Anyone just watch that young kid who couldn't hit a bull in the butt with a banjo at two paces just miss that deer several times?

Then they hand him a new rifle and he clearly shoots it in the ass. Michael Wadell claims "The gun must have been off." Bullshit. That kid needed more time on the range and had no business shooting at a live animal.

Between that and the mind-numbing promotion of TC I am beginning to think I will listen to music instead of having this crap on TV.

Actually, I did see the show, and the point of impact for those missed shots was all the same -- indicating to me the gun was indeed off.

When they tried another rifle, he immediately put the bullet into the buck. His second shot with that rifle also hit home.

I am not a big fan of those type of TV shows, but when it's 100 degrees outside and your health has you house-bound, what else are you going to do?

But in this instance, I do believe it was indeed a technical problem and not a shooting/accuracy issue with the kid.

Any show "Mushmouth" Wadell is in I turn off.I saw a show he did where he was archery hunting PG from a blind next to a water tank. He openly admitted he did not know the names of two animals he had just killed but "they looked big" (steinbuck & female gemsbok)

2th doc

I could'nt agree with you more... one show he was hunting elk in Arizona sitting in a man made ground blind waiting for the elk to come to water. He wasn't in the blind one minute and decides to play a damn video game on his cell phone. I thought he should be thankful to be in the outdoors and enjoy the natural surroundings even if it were a bird or the country than playing a damn video. Oh well, thats why they make remote controls so I could change the channel.

Steve
www.skymountainoutfitters.com

Bobby,

That first shot with the second rifle hit the deer in the ass - that was pretty clear. He didn't have much business shooting at a real animal.

Even if the first rifle was not zeroed, what the hell are they doing hunting with it? That kid didn't miss by inches, he missed by feet.

On the other hand, Ron Schara's show was on as well. It is hot here and I am working as I am going to be talking a lot of time off. I have a TV in my TR, which is where I am working, and I heard Ron's show come on. Besides CB and Shockey's shows, Ron is one of the few good ones out there. No loud rock music, no scenes of a guy driving an RV, no airport scenes (most of us know what an airport looks like), etc.

Ron's show talked about a group of hunters trying to raise money for children with cancer. Made me realize how lucky I am to have a healthy daughter.

Generally I try to comment positively, but I've got to agree that I'm getting really worn out on these stupid shows.

Shockey, Boddington and Jimmy Big Time (making fun of ALL the other hunting shows) are about all I can handle anymore.

Its bad enough that most of them just sit in a tree and mug to the camera - but why do sponsors and producers put up with more than HALF of the post edit time showing driving to the hunt location, getting gas, sitting at a restaurant, lounging around the lodge, etc.? Who is watching this junk?

I watch it far less than I did 10 years ago. I TiVo a couple shows but with the fast forward in 4X it only takes me about 5 min to watch.

I recently canned The Sportsman's and the Outdoor channels. Just got to be too much. I thought I might have withdrawals. Listen to audio cd's and reload and enjoy my grandson instead. Bow season and rifle season are just around the corner so for October through January I'm good to go.
GWB

Does anyone have a link to the video?

I had to swear off watching hunting shows a few years ago.

quote:

Its bad enough that most of them just sit in a tree and mug to the camera - but why do sponsors and producers put up with more than HALF of the post edit time showing driving to the hunt location, getting gas, sitting at a restaurant, lounging around the lodge, etc.? Who is watching this junk?

May be they do not have enough decent hunting footage?

Saeed,

Correct, what else is there to show on a hunt out of a tree stand. So they fill it with shots of the airport, car, motel, lodge, restaurant, gas station etc. That is why I DVR all hunting shows, 90% of the "good ole boys" shows are filler.

What they should add are.
Tips on equipment that are in-depth.
How to on location, tracking, stalking, blind set-up etc.
Travel tips via truck, airport or area.
Shooting skill advice.

But most of these shows are all about the host and how they can promote themselves.

Thank God for fast forward.

BigB

Hunting shows suck. You have emotional idiots, hunters that all of a sudden find Jesus that havn't found him in years thank you Lord, shooters trying to encourage wounding of animals by promoting equipment for the average out of the box hunter putting hot lead in the air over a half a mile. You can keep your hunting shows!!

These shows do nothing but show the marketing aspect of the sporting world manufacturers. A seedy business if you ask me. As a hunter I'm ashamed to be associated with many of these mouth breathing idiots.

That said, I can find time to watch that hot blond on the crush....

Many of these shows are made by and for the southern good ole bubbas mostly an embarassment to real sport hunters ...how about the Wild Nation family of inbreds. A father straight from the stage set of Deliverence and two sons whom film the majority of their shows on a shooting preserve.
Of late these shows have had to start using women hunters complete with full war paint to try and attract and keep viewers. almost to the point of the show with the best tits gets the largest sponsors. What a freaken joke!!!!!

