Hunting Show Commercials

[leechlake]

First off I don't particularly like many hunting shows. I think most of them miss the mark in what I like about hunting and/or hunt for stuff in Southern States that I don't enjoy either.

The commercials really bother me but I don't know exactly why. Every other channel has commercials and I just channel surf around them. Maybe its the ones where a particular "celebrity hunter" is endorsing the product. I believe the reason to have the celeb do it is to give validation the product works but frankly it does the opposite to me. All I see is the paycheck the celeb is getting, they may as well say at the end "yes I received $10,000 to do this commercial."

Maybe its also the products are mostly unbelievable in their own right. Most are gadgety in nature; ionizing scent blockers, magically flashlights, deer food attractants that can't be used in Minnesota. I will admit though that the doe in estrus commercial Tiffany claims she uses as perfume would be pretty effective.

[Neighbor_guy]

Hunting/Fishing shows vary from conventional TV shows in that they PAY the network to air their shows. So in effect they purchas 27.5min of time. That includes the airtime for the commercials. Most shows are 22min of programing and the rest is commercials, some outdoor shows are as little as 17min of programing. The shows make money from the sponsors, thus they air them and pimp their products whenever they get a chance.

[Tom7227]

I read an article someplace last week that indicated that only 1% of people buying gear said they were influenced by professional endorsements. I don't know why there is so much use of them as a merchandising technique. I don't like the shows because they always are in such unrealistic places. Sure you can see 1000 pheasants a day, all you have to do is pay $1000 a day to go someplace where they release them from a pen about 10 minutes before the camera's start to roll. But I guess if you really want to succeed you have to marry some fantastic blond chic and get her out there walking the boonies and shooting things. That's really likely to happen to us isn't it?

[96trigger]

I don't watch many because I don't have cable, but I find it just as annoying when they drop constant product advertising during the hunt. I understand they are being paid to promote it but some shows are excessive.

[Wensel]

But I guess if you really want to succeed you have to marry some fantastic blond chic and get her out there walking the boonies and shooting things. That's really likely to happen to us isn't it?

Well said, Amen

I watch one show: Steven Rinella, he has a brain, and he's a great cook.

[Ufatz]

Hey! Don't knock blond chicks. I got me a great trophy wife.

Not first place of course, but......

[CANOPY SAM]

The commercials are pretty annoying, and I think too often pretty misleading as well. The simple fact is this is how media works. Without ads, commercials, endorsements and such, we simply wouldn't have programming. It's the marketing that pays the bills.

Complete truth be told, if you've been hunting long enough, and have learned anything from your experience in the field, you know darn well you DON'T need all these gizmos, gadgets, and do-dads to be successful at hunting or fishing.

I've taken deer wearing blue jeans and a red goose down jacket, with no scent blocker clothing or spray. I've shot oodles of waterfowl wearing an old black snow suit, and laying in a field furrow with no camo what-so-ever. I've harvested animals using my Dad's old hand-me-down re-curve bow, ancient 16-gauge shotgun, and rusty old 30-06 rifle.

But fancy gear is sold to a hunter's eyes, just the way fancy fishing lures are eye candy to fishermen...not so much too fish.

Ya gotta laugh though about the introduction of "hotties" to the sport. I mean honestly, sex appeal to the hunting industry!?!? She's walkin' off the field carrying her $1200 bow, wearing her $500 outfit, and throwing her long golden curly hair over her shoulder like May West in a 50's "racey" movie! Ha ha ha ha!!!!! I gotta admit, it appeals to me!

There's one commercial that really kinda rubs me the wrong way right now though. It's a commercial for a particular arrow broadhead that sells the product as having SO much more cutting surface than a standard broadhead. I'm a laboratory scientist, with a college minor in mathematics. Even the untrained eye can see that they measure the "cutting" surface around every face of the broadhead being sold vs. only one side of the standard broadhead. Mathematically, and geometrically, this is completely inaccurate. If both broadheads were measured the exact same way one would find there is only slightly more cutting surface with the "marketed" broadhead vs. the standard competition. So, in essence, this commercial is lieing to the consumer. So caveat emptor...buyer beware.

Like it or not, good marketing is what moves product, and the fishing and hunting industry has got it figured out to a T. Look at the Robertson's. They were already millionaires from simply selling hunting products and videos. I'd wager they're now making exponentially more money just selling "logo" wear off the soft marketing from their TV show.

The thing I don't like about the new generation of hunting shows is how it's so Rock and Roll, balls to the wall, screaming guitars approach. I find Ted Nugent amusing, and appreciate his sense of conservation and appreciation of nature. But I enjoy hunting and fishing for the sheer joy of nature, peace, quiet, and tranquility. I also enjoy good old rock and roll music, but for some reason the two just don't seem to go comfortably hand in hand. But there again, these programs are speaking to, and selling to a new generation, and evidently this is what gets them to buy product.

[fishhound2013]

The things that have the most effect, at least for me, is when something used really fills a need that I have or shows something truly innovative instead of gimmicky. Professional endorsements really dont mean much unless I have a reason to believe that the product is actually viable.

[bigbucks]

I've taken deer wearing blue jeans and a red goose down jacket,

I know I'm taking this out of context, but the thought of a deer wearing blue jeans & a red jacket just cracked me up...

[TattooedHunter]

I watch one show: Steven Rinella, he has a brain, and he's a great cook.

Agreed. "MeatEater". It's the only hunting show I look forward to watching. Willing to show a skunked hunt. Tells the story of the hunt, not just "Hey, bubba here, we're sitting in a stand overlooking a groomed food plot on a private deer farm looking for big bucks".

[yakfisher]

Management hunt, yeee hawww! I guess the hard driving music, quick cuts, and making it look easy is what it takes to get the youngsters attention these days.

[lungdeflator]

I actually liked the duck dynasty show for awhile. Now I see "si" doing crazy commercials about black colored rattling antlers and such. It's sickening. That basically made me lose all respect I had for those guys and now I don't watch anymore.

[CodyDawg]

You guys have to watch Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg. Public Land DIY hunting. He shows the good bad and ugly. Not to mention he is a really good guy who backs up his show with a lot of work to public land hunters. By far the best out there IMO. I watched one episode where he had a huge bull walking toward him about 150 yards away and he wouldnt shoot it cuz it was too close to the private property and he couldnt be sure it wasnt a couple of feet off of public. Almost all other shows drop the hammer right there.

And I also hate rock music and sappy personalities. I also dont like all the fake celebration. Most of them act like 13 year old girls at a slumber party!