Just killing time here on a Sunday afternoon. Caught this weeks episode of Tracks Across Africa. Sorry, I don't remember the client's name but he is the "lab guy" from Ruger. A leopard hunt this time with PH Mark Valero.

Lot's of commercial endorsements everywhere you look but I imagine those things are a necessary evil when producing a show of this quality. This is STILL my favorite hunting show to watch on those afternoons or evenings when kicking back and dreaming of the next trip across the pond.

There is no over the top hype, segments on what the current conservation needs are, and what organizations like DSC are doing to meet those needs. A classy show, IMO. My hat's off to Dave and Tim for making it happen and keeping the quality up for so long.

Cheers,

Todd

Hornady decals on the rifle seem a little over the top to me, but it is still the best show out there.

+1.

I just watched it. The decals were too much. If the guy had a Hornady hat or a box of Hornady ammo laying there while they were checking zero, I would completely get it. But the decals were over the top IMHO.

Great show, as usual, otherwise.

X3...

Tried to count the mentions of and shots of Red Oxx, Ruger, Hornady labels, decals, etc, but could not keep up.

Also, what was deal with the leopard . . . did it get up and move off after the shot? It appeared to be dead at the base of the tree, then in the next shot, it was in the brush 10 yards away from the base of the tree. What happened?

Ads aside, still the best Africa show out there.

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:


Also, what was deal with the leopard . . . did it get up and move off after the shot? It appeared to be dead at the base of the tree, then in the next shot, it was in the brush 10 yards away from the base of the tree. What happened?

I wondered the same thing.

You can say the same thing about TC decals.

But I do like the fact those paying for these shows is obvious. When I read a story about writer xyz using a Zeiss ABC bino, is he using it because he got it free...does he get a stipend for mentioning it...did Zeiss pay for the trip?

I guess we still don't know the answers to who paid for the trip...

Much prefer the open nature of the video world.

Any of you guys remember when "cable TV" came into existence; mainstream (late 70'S / early 80'S)?
You PAID for programming WITHOUT commercials or endorsements!!!! That was one of the advantages over the airways network TV where there were commercials every 15 minutes.
Now we "PAY" monthly to watch programming with commercials and endorsements.
Boy, we have screwed and smiling why it is happening.

Anyway, I enjoy the show when I get a chance to watch it. More so than many of the other shows!

It is not unusual for a Leopard to get a second breath if you will and get up and run. Normally, the wind is knocked out of them on impact but within seconds they are up and running. We always hope it's only a short distance before they succumb to the shot...otherwise there's going to be hell to pay.

Plus 3 on the Leopard location - I too believe the "ad" thing is getting a little over the top. Stickers on the gunstocks, boxes of ammo everywhere etc. I am from a business background so know the facts about sponsors, costs vs profits etc but it's seems to be a little much lately. I agree about it still being the best out there, but?

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:


Also, what was deal with the leopard . . . did it get up and move off after the shot? It appeared to be dead at the base of the tree, then in the next shot, it was in the brush 10 yards away from the base of the tree. What happened?

I wondered the same thing.

I felt a little sorry for the guy,, they get all set up and first rattle out of the box his stomach turns on him and he misses what appears to be about a day and a half of hunting. The Ph sits in the blind and watches on one hunt.No one likes to be sick but to travel that far and to look forward to such a hunt and then get a "bug"..Tough to be sick on a hunt.....I just ignored all the "fueled by Hornady" stickers etc.

The Hornday stickers, there were THREE on the rifle was over-the-top tacky. I mean plastic covered furniture, velvet painting of Elvis, wearing a ball cap at the dinner table, pocket T-shirt classless.

I can see it on some of the "blue collar" two-syllable deer spelling hunt shows, but not on TAA. Just not done o'l boy...

My favorite show On TV. Love the action. I record the show but I find it is one of the few prerecorded shows that I actually watch most of the commercials. Always get some good tips from Craig Boddington. I could care less that they feature their sponsors products. I hand load use a push feed Remington and I am a fan of beat up common looking luggage ( less likely to ransacked at Joe burg ) These are tough times and good sponsors are hard to find. Look forward to many new episodes.

I watched it, sounds like everyone watched.
This must have been the only show worth seeing yesterday afternoon.

I like the comment near the end about the smells of the hunt. The first time I walked up on a lion bait site that had been used a lot there was the over ripe meat smell and bones everywhere. It was pretty macabre.

Mark

Anyone notice that the hunter had his hat on backwards during the talking segments? I got a chuckle out of that.

Money talks.


It will be interesting to see if Ivan can carry this show post-CTB...


Rich

I stumbled across it earlier in the week, and only pretended to watch it because it was a leopard hunt.

