More Traditional shows would be nice...

[VA Elite]

Even before I switched I always wanted to watch Easton Archery with Fred Eichler and even old Tred Barta. I made sure I would DVR those. It would be nice to see a few on TV.

[indianalongbowshooter]

It would be nice to see some good hunting shows, I cant hardly stand to watch 90 percent of the ones that are on..would be nice to have some traditional hunting shows if done right..

[VA Elite]

I agree. Even before I switched to traditional I was getting tired of the same dog and pony show.

[tomsm44]

There are several hunts each year that I see threads about on here where a pretty large group of trad guys get together.  Maybe somebody should get some good pictures and maybe even some amateur videos together from one or more of these hunts, then pitch it to one of the networks.  If they brought a couple of camera crews to one hunt with 10-15 guys, they could video enough hunts for a few episodes out of one camp.  I'm sure there's plenty of "entertainment" at camp for a pretty decent show, even if nobody gets a shot.  

Or what about a 4-5 episode mini series following Hope and Faith one year with all proceeds going to St Jude's and a segment talking about the work St Judes does and maybe a visit with some of the kids?  Networks love to look like they are helping a good cause.

[ron w]

Not to be a negative Nancy, but you will never see many Trad only shows because it is a very narrow market. They can't market the latest expandable B-head, or the new side by side ORV because most of us have no interest in that king of thing. I would get Bowhunter magazine in the mail.......since the beginning. No more.....ATV ads, crossbows, Viagra and a bunch of stuff that I have no interest in.     Believe me, I would love to see a quality Trad hunting show myself.

[mcgroundstalker]

The last episode of Mountain Men showed a fella hunting and killing a buck with his longbow... Kind of nice cause it's hard to catch me in front of the TV...    ...

[VA Elite]

I don't think there would be enough fist pumps and the famous " we have hunted so hard for this" comment when they do the hero shot .... the class of people I have met in the traditional are in a league of their own. not in an arrogant way.. a very helpful and honest group with lots of humility

[tomsm44]

Here's an idea, since we all know that Ron's right and a true 100% traditional show would never make it.  Take two guys, let's say brothers just to add a little more "tradition" to the mix, one shooting trad gear and one shooting a compound.  I for one am not anti technology as long as you keep the right attitude toward hunting and other hunters.  My dad and brother are both compound guys that would fit in perfectly around a TG campfire.  But back to the show, for sponsors, get a company like Bear since they still build both types of bows.  Since you have two types of archery involved, get two broadheads companies involved; one for the techies and one for the trad guys.  Call up some of the old timey knife companies; Buck, Case, Old Timer, etc. and get them to make some family oriented heartstrings tugging commercials (I'm seeing a grandpa teaching his grandson how to whittle or sharpen a knife or something).  You can still have the same camo, tree stand, ATV, etc. ads that bring in the big bucks, plus maybe pick up a few of the more trad oriented companies.  But above all, keep the show respectful, family oriented, and honor the tradition of hunting.  We are seeing shows focusing on family values do pretty well right now, so I think there would be a good audience.  But that's just me.

[shreffler]

Check out Fear No Evil on the outdoors channel...he is as close to genuine as it gets in my opinion. He takes the recurve out multiple times each season and isn't afraid to shoot a doe and teach viewers about property/deer management.

Like every show it's filled with bad advertisements and some bad judgement calls, but it's as close as you'll find on tv these days I think.

[VA Elite]

good idea tomsm44!! I have seen fear no evil before. it is a good show. I guess the trad hunting show may not be of interest to many modern bowhunters, but I always have said, even when I used training wheels, that trad archery is archery at it purest.

[Tradcat]

Love your idea Matt ! That type of hunting show WOULD work...

[COMPOUNDLESS IN CONCRETE]

I watch Fred Eichler, Tim Wells, and Tred Barta reruns when they're on.  The other shows all seem like the same thing to me.  

  "Well folks, it's November 10th, we're set up in our Booger Flicker tree stands on the edge of this corn field.  We've got a bedding area to our left, and CRP to the right.  We've got our Ozonics on, as well as the HECS suit, Scent Lok, Scent Blocker, Super Charged Scent Killer clothing.  We've got our Buck Vaporizer bow with our Super Duper Ultra lightweight 250 grain Speed Demon arrows tipped with the Machete Switchblade Battle Axe expanding broadheads, and we're lookin' to drop the smacka whacka lacka boom diggity danga rama lama ding dong on a bruiser pig booner buck."