I don't watch a damn one of 'em. Nothin' but commercials for Real Tree, Thompson Center or some such ilk. On top of that not a one of the ACTORS are real hunters and none of them could survive a 2 week trip into the Brooks Range. Nuthin' but a bunch on "namby pamby's".
BTW, every tv I've ever seen has an "On" "Off" switch/button and also a channel changer.
I'd rather watch the Clinton News Network than that crap.
Ok, rant off.
Bear in Fairbanks

It's too (or 3) bad, really. During an off-season these shows might offer a pleasant vicarious experience. I strongly agree with Degas' observations about the bubba factor. I no longer watch any of therm.

Simply entertainment, and poor at best. I quit subscribing years ago, having enough of the advdertisement, the "cough silencer"! GEEEZ! Best way to deal with it, cancel programming! But write them say why.

I agree with you guys. At first it was just booooring redundant Bass fishing, then even worse Turkey hunting and now tree stand deer hunting time and again.
I like shows that are a more dynamic / exciting. Africa, Alaska or even some good bird hunting behind dogs. Watch the dogs work, don't just zoom in on a point.
I suspect it takes a gorilla of a camera man to work the subjects I just suggested.

What is depressing is that these shows do well because they accurately reflect the audience who are all "Hunters".
They disgust me, but I am only a small minority of statistical insignificance compared to the vast majority of american hunters.
Like minded hunters watch like minded hunting shows. Why do you think there are so many shows on deer and turkeys?

Part of why these shows suck so badly these days is that we have WAY too many of them. I got the "sports" package last winter to assure that I saw some college football games and never turned it off. There are now basically three channels on my system that offer up "outdoors" shows 24/7.

Another reason this type of show sucks so badly is that hunting is difficult enough as is and filming it with quality is that much more difficult. I used to do some pro level wildlife photography, primarily waterfowl, and the little bit I ever did in trying to photograph my hunts met with little success and a dunked camera.

I have little interest in seeing hunts in areas that only the rich can hunt. More as somebody said, following an honest hunt would be of more interest. One of the better shows I've seen on these channels was "Predator Quest" where the guy filmed various predator hunts and it was a neat show where I saw a form of hunting that is not commonly filmed. Learned quite a lot actually. There are the occasional bird hunting shows that seem to be well done.

All this criticism aside, I would have felt far differently as a kid/rookie hunter and I suspect this is where these sorts of shows are aimed with regard to marketing. I know the local Cabelas and BassPro always seem to be busy....

About a year ago I was doing a little archery hunting for Elk in the Gila Wilderness (New Mexico). There is a small town nearby named Reserve. I went into town one day and called in to home to check on things and there was this big truck / RV all painted up with "Bone Collector". I found it rather obnoxious. This area is right on the border with Arizona and probably not 40 miles from Alpine Arizona is I suspect Mr. Waddell was on a hunt.
I have to give Michael Waddell some credit as he is doing what his producers are telling him to do and catering to a specific market and probably making a good living for his family.
All that aside I like the way Shockey and the Boddington crew present themselves. Ole' Shockey really looks the part on a hunt, sweaty, weary. His shows are usually in challenging terrain.

You folks are making me quite glad that I do not have these cable channels and have never seen one of these shows.

I no longer watch the hunting programs on tv. Only 2 that's enjoyable to watch is Shockey and Tracks Across Africa.

What's just as bad or worse, is the shooting programs on tv. Only ones I try to watch is American Rifleman and Impossible shots. Cowboys would be a lot more enjoyable, at least to me, if they would throw the blame timers away.

Glad to see that others feel the same about the hunting programs as I do.

Joe A.

You watch Craig Boddington, and that is about the end of the quality shows on.

Rich
DRSS

C'mon.....I like the looks of that Tiffany chick. That Lee feller can just run the camera.

I'm just a guy....

Ozark Outdoors with Jason and Crowbar now that was a hunting show!

Hunting and fishing are not supposed to be competetive sports.

Too many of our younger members did not have the mentorship of Grand Dad's/Great Grand Dad's/Uncles and in many cases Dad's to pass on the finer points of what hunting and fishing really means.

Too many of the hunting shows have folks "High Fiving" and grinning like fools.

The killing of an animal or bird, any animal or bird, deserves a few seconds thought on the power we as a species have been given to take another species life, when that killing has nothing what so ever to do with our daily existance.

While we are predators, the ultimate predator in fact, we make the conscience decision to kill another species, knowing full well that decision has no real bearing on our continued existance either as an individual or a species.

IMO, too many people have lost sight of that fact, and are far too concerned with personal glory.

I agree with Crazyhorse shows like Drury's pitting teams against eachother is not what hunting is about. Shows such as theirs are about making money off rubes silly enough to purchase the new techno equipment their sponsors are trying to vend.
Also what I see as a dangerous to the future of hunting are the shows like Lee & Tiffany's that do a closeup of a beautiful buck being passed "because he just needs another year". Whatever happened to the hunter on public land whom hunts his heart out for a chance sighting of a "nice" buck?