I'm not going to complain about the stupid, playing to the lowest common denominator, bubba decals. I'm just going to stop buying Hornady bullets and ammo.

I critized Boddington on Lion for having the Hornady props in it on another thread. My rationale was the DVD is for sale and I didn't feel like paying for a commercial.

On TAA I watch it on cable and the obvious plugging of sponsors is to be expected and doesn't bother me. My wife on the other hand wanted to know when the hunters were going to start wearing jumpsuits like NASCAR drivers so there will be more places for logos.

All in all it's still the best hunting show on the tube. Keep it up Dave.

I don't watch it anymore. It has become the definition of crass commercialism.

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
I don't watch it anymore. It has become the definition of crass commercialism.

I get very tired of the logo's and the shilling for everything as well.
I get just as tired of seeing Lee and Tiffany selling everything as well. The hick from Mississippi and his portly sidekick are the worst followed by the Cajun, bearded, duck shooters. SHockey wears me a little raw with his "I bet my life on..." (insert product name here). I doubt he would shoot a T/C if he could choose whatever he wanted to choose. Same with Boddington shooting Rugers and Trijicon scopes. On his Boddington on Buff dvd, he was touting Swift A-frames, Dakota rifles, and Swaro optics.

Loyalty is usually to the highest bidder.

PS - I thought the hunter on the leopard hunt was a bit of a wimp and looked a bit soft to me.

I think if everyone who does not like the paid endorsements would send DAVE and the guy enough money to produce the show without them, they would gladly not take paid sponsorship spots for the show. making the quality shows they do does not come cheap.

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
I think if everyone who does not like the paid endorsements would send TIM and the guy enough money to produce the show without them, they would gladly not take paid sponsorship spots for the show. making the quality shows they do does not come cheap.

I think you meant Dave.

Oppppppppps yeep Dave

Dogcat.

Which one of the tv hunters is from Mississippi?

I also watched the show and am a huge fan of TAA. As most of you know we are also a show sponsor, and from our marketing dollar perspective, I feel Dave and Tim treat us all like we are family and the only sponsor of the show.

As it has been said in this thread already, it is tough times and the cost of bringing these shows to the public does not get any cheaper for Safari Classics. The Outdoor Channel continues to up their cost of air time.

Our dollars are also for exposure on the show and don't cover an actual hunt with the show. I hope to afford a hunt on the show in the near future, because as you can imagine that can expand our visibility on the show as well...

Even though we all share a passion for hunting and especially hunting dangerous game in Africa, making quality TV programs of the adventure is very costly. The show sponsors pay these dollars for marketing purposes and Safari Classics does their darnedest to give us the biggest bang for our bucks.

In closing, I'm not trying to be confrontational, but just giving my 2 cents from a show sponsor/business perspective. I'm sure you can all understand.... DAN

As I stepped from the Gracy Travel booked Delta Boeing 777, I was glad to feel my Red Oxx Air Boss safely under my arm, knowing my Leica 1200, Zeiss Victory, and Nikon D90 would soon be in the jess far far away from the hustle and bustle of commercialism and the 'modern' way of life, where a man relied only on his PH, native trackers, and his trusty Winchester Model 70 375 H&H custom reworked by Mark Penrod, bedded in Brownell's Acraglass, topped with the Leopold VX3 secured by Talley's, stoked with Norma cased, Federal primed, IMR charged, Nosler Accubond tipped rounds .....

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
X3...

x4-ridiculous!!.

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
I think if everyone who does not like the paid endorsements would send DAVE and the guy enough money to produce the show without them, they would gladly not take paid sponsorship spots for the show. making the quality shows they do does not come cheap.

they have commercials every 12-15 minutes. the whole damn show doesn't have to be a commercial!

What? No complaints about the DSC patches on hats and shirts? And now we even embroider the DSC crap on the back of the shirts? Gimme a break, please!

Dave? Tim? Ivan? No comment from anybody at Safari Classics?

I have not watched the show in quite awhile so did not know Craig Boddington was no longer associated with it. With that said, I really have not watched any of the various outdoor shows for several months, and the only one I had watched with any regularity was TAA.

I understand the business of someone having to pick up the tab, but turning hunting and fishing into "NasCar" just ain't for me.

quote:

Originally posted by h kittle:
Dogcat.

Which one of the tv hunters is from Mississippi?