[Hummer3T]

Originally posted by ron w:
Not to be a negative Nancy, but you will never see many Trad only shows because it is a very narrow market. They can't market the latest expandable B-head, or the new side by side ORV because most of us have no interest in that king of thing. I would get Bowhunter magazine in the mail.......since the beginning. No more.....ATV ads, crossbows, Viagra and a bunch of stuff that I have no interest in.        Believe me, I would love to see a quality Trad hunting show myself.

I agree, not that I would not want to see more or make them.
Narrow market and little opportunity to promote new archery products that really are not used by trad archers.

[Archie]

What we really need is another TradGang production, like the DVD that is already out.  I am sure that we could get some good footage from us Tradgangers.

I made an hour-long movie of my 2013 Alaska hunt, and people seem to really like it... in spite of the fact that I have no formal training in such things, and we didn't get anything really exciting on camera.  (My killer shot on a squirrel was about it.)  Lots of nice scenery though.

There's got to be some TG'ers that have good cameras and have a knack for making movies.  

I like the camera part of it enough that I have offered to forego the out-of-state big-game tags, and accompany some friends on a hunt, armed with my camera, bow, and a quiver full of small-game points, to focus on getting their hunt on camera.  It just hasn't materialized yet.

Or how about a TradGang YouTube channel?

[Cavscout9753]

I think Fred Eichler is our best chance at this point. But like everyone already said, it comes down to money. To do it correctly it would require funding completely seperated from all the hype do-dads for the shows budget and the network to air it. I actually don't believe the market is as small as people think. Trad market is "small", but people besides trad shooters would watch one if it were well put together, for instance it can't have the audio of an old PBS badement woodshop program. Look at River Monsters. Tons of people watch that show that dont even fish! A trad show would just have to be diverse, which is fine because most trad archers are diverse. How many folks take a fly rod out on their elk or moose hunts? People do enjoy the outdoors, even people that dont hunt would watch, its the fist pumping "Man vs. Deer" crap that spoils it all and turns people away. If we're even disgusted by all that (as hunters!) imagine a fence-sitter seeing it? I wish the world could see hunting from our viewpoint. I'm currently reading Longbows In The Far North. Such a great book, and he hasn't even killed much.

[VA Elite]

all these post are dead on the money. I understand that most of these shows are for entertainment and advertising, but what it has led to is a whole pleather of people who hunt game that they show no respect for, and that's because the tape measures and hero shots are done immediately after the recovery. no quiet time for giving thanks, no remorse for taking a living creature, and no paying dues, it's " I want it and I want it now!"

[Nantahala Nut]

The trad market is small, in comparison to the compound/crossbow/rifle markets.  I would be willing to bet that the people that make up the trad market would watch every episode though.  I think traditional hunters are much more dedicated to this than any other form of hunting.  Why else would we willingly choose a weapon that requires much more practice than any other.  I think that the traditional market is on the rise again and that could certainly lead to more traditional programming.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

It would take a lot of time and money plus a little luck.... who is up to it?

[LostNation_Larry]

According to recent research, 15% of all archers have a traditional bow.  I don't know how many hunt with it, but it seems to me if 10-15% of the bow hunter market is traditional, then why aren't 10-15% of the shows traditional?  I'm afraid one of the reasons is the difficulty in shooting a deer with trad gear.  If the average TV rifle hunter takes 3 days to kill his game and the average TV trad bowhunter takes 6 days then the cost of the trad show is double that of the rifle hunter show.  

I like the idea.  The issue is coming up with a "how."  I'll help sponsor.

[tomsm44]

That's why my idea works.  Of the two hunters, the one shooting a compound will likely kill more deer.  He gets to rib his trad friend/brother/whatever about it on TV and who doesn't like doing that sometimes.  The sponsors are happy because all their technology clearly worked and the viewers will see it.  And the trad community gets to watch one of their own pass on an "easy" 30 yard shot at a big buck with a smile and an honest comment about how awesome it was to be out hunting that day, then maybe kill a doe or a small buck andthen have a discussion of deer population health/management and the real reasons for hunting.  If they hunt for three days and the trad guy comes up empty handed, it doesn't matter to the people tuning in to see him.