Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: BWallace10327 on March 08, 2015, 02:46:00 PM
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I've watched outdoor television (hunting/fishing) shows my entire life. In doing so, it would seem reasonable that I wouldn't notice a downward trend in alot of the programs, provided that it just got a little more unacceptable every year. I haven't noticed such a liner digression. It seems that in the last year or two every successful program more heavily involves feeding the deer, naming the deer, focusing solely on the score of the deer, competing with other deer hunting teams for points awarded on who killed what deer with what weapon. I don't know about anyone else, but I still think ending a hunt by taking a life is kind of a big deal deserving at least SOME reverence. The absurd, rehearsed, fast breathing, jumping and shouting post shot reaction makes a mockery of the animal they just killed. It isn't just deer hunting shows, its anything hunting shows. Its hard to know when the commercial break ends and the show comes back on. Many people look towards large scale media as a guiding source for normative behavior. Its a sad, but true fact. The attitude towards hunting in general by many tv shows on out door channel(s) cultivates a repugnant new breed of hunter.
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Brent.........Sadly I agree with you.
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I know exactly what you mean. I try to watch those shows sometimes, but they focus way to much on killing and selling products to hold my attention.
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I think you'r right on the money. I stoped watching it 2 years ago for those very reasons.
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Well said and I agree completely.
One thing I do know but still hate seeing but understand the requirements they have to meet.
All of the outdoor stations are "pay to play". Meaning if you want your show to air the network says " OK we will give you a 30 minute time for 300 thousand paid at once and up front ". Then the producer of the show has to sell at least 300 grand for commercial space to pay for the air time. In addition the producer needs more money to pay expenses, wages, etc. So a producer might need to sell 400-450 grand of commercial space for a half hour show....hence all the constant ads, plugs, and commercials.
So I understand...but it is almost laughable when you watch a show.
I actually did a podcast a while back called " don't buy the hype " that talked about this same subject. For that episode I actually counted the plugs, ads, etc in the show and also how many minutes of actual show playing. The numbers are in my podcast and I can't remember them off the top of my head but it was insane! I think actual show play time was about 10 mins or something and about 80 product highlights all in one show not counting commercials.
There is very little good that comes from most of the shows and I rarely watch them.
But as long as people do watch them they will be here and I don't see them getting any better any time soon.
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It's a sad thing that the Hollywood hunters do to make all hunters seem psychotic . :(
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Its hard to know when the commercial break ends and the show comes back on. [/QB][/QUOTE]
All you said is correct but this is what really bugs me. :smileystooges:
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Yeah and did you see that even more of these same people are shooting crossguns verses vertical bows and and somehow correlating it to archery hunting.
Ron
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I stop watching hunting shows a long time ago for all those reasons. They just arent enjoyable to watch.
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Agree 100%. Just had this discussion with one of my close friends. Meateater is the only show I watch now due to its focus on respect of the animal, value of the hunt / journey and different ways to celebrate the harvest through preparing / eating. It's also not a 30 minute commercial like most other shows
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another bad part of all that is, this is educating our young hunters to think this is the norm....
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I agree to a point. I disagree that these shows are an accurate representative of young hunters. I'm in my late 20's and can attest that my young friends that hunt laugh at the idiots on the outdoor channel, pursuit, ect.
The worst consequence is if John Q voter happens to tune in and that is his only impression of hunting. Real hunters, for the most part, recognize the stupidity of the behavior mentioned and avoid said behaviors.
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I couldn't agree more..
I rarely watch any of the hunting shows anymore as it simply does not interest me to see logos 90% of a show, or hear people complain about how hard the hunting has been when that is what they are doing for a living. I grew up watching these shows and now I just find that it just disgusts me most of the time.
I am 28 yrs old and surrounded by alot of friends that hunt, but very few traditional bowhunters or those that share the same values as I do.
I hear too often from my friends; "What did you kill?" "why do you even hunt if you aren't going to shoot?" or "you know a rifle or compound is much more efficient!"
I don't hunt to kill one bigger that everyone else, although that would be nice. I hunt because I enjoy it and enjoy the challenge of getting that close to game. No matter what they score.
It is just becoming a bit too commercialized even for my young blood. Bowhunting is my escape, not what is going to make or break my year.
