I saw something the other day that really upset me. While such occurrences are by no means out of the ordinary, the biggest factor which set this one aside was the fact that it was perpetrated by one of our very own! I, like many predator hunters, like to watch the supposed "experts" hunt coyote in various locals and situations, hoping to catch a glimpse of brilliant advice that might one day come in useful. What I witnessed by the so called professional hunter was, I think, a lesson on exactly what not to do!
This fellow was coyote hunting in the west, with his shiny new sponsored equipment and camera crew. His rifle of choice was a 204 RUGER, on which I already have my doubts. This being the western country, the terrain was primarily wide open, offering shots that we only dream of here in the mountains.
I watched this joker as he used his $700 electronic call and decoy to coax a coyote into about 575 or 600 yards. (of course this hunter knew precisely what the range was, as he relied upon his expensive rangefinder) With the coyote at that distance, he peered through his pricy scope mounted on his overpriced custom rifle and let fly. Needless to say he missed.
The coyote took off and only stopped when the range finder placed him at 700 yards. This fellow shoots again, misses, and proceeds to take yet another poorly advised shot on a running coyote, who by that time had no doubt reached no less than 900 yards. Suffice it is to say, this coyote survived the encounter, intact, healthy and no doubt educated...
I watched this sequence of events repeat several times through out the show. Each time this dude would make a set where even I could spot him, perhaps call up a coyote into Howitzer range, and then scare them away by shooting wildly into high winds and open space.
At then end of this terrible display, he accidentally managed to hit a coyote, still with the 204, out at 600 or so yards. No surprises here, the coyote spun around a time or two, yelped in pain, took flight as if the devil were after him and was never seen from again.
In a 30 minute show, the final score read something like this: hunter zero, coyote...well ahead.

I realize these guys are only human, with faults and very capable of making mistakes and misses, even if you don't normally see it on t.v. However, I think that before networks give these fellow's a show and air their hunts, some consideration might better be given to what message and what image is being projected to any potential viewers. Even as a rookie predator hunter, I saw this self proclaimed professional make mistakes that even I know were not a good idea. This is NOT the way it's done!
In a day where anti-gun advocates and animal rights activists search for any little thing to make gun owners and especially hunters look bad, this guy does nothing to further the cause of second amendment rights and hunting. In fact, he very well may be a poster child for the sort of gun toting idiots they seem to proclaim we all are, as frankly, this hunter took several shots that were less than safe and one, down right dangerous!

I know that my belly aching will achieve nothing, except perhaps that it might relieve my stresses. However, I don't have to buy products from those sponsors, watch his show or even that network. With luck someone will sit down with this guy and set him straight; hopefully before he shoots his cameraman, someone's cattle or himself.
I will not be watching Silent Draw outdoors in the future, especially if they should be coyote hunting again. If you are serious about your hunting, you might want to avoid it too. If, on the other hand, you need a laugh, I suspect this is a likely place to get that fix.

That's just my two cents and surely someone will disagree. I wonder which shows and hunters our readership will approve or disapprove of? Which ones should we watch? Who should be avoided like a plague?

I have seen similar shows like that in the past. The only thing i can think of is he's the only guy they know that "hunts" coyote. They should have done some research and hired a real hunter. That's just irresponsible production and crappy intertainment. Bad thing is some wanna be hunters watch that show and believe that's what its all about!!

Bill Dance used to do "real" fishing show where they showed the bloopers and blunders of real fishing. He fell in the water many times, slipped on the dock, broke poles, lost fish, dropped his hat in the water, you know the things that really happen in a day of fishing. But, he also caught the heck out of fish. He's a real fisherman and the show was/is a huge success!!

We used to watch Bill Dance quiet a bit. His bloopers are second to none and quality entertainment still today. In fact, as a result of watching Bill for so long, we have developed a saying in our household.
For example, in coyote hunting where I might see a coyote or two in a span of a season and lament this fact to an uncle he said: " Well, I guess you can't expect to Bill Dance em'. "
I recall when I first went fishing with my now wife and fishing was slow. I told her " Ya' can't Bill Dance em' every day. " and she didn't know what imwas talking about. Needless to say she knows who Bill Dance is now.

