A hunting show on the Discovery Channel? I like it. Features Bob Cusack, Bob May and Ernie Holland.

when it is planned on air and the title.

thanks a lot.

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/kodiak

http://www.discovery.com/tv-sh...ak/episode-guide.htm

On tonight's episode they shot a nice boar that was feeding on a whale carcass. Had to haul the bear back to camp on a tow rope behind a boat. I kept thinking, if that was my bear we would have had it tied off with two or three ropes in case one broke.

Mike,
not on our channels here ...

a shame.

maybe they ll broadcast later in the season.

I was just surprised that a non-hunting channel like Discovery would run such a show. Sure it is another reality genre show, but it is about life in a bear hunting camp on Kodiak Island and is based on hunting. Given the attitudes toward hunting these days I was a little surprised to see it on Discovery. My guess is that the network is getting a little flack for running the show.

I stumbled upon the premiere flipping through channels. It's a solid show and I like it so far. I'm hoping it doesn't go all stupid made-up drama or gimmicky lameness like hunting naked like the other "reality" shows on Discovery.

I think with Chris Dorsey and Orion Entertainment we maybe safe from that (at least that is what I'm hoping).

Looking forward to the new episode.

I just watched the second episode. Seems like every word spoken is about how dangerous it is in the woods, how predatory bears are, how at any moment you can be killed and eaten by a bear. Of course there is danger, but these guys make it seem like the bears are always looking to kill you at the first opportunity.

Same (even worse) for Sue at Kavik on "Life Below Zero."

The Alaska reality shows seem to think they need to focus on how dangerous it is in Alaska or people won't watch.

quote:

Originally posted by vicvanb:
I just watched the second episode. Seems like every word spoken is about how dangerous it is in the woods, how predatory bears are, how at any moment you can be killed and eaten by a bear. Of course there is danger, but these guys make it seem like the bears are always looking to kill you at the first opportunity.

Same (even worse) for Sue at Kavik on "Life Below Zero."

The Alaska reality shows seem to think they need to focus on how dangerous it is in Alaska or people won't watch.

Sue was funny as hell the first year. Way too much drama now for me.

Another AK un-reality show...

I'll be the dissenting opinion here. Two guides leave their clients at a whale and bear carcass while they retrieve the boat? The area clearly has a number of bears working it. Don't you as a guide have a responsibility to protect your clients? Does it really take two guides to recover a boat? Why not just skin the bear on the bank rather than tow it 6 miles through saltwater? The weather looked bad but I didn't think it was that bad. When the weather is bad and you're in a small boat you hug the shoreline.

In the next episode, we again see two guides with a client. The client shoots the bear and the guide's rifle jams so the other guide has to shoot the bear? Why did guide number 1 not have a round in the chamber before the client fired his first shot? It looked like the jam occurred in a Browning A-bolt chambered in 375 H&H. I've shot the same gun in the same chambering and feeding wasn't exactly smooth compared to the A-bolts I have chambered in 338 WM and 7mm-08. Certainly not as smooth as the Model 70 or 700 I've also shot/owned in 375 H&H.

I understand some folks don't believe in hunting with a round in the chamber for safety reasons and that's fine but at least chamber a round before your client shoots. This last rifle jamming scenario doesn't strike me as a mistake made by an experienced hunter or guide. If the other guide hadn't been there, things may not have turned out so well. I don't know whether to consider the guide lackadaisical or just plain careless. Either way, I'm not impressed.

Let's not lose sight of why I made the original post. I was not looking for opinions on the show as a hunting show, good, bad or indifferent (although I am fine with folks expressing their opinions). I posted simply to note that one of the more significant cable channels, The Discovery Channel, was running a series that was effectively a hunting show. That is the aspect about the show that I find interesting particularly at a time when hunting seems to be under attack by progressives with the support of the media.

MJines,

Your point is well taken. We were discussing this yesterday and I can't help but wonder if Discovery is airing it because there are now three outdoor hunting/fishing channels, Outdoor Channel, Sportsmans Channel and Pursuit channel. Coupled with Duck Dynasty on A&E and the plethora of Alaska based reality shows such as Alaska The last Frontier which also shows hunting scenes. Maybe they want a bigger piece of the action. I've seen ads for another show which appears to be hunting based called The Hunt. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Very interesting how discovery channel set aside their individual thoughts on the evils of hunting, to carry out their primary function... Sell advertising space. It makes me hopeful that their hatred of us is not more powerful than their love of money. We can use that.

