I was told by a VERY reputable source in the industry that there are now so many corn freeders in Texas that there is a "deer call" that makes the sound of one of those noxious things spinning and spilling out the corn - and the deer come running. This is destroying our sport becauese this ain't hunting.
Next on my list of "who came up with that idea" is the "Hunting Competition" shows wherein several widely known, and once respected "hunters" draw sections of a Texas ranch and go out to see who can kill the biggest deer. This, also, is NOT hunting, it is a competition that is designed to get good ratings and sell "stuff" - especially the casnned deer hunts that Texas has become famous for creating and nurturing. We all need to remember that hunting was the first grocery store, it was NOT a competition. We hunted, and many, many of us still do, to put food on the table - to retain the bond to our past - and to, God willing, pass on a REAL hunting heritasge to our kids, grand-kids, and their kids.
And last, but not least, are the shows that are so transparently fake that I literally can't watch them. You know what I mean; when the "hunter" and guide kill the game, it runs off and they "track it" until they "find" it on camera. Then there are several minutes of back slapping and congratulatory "nice shot," great shot" or "perfect shot."
It is sad that the producers can't see past a quicki buck and actually add value to the hunt by TEACHING many of the difficult to learn parts of hunting - TRACKING comes to mind - GUTTING an ungulate also comes to mind, over my fifty plus years of hunting I can not remember how many deer I have eviscerated because the guy that5 shot the deer didn't know ONE step in the simple process and would have either left the meat to rot, or destroyed the meat while removing the entrails.
We deserve better.
Terry