You might be on to something there, thinking that this joker was the only guy they could find. Even though their website has several pictures with him and antelope, deer and the like, he is no predator hunter.
I can't honestly say for certain that I could do better, given the chance; but then again I don't think I would do worse. I can say, with a good deal of certainty that I wouldn't be trying to take 700 yard running shots, and surely not with a puny 204!
Before the RUGER guys crawl out of the wood work and flay me alive, let me say that I have absolutely nothing against the 204. But I do think that those aforementioned shots are out of their range for anything bigger than a jackrabbit or prarie dog. I'm a solid 22-250 guy, me, and I still wouldn't try those shots.
I guess a fellow should know their limits and capabilities, that's what I'm saying.

So who and what show?

jaybald1 I'am with you 100%. It is sad when individuals think they can buy skill with the amount of money spent on the latest gizmos. The wanna be hunter obviously lacked experience in shooting, ballistics, calling and most of all hunting ethics. Shame on him and his producers, they are doing nothing but tarnishing our image with the voting public.

The ones that irritate me the most are the ones where there is no disclosure or they lie about hunting penned animals in a small enclosure.

I saw one where a guy shot an elk with a 45Auto and mentioned the name of the ranch in Idaho where it was filmed.

I live in Idaho and know of that ranch and it isn't close in any degree to fair chase hunting.

I watched hunting shows for a while and quickly decided that most of them are pretty lame. The least impressive thing is the jumping up and down and slapping hands like trained seals after the kill.

As much as I love to hunt, I can't watch hunting shows on television.

" jumping up and down like trained seals" LMAO !!
That's so true, they obviously don't hunt much, or connect with game often, and certainly don't show any respect for the animal they have just dispatched.
And so rarely show the butchering, and cooking of anything they kill. Bet the animal just goes to whoever on the tv crew that wants it, like any of them would even know what to do with it anyways?
In my opinion they are pretty boy actors. Ever see an ugly tv hunter? Always have real white teeth, radio voice, and prolly had to do unmentionables to get the dingdong job of playing a real hunter.
I have seen a few real hunter on tv but its rare and not worth the time sifting through the fakers. My opinion only...

I can't speak for all Tv shows but from my experience they'll let anybody have a show and it's the sloppiest most unprofessional scam in the hunting industry. But for some reason I still watch them to day dream. And after seeing behind the scenes I now realize just how fake it all is.

I quit watching hunting shows years ago when it got to
the point at which the commercials were interrupted by
the program itself, only to repeat a few minutes of
program prior to the last commercial......get into a
couple more minutes of program, and then another danged
commercial! Is there as much as 15 minutes of program
in a half hour of programming any more? Then, if the
program is as much a "0" as the one described here,
why bother???

Sad to say, to the novice, they perceive this as the way to hunt coyotes. Just pray and spray. And, if you scratch one down, take an ad out in the paper to let everybody know about it. Of course, don't tell about the misses and the wounded ones.
This is also my opinion about the folks sniping at deer and elk at long range.

I agree with you jaybald1. I like you enoy watching some of the professionals but there are very few guys that I respect enough to even watch. Primos huntint with Randy Anderson is by far the best show I have watched and I have gleamed a lot of information. He is very professional about it and brings a positive light into the hunt. And there is no shooting at 900yds with a 204. In training there is a stage we call Know Your Limits where you have to make a decision on a certain size target where you get 1 shot and it is a all or nothing shot. So in other words do not shoot unless you are positive that you can make a clean kill. just my 2 cents

quote:

Originally posted by Bob in TX:
So who and what show?

Inquiring minds want to know! I don't normally watch them either but I recall a show last year with a guy that did nothing but coyotes. He was exceptionally good at calling and most of what I saw was taken with shotguns. Once or twice he was in open country and took them with rifles out to 150-250 yards. Wore a goofy coyote skin hat but hunted hard.