Not sure where this question belongs, so will start it here. I am in the process of changing my provider for internet and TV at home. Currently have Time Warner, looking at Direct TV and maybe DISH. Which outdoor channels do you think are the best? I prefer the one(s) that carry Tracks Across Africa and Carter's WAR. Thanks for any advice.

Agree on needing a provider for those two shows. Something I had and now don't is the Worldwide Fishing Network. I didn't think I'd watch it much, but got addicted to the shows from Australia and from the Gulf Coast.

I have AT&T U-verse with SPMN (The Sportsman Channel) but I won't recommend it. All the hunting shows are like watching Home Shopping Network (HSN). They teach very few skills, and share little of value. A bunch of egotistical assholes on freebie hunts, pimping for vendors.

When I was a kid, the hunting magazine articles would tell you what caliber they are shooting, what grain bullet they are using, or size shot? How they hunted / stalked their game. I could read their tips and immediately be a better mule deer hunter, or dove hunter when the new season came.

Not now. A guy sits in a blind, whispers dramatically, tries to build anticipation in between commercials, finally shoots something, squeals like a girl, wets himself, thanks God for "his abundant gift", wets himself again, then mentions all the brands he used to kill whatever.

I can find better information on YouTube.

Nailed it, Kensco.

I've had two more disappointing experiences with programs on the Sportsman Channel.

The one last night was about the program's "star" who took his dad hunting muntjac in the U.K. They gut-shot one and tried to find it, but couldn't. The next morning they brought a dog to track the wounded animal. (They did a poor job of editing which only showed the dog numerous times sitting beside his owner looking up.)

They eventually found the dead animal by some means, and the program's "star", waxing poetic, mentioning how this was one of his happiest moments of his life, being able to share this wonderful experience (of gut-shooting a muntjac) with his dear dad.

About a month ago I caught the opening credits of a show on long range shooting. There was an MTV style quick-cut montage of bullet impact on animals at extended ranges. Half of the "shots" hit the gut or hind quarters. I switched channels.

My dad and his friends hammered into me before I ever got to hold a deer rifle that you just don't pull the trigger if you can't make a one-shot kill. That's probably why the longest distance I think I ever made a kill was 325 yds, and the vast majority of my shooting probably took place inside 100 yards. Not to say I haven't done some poor shooting on big game, but I can count them on one hand.

It just made me flinch to see casual poor shooting displayed on a hunting program, as if that is normally what we hunters do. It sends the wrong message.

YouTube is much better.

I finally caught two good programs last night on the Sportsman Channel.

The first was Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg. They were hunting elk in New Mexico in Wilderness public land. They actually mentioned the weapon, caliber and bullet weight they were using. The terrain was extremely rough old-burn, blowdown. I would love to know whether it was the Gila or Jemez Springs. The program was well done. He's a hardcore hunter like I used to be.

http://www.thesportsmanchannel...racks-randy-newberg/

The program that followed was Melissa Bachman (Winchester Deadly Passion) hunting with her mother on mule deer in Nebraska. Big deer. I never think of Nebraska for mulies.

http://www.thesportsmanchannel...ster-deadly-passion/

They also mentioned the caliber and bullet weights they were using. Sometimes I don't care for Melissa's programs. I'm probably just jealous of all the hunting she gets to do. I do find her likeable, and she's a Hell of a shooter no matter what weapon she's holding.

The program following hers was Pigman. I don't find Brian likeable. His programs are usually "ain't I wonderful". It gets tiring. Five minutes into it, I was done.