Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why do hunting shows suck so bad?

My favorite is a guy named Bob Foulkrod. He always misses the shot. I've seen his program half a dozen times and he always misses the animal. Unreal.

Isn't all television pretty much ......... STOOPID?

I haven't had cable (or sat) for over 21yrs. Other than HNIC, there's nothin on.


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I also like Walker's Cay, Spanish Fly is also pretty good. I like these shows because they usually are fly fishing in tropical places. A lot of guys aren't into that and would rather see a show focused on fishing in other places. Larry Dahlberg's show isn't bad either. I enjoy that he travels to a lot of really off the beaten track places to fish. Places that don't really even have guides, lodges, etc.

One of my favorites was Fly Fishing the World. I think this is now being run on the OLN network, which I don't get. It was sponsored, I think, by Ford and was really well done. They would have a guest actor and it usually took place at a top flight high end fishing lodge.

It all boils down to sponorship. If you have the backing, you can put something really nice together. I like the format of having a famous actor or sports star as a guest and I wouldn't mind seeing a good combination of top hunting and fishing trips.

I have never watched one "hunting show", so I guess I haven't missed anything. Never owned cable or satellite either. I hear a lot of family and friends complain there is "nothing on" and they have dozens of channels when I have 5.
The way of the world I guess.

Not much into the hunting shows either, but I am looking forward to see JB on Benelli's show. It was the dove show today so maybe next week I'll get to watch it. Off the subject but I got lucky at the bargian cave at Cabelas and picked up a pair of Burris 12x50 Signature Selects for a $180 that were demo models at the store. Pretty nice piece of glass for the money.

That is a heck of a deal on a good binocular!

I missed the BOA show myself. We were putting up about 3 gallons of cherries from the tree in our yard (which we planted 10 years ago), which seemed more important.

Working up cherries is quite a job, but the reward is well worth it. That brings back a lot of memories of from when I was a kid and we still had cherry trees. Dad was a slave driver!

We have pretty much converted the "vegetable" garden to fruit of some sort the past few years. There's not only
a cherry tree, but pear, apple and plum trees--and a big raspberry patch, which we'll pick tomorrow. We do still grow a big tomato patch, some beans and all the usual salad stuff. Also come corn and a BIG horseradish patch.

Mix them with some big game and we have a good meal!

Have you seen the new show, "On Your Own Adventures?" It is public land hunting with no guides, no canned hunts and the guy sometimes gets skunked. If you're complaining about the guided, high dollar hunts these guys all go on, check out this show. It's on the Outdoor Network, Friday night but I'm not sure of the time. And no, I am not connected with it in any way, shape or form. I just found it a nice change from all the other shows.

I like "On Your Own Adventures" as it's more like real hunting. Tom Knapp's, Jim Shockey's, Jim Zumbo's shows are enjoyable, but most of all I like "Obsession" by Mossy Oak where they discuss what went right and wrong on a hunt, pretty informative.
Most are just advertising. I get really tired of watching "celebrities" hunt with show hosts on game farms using guides. Like real people could ever afford that.
I realize there's no way to show the commaraderie, the personal enjoyment of a hunt in a 30 minute show, or even an hour. The old shows, Curt Gowdy and others as mentioned already, were so good because they were real life. Hunting shows today have multiple takes on a scene to get them right, and you can tell by looking that the game, when "found", has been "walked up on" and handled several time before the take got on the show. I think it would be better if they just shot it as it happens, and keep rolling when there's a goof-up. While they routinely leave the animal out over night, so they have light to film the "find", I would never do that in real life.
It's all just so contrived and fake as to cheapen the sport.
So glad to find this thread. I've had these feelings for years, but thought I was the only one since they keep doing the same stuff show after show. Don't they listen, or is no one telling them?

American Sportsman was the Best, the 1960's Bing Crosby and Phil Harris, they were fun to watch. The other night I could not sleep so I caught some hunting porn on Vs. It was Trea Barta, Best and Wost of Trea Barta. I should have just drank a half a pint of Jack Daniels. Man it was tough to watch him try to shoot a duck with a long bow.

Now that's the best show out there IMHO. One could actually learn something while watching it. And no screaching so called music!
I like Shockey and Tracks Across Africa also. Most others I have to be really bored to watch. Honestly, I have been known to watch Tiffany a time or two. Sometimes with the sound off.

As for those T/Cs. I got one last year and love it. Actually took two critters with it.

The quote of this thread

I think the key to these shows and these forums is moderation. Too much of anything will make you callus. I enjoy the shows but I probably don't watch more than 5 or 6 a year.

Terry

I've stated that if I could go hunting with one of the hunting show guys he would be the one. Good hunter.

Primos put out a video called Big Game Hunting Out West, or something along those lines. Brad spotted a huge mule deer bedded down about a mile away. Took a bow and walked right up to it in this wide open field. I mean he walked right up to it without so much as a sapling for cover. Then he missed the shot. :p

Still it was probably the most exciting footage I've seen on deer hunting in my life.

Will

If I remember right Jim Shockey was an Obama supporter and almost as bad, he mentions that roundballs simply don't kill well. He and Zumbo are on my can't watch list.

One show I do enjoy a lot is Eastman's. Those guys actually hunt some of the same ranges I have and it is a hoot recognizing landmarks while they are hunting. I think they have things seriously figured out for western hunting.

If some of these shows, that are done well, help to encourage some kids who would otherwise not get exposed to hunting then I am all for them. Don't like them, switch the channel.

I have a hard time watching Zumbo, even though I kind of like him, after he went on his AR bashing spree. If it weren't for military weapons we wouldn't have much to hunt with. Wonder where he thinks his beloved bolt rifle came from?

Shockey is a Canadian...

Zumbo is a Dumbo...

I still say Ken Barrett and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership make the best hunting show, by quite a bit .

Dennis

I couldn't agree more. Those are my two faves too. I'll admit I watch an awful lot of 'em though, at least until college football starts there's really nothing much else I like.

I agree Bob, though I did enjoy the show where Tiffany was shooting flying carp with a bikini top on.

Shockey left me cold in the show where he let the PH go in and kill his wounded Leopard..I have not watched it since, however I will give him credit in the fact that he told it like it was and didn't hide it..most would have..

I curl up in a ball and go into convulsions sometimes as they pass up one shot after another on a true trophy class animal waiting for it to pose broadside, but then I suppose you can do that when your bushwacking!

I don't like most of the shows, the hunters are too silly, and come across as that when they get an animal down IMO..Maybe its just poor acting skills and hey, there is no need to whisper after the animal is shot!! Some of those shows sound like an obscene phone call!

Sometimes they are mildly entertaining at best, but all this is my personal opinnion and I don't mean to enflict it on anyone else, just my take on the posters question.