Are Hunting shows bad for hunting?

[ssliger]

I changed cable providers this Winter and no longer get the Outdoor Channel. So I have spent the last month recording a bunch of different hunting shows on the Sportsmen Channel, The Pursuit Channel and NBC sports. Just to see if there are some out there that i will enjoy. While I have found a few that I like, I have seen a lot more terrible shows. I just watched a show yesterday where the hunter was shooting at a bull elk facing straight on. The hunter did not wait for a better shot, he decided to shoot, the elk moved at the last second, just a fraction and you could see the bullet enter the hind end. He then went on to say what a good shot it was. Watching these shows just pisses me off, bad shot placements, hunters setting bad examples for our kids, high fenced hunts. I watched another episode recently that they were hunting elk on some high fence ranch. The hunters could basically walk within 100 yards of 400" bulls out on a prairie and shoot them, they looked tame. Now I understand there are some real good programming out there and i love to watch them. But it seems like any yahoo can get a show nowadays. I tried to e-mail the makers of the show to voice my displeasure, but there was no contact info. So I figured I would get my rant out here. My wife doesn't want to hear it anymore.

[Ikeepitcold]

I can pretty much agree with you on your rant. There is so many shows out there now and some real bad crap gets put on tv. I don't watch Whitetail hunting any more or the ranch hunts were you know it's high fence. I saw the same Elk ranch hunt your talking about I think. I also know that if a guy has that kind of money to spend and that kind of hunt is what he wants then go for it. But for me I'll only watch the fair chase Elk, Mule Deer, Antalope and everything else I can find.

[Montana]

I'm with you... My frustration is poor shot placement, like you said, and then the BS their way out of it. It's the BS'ing that bothers me... And then the number one frustration is how so many people add 20-30 inches on every animal.... And yes sorry to say Eastmans just did it on an antelope hunt that Mike shot Sorry boys... you're guilty too.

I say just say it as it is... It's real hunting.

[MOHunter]

I don't really enjoy many of the shows either. I like the shows that resemble the kind of hunting I do. I want it to look real. I don't need to see a monster killed every episode if they are showing what the hunter is doing right and wrong. I like On Your Own Adventures because it seems more like what the average guy experiences.

[jenbickel]

I agree that there are a lot of shows out there that are almost painful to watch. A company that I pro-staff for is based out of Oklahoma and have decided to incorporate me into their show. This weekend I am going out and filming a turkey hunt. Even though I have a ranch outside of town that I could easily go kill a turkey on, I am going to go onto public land to kill the dang thing because I want it to be more of what an average hunter experiences. I'm not one for really paying an outfitter for a hunt when all it takes is a little extra effort to do it yourself on public land. There are shows that prove that you can do it alone and on public land and those are the shows that I personally enjoy watching. Something that I can actually connect with, not sitting in a blind or treestand (no offence to you blind or treestand hunters, I'm totally just a spot and stalk person) with a high fence all around you waiting and hoping for some big buck to walk by you. I like to get out and get stuff done and really put work and effort into my hunt.

[Joe Hulburt]

I think the majority are bad for hunting because by and large they they don't portray what most of us are about. Eastmans, On your Own Adventures and Into The High Country with JM represent something I am proud to be part of. Most of the crap I see does not!

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The worst part is we have people like Bob Beck of Extreme Outer Limits and Ted Nugent that seem to have no regard for the laws or ethics that ensure conservation of our game animals and who are willing to do whatever it takes to make a buck in the business. They unfortunately hurt us all with their arrogance and disregard for the rules that are meant to ensure wildlife conservation. Even though we didn't ask them to do it they represent us all to the masses. This is really unfortunate!

[BobT]

I think the majority are bad for hunting because by and large they they don't portray what most of us are about. Eastmans, On your Own Adventures and Into The High Country with JM represent something I am proud to be part of. Most of the crap I see does not!

Those three along with Meat Eater are my personal favorites. I will admit if I see a pronghorn show I will watch who (whom?) ever it is.

[jenbickel]

I think the majority are bad for hunting because by and large they they don't portray what most of us are about. Eastmans, On your Own Adventures and Into The High Country with JM represent something I am proud to be part of. Most of the crap I see does not!

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The worst part is we have people like Bob Beck of Extreme Outer Limits and Ted Nugent that seem to have no regard for the laws or ethics that ensure conservation of our game animals and who are willing to do whatever it takes to make a buck in the business. They unfortunately hurt us all with their arrogance and disregard for the rules that are meant to ensure wildlife conservation. Even though we didn't ask them to do it they represent us all to the masses. This is really unfortunate!

I'm so glad I am not the only one! I cannot stand Ted Nugent. Everyone seems to be so obsessed with him but I think he just takes things way too far and isnt a good influence. I want my kids to be able to watch hunting shows and not get the wrong stuff stuck in their heads.

[Doe Nob]

The outdoor networks are kind of interesting business models vs. the rest of television. Basically, you can buy air time for $150k a season or something like that. So everyone of these shows shoots on spec, then they go secure advertising dollars and pay their expenses and the network. So if you really see something egregious, contacting the advertisers has more of an impact with these networks than it might on other networks.

And to the question - I think it causes hornflation to run rampant, people aren't happy going hunting for the sake of hunting, they want some OIL toad whenever they go.

[CoHiCntry]

And to the question - I think it causes hornflation to run rampant, people aren't happy going hunting for the sake of hunting, they want some OIL toad whenever they go.

I think your right on with this! More times than not these shows show the exception rather than the rule. Makes everyone wanna be, or worse think they are a bad boy back-country bow hunter, which most aren't... That being said there are some good shows out there as long as you keep it in perspective.