREAM SEASON SHOW AND APPLYING BUT I DID NOT WANT TO LOOSE CONTROL OF MY FOOTAGE TO ENTER. AS BEST I COULD FIGURE FROM THE APPLICATION AND MAYBE I INTERPETED THE LEGAL JARGON WRONG BUT I THINK THEY COULD USE FOOTAGE THEY RECEIVED FROM APPLICATIONS AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE SOMEONE ELSE SHOT THE DEER. IF I LOOSE CONTROL OF MY FOOTAGE I WANT TO AT LEAST GET FULL CREDIT FOR IT. I DECIDED NOT TO APPLY.
BOTTOM LINE IS IT IS TV. THEY HAVE TO FILL 30 MINUTES AND SOME DO A MUCH BETTER JOB THAN OTHERS.THE ONES THAT ARE BAD I DO NOT WASTE MY TIME WATCHING. I LIKE TO KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF ARROWS IN THEIR QUIVER.........DOES NOT ALWAYS MATCH WITH WHAT YOU SEE GOING ON AND CONVERTS BACK SOMETIMES. ;)
I REALLY HATE TO SEE THEM TAKE POOR ANGLE SHOTS. I SHUTTER TO THINK HOW MANY HAVE NEVER BEEN FOUND. AND NEVER SHOW UP ON THE SHOWS.
ENOUGH RAMBLING JUST MY 2 CENTS WORTH- PAT

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Maybe this explains how the camaraman is usually filming the trackers from the deers location as they "find" it. Now that this post is here people will be looking for stupid things that are done on these videos, like filming the kill shot, the acting is just horrible. Gotta also like how they obviously must make the clicking noise of the safety going off loud enough for the camera to pick up the sound. Also like the footage of the hunter in the blind being filmed from outside at ground level. I'm with the majority here these shows are really starting to annoy anyone who knows what real hunting is. And if anyone believes that most of these shows are fair chase then send 'em my way and we'll see what they could do in the real world without farmers practically telling what time a certain deer will be somewhere.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

hey iowabob, if Drury hunts fences as you say - lets see the facts!

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Honkey, hope you don't watch those hunting shows, what do you do after a kill shot? just curios man?

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I stand there a listen for a crash, or watch the animal die. Idon't disrespect what just occured. It's just me out there, who am I going to preform for? When I take an animals life I take a moment and thank God I live in a place where I can hunt and enjoy his creation. Sure it's exciting and I am happy but I try not to rebel in my own horn blowing contest.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Very well said Motown.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I remember that old woman! Every time she got one she would
holler and dance around like an idiot.I still have that old tape
somewhere.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

If you really want to be shocked, log on to some of the outfitter websites that they give at the end of the shows and price their hunts. I've seen hunts all the way up to $30,000, where you go pick out the stud that you can afford and they drug him and turn him loose, then they hope he doesn't pass out before the hunter can make his shot. What a joke! How could doing that make anybody proud of themselves. And then there are these slobs like on Penn's woods' show that claim they only shoot mature animals, but you can routinely see them shoot 1 1/2 year old bucks every week. Then they use the excuse that there aren't any better bucks where they hunt. I e-mailed them and asked them about it and they replied very rudely and stated that they could shoot whatever they want and that they never shoot anything younger than 21/2. so I replied and told them that they could quit shooting these babies in the name of a tv show and let them grow as to increase the mature deer pop. I also said that I would rather see an empty tag than see a 1 1/2 yr old (or what they claim is 2 1/2) be killed just so they can have a kill scene for their show. They never replied

