What is going on with the Hunting Channels?

[vintage-bears]

So glad to hear all your responses.
I often watch the old Fred Bear (my mentor) hunts (now on dvd by the way) to get back in the soul of true TRADITIONAL bowhunting.
A time when you dressed in green plaid or bought surplus army jackets at your local Triangle stores (here in NY) to blend a little better in the timber.
The Fred Bear Sports Club was a terrific idea and the new bowhunters should READ it's pledge as a member. This pledge should be ingrained in all bowhunters in my opinion.
I know this sounds a little childish but it is very important for the future of bowhunting and our image as such.......

[Spectre]

Nothing but an enormous infommercial IMO. I do like Uncle Ted, though--he is crazy as all get out, but, he seems to be an ethical hunter who eats what he shoots.

[kawika b]

Some are good... some are not so good... my approach is if I like it I watch it... if I don't I flip the channel... easy as that.

Got remote?

[TexasStick81]

I really can't watch Eichler's show because he goes crazy.  I appreciate the enthusiasm but it's a bit much for me.  The only show I watch is backland country.  He has a respect for traditional archery (even makes his own arrows and flint heads) and most of all, the animals.  I enjoy hunting but have a great respect for the animals I'm hunting.  I have yet to scream "smoked em!" when I shoot something. I call that linebacker hunting and am just waiting for a chest bump or two when I've watched those shows. I watched the DVR'd backland from this last week and scott anderson actually said a blessing over the animal and hunter who took him.  I apprecaite that kind of message and I think it's a much better representation of what I am about as a hunter.

[vintage-bears]

Originally posted by Spectre:
Nothing but an enormous infommercial IMO. I do like Uncle Ted, though--he is crazy as all get out, but, he seems to be an ethical hunter who eats what he shoots.

I used to think he was ethical also until I read he was charged and plead guilty to illegally baiting deer. Ironically he was caught from a hunt he filmed for his show and the authorities moved in. For those interested in what he was using...... "comerdeer".
No joke, it's in the article. I will search it and post the article and publication

[Rooselk]

While there are still a handful of good hunting programs out there, I agree that most are garbage (and a few even give garbage a bad name). But even among the good programs, in my opinion very few stack up against DVD's like Primal Dreams or Bowhunting Relections. Unlike the television programs, when I view these DVD's it is clearly evident that what I am watching comes from the heart. Because of that viewers can be confident that they are watching a way of life rather than being sold a bill of goods.

[Spectre]

Originally posted by vintage-bears:
 

Originally posted by Spectre:
Nothing but an enormous infommercial IMO. I do like Uncle Ted, though--he is crazy as all get out, but, he seems to be an ethical hunter who eats what he shoots.

I used to think he was ethical also until I read he was charged and plead guilty to illegally baiting deer. Ironically he was caught from a hunt he filmed for his show and the authorities moved in. For those interested in what he was using...... "comerdeer".
No joke, it's in the article. I will search it and post the article and publication [/b]

I would be interested to see that, one would think a story like that would make national headlines considering Ted's open participation in the Tea Party movement.

[vintage-bears]

I googled it and it's all over the net.
He killed an illegal deer and illegally baited the animal. 8/18/2010
His photographer also killed an illegal deer during the same (hunt).
He was infact caught when the game wardens saw his show.
He plead guilty and paid the fines $1750.00
Very Interesting indeed.......

[Stumpkiller]

MARYSVILLE, CA - Rock star and hunting enthusiast Ted Nugent pleaded no contest last week to charges stemming from a television appearance earlier this year that showed the rocker using forbidden methods to kill a young deer.

An attorney for Nugent, 61, entered the plea in Yuba County Superior Court Friday to misdemeanor counts of baiting a deer and not acquiring an authorized signature after killing a deer, according to California Department of Fish and Game spokesman Patrick Foy.

Foy said the case started when two California game wardens saw Nugent kill a young deer with a bow and arrow in Yuba County on Nugent's Outdoor Channel series "Spirit of the Wild" last February.

"They watched him appear to shoot a spiked buck, which is an illegal buck to take, because it's too small. And he had it right there on television, and it wasn't live, it was taped," Foy said.

On the show, Nugent is shown using a commercial deer bait called "C'mere Deer" to lure a young buck, then shooting the animal with a bow and arrow. Using bait to entice animals for hunting purposes is illegal in California.

Nugent also pleaded to failing to get his hunting tag countersigned, which means that while the killing of the deer itself may have been legal, Nugent did not receive a signature from an authorized individual to confirm the kill's legality. The other counts against Nugent were dropped as part of the plea agreement, including charges of killing a deer too young to be hunted, Foy said.

In a deal negotiated by his attorney, Nugent pleaded guilty to two of the nine charges he initially faced.

Nugent, who did not appear in court last week, must pay a $1,750 fine for the case to be complete, Foy said.

"We were disappointed because he had been an advocate for hunting, so for him to make this decision was very disappointing," Foy said.

Sacramento bow hunter Oscar Ramirez said local hunters were stunned by Nugent's actions.

"To do something illegal and put it on the show was very disappointing. it absolutely, as a hunter, is difficult to hear that," Ramirez said.

Nicknamed the "Motor City Madman," Nugent has sold over 30 million albums over his four-decade career as the guitarist and singer behind such 70s hits as "Cat Scratch Fever" and "Stranglehold."

In recent years, Nugent has been an outspoken advocate for conservative views and an ardent supporter of hunting and gun ownership rights.


