Enough with the deer hunting shows.
 

It's official hunting shows tell it like its not! Everything is orchestrated, deer enter stage left. All shots are good shots no matter what; we are not suppose to notice the change in lighting and that it took them all day and night to find the deer. Hot chick all made up and talking the entire time. If I saw a Mega buck coming in and my hunting partner starts talking he is coming out of that tree a lot faster then he went up, and he will have an arrow in his butt to boot! These shows have taken away the spirit of the deer hunt. Always the bigger better deer, never be satisfied with a smaller deer that puts meat on the table. Bone Collector oh deer god can they play up the dumb ass good ol boy southern accent any more. Now it's all about the bigger better deer, the newest product they are one big infomercial. How about learn your quarry, appreciate the experience with your friends or child and if killing the deer is a mark of success you are truly missing out.
Amen. Now I'll get off my soap box.

I don't watch them, now turkey hunting shows thats a different story. Did like Primos shows but, that B Mobile has turned me against them. No matter where they go they have it with them.

"Things are not always as they seem" on some of those hunting shows/ videos. I used to watch a whole bunch of them when I was younger until I realized that I would never experience a day's worth of hunting like some of these fellows on the television.

That's not to say that I haven't learned anything interesting from watching though. I must say that picked up some pretty good pointers over the years of watching.

If people didn't want them they wouldn't be on. It's called capitalism. You give a product or service and the people either choose to use it or not.

I don't like them all but I enjoy the entertainment factor of some of these shows. I grew up when all you could watch was an occasional fishing show. Takes these shows for what they are....entertainment. Its when folks start measuring themselves against the TV hunters that problems start. Mostly envy and jealousy.

I don't believe there are many shows on TV that are canned hunts (small enclosures). However, there is no doubt that some are on high fence larger properties. The majority IMHO are like was stated earlier and those are larger private properties where few bucks are being shot and that allows them to grow to their potential. If most of the people hunting on TV shows hunted on public land like many of us have to do, including "give me a second Potts", whom I can't stand, they wouldn't be shooting anything to make a TV show because the animals they are shooting simply aren't there in the first place. I like the OYOA show Randy Newberg does on the Sportsman Channel because it is the real deal that most of us every day hunters have to deal with. You can kill some good animals with research and some luck, but not on a regular basis where there will be many shows on TV like he does. I hope his continues to get a good following allowing him to keep doing it because he's a great, down-to-earth guy.

Your Choice...I choose the deer hunting shows
 

I enjoy some of the deer hunting shows, but I will agree with you that it seams like Pursuit and Sportsman's Channel air a fair share of Bubba with a camera shows. Coming from a family owned video production business growing up, I enjoy Heartland Bowhunter due to their high quality production quality and videography. I also look for shows that will include the misses, tips and tactics, and family aspects of the show. I enjoy watching anything with Fred Eichler in it due to his enthusiams over the hunt (Easton Bowhunting, Muzzy Bad to the Bone, and a couple others).

Bring on more deer hunting shows..I'd rather watch a canned hunt way more than "Professional" wrestling, The "real" housewives of anywhere, or another rehashed CSI plot.

Fred is definitely a hoot and has killed an awful lot of animals with his stick bows!

I don't watch them but see them at Cabelas and parents house. They are as fake as anything could be. I saw once where a buck was walking in and as he shot the arrow the camera goes off and a new clip comes in with the deer just laying there. I think it was a mounted deer he shot. It just fell over when hit with an arrow and was stiff as a board when they walked up to it and touched it. They never hunt public land up nort. cause they would never get a whole movie.

I agree, can't stand most of them. I do like In Pursuit and Midwest Whitetails. But BoilerDaddy you got it all wrong on the wrastling, that's the only true sport left. lol

Most of the shows on today are one of the biggest problems with hunting and introducing young hunters to hunting. Too many are ledt to believe it really is that easy.

I was on television for 5 years. Now I about puke everytime I even hear one. But how else are they going to sell their gimmicks? The saddest part is, many of those hunters can really hunt.