Respect the animal not your reputation as slayer, or B&C killing wannabe.
That is all haha.
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Hunting shows sure have a way of making you feel bad for shooting a buck that won't make the Boone and Crockett minimums and that is just wrong. If I'm lucky enough to get a shot then I'm going to take it and it doesn't matter to me if someone else doesn't like my deer!
They are nothing but advertisements now anyway. I cancelled cable two years ago and I don't miss it!
Goose smasher
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They don't harvest an animal on TV they "Smoked him". They don't make any bad shots either--any time they hit the animal--no matter where it is a good shot--but just a little far back--saw some pro hit one in the ham and make that statement. They almost always recover the animal--I'm thinking the magic of editing keeps us from hearing the rifle shot. Everyone uses the same over rated underperforming broadhead because they pay to sponsor the show. Everybody is selling the new growl, grunter, yelper chirper, electronic ozone odor eliminator or space suit that dampens our electronic waves... Most of the shows are nothing but caged/staged reality acting. I have had my fill of them.
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Brent, sadly I too agree with you. Instead of reverence for the animal and the hunt, it has become a fist pumping,loud whooping, look what I've done, shooting show! I watch very few shows on the Outdoor or Sportsman channels anymore.
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If everyone would stop watching it would go away
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It is about money. We do not spend $$$ on the sights, stabilizers, releases and such expensive broadheads, so it may be that our stopping to watch such will make little difference. The business managers run the sales per month over the number of ads they run on TV and in magazines. If an increase in the ads do not give them an increase of sales, they delete the ads. I do not watch them. Fist pumping? Really, act like you have taken game before. It is like running backs dancing in the end zone, like they had never been there before.
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I forgot to mention, based on a place up the mountain from my house, some people hunt, or at least shoot up TV sets. Also bottles, furniture and even phone books. Idiots
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I am probably just old and cranky but I find absolutely NO entertainment in watching "hunting shows".
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It seems to be shopping instead of hunting. If you don't hunt over fields and fruit trees that are specifically grown to attract deer or whatever animals, your just not hunting.
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Originally posted by Bobtulowiecki:
Agree 100%. Just had this discussion with one of my close friends. Meateater is the only show I watch now due to its focus on respect of the animal, value of the hunt / journey and different ways to celebrate the harvest through preparing / eating. It's also not a 30 minute commercial like most other shows
One of only a few I can watch. Excellent show.
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My idea of TV hunting was the American Sportsman episodes in the 60's when Bing Crosby, Phil Harris and Curt Gowdy would go bird hunting for grouse, shaptails, quail or pheasant. They began, ended, and spent every moment in between sincerely celebrating the beautiful county they hunted, the dogs they hunted over, the game that offered them an opportunity, shots made and missed, and each others company.
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I could not agree more, I see everyone from men, to women to kids yelling they "smoked him" and it makes me cringe. I see a group of people sitting in a blind next to a feeder or a pile of bait, judging antlers like that's what's important. The attitude of most of these "pro staff" hunters makes me embarassed to be associated with such hunters. The only show I still watch is meat eater, Steve Rinella rarely archery hunts but he gets it, he respects his quarry, and he represents hunters the way I want to be represented.
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I agree. Too much hype, and not enough of what It should be about. I'd rather watch videos on youtube. Some of the traditional hunts keep me right on the edge of my seat.
Bob
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The only hunting show I'll watch on TV is MeatEater with Steven Rinella. He primarily hunts with a rifle, but he shows respect for the animals and the show doesn't end when the gun goes off. He does a great job of explaining why he hunts and he utilizes cuts of meat most people wouldn't consider using.
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Have you also noticed a phrase very common in almost all of these shows, "wow, I can't believe we didn't get more penetration on that shot". I want to scream no ---- sherlock your shooting a 2.5" wide expandable on the end of a straw. While watching one of the most popular shows Tif's husband shot a ram at 120 yards. Well within his range he said. In the beginning archery hunting was enjoyed by the very few who savored the challenge and the simplicity of a stick and string. At least some things don't change. Blessed to be one of those very few.
