Do many of the programs on cable add or detract from the sport?

[Wanderer]

Last night I watched Whitetail Revolution (?) with Ron Spomer. Theres a foresome that carry that show including Larry Weishuhn.

I think these guys put on a quality show even though they are usually at an outfitter's place. In this one, Spomer was still hunting large woodlots in Arkansas. It was a good demonstration of how it really is. I swear I even noticed his breathing change when he was scoping deer.

He did work in on the not so huge non-typical from a long way out starting in really good light and ending in the final minutes of shooting light.

Along the way he explained the finer points of still hunting very accurately, I thought. It almost felt like I was there too.

Two products: Winchester XP3 ammo, I beleive, and the place he was hunting.

[brittman]

OLN vs Oudoor Channel. Corrected the post above.

Let's see I can watch Rodeo on OLN (Vs.) or I can watch gold panning on the Outdoor Channel.

Eastern ND had the Outdoor Channel. Local cable company dropped the channel completely.

I tend to watch a few programs sponsored by PF, DU and NWTF. If they become purely outfitted hunts, etc...

1) I will stop watching

2) demand the organizations prove that member donations are not footing the hunting trips for organization execs.

Long time ago Tony Dean put on a pretty good show. But he got too old to do it on his own and fell into the guided and outfitter only trap.

[crazydew]

Does anyone get the Sportsman Channel. Our local Cable company gets it and it does have a lot of lower budget hunts and a lot of public land hunts though the trend is getting more big name sponsors to them. When 1st got it it was a lot like us out in the tree stand or blind with a simple camcorder and some decent editing.

for entertainment, can't beat the Flyway Highway. What a couple of goofs.

[Tom7227]

I was laid up for 3 months a few years ago. It got so bad that I’d sit and watch these programs. The Atlas would be on one arm of the chair, and the Cabela’s catalog on the other. One of those fishing shows would start and I’d look up where they were. Then Bill Dance would list the equipment and I’d be checking it out in the catalog. Got to the point that I’d even start taking notes during the show. Of course it never did any good - who gets to fish bass in Tennessee?

Couple of thoughts on this thread -

I again saw the snow goose hunt that got me started. The bragged about getting 3,978 geese in 28 days with 4-6 guys per day. Never said a word about what they did with all of them. Just popped up from their blind, someone yelled ‘kill ‘em and the shots would ring out and the geese would fall. Unbelievably the show was a DU show.

Next was a Ted Nugent program. OK until the end when he was shown holding the animal for the camera and it was a shot with infra-red technique. His eyes were glowing and he looked like something from a SciFi film

I guess my viewpoint is that it seems to me that too much of this stuff is exactly what the anti-hunters want shown. When a program starts to look like an ad that PETA would want to run I think it’s gone too far.

Several have written that these programs are just entertainment. Some are. But stop for a minute and look at it from the perspective of what a non-hunter sees. I’m not talking about the far left nut cases, just the average non-hunter. I don’t think some of this stuff is what we really want seen out there.

Or maybe all of us who have posted are just a bunch of OF’s who are out of touch?

[Wanderer]

Tom,

I think I heard that snow goose program in the background while while I was maintaining my ice fishing gear over the weekend. I heard "Kill em!" and immediately thought of this thread. I did think that was a bit odd also.

Problem is, I don't look at the shows through an Anti's eyes. Like I mentioned, the show was on but it was just background noise for me. I did peek up a couple times to see Jeff Foxworthy put the smackdown on a couple bucks. That first, huge, wide racked dude that he missed on the first shot was really something else.

Yep, guided. Just went there and had someone take him to a big deer that they had been monitoring. But if your guide can't do that for you, then what good is he?

BTW, I've never been on a guided hunt. Can't afford to find out if I would even like it.

I don't think many of the respondents to this have been struck quite the same way by what we've seen as you have. Not saying we don't have something to think about with your points, just that we, well I, haven't played Devil's Advocate with it yet.

HNY!!!!!

[Ufatz]

The Flyway Highway is just about as disgusting as it gets. Just hope that the anti's...and even the ambivalent folks don't see this particular piece of crapola. And there are others-as mentioned. The guys who jump up and down fist pumping, who yell "kill 'em kill em" when birds are in the decoys...all of it.

But if you want to see something to make your blood boil read the in-depth story in Dakota Country magazine about the "guiding" operation the state and federal guys busted last fall.

Like Flyway Highway, it'll make ya wanna puke.

Other than that fellas, welcome to the New Year!

[firebug]

I think these programs have done more harm than good. Look what it's done to gaining access on some lands. Not only that look what it's done to the cost for the average hunter.

Ask the average hunter in Wyoming what they think. Like a gentleman said earlier its all about the money. I think we all could shoot big bucks if we had a big fat checkbook.

[SnoManX]

Yep, Flyway Highway is the worst show I've seen so far. The director must be his 7 yr. old son because the dialog and "antics" on this show remind me of 2nd grade.