What's sad is that many of them also can't hunt. They can handle the hikes in the wild countries, but are too stupid to reload automatically.

I like seeing the big country out west that people hike into. It's so different than the oak hardwoods I disappear into.

It never ceases to amaze me how some of the "professional" hunters have a real guide/professional hunter with them and you can hear them say "Reload! Reload!"

It's funny, after I shot my second buck this year, after having missed it once, I thought about that and started laughing. I did not have to think about working the action, I did it automatically. All I had to do was breath, and squeeze. I focused and did not miss again.

Something some of those guys who pay big dollars going after bighorn sheep can't do. I don't consider them real hunters. Heck, I don't think many of them are all that good of shots either.

I don't want to detract from some of the real hunters that have shows though. As Scribe said, some of those guys can really hunt. You can tell which ones have skill, and which ones are fraud in a hurry.

I think all the hating on the shows is a bit unnecessary. For one, what kind of show would they have if they showed all of their hunt? the missed opportunities, the bucks they Didn't get a shot at, the Missed shots...? it wouldnt be much of a show at all. They have a half hour.. I will agree whole heartedly that the high fence ranch hunting is stupid. The fact that of that half hour, Half of that is commercials and Pounding product after product into people's minds is also rediculous. That being said, most of these guys, know what they are doing. You don't get a TV show by just calling yourself a hunter. I happen to know the stories and where some of these guys started out and Most (of course not all) earned the reputation and success they've experienced.

Quit crying and stop watching them if you don't like them

Come on, really? I see these posts all the time and just have to laugh.
These shows are ENTERTAINMENT- paid for by the products that are advertised (pushed) on these shows.
Geesh, if you don't enjoy their form of entertainment push the little power botton on the top of your remote.
I understand these are not real life average joe hunts. I understand these guys go to places where getting enough footage to entertain us is possible.
I enjoy seeing places that I probably will never hunt. I enjoy watching hunts where huge bucks are shot. I never tuned in to a hunting show believing that they were going to teach me something (though some do make an attempt to give hunting tips).

I watch hunting shows because they entertain me, not educate me, if i wanted education I would take a class. When i want to be entertained i turn on the TV. It is no different with automotive shows, they have massive funds, tons of donations, and top of the line everything. But it still entertains me

It scares me when I think of hunting as a "True sport" and see it on T.V. For years I figured the only "True sports" were Hunting and Golf. Now wait a minute, I am serious. When I was in high school (Quite a while ago) we had a golf team. I, like many others, would have rather been hunting and so we did. The jocks played the other sports like soccer, football, and basketball. The point is, the guys that hunted and golfed are still doing it. True sports. The jocks dropped out of their sports after high school and now sit and watch it on T.V. Are people slowly going to drop out of hunting after high school and start watching it on T.V.? I guess there goes one of the last true sports.

I tend to disagree with what you say here...first of all there isn't a whole lot of opportunity to play football and soccer and such once you get out of college unless you go pro or semi pro, which is quite difficult to do. Second those sports take a much bigger toll on your body than hunting and golf.

Don't get me wrong I love hunting and golf, don't get much golfing in these days those, but maybe when I am older. I also love football and soccer, played both in highschool, it took its toll on my body too, with knee injuries, shoulder injuries and concussions and such. I am definatly not in any kind of shape to be playing those anymore. But I can still walk 18 holes or drag a deer 500 yards out of the woods.

IMO tred barta has the most legit hunting show. ive been watching his forever and enjoyed everyone. I saw one (after he was paralyzed) where he was in a blind with his best bud with the stick bow and shot a 6 point he said "it might as well been the biggest buck in all of texas" when he shot it. He was crying with happiness. thats the hunting spirit.

Of course it is everyone's choice to watch or not watch. I choose not to. That isn't the point. The point is, the entry level hunter, unless he has a mentor, may come into the sport thinking what he sees on TV is the way it is. he should pass up every buck he sees until a 150 comes along. He is unseccessfull for a year or two and gives up.