News10/KXTV
Copyright 2011 / All Rights Reserved


 

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=91262&catid=2

[Spectre]

Originally posted by vintage-bears:
I googled it and it's all over the net.
He killed an illegal deer and illegally baited the animal. 8/18/2010
His photographer also killed an illegal deer during the same (hunt).
He was infact caught when the game wardens saw his show.
He plead guilty and paid the fines $1750.00
Very Interesting indeed.......

The sites that carry this story are "celebrity mound", "Opposing views", and "The Truth about guns". Celebrity gossip rags at best. Again, if this were truth, it would have been all over the mainstream media----recently(8-18-2010)considering his involvement with Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement. This would have been front page news.
 On to Snopes with me.....the investigation continues..

[Spectre]

Stumpkiller, that link seems legitimate enough. Hmm. Good sleuthing!

[vintage-bears]

The sites that carry this story are "celebrity mound", "Opposing views", and "The Truth about guns". Celebrity gossip rags at best. Again, if this were truth, it would have been all over the mainstream media----recently(8-18-2010)considering his involvement with Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement. This would have been front page news.
 On to Snopes with me.....the investigation continues.. [/QB][/QUOTE]
The post before your has a direct link to the story. No further investigation necessary.

[GO Rogers]

GREED.........

[dan d]

I cancelled my cable (dish tv) The  hunting shows do more to help the anti hunters than show young hunters the real enjoyment of hunting.  The stuff they promote goes against the very reason I enjoy hunting. They try to show if you buy all this garbage they promote you can go out and get a monster buck in 30 minutes or less.

Well, the reason I hunt is to get away from all the high tech junk, I don't need to get my deer in 30 minutes, I have all season !  It's nice to just enjoy the woods without phones ringing or playing on my iPad enjoy the peace and quiet ! I tell people I'm a hunter, not a shooter, I hunt my deer by outfoxing them, that's the ultimate satisfaction. I don't get the thrill of shooting an 8 point over the latest deer cocaine product, in fact I would rather shoot a doe than use all the promoted garbage from them shows !

Shew sorry for the rant, I should just say I now spend my money  I saved from cable TV and buy DVD's like Primal Dreams or old Fred Bear DVD's.
Dan

[Easykeeper]

I don't watch any more unless something interesting is happening as I scroll past.  I used to watch the shows once in a while to observe how the deer reacted and their behavior, thinking I could watch a lot more animals than just the ones I see when I'm actually hunting.  It didn't take long to figure out that they weren't hunting in the same areas as me.  The numbers and quality reflect that they are usually hunting private land with limited pressure, fenced semi-tame deer, or cutting and splicing tape so much it seems like there are deer every where.

Then there is the constant product placement and shilling.  They have to mention every piece of gear they use and explain how they wouldn't be successful without every little doo-dad they have.  And to top it off, you get two or three minutes of animal/hunting footage and then five or ten minutes of annoying commercials.

That said the show "Heartland Bowhunter" is pretty well done.  It's mostly compounds if that bothers you, but very high production values and beautiful videography.  I also like Fred Eichlers shows.

I just read what I wrote...I deserve the response "your too old, turn the channel and watch the news"...  

[Rob W.]

Got rid of all my hunting channels but I have been enjoying "The wild within" on the travel channel. No product placement and seems to share a lot of the same veiws about hunting that I do.

[LC]

Yeap watch "Wild Within" on the travel channel. BEST DANG "HUNTING" show going hands down on TV now adays! If your wanting to watch BIG BUCK down, someone yelling "Now thats what I'm talking about" you will be dissappointed. It's a honest to goodness hunting to eat show! Watch it!

[Jim Wright]

What's going on with "hunting shows" is the same thing that has been going on all along with "hunting shows, assorted heroes ranging from laid back Bubbas to high energy over-achievers trying to sell you some "must have stuff" that you don't really have to have. To maintain proper heroe status, something exceptional has to be taken on a regular basis, wonder how they manage that? Oh, I forgot, they tell you it's the "must have stuff". Personally, when I tried watching "hunting shows" and it's been awhile, the only thing they made me want was Mylanta.

[Bowwild]

I agree with most of what I read here. I can't watch hardly any of the shows anymore because of the motorcycles, music, celeb and wanna-be celebs, too many commercials, and some hunting practices that I don't subscribe too, legal or not.

I won't even buy a product if it has one of these hosts name on it -- none of them. I passed on a blind I really liked when I saw it was a ".... Collector".

I do like Mr. Eichler's show and Strickland's archery adventures. He is pretty animated but he seems as genuine as the breeze that spooks my deer. So much of the other "enthusiasm" and wild eyes seems to be put on to me. Maybe not? Maybe I'm too reserved?  

There must be a lot of folks who differ in their views though because the formula for these shows is very evident: rocker, motorcycles, goofiness, bed hair, celeb hunting, and, dare I say, it doesn't appear average looking ladies hunt.

The type though that really concern me are the hunting contests.  I can just avoid these other shows and go on, to each his own as was written above. But when some no-name bozos go out to shoot as  many deer as they can, with the fewest shots, and the most doo-dads...those get me mad. The diversithy and volume of fantastic big game animals we enjoy these days is no accident. God gave them to us but our ancestors almost did a complete job of erasing them. Hard work, funded almost entirely by sportsmen and women have gotten us to this point of mostly plenty today.

These contestants did very little in their (mostly) young lives to develop our sport and preserve our hunting heritage. Yet they are providing a terrible example of what some might mistake as hunting.

If I see this show on again I'm going with pencil and paper. I'll document the sponsors and contact each one of them.

[Bjorn]

Why watch?