Waddell

quote:

Originally posted by Duckear:
As I stepped from the Gracy Travel booked Delta Boeing 777, I was glad to feel my Red Oxx Air Boss safely under my arm, knowing my Leica 1200, Zeiss Victory, and Nikon D90 would soon be in the jess far far away from the hustle and bustle of commercialism and the 'modern' way of life, where a man relied only on his PH, native trackers, and his trusty Winchester Model 70 375 H&H custom reworked by Mark Penrod, bedded in Brownell's Acraglass, topped with the Leopold VX3 secured by Talley's, stoked with Norma cased, Federal primed, IMR charged, Nosler Accubond tipped rounds .....

Well done you smarty pants...

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:

quote:

Originally posted by Duckear:
As I stepped from the Gracy Travel booked Delta Boeing 777, I was glad to feel my Red Oxx Air Boss safely under my arm, knowing my Leica 1200, Zeiss Victory, and Nikon D90 would soon be in the jess far far away from the hustle and bustle of commercialism and the 'modern' way of life, where a man relied only on his PH, native trackers, and his trusty Winchester Model 70 375 H&H custom reworked by Mark Penrod, bedded in Brownell's Acraglass, topped with the Leopold VX3 secured by Talley's, stoked with Norma cased, Federal primed, IMR charged, Nosler Accubond tipped rounds .....

Well done you smarty pants...

Not a smarty pants, just trying to break into show biz!

Well gentlemen I must say this thread has found a new LOW! I sure hope the drought holds a little longer, because if it rains over a half inch, there will be a shortage of poster here with all those noses stuck up in the air, a bunch posters on this thread will surely drown!
......................................

Just returned from a buff hunt in Australia and getting caught up. We have beaten this thing like a rented mule in the past, yet here we are again. To those of you who seem to grasp the "pay to play" nature of the outdoor programming world and can put up with sponsor commercials and on camera segments showing sponsor gear as it applies to the actual hunt I say "Gentlemen, Thank you for your understanding of Business 101, and for your continued support!" To those who cannot stomach the endorsement concept necessary to fund the cost of putting these shockingly expensive episodes on the air, there is always re-runs of Golden Girls or Gilligans Island to keep you busy. Guys, I do hear you on the decal stuff, but logo marketing is something the sponsors want to see if done tastefully...I get that " tastefully " is the key word here. We will try to not offend in the future by going overboard though. To the guy that won't buy Hornady Ammo because he saw a box on camera, give me a break. I guess his pantry is full of farm raised food, a closet full of no name clothes, and he drives a moped instead of one of those Brand cars he sees on TV so as not to offend his sense of ad overkill. Oh brother.
Guys the truth is our show is the most expensive to produce in outdoor hunting TV, period! If you cannot understand that we need and value our sponsors than I cannot change your mind. We have had the same sponsors since DAY 1 and they like what we bring to the table, as I feel most of you on AR do. We use their gear because it works, we believe in it , and we are paid to promote the branding of it. This constant defending of our approach gets old at times, but we really do care what our viewers think, thus my REPEATED comebacks on this subject. I do like the DONATION idea though, so for all of you that want to see the show minus sponsor ad's, pony up and we will make your dreams of " all content-sponsor free TV" a reality. I cannot wait for the money to roll in...

Dave, cut the BS and tell the straight story.

It's actually pretty interesting.

The PH knew that the hunter was an unreliable shot, so he spread about 50 Hornady decals sticky side up all around the base of the tree.

The hunter gut shot the leopard, but the tom fell on the decals, got all pasted up and died of acute commercialism about 10 paces from the tree.

Those decals can come in handy, boys.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:

quote:

Originally posted by h kittle:
Dogcat.

Which one of the tv hunters is from Mississippi?

Waddell

Umm, No! Waddell is from Georgia.

quote:

Originally posted by Duckear:

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:

quote:

Originally posted by Duckear:
As I stepped from the Gracy Travel booked Delta Boeing 777, I was glad to feel my Red Oxx Air Boss safely under my arm, knowing my Leica 1200, Zeiss Victory, and Nikon D90 would soon be in the jess far far away from the hustle and bustle of commercialism and the 'modern' way of life, where a man relied only on his PH, native trackers, and his trusty Winchester Model 70 375 H&H custom reworked by Mark Penrod, bedded in Brownell's Acraglass, topped with the Leopold VX3 secured by Talley's, stoked with Norma cased, Federal primed, IMR charged, Nosler Accubond tipped rounds .....

Well done you smarty pants...

Not a smarty pants, just trying to break into show biz!

Hey - you could write for any of the Petersen's/Intermedia mags!

Personally none of the commercialism of it all really bothers me. It costs money to make those shows, and the people who make them deserve to make a living, too. I'm entertained, and the price I pay is seeing the constant advertisement of the products of the people who are paying the freight to get it done. What's the big deal?

TAA is a very well done show and I enjoy it. Why should I care that the hunter has a Hornady sticker on his rifle?