Matt / PA

http://www.worldhunt.com/

Quote:

DETROIT, Jun 6, 2006 (Business Wire) -- The World Hunting Association (WHA) officially launched today as a global competitive sporting establishment dedicated to organizing and promoting the sport of hunting and conservation.

The WHA promises to take hunting to a new level by creating a competitive hunting tour, showcasing the sport's finest hunters competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money. The 2006 inaugural world wide tour will kick off this fall in Gladwin, Michigan at the Lost Arrow Ranch.

David Farbman, a prominent Michigan real estate executive and avid hunter, founded the WHA and will serve as the organization's Commissioner and CEO. The WHA concept has strong financial backing from a number of prominent investors, including Mr. Farbman himself.

"We are prepared to lead the hunting industry into new areas of Tour events and state-of-the-art website interactivity that promise to deliver the excitement of hunting to a new audience while showcasing the passion and skills of the professional hunter in full-scale, non-fatal competition," noted Farbman. "The WHA fills a void by providing a platform that benefits the entire international hunting industry today and for generations to come."

In addition to its investors, the WHA has secured prestigious hunting industry inaugural sponsors including G-5 Outdoors, Eastman Outdoors, Inc. (Carbon Express Arrows), Gorilla, Inc. (Treestands), Xtreme Scents, Pneu-Dart, and others. Additional sponsors will be unveiled in the coming months from the hunting industry and mainstream mass-market advertisers.

"We're honored to have been chosen as one of the first sponsors of the WHA," said Lou Grace, owner of G5 Outdoors. "From a marketing standpoint, we believe the WHA represents a great opportunity for companies to tap into a very lucrative demographic. We're looking forward to working with the WHA."

The WHA will feature a series of major tournament events, oversight on a series of smaller events, and a highly interactive and informative website for members. WHA events will be broadcast through many outlets including Internet, television, Pay-per-view, On Demand, and others. WHA plans to become the standard for professional hunting competition and to grow and enhance the industry's image and presence.

During WHA Tour events, highly skilled hunters from around the world will compete, utilizing the WHA's patent-pending, respectful non-fatal tranquilizing technique that will allow for a thrilling tournament experience. This technique will expand the hunting fan base beyond passionate hunters to a broad-based mainstream audience, which will resonate well with the country's leading companies and brands. The WHA will also have a significant economic impact on the local communities where the Tour events will be held, starting with Michigan, and is committed to supporting hunting-related charitable organizations worldwide.

"The WHA will take hunting to a level on par with other popular sports organizations," said Brett Hankins, a WHA Tour hunter. "For far too long, hunters have looked forward to the day when we would eventually get our own professional sports league. Well, that time has arrived and we are extremely excited."

About the World Hunting Association

The World Hunting Association(TM) (WHA) is a global competitive sporting establishment dedicated to organizing and promoting the sport of hunting and conservation. The World Hunting Association includes a ground-breaking, professional, non-fatal competitive hunting tour, spotlighting some of the world's greatest skilled hunters competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money, as well as patent-pending technologies in the field and on the website that take hunting to a new level. The WHA will enhance the image and experience of hunting today and for the generations of tomorrow. The WHA was created by entrepreneur and hunting enthusiast David Farbman. More information about the World Hunting Association is available at www.worldhunt.com.

I would like CIVILIZED ADULT discussion of this topic. I did not see it mentioned here but it is receiving some serious attention on other archery related sites.
One of them has a poll currently running that stands at something like 115 against with only 5 people for the idea.

In my own personal opinion this might very well be the WORST hunting related idea I have ever heard.

Please discuss.

Talondale

BAD idea. Cheapens the sport. The car/women/house clips smack of WWF more than hunting. Makes me sick.

Double Creek

Remind me to NEVER purchase another product from said sponsors!:

G-5 Outdoors, Eastman Outdoors, Inc. (Carbon Express Arrows), Gorilla, Inc. (Treestands), Xtreme Scents, Pneu-Dart, and others.



This is a DIRECT result of all the high fiving, fist shaking, fast paced shows from the likes of Michael Widdell and crew...... Live it up boys, the good ol' days are LONG gone.......