Guys like Stan Potts, Mark Kaiser and Winke and several others are actually tremendous hunters and they do not hunt behind small, high fences. I knew them long before they were on TV and hunted with them. I know what they can do. But when faced with the a short amount of time to kill big deer, they have to have help and they have to sell products. So they hunt the very best places at the verybest time. The end product is climb the tree, kill the deer, whisper like an idiot when that damn deer is laying there dead and then wait until tomorrow go find it. That gives them time to pose the deer exactly where they want it and clean up all the blood.

Did they actually hunt? Sure, and in many cases, they hung their own stands and did much of their own scouting. You just don't get to see that just as you don't see the bad shots very often. They have 3-5 days to get the show and get to the next state. They barely have time to get 26 products shown. The products pay the bill. They come first.

Some are worse than others. Some are absolutely horrible. Some should be banned. Anyone who constantly pumps his fist and bangs knuckles with the camerman and whispers "He's Down, He's down" 100 times, should just be gut shot. There are a couple from down South, almost neighbors of mine, who are almost totally impossible to understand. I live down here and I have no idea what they are saying. Those are some of the reasons why I don't watch them.

I have to go now. There is a doe just dying to get "smoked" and take a "dirt nap" or some such ridiculous crap. :nonono2:

Of course, that is just my opinion and in watching some of my old videos, I did a non-no one time. I was talking to the camerman in a normal voice while the deer was still flopping around. I wouldn't let them edit it out, either. I think I said, "He's not going anywhere, stay on him." I had broken both front shoulders and double lunged him and the arrow was still sticking out. I felt that was something that needed to be shown. It was/is a part of hunting.

Also just my opinion. Now where did I put my cough silencer and my pee tube? :confused0024:

I see the point that you are getting at, but I guess my opinion is a tad skewed as I know absolutly no one that shows have caused them to give up hunting, but I guess I really don't even know anybody personally that has givin up hunting other than due to age or health

I liked to watch huntley ritter back when he had a show, Poor guy never could kill anything. Tred barta is not to bad to watch. I don't care for the rest of them but watch it for the enerteinment value.

That is why you have a change the channel option on your remote.

Who has the time?
 

I couldn't tell you a single thing about a hunting show, don't watch them, never have. As a matter of fact the last hunting show I watched was American Sportsman back in the 60's with Curt Gowdy and Joe Foss. I can even tell you what the weather was like when I tuned in, raining, thats why I was in the house. There used to be a local show here in Michigan with Fred Trost, but that was more an info show concerning local conditions, activities, laws and such. Quit watching that too, when Fred passed.

I watch these things and find myself screaming at the stupid hunters to "get that safety off you moron!!" and "Geez, are you going to look at the horns all day through the binoculars or shoot the damn thing?" I'd love to see a show where Jackie B., Larry W or one of those guys has to go totally on his own on public land with no guide. That would be hilarious and I surely would watch it!

I agree that all the shows are based around entertainment but I also agree that they lay a lot of inflated ideas about what a trophy is and to who. Right now I have two favorite ones out there that I think seem as realistic as can be: Deer and Deer Hunting and Midwest Whitetails. In fact I just watched an episode of D&DH and they talk specifically about what a "booner" is. They made several references to the "100 inch booner" which in my opinion gave the show some credit. They said that if you harvest a 100 inch, 2 year old buck off heavily pressured/hunted public land consider it a a trophy. They considered it one of the greatest challenges a hunter can be put up against because that deer is on full alert everyday and all day if it wants to survive. They talk a lot about food plots and running your own property but in my opinion they do a lot of educating and instructional shows. It is not one of those shows where you watch hunt after hunt. Just my opinion, but I think its a great show and I end up taking notes after every episode.

I gave up on hunting shows a while ago... I will admit - I used to watch a bunch of them over the years. But then one day (thank God for the modern DVR), I saw something and had to quickly hit the pause button or freeze button or whatever on the remote.