[crazydew]

Ufatz, SnowmanX,

I apoligize if you feel I was endorsing the flyway Hiway. Is their production company part of the problem discussed earlier in this thread? Indeed they are!!! I made that comment, as ill advised as it may seem,because they made me chuckle when they were dressed in full camo playing hockey in Canada. This problem of programming may be generational. It seems that Today's newer hunters (not all and certainly not from the uppermidwest) , want these large kills and think they need all these gadgets and gimicks. And as supply and demand goes... SHAZAM... Here we are. But hopefully as all bad programing tend to do it will weed itself out. You only need to check this site and their huge thread archives to find what you need!!

[giwoyna5]

I guess I'm agreeing to disagree. I remember years ago when I was a kid I would be watching a show and see some guy bag a real nice deer and would run and get my dad, "dad, dad you gotta see this deer this guy shot". My old man just turned to me laughed and said, we could do that too, but we raise cattle instead. Never really watched many after that. Hunting growing up was all about spending time with my dad and my brothers. It was quality time together and kept us out of trouble. We were too worried about getting up early and reloading enough shells that we weren't out causing trouble. Sometimes we had table fare, sometimes we didn't and if you didn't eat venison, duck, fish etc. you didn't go, plain and simple. Now it's the same for me with my son. The things that we talk about while out hunting and fishing are golden. No where else do I get one on one time to talk with him, well about life. Children really need that in this day and age. I'm thankful for my outdoor heritage, and how my father taught me, and would rather my son learn from me that any of those so called experts on TV. OK I'm done......

[Tom7227]

After looking at all the posts I've decided that everyone who's written has to be over 50.

Maybe it is a generation thing. I read someplace that there are 4 stages of being a hunter. I don't remember them all that well, but I really think it's true.

First - shooting anything. Second - being more selective but hogging the game. Third - refined and into tactics and equipment. Fourth - don't care much about results, just being there is enough.

As I've spent time with various people over the years I have seen some that were 50 staying at the second stage, and some at 20 who were in the fourth. Nothing wrong with either - just the way it is.

That is OK when you're out in the field, but I think it's a whole different thing when it's on TV for the world to see. Not everyone who turns on those channels has a hunting or fishing license. I wonder if there's some sort of organization out there that is set up for video makers, and whether they talk about this sort of thing. Anyone know?

[brittman]

Not fifty yet.

Just remember that the they are trying to sell something and keep hunting on your dime.

Location is the key to hunting success the majority of the time. Waterfowl on leased private land. $500 / day SD pheasant hunts (even wild?) and high fence deer hunts in MI, TX etc... How good are the hunters, how much do the products they are hawking really contribute to their success.

My Haydal DR call does just fine and I can replace for about $10 instead of dropping $150.

There is a reason MN hunters are fighting high fence hunting in this state. It is joke that these B&C deer get registered and I really question any B&C elk these days - like to see all elk registed with photcopy of state license and maybe registered in nearest town ... guides and outfitters fine ... let's just keep in fair chase.

[rangerforme]

I watched Eastman's the other day and it was a Elk bowhunt on public land in Wyoming. Basically the hunter and the camera man back packed up about 2 hours into the mountain and saw just a ton of elk. He ended up getting a nice on calling him in. But it was a rough hunt, sleeping in a little tent with no creature comforts, just water and food. Looked like something that anyone could do if you want to work a little. Shows like this i enjoy where joe hunter can actually do it without forking out 6 grand.

[jkcmj]

I think we all need to worry a little less about what the anti's think and concentrate on what we enjoy. I always used to enjoy seeing the bucks/does hanging from the car top or better yet the hood! My brothers and I would count them when going down the road during hunting season. Now the "experts" tell us we should hide this so we don't upset people.

Last I checked you only need to hide something when your doing something wrong. I enjoy hunting and killing my own meet and what society needs is a little exposure to the kills and death and cycle of life so they are not so shocked by it. I grew up plucking chickens and skinning our own hand raised hogs so it all seems natural to me. I make a point of raising a few chickens etc(even though I can buy them cooked at Walmart cheaper) just to give my kids the experience. My kids swing set doubles as the skinning pole.

When I grew up it was all about the meat, filling the freezer when Dad had 9 boys to feed. Now that were a little older, we still try to fill the meat quota, but we try to let the little bucks get bigger to. For the new kids, we let them take whatever they like and both killed 1.5 year old bucks this year. Here is a photo of my son with his 1st buck last year.

[crazyfishinut]

I don't care what they are doing on Gettin Close with Lee and Tiffany. I'd watch her shoot a big buck or paint her finger nails!!! Doesn't matter what she's doing, I'm glued to the TV set.

[papabear]

Awesome show. Not just because of her though. The ones Ive seen they are having fun and enjoying being with hunters.

They have not gotten to the point of the Drury boys and the way they always get monsters. If they are not the faliest show Ive seen. No wonder so many guys think they have to get a trophy or nothing.

[ImissReeds]

papabear, so you're saying you'd like it just the same if it was Gettin Close w/ Lee and Larry???

Come one!

[papabear]

Yeah I would. Most of the time shes wearing camo or parka so oh well. Lee can be a hoot at times and he doesnt appear to be too full of himslef yet,(with a wife like that who would blame him)

But then again the greatest fishing show ever has to be Fish on

Yeah tiffany adds to the show and she can hunt and fish.