Greg / MO

Wow...

I once saw the tagline which read that hunting was not a "catch-and-release" sport; yet this gentleman is attempting to make it one.

I don't hunt for fame, glory or a paycheck. If I was ever fortunate enough to be recognized for my efforts and sponsored at a level akin to Bill Winke, Greg Miller or Milo Hansen (and I'm not even placing myself in the category of any of those persons...) I would love to be able to sustain my family monetarily from the industry thereby allowing me to pursue my passion.

And therein lies the problem: Mossy Oak's PR guys nailed it when they referred to the passion and obsession most of us feel about our sport. A pseudo "tour" as proposed and described here removes that passion, and turns the game into one which a person just tries to "win" at.

Obviously, most of us have watched most of the professional anglers pursue a living, even if only in passing through the lens of a televised tournament, and I wonder how many have thought the same thing that I have: This really doesn't even look "fun" for these guys anymore; instead, it just looks like work. The only joyful emotions I see on these guys' faces is when they win. I for one hope I neve lose the joy in reeling in a two-pound bass, simply trying to boat it as quickly as possible so I can get my lure back in the water and hopefully place "in the money." I never want the excitement to diminish as I watch a bobber dance across the water as a bream attempts to swim off with my cricket.

That's what I would fear with such an event. Rather than feeling theirleft leg start to shake uncontrollably as a yearling doe approaches, I think one involved in such an even would be thinking the same thing: How quickly can I put this thing down and move on to the next "round"? When you begin commercializing and densensitiving a sport by throwing money at the participants, you lose the essence of the sport itself. We've seen it done to baseball and football players and just about in every other industry.

I heard a great talk once about how our fathers' generation revered, honored and often held as heroes baseball players that they grew up. While I would be remiss in stating that I am aware that there is now thousands of other things out there to compete with their attention, the speaker asked the audience as to why we thought that baseball players were no longer revered and held in high esteem and held as "heroes" like they were to our fathers? The answer, of course, had to do largely with the commercialism of the game and the fact that we as fans feel that the players are too concerned with chasing the almighty dollar bill as opposed to playng the game anymore because they're passionate about the sport. I think that's one reason why so many appreciate what Cal Ripken, Jr. did: It was obvious he wasn't JUST playing the game to fatten his bank account.

gzg38b

It rubs me the wrong way. The whole idea of competing for money, using tranquilizer darts, etc just seems really cheap and disrespectful to the sport. Watching these guys shoot fenced in deer with tranquilizer darts for hundreds of thousands of dollars of prize money is not hunting as I define it. I think this real estate mogul saw how much money there is in WWF wrestling and professional BASS fishing and is trying to do the same thing with hunting. I'm not interested in watching.

Mike Hill

I am now convinced that in todays world nothing is sacred! I have always known that I was born too late now I am sure of it. How and why would someone, anyone take a lifestyle and make a game out of it. Next what surgery for dollars. They have already tried to cheapen god so I guess this should not suprise me in the least. All I can say is if you are aginst this as much as I am boycot the sponsors and write them letters to them and explane why. Tell all your friends, make copies of this thread and post them at your club and sporting goods stores. We can't sit idle and let the other guy do it. This time we are the other guy. Do nothing and you are part of the problem.I hope Huntingnet.com will take a lead role in this effort.

JimPic

I think it's pathetic.

marcusjb

During WHA Tour events, highly skilled hunters from around the world will compete, utilizing the WHA's patent-pending, respectful non-fatal tranquilizing technique that will allow for a thrilling tournament experience.


Respectful non-fatal? Next thing they'll tell us we aren't "respectful" hunters if we harvest a deer and stock our freezer with great wild meat!

Talondale

Not to mention some animals will die from being tranquilized. Their bodies still have a negative reaction to being tranquilized. Often animals are given a booster shot to help ward off the negative effects but some still die.

Rob/PA Bowyer

I could take the time to type a well written thread about how I'm against this but it would only mirror Greg / MO's thread so in that regards, thanks Greg for sparing me the typing. Well said.