I think the gun jamming was fake. his reaction was such as I think it was dubbed in afterwards to add drama to the story line of him not wanting his boys to guide for brown bears. If my gun jammed while a brown bear or cape buffalo charged, there would be a lot of bleeps for the TV show. I enjoy the show, but I think that portion was fake. Last sunday on HGTV, I just watched a friend of mine by his own house on"buying country" by white tail properties. He already owned the house and property. Just a marketing ploy. Most of these shows have a lot of BS put in by the producers and I don't think this show is any exception

I very much agree that it's good to see more hunting shows on channels other than those usually dedicated to that. That IS an important development.

And I watched this show too and rather enjoyed it. I've also watched Sue. My favorite line of hers is, "the bear looks at his calendar and sees it's still Sue season and says, awesome".

As far as Discovery I'm not real surprised. They have been edging closer to hunting. Discovery's Gold Rush had references to hunting and some display of guns and one scene having to do with a bear getting shot (they took some criticism for that). And Todd Hoffman taking part in a bird shoot in South America. And Discovery's Deadliest Catch shows guns getting used occasionally, even on deck. And of course, over on History Channel we have Swamp People and that really gets down with it, with Troy saying "give him a headache" when they pop a gator.

Now, personally, what I would really like to see one of these channels do, if they can work up the nerve, is do an entire series on African PHs and include a lot of close ups of their work with clients around dangerous game.

Wasn't this the same show that also had the lawyer daughter from San Diego come up and hunt and shoot a small spike blacktail deer for the first time? Hey, having some hunting on the Discovery Channel is not a bad idea.

Regardless of what you think of the shows I find this interesting in that apparently The Discovery Channel believes that advertisers are willing to buy commercial time during the show despite the fact that the show deals with hunting. And the advertisers are not the typical Outdoor Channel advertisers like Leupold, Midway, Bass Pro, etc. I know that the shows on The Discovery Channel are not "sponsored by" advertisers like shows on The Outdoor Channel are, but the network still has to be able to sell the commercial slots. We have all been conditioned to believe that mainstream commercial firms will run and hide from supporting in any way, shape or form any activity that the social progressives find offensive. These shows suggest that maybe that is not altogether true. We can only hope.

quote:

Originally posted by shoulderman:
I think the gun jamming was fake. his reaction was such as I think it was dubbed in afterwards to add drama to the story line of him not wanting his boys to guide for brown bears. If my gun jammed while a brown bear or cape buffalo charged, there would be a lot of bleeps for the TV show. I enjoy the show, but I think that portion was fake. Last sunday on HGTV, I just watched a friend of mine by his own house on"buying country" by white tail properties. He already owned the house and property. Just a marketing ploy. Most of these shows have a lot of BS put in by the producers and I don't think this show is any exception

Just watched it last night. I don't think he even fired the gun, I think you're correct, I appeared staged. Anyway, what the hell was daughter shooting when she shot the deer; and the getup? Who the hell hunts in that kind of clothing?

I was thinking the same thing. How did the gun jam when he didn't even shoot? Must not have bothered putting one in the chamber... lol

But I still like the show, for what its worth. And good to see hunting (and kill shots) on a major channel like this.

I watched the latest episode last night. I thought it was pretty good. The didn't hide the fact that the client was not successful.

I know they have to put in some drama for the show, but all in all I like it too. No high fives, or goal line dances around the animal, no heavy metal music, just solid people and beautiful country.

There is another one about to come out on History Channel called THE HUNT- about bear hunting on Kodiak. It is 8 parts. To see more... The Hunt Link

quote:

Originally posted by Lee Woiteshek:
I know they have to put in some drama for the show, but all in all I like it too. No high fives, or goal line dances around the animal, no heavy metal music, just solid people and beautiful country.

Then its must be better than 99% of hunting shows. I need to watch it.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Antlers:
Another AK un-reality show... :roll eyes:

Can't beat "Alaskan reality" and Sarah Palin's "Alaskan accent"!!!

Brett

PS. To my knowledge Ernie Holland is retired from the guide business and owns 2 shoe stores in Anchorage. Perhaps they'll do a passing on the shoe store episode? Very nice guy though. Certainly not knocking him.

Brett