Has anyone else noticed a trend in the hunting shows that appear on TV over the past year; a predomanance of spine shots?

Becaue of work, I have very little free time. So on Saturday mornings I like to get up early and enjoy a strong cup of coffee while watching a couple selected hunting shows captures during the week on TIVO. Tivo allows me to get instant replays and also super slo-motion replays when ever I want. Over the past year I've noticed more and more (maybe even "most") rifle shots are placed higher than what I'd ideally want to make, and the majority of the video kills are stone-dead spine shots.

Has anyone else noticed this? It seems that many/most of the spine kills are high shoulder hit that also takes the spine. Clearly, spine kills keep the video sanatized.

Seems like a high risk shot to me unless you're using fragable bullets.

- EB

Well I don't really watch the hunting shows anymore. I just got tired of the same crap show after show after show. Nobody did anything different. The constant whispering, the seemingly staged animals, the little things that just didn't add up, etc.

However, here's my take on the subject. Yes a deliberate spine shot is risky. But the rewards (as far as videography and hunting as a profession are concerned) are much higher. Obviously there's no tracking job. This saves time, film, and obviously money. Yes is does "sanitize" the kill and this is a plus when trying to sell your footage to an image consious network (all of them are image consious) that doesn't wasnt to offend anyone. It also leaves more time for advertising, whether it be commercials or telling people about the ranch, area, outfitter, or guide. This brings money into their pocket as well as the ranch, outfitter, or guide. It may even get their hunt for free. Then there are the inevitable times when the hunter just doesn't want to be there. He's been on the road for god only knows how long. Maybe the weather is not the most ideal. He's tired, cold, wet, and/or hungry, or any countless number of other issues and just wants to get his work done and get back to the lodge, hotel, or home and relax. He loves hunting but he just doesn't want to be there at that moment. We've all been there. So the logical solution is a spine shot. If it succeeds it's instant job done. Take a few pictures and get the hell out of there. Whereas a traditional heart/lung shot probably means at least some tracking, if not a lot of tracking and that's the last thing he wants to do.

I'm sure there are other reasons but these are just the logical ones that I could think of right off the top. It certainly in no way means that I condone what they do but they have reasons.

I haven't noticed a proliferation of spine shots, but I have seen far too many shots called "lung" or "double lung" or even "heart-lung" on both deer and elk when in fact the impact area was the liver (or sometimes even farther back than that). A few weeks ago, one particular show aired a segment that claimed a "great shot" on a whitetail buck. On slow-mo, you could see the impact on the midsection of the deer -- a poor shot in anyone's book. And when he walked up to the deer, you could -- for a second or so -- see the exit, and it was in the mid-abdomen area.

Do any of these people have a clue as to actual anatomy???

It makes me sick...

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
Do any of these people have a clue as to actual anatomy??? It makes me sick...

Of course they do! But no one on TV would ever claim a bad shot, or it would be rare.

I also have grown tired of several of the shows because of things like this. I don't remember the show but one hunter did just this. He paunched a good whitetail, which did the "cat-back" hump of a typical gut shot, looked right into the camera and said, "Did you see that, right through the heart, right through the heart."

Funny how there was no blood and they couldn't find it til the next morning, AND they wouldn't show the body on this deer, only the antlers.

I discontinued all the hunting programming a few years back, they are entertainment, and that is it. Most of it borders on rediculous!

I find myself watching the History channel, and HGTV anymore!

Are there any hunting show producers out there? I wonder if they realize how ridiculas their shows really look to hunters. Do they even care, or are they just trying to sell the show to some nonhunting TV producer.

The only time I watch anymore is just to look at the country they are hunting in, to see if I might like to go there some day. I don't understand what their point is, it makes me sick they all have a bunch of good bucks or bulls in front of them, nothing ever goes wrong. I figure it is the advertisers that spawn these shows, Let's face it most guys will buy anything if they think it will do one of these few things 1) cure their golf slice, 2) make their UNIT harder,3)Make their UNIT larger,4) Gurantee they will kill a big buck or bull with the use of said product

My only observations on the hunting shows I see these days are:

I have never been fond of bow hunting.
I personally do not like single shot Thompson rifles and have no interest in their sponsorship.
And I don't use all the high fulootin' game attractants to bring game in closer.

Outside of that, some of them aren't bad. Best of the West is my favorite and there are a couple african hunting shows that are interesting and they're really all I watch anymore. I do not watch fishing shows and have not for over ten years.

I agree. Comparing a hunting video to actually hunting is like comparing watching porn to making love with your wife.

Did see one show were there was a missed shot. It was with the actor that used to be in "Simon and Simon", and he was there with his grandson. The young man (about 12) had a bad hit on an impalla, or a clean miss, and they didn't find it. The PH said that happens to all hunters (which it does) and if they couldn't find it to be ready go out tommorow. I think it was the Berreta series.

I also watched a bow elk hunt were they shot a nice buck late in the day with what looked like a gut shot. They had to go track it the next morning. Made me sick. I don't like bow hunting in general (personal preference) but most of my bow hunting friends agreed it was a blow shot.

Reading the prior posts brought a smile to my face becasue I've made the same observations about things like poor understanding of game anatomy, basic marksmanship, etc. As a result, I'm down to a couple shows that air on the dedicated outdoor channels that are high quality and not geared to the new hunter. Even then, I find myself flinching every now and then over what I see.

The proliferation of intentional spine shots leave me wondering about the wounding losses from that low percentage placement.

Any hunting program producers out there? - EB

I did see the LL Bean show the other day where Bill Gorman got a 12 yard shot at a big Alberta bull elk. The arrow went completely through the elk, a called liver shot, and they lost the elk. They showed the show anyway, and said that sometimes this happens no matter how careful you are.

The one that realy torqued me was one of Mike Bybee's Majestic outdoors, where the owner of Chrishtensen Arms obviously GUT shoots a bull elk going up the other side of the canyon.. Mike slaps him on the back,, GREAT SHOT! the camera pans back and you can see four or five brass laying on the ground.. film only showed one... What a Liehole!!

I have noticed quite a few spine shots, and I think that several factors come into play. first, they want the animal to drop on the spot if possible, and this is the best way to ensure that happens. Second, if the shoot a bit low, they take out the shoulders, and frontal lobes of the lungs. If they shoot high, they miss. As far as bowhunting goes, most of the problems I've seen was from hunters shooting at unethical distances. 50 yards on anything is just pushing it too much. I practice at 50, but won't shoot past 40 on game. They desrve more respect than that. JMHO

gd

I agree eith Tex21! Shooting a animal with a bow, and waiting until the next day to look for it disturbs me. The non-hunter who sees this show must think hunters are a bunch of sadists.

Keep in mind that many of these hunting shows are not aired to be documentaries of the hunt. They are aired to be entertaining and to market a product. This is by design and the use of creative editing can be expected.

I do not recall the man's name, but he had an outdoorsman show I enjoyed many years ago. He had a retriever and a tiger striped plane. The show would start out with him in a lazyboy w/ his dog by his side and he would talk about the trip being showcased on that episode. He'd then go to the film footage starting with them loading up the plane and taking off. He always had his dog and was often accompanied by his wife. After the footage of the trip he'd then go to the kitchen and show you how to cook the fish and/or wild game taken to be serve to your family. For a short time he had a restaurant in Virginia that served all sorts of wild game as well. I think his catch line was "remember, take a kid fishing and hunting". I liked that show.

GVA

I remember that show Gary. I only saw it a couple time and only really remember that plane and his sig line. Too bad it had to give way to the crap on now.