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We each hunt different, I see the shows as cattle dressed like deer. They know when the feeders will drop corn. They will run to it as soon as they hear the motor kick on. It is the high speed competitive focus I find strange. Maybe it's because I am from AZ , every time I see a deer its exciting. Some people see them as fancy pests with racks to focus on. Its reminds me of tournament fishing, focused on speed and size rather than fun.
but to them I guess its fun. It just means as we meet these speed hunters we must be a good example, maybe they will see there are other ways to hunt then. To each there own, there are to few hunters out there to be divided. And way to many anti hunters.
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Originally posted by the rifleman:
They don't harvest an animal on TV they "Smoked him". They don't make any bad shots either--any time they hit the animal--no matter where it is a good shot--but just a little far back--saw some pro hit one in the ham and make that statement. They almost always recover the animal--I'm thinking the magic of editing keeps us from hearing the rifle shot. Everyone uses the same over rated underperforming broadhead because they pay to sponsor the show. Everybody is selling the new growl, grunter, yelper chirper, electronic ozone odor eliminator or space suit that dampens our electronic waves... Most of the shows are nothing but
caged/staged reality acting. I have had my fill of them.
Couldn't say it any better myself!! :clapper:
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A good friend had a Traditional hunting show on Sportsman's for a couple or three years. He used a recurve and his wife shot a compound. They featured beginning archers each show and one of he youth went hunting with them during one episode.
This fellow was a Viet vet which I share so you'll know his age.
He didn't pump, smoke-em, or try to coin phrases. He appreciated the hunt part of hunting and when he made a "less than stellar shot" he said so.
Of course his show didn't last.
I guess he missed the meetings and focus groups that coached TV hunters how they are supposed to act to make a buck.
There must be a widely known formula among the producers of these shows about what it takes to draw an audience. Of course what it takes to draw sponsors is even better known.
I'm making sure my grand children, like my children before them, experience a different model.
I watch a few of the shows if I'm interested in what and how they are hunting. There are certain shows I won't watch even if I received a free preference points for sheep hunting for doing so. Even muting the sound won't make some of these shows and
their hosts tolerable too me.
I really like Fred Eichler. I know he gets very excited but I sense (never met him) he is very genuine.
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I agree with all of the above statements,the shows are sickening.I like the parts where they have to tell you that they are wearing the "Newest" scent lock this or that ,and not to worry about the wind , just hunt .Just before the shot the game smells them,and runs off, Ah, did you read your own commercial? I'll stick with my 1966 recurve and hunt the way my grandad taught me ,thank you
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I just cant watch them, it embarrasses me to be a hunter. Naturally all hunters are not like the ones on TV but for the 80%of the population that dont hunt.... all hunters are just like the ones on TV. It is a thousand wonders that the anti-hunting movement is not much bigger.
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I had a long reply written up, but it read more like a rant, so I deleted it. I'll just say this. To me, bowhunting is a close range sport, done quietly with respect to the animals I'm hunting as well as my fellow hunters, and with as little disturbance to the surroundings as possible. With the speed of a longbow, or even a compound bow, It's too easy for something like a whitetail to move between the time my brain tells my fingers to relax, and my arrow gets to the target, so I keep my shots close. As far as all the disrespect and yelling goes, all I can do is shake my head. I'm not putting anybody down, we all have our own ideas of what bowhunting should be. However, and I do hate to say it, but I'd have a hard time standing next to some of the folks I've seen on TV and in the woods too, and calling them a brother in the sport.
Bob
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How about the complete and utter disrespect of the infamous "laugh" after the shot. almost 99% of the guys/girls I have seen shoot bucks begin this uncontrollable laugh. I guess it's just nerves, but to the non hunter, it sure looks like killing something is fun and games and leaves little room for thought about what goes into the real world of hunting. The fact that you just killed one of God's creatures and participated in the cycle of life is no laughing matter. I feel like as a society we have become so far detached from the realism and necessities of life.
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I'm dead set against watching TV completely... Its not JUST the hunting shows that have gone down hill, it's everything on that dad burn squawk box that has deteriorated.
But....There is one guy that has a different take on things that shows respect for the animals he hunts. Scott Anderson "Backlands TV"
here"s a link.... This guy is pretty decent.
http://www.backlandtv.com/
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Every once in a while I try to watch a hunting show, and what I am noticing lately is a) everyone and their uncle who has a GoPro has a show b)they really pound the products at you c)a lot of bad hits with the most expensive hi-tech equipment d)crossbows everywhere and e)HEAVY METAL MUSIC (capital letters for LOUD). None of it is fun to watch, on any level.