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I think lots of the shows you can buy like drury outdoors and primetime videos are definetly all real. Although there are your select few that hunt out of game preserves but one that i have ever seen. Drury and primetimehunt at all the outfitters and areas that i could hunt if i wanted too. they are all really good managed areas that they can pass up 140, 150 calss bucks because they know there are bigger ones in the area.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I personally don't think it is the host or hunter of the shows fault. I think it is there sponsors or whoever there authority is. If the guy doesn't comply he is out of a job. And honestly I myself cant stand canned hunts, I myself would really like someone to start a hunting show filmed strictly on public land that anyone could go to. But if you were given the chance for someone to pay you a good living to go and hunt on expensive ranches for free would you not take them up on it? Also if i was one of those hunting show hosts I think my hunting career would suck so bad because if you think about it you have already killed so many trophies. You have absolutely nothing to work forward too because you have already killed so many big deer. At least hunting in the real world you always wonder what the next day will bring or what the next years season will bring. Would't it be cool if all of us on this forum filmed and submitted one of our real world hunts a season and started a real hunting show. You sure would have an interesting show now wouldn't you. Hmmm maybe we ought to think about that.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I think one of the problems is the approach of volume over quality. Just think about if someone created a tape that was a guy targeting a specific buck in an area, or specific level of buck, and how he approached the hunt. The strategy, the setups, the close calls, the mistakes, the victories. The problem with this approach is that you MAY only get one film. The sales alone of one film won't justify the expense. Two guys couldn't make enough to pay themselves if they did the whole thing themselves. They may be able to get a couple of sponsors but that would probably mean just some free equipment. It's a tough business model. The only way you're going to get that kind of film is if someone does it as a hobby. The other downside to this idea is the risk involved. Look at how many threads we have of guys hunting a specific buck only to find it killed by a car/another hunter/a tree. Where's your video then? That's why these guys go where they can be guaranteed a buck. They need to know they can feed their kids, pay the mortgage, etc this year. If the single hunt concept could take a hold then their might be a chance for some more quality deer. Even the hunts where the deer is killed by someone else would be interesting. Think how many of us have read those threads.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

Please stop ruining my enjoyment of the Outdoor Channel - alright, I know the majority are canned, but they're fun to watch....Realtree Roadtrips is good entertainment. The public land show idea is genious.

One thing in defense of the shows - it's not as sporting, but the canned hunts are stillno guarantee - I know some folks that hunt on 5000+ acres (personal not commercial)year round food plots partially fenced etc.but they typically only take the trophies during the couple weeks the bucks are in full rut. You would assume that the fortune they spend on the property would produce trophy bucks every time you walked out of the lodge, but it's not the case.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I tell my wife all the time....

I could make a stalk look realistic on the 8 or 10 goats that are in the pasture across the street.

And I don't want to pixx anyone off....for this is just MY opinion....but the gun hunts on TV are NOTHING more than "shooting". It's NOT "hunting". My 13 yr old is likely done with gun hunting ....by his own volition....due to the TV shows. He sees no sport in it, any more. I concur.

For some reason....we don't like the bear hunts, on TV, either. We like the Dream Season show.....the Campbell's show (Where all the hunts are filmed for the contest).....and a FEW others. I think Michael Waddell is an ethical guy.....and he's just lucky to hunt some PRIME spots.

Just my opinions....

Jeff

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I definitely agree with you. It makes me sick to see these so called hunters go out and kill a p&y that has been hand fed and be proud of it. I would like to see a hunting show dedicated to the hunting of public land only. That way they would actually have to hunt to kill something.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I think a lot of people take watching hunting shows way too seriously. It's entertainment. It's cool to see deer come in and get shot. I agree there are some times when things don't go according to plan or I feel the show producer could make things look a little better, but I either choose to watch or change the channel. Not a big deal either way. You take the good with the bad, or just don't watch at all.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I agree.

I wish the Blue Collar Comedy fellas would make a hunting video! Now that would be funny right there!

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

It truely is amazing to me how people jump to these completely baseless accusations and start throwing around terms like "high fence", "baiting", and "unethical" like they have some sort of first hand knowledge that the rest of us aren't privvy to.

There are a lot of shows out there with a lot of people who have worked awfully hard to get where they're at. Just because a guy busts his butt to hunt hard, manage some land, and created enough notoriety and connections within the hunting industry to warrant having their own show doesn't by any means make them undeserving, unethical, or just flat out a bad hunter. So to just label every hunting show as "bad" is completely ridiculous.