I don't even have the channel. Dropped it years ago, sounds like it's worsened.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Hunting and fishing are not supposed to be competetive sports.

Too many of our younger members did not have the mentorship of Grand Dad's/Great Grand Dad's/Uncles and in many cases Dad's to pass on the finer points of what hunting and fishing really means.

Too many of the hunting shows have folks "High Fiving" and grinning like fools.

The killing of an animal or bird, any animal or bird, deserves a few seconds thought on the power we as a species have been given to take another species life, when that killing has nothing what so ever to do with our daily existance.

While we are predators, the ultimate predator in fact, we make the conscience decision to kill another species, knowing full well that decision has no real bearing on our continued existance either as an individual or a species.

IMO, too many people have lost sight of that fact, and are far too concerned with personal glory.

Remember guys, this is entertainment. To each his own.

My preference is for shows showing real spot and stalk, over the shoulder type filming. I love the shots of the guys sneeking towards the camera or the camera filming from the other side of the downed animal showing the recovery. All for entertainment.

I'm not sure that sex sells in the hunting world though as someone stated. What happened to the tall, busty blonde on ESPN? Cindy something???

Perry

This one made me laugh. Tim Herald was the hunter on Nosler's huntopera. While hunting in Argentina with his trusty TC Encore he shoots a water buffalo in the head. It does not drop instantly or show classic signs of a CNS hit and appears to be making a hasty retreat so the PH thumps the buff with a back-up shot. Good old Tim is clearly chapped at the PH during the hero shot and recap and then makes a point of saying on camera in studio the back-up shot was unexpected and not necessary. I got a giggle out of that. Damn good thing the back-up shot was fired or they would have been chasing a head wounded buff in some very thick bush with a single shot rifle.

Perry

Anybody else remember The American Sportsman on ABC?

Man, quality has sure fallen off since Grits Gresham and Curt Gowdy set the standard back in the old days.

Yes,The American Sportsman was by far the best outdoor show made.My favorite was when Bing Crosby and Phil Harris would hunt and fish together.

Yes those old crooners were class acts (wife beatings aside)

Speaking of the Original, American Sportsman aseries with Curt Gowdy and the like of Crosby and Harris along with others, can or does anyone remember an even earlier series?

I believe it was called Sports Afield and I can only remember a couple of episodes, but the one that stands out most in my mind was a show of Lee Wulff, fishing and Moose hunting in Newfoundland.

This was back slightly before American Sportsman came on the scene, but that show was what put the spark in me to end up going to Newdfoundland in 1996.

This one applies mainly just to Texans, but how many remember the old Lone Star Sportsman with Jim Thomas?

I rarely agree with or appreciate much of Ted Nugent's comments, but one I do agree with, is that if every person in the U.S. had to kill a chicken with their own hands annually, they would have a different attitude toward life and their role in it.

I was on a segment of Dave Watson's show "Secrets of the Hunt" back in 2000. Dave is a genuine sportsman, a true conservationist, a fine family man and a real gentleman. It was a pleasure to hunt with him and a privilege to be on his show.

I also got a pretty good education as to how those shows work.

Simply put, the "star" is the producer, director, and sometimes, as in Watson's case, the cameraman. They buy time from the cable companies, then go out and try to find enough sponsors (i.e., sell advertising time) to cover their expenses and hopefully make a little money. That's at least part of the reason you see so many commercials and as much product promotion.

And of course most of the locales or hunts are comped by the outfitter or landowner in exchange for free advertising.

Dave Watson has moved on to another cable channel and I quit buying anything but basic satellite service, so I haven't seen his--or any, really--shows in quite some time.

I agree that even when I was watching cable, most of the hunting shows were boring or just plain dumb. And what's all that whispering AFTER the shot about?

I would watch Boddington if I could, and probably Dave Watson if he still is on the air. I'd probably pass on most of the rest.

Being on a hunting show was fun, though--and it was a real hunt, although there were some "technical" requirements that didn't exactly occur in the same sequence as when the show aired.

I only watch Tex Grebner on youtube..


Hey, I thought it was funny!

Boddington and Shockey are all's I watch.

I don't know Dave Watson personally and have never met him. I have hunted the Texas Hill Country a lot. I saw one particular episode where he was hunting the YO. One of the leases I hunt is near this. He had two hunters from eastern states that wanted to hunt Texas exotics. One was after an axis, one was hunting a black buck. Needless to say they got their animals. The axis buck was so old and scraggly his spots were almost faded away Probably weighed 130 lbs. Pitiful antlers. The blackbuck probably went 80 lbs and had 3 curls and probably about 12" horns. Dave was going on about what great trophies these two specimens were. I imagine what happened was that these were culls that the ranch manager said he could take for the free advertising. I've not watched Dave since that episode.
GWB