So, in lieu of TV shows I have been re-watching old DVDs. Most recently I have been immersed in the Benoit videos about tracking. Even though they are rifle hunters, their focused, down to earth approach and respect for the animals is refreshing. They lost their father Larry a year and a half ago, and one of the brothers (Lane) last month. There is a lot to learn from their DVDs, quite a legacy.
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I just cant understand why you hardly ever see a pass threw shot. The deer all seem to run off with an arrow hanging in them.
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I watch 'House Hunters' and that's about it! :bigsmyl: :laughing: :laughing:
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Wow, this thread has really struck a nerve! I'm of the same mind as all of you, "I kill because I love to hunt; I don't hunt because I love to kill". Killing another creature should be done with humility and respect for the animal. Behaving like you just got called down for The Price is Right is not right.
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I VERY rarely watch hunting shows anymore, even when I was still shooting compounds.
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I met Fred Eichler last year at Bass Pro. He was one of the coolest and most genuine guys i've ever met. True love for traditional archery. He mentioned that he rather hunter with his recurve in every show but he also has bills to pay..
He was traveling with Lee & Tiffany, which 99.9% of the folks there came to see...
Flashy toys, blonde hair and a little cleavage get more attention from the general public than a guy who's completed the super slam with a recurve. All about making that almighty $dollar$
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It seems that many of these productions are made solely to generate a profit with no concern for the promotion of ethical hunting. Like a lot of guys, I quit watching them a long time ago.
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Yes some (or most) of today's hunting shows are brutal. Unfortunately, I do like seeing big bucks running around and find myself watching some from time to time, especially during the dead of winter. Some aren't too bad and are tastefully done. Those are the ones I'll sit through.
People need to remember that TV, and the entertainment industry in general, is driven by money which is fueled by advertising. Is it right? No, but it's the way it is, even for the few good guys trying to make a quality show with some integrity.
I do wish there would be more shows with trad hunters. That would be cool
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What ever happened to shows like the American Sportsman- Curt Goudy, or Fred Bear, Howard Hills Movie shorts. Sure miss watching those programs, showing the adventure with respect for the animals. I guess I am showing my age, most of these ran in the 60's and early 70's.
Bill
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If you want real hunting entertainment read a book. I can recommend a dozen decent ones that will keep you busy all summer or autumn in the stand...leave the TV to talk and reality shows.
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To the OP I can't believe it took you all those years to decide that TV hunting shows SUCKS! It's been that way for along long time! Don't watch, in fact I've went digital antenna and only watch PBS or Netflix documentaries! Saved tons of money I put towards actually "hunting"!
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I was in the Hunting & Fishing business for just a tick over 20 years. Booking hunting & fishing trips, some guiding and a little outfitting and I have to say that if the general public saw what went on behind the scenes the TV heros would not exist. TV hunting has done more to ruin hunting than any other group out there. It's all about the 'bone' and you can't kill 'big ones' like this UNLESS you buy this product. These shows put young hunters under a great amount of pressure to be like their TV heros. Personally, I grew up having fun and with NO pressure to kill one like 'ol what's his name on TV.
sorry for the rant
jus my 2cents
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There are plenty of great opinions being shared here. I'm glad that I'm not alone. SSWV gave me a thought however; if something goes horribly wrong and I am in school for another 6-8 years, the degradation of the American bowhunter has dissertation written all over it.
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The shows that most of us detest would not be on or last long if they don't get the ratings. It is really that simple. Advertising companies and TV executives look solely at the ratings to determine what show are on, stay on and what time slot. If the ratings get low enough they go away.
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I stopped watching all of the hunting shows years ago and don't miss them one bit. Around my house, the only deer that gets "smoked" is the one on my Brinkman grill!
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I think I may have already mentioned that I like to watch a lot of the traditional Youtube videos. What a difference in most of them, compared to some of the other "stuff". No blaring music, you can hear everything that's going on, including the shot and hit, Most of the folks that put their trad videos on seem to show more respect too.
Bob
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This topic is often debated and the issues are known. Lets all go out and do some hunting and show the world what it is really like through our stories and our actions as good sportsmen.