Sure there's bits and pieces of some shows that might be taken in question from time to time but keep in mind that they can't possibly give you the entire story in one 30 minute show so you get the "highlights" so to speak.

Also let's keep in mind that there are different tactics of hunting in different parts of the country depending on what species you're going after. So while you might see something on TV that you do not personally agree with - i.e. baiting, "hopping out of a truck to shoot a muley", hunting with dogs, etc - these are perfectly legal and acceptable forms of hunting. Let's stop judging people by the way they hunt, where they hunt, or how many animals they kill and start worrying about being glad they're out there keeping these traditions alive while supporting our cause and managing animal populations.

And if you're too shallow or narrow minded to do that - turn the channel. I heard Desperate Housewives and Gilmoure Girls are pretty good this year.

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I completely agree... I get so ticked off when i am sitting in the stand all day and see nothing.. go home to watch one of these canned shows and they are letting 10 pointers walk by like they are does. It's such a joke that they should be ashamed of themselves. Actually, There are quite a few bucks on the front page of this website that I would have to question... People just don't see these types of deer out in the wild...

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I do not look at any of the shows. Every time I do all I see is crap hunting,BS tactics,VERY VERY dumb deer/elk.I am not sure where people hunt on the shows but I my self have never seen some of the crap the hunters can get away with.

I have many many PY deer and a few PY elk. All came from public land.I have allso never used a guide. What I do is HUNT I donot set in a chair and look at the tv.I take hunting like it is my life.I hunt 30 to 45 days non stop till i fill my tags. I allso let a lot of smaller bucks/bulls walk befor I shoot.

There is only 3 ways to kill a real big/old animal

1st BUY it === This is tv show way
2nd Put in tons of time look for the animal you want alll year.
3 Get real lucky


No money no time GOOD LUCK
Charles Bradford

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

I really don't understand where some of you get your information from... Have any of you been on one of these 30K hunts where you "picked you deer, they drugged him" and said "Hurry up before he passes out"...LOL Are you serious...??

I havenever seen a show where you see a Fence in the back ground. I have Tivo and I watch nearly every hunting show on OLN and ESPN... Never seen it... I also had the pleasure to hunt with the guys from Outdoor Moments (Bud and Kelly) at a camp in South Carolina for Deer and Hogs... There were no fences, they hunted the same stands I did, and left empty handed...

I think most of the people that are totally against these shows are the ones that Can't make it happen... SO they automatically think, "No way there are doing this on the land I hunt", "Has to be a High Fence area", "Drugged Deer" or whatever else they can come up with... Fact is most of these professional hunters spend WAY MORE Time Working on Harvesting Mature Whitetails then the Average Joe even has time to think about it...

I'll give you this... They are hunting the BEST land in the Country... Wouldn't you be...?? It's TV, no one wants to see them go out and shoot a 4 pointer... So they goto the Best Managed lands in the country with the best Outfitters in the business... Doesn't mean they have High Fences and Drugged Deer... Get over it people...

One side note, I am in by no way saying that these High Fence drugged deer places are not out there... But do you really think that Mark Drury, Michael Widell, Tom Miranda, ect are going to these places...?? Word would get out, and do you think they would advertise it at the end of the show... "Hey Come on down to Big Tom's High Fence Mega Buck Store and You tocan pick the buck of a lifetime!! And for another $1000 we'll even let you drug him yourself... WOW... I don't think so...

RE: T.V Hunting turning me into Activest
 

This is EXACTLY what I am talking about... I pass 2 1/2 year old deer all the time, I bet i have passed 6 different 8 pointers this year alone... I am not hunting a High Fence... Just cause you are not seeing deer doesn't mean the people that are, are hunting Drugged High Fence Deer...

You may not see Deer like these in the Wild... Some people do... And some people see them Consistantly... Just cause you aren't getting it done, you shouldn't talk bad about those that are... Especially when you have no proof to backup your statements... That is how RUMORS and LIES are started...