The show did a wide angle shot for a brief moment, and I paused it right there. The camera angle, scene, and focus of attention were directed this way, but yet over there (due to the wide angle), you saw something way in the back through the trees.

You guessed it... A #%*$&^ high fence... :nonono2:

I won't name names, but, I have met a few of the so called "TV stars" and/or Hunting Pros at some of those Outdoorsman Shows at the Expo or Civic Center in town. They are nice guys and all, but honest... I wasn't impressed. They are just regular guys out there trying to make a living. With some of those guys, if you put them out there on public land, out there amongst 9000 other hunters on a Saturday, they'd fall flat on their face! So, they have to hunt the expensive game ranches and high fences. They are basically just media whores who will do whatever it takes to sell a product so they don't lose their sponsorship.

Pffffffffffftttttttttt..... :rolleye0011:

I get a kick out of watching the shows filmed out west, or in Africa. These are so different from what I experience here in central Missouri that I find them quite interesting. Elk hunts are cool, and watching guys stalk cape buffalo is pretty exhilarating.

The shows on the deer ranches and such don't interest me. As soon as some guy behind the shooter starts talking about passing this 150" buck because he knows a 180" will be along shortly I switch the channel. That's not hunting, it's shopping! :s8: Plus, watching an animal killed over bait isn't very impressive, c'mon, how is that fair chase?:nonono2:



I also like watching Jim Shockey's show, The Professionals. It's interesting to me to see what all he and his crew go through to get stuff on camera.

Too much advertisement...too much talking...youtube is my viewing choice....

Eastmans Hunting Journal is a decent one.All public land and fair chase.Although i dont hunt mule deer and elk i enjoy watching do it yourself hunts.There used to be a show called do it yourself hunter on the outdoor channel that was good but it never returned for a second season.

Take a look at Animal House Outdoors on the Sportsman Channel. These guys do all their own video and editing work as well as hunting in NY state on public and private land. They hunt and fish for whatever is in season.

They are different for sure. All I ask is give them a look. Every episode is different.
http://www.thesportsmanchannel.com/p...ion.php?ID=475

I agree that most hunting TV shows are hard to watch... Personally I would rather watch a sitcom or other TV.
I used to be part of Lone Wolfs Whitetail addictions TV show and it was different, but it still had a ton of advertising and still had to please sponsors... That show is no longer on the air.
I started making hunting shows recently without sponsor crap, and filming on public and private farms just like every body else hunts. The theme is to teach the viewers and to take them along for the whole hunt, the scouting, set up, and the kill, do it on average land without the aid of outfitters, and without trying to shove products down peoples throats... Right now those shows only air on my site and on local S.E. Wisconsin public television.
If any of you would like to view them on line we have two up right now, one is a public land hunt in a marsh in Minnesota, the other is me hunting a private farm I got permission on showing how I used trail cameras to kill a nice 10 point... Here is the link:
http://videos.thehuntingbeast.com/

You can also leave comments about the show ( or read others comments ) with the link under the video so we know where to improve and what hunters want to see.

Saw a classic the other day. Like many shows these days, the guy was using a T/C single shot rifle (nothing wrong with them, especially if they are provided free of charge).

Guy watches deer broadside in field for a while, you know, to get the required "pre-roll", then takes a poor shot as the deer is exiting the field quartering away hard. Deer jumps into a ditch then stands broadside on the other side of the ditch. Meanwhile, guy is watching and talking to camera guy instead of reloading. Then deer walks into the thick cover. Guy finally reloads and shoots again, likely a miss due to brush. Then deer trots across open field and into a thicket while guy watches instead of reloading and shooting again. Luckily the deer was recovered after dark.

In a "real" hunting situtation, if I were the hunter, this deer would have been shot at the first good opportunity, and if it did not drop, it would have been shot again at the next good opportunity. Nobody is perfect and I have had to shoot deer more than once. But I don't mess around watching them when I should be shooting, and I don't shoot a single shot for this exact reason.

Got to realize that hunting shows these days are glorified commercials. There's a reason why you can read every logo on every product the hunters are using.