[TexasPatriot.308]

May be an old question, but there are lots of TV shows with "deer hunting experts" like Larry Weisuhn, Allen Warren, (I guess hunting expensive, managed lands full of trophy deer makes em experts). these guys expenses are paid for by sponsors and their products are really pushed. How many deer can or do these guys take a year. they hunt Texas, Ohio, Kansas, and some really great ranches all over. is there a limit on the number they can take, say limit out in Texas and do the same in other states? just wondering. as far as "hunting university", I dont think there is anything they can teach me or I want to learn from them. some of the best deer I have taken were after sitting in a smoky room, sitting in a tripod wearing blue denim.

[kyle1974]

if you're hunting on MLD property in texas, there is no specific limit per person.

I guess ol' Larry could teach you a couple things after all ! :D

[TexasPatriot.308]

as far as the MLD everyone knows you got to have money or connections to hunt there, used to be game including white tail belonged to the state of Texas, now it belongs to people with money for high fences. as far as hunting, stalking, tracking aint nothing those "hunters" can teach this 57 year old.

[nathan]

I always see Thompson Center the choice of Larry Weisuhn. The last time he shot a deer several times and finally he got it. All these shows are for intertainment and product endorsements, nothing more . Its a billion dollar industry and competition amongst the sponsors are what drives these pro hunters. It would be nice to be like them traveling to all kinds of places and hunt the best games in their lifetime and get paid for it. But first you have to be a redneck and talk like one (its a plus ), of middle age or past that old age . Sport a goatee and know how to exaggerate once the game is taken. Sorry i havent seen a black or asian in those shows ...

[nathan]

Sad to say, hunting is an elite sport nowadays. If you are in Texas then its a reality. The absence of public lands is a hindrance. Even if the state is easy on gun laws, huntinng is limited for the average Joe. Owning a gun range be it outdoor or indoor ranges would be a money maker.

[kyle1974]

so basically... this thread is just to bash TV hunting personalities?


MLD has absolutely nothing to do with high fences. I know dozens of people that are under the MLD program in texas, and there isn't a high fence within miles of their lease.

as for Larry W. He has around 50 years experience as a wildlife biologist. He has taken hundreds of deer in many parts of the country... he's a professional member of Boone and Crocket... but he doesn't know what he's doing? strange.

Personally, I never make the assumption that I know everything. I'd like to meet Larry. Anyone that is good enough to make a living out of hunting certainly has to know a thing or two to get there...

But to your question... there's no limit a person can take in a year, as long as they follow each state's guidelines. I could kill 50 deer in texas on my MLD place, go to kansas shoot a couple, go to Ohio shoot a couple, maybe shoot one down in Mexico... go to Canada and shoot one.

wouldn't that be the life!

[TexasPatriot.308]

if he's been doing it for 50 years, he would be in his 70s, didnt say he didnt know what he was doing just aint got no use for his promo input or his telling me how to hunt, I probably been hunting longer than him. management deer hunting has taken hunting in Texas away from the average hunter, it is all about $$$$$$ and the current "hunting" shows prove it.

[kyle1974]

when he "tells you how to hunt", that's because you're watching his TV show... I'm guessing he didn't barge into your living room, and demand you listen to his beliefs on hunting.

He's just out there selling a show that some people want to see.... can't make everyone happy.

[Justin Holder]

All I have to say about Larry Weisuhn is that I saw him in a Cabela's once, he's a lot taller in real life. :p

[kyle1974]

I think overall, there are a lot of people in the hunting industry... is it too many?

no.

if it were too many, the industry wouldn't support it. These people all love hunting and have found a way to make money doing it... I just watched a thread thrashing Jack Brittingham after he scored a huge mule deer and elk this year. All kinds of comments about money ruining hunting... blah blah blah.... Jack put a post up there and asked if he was supposed to apologize for being succesful and hunting all over the world... great point. He's doing what many of us can only dream to do.

[janobles14]

all i will say is that i know a few guys on prostaffs and one team on dream season this year. i consider myself pretty good and take my fair share of game. these guys, however, hunt the same places i do and almost ALWAYS outdo me by a good margin. now im not defending or making excuses for them but the results speak for themselves. some people just have the instinct for it. one of the dream season guys and i hunted an area we had never been to and he simply "saw" the area he wanted. i wouldnt have chosen it in a million years, but he was the one who walked away with TWO does and a nice 9 point...in a matter of 3 hours.

[Arkansas Paul]

I don't doubt that these guys know what they're doing. I'm sure they do.
My take on it is that what they're doing on camera isn't real hunting. If it is, there must not be anyone else hunting within 20 miles of them. I enjoy Larry Wiesuhn's show and I also like to watch Bone Collector and Buck Commander. However, if they hunted the woods that we do, they wouldn't be passing on 140" whitetails. If they did, they'd be doing a lot less shooting, I promise you that. You let one of them walk and the guy a half a mile away in the next lease isn't going to. But that's real world hunting. Nobody would buy your products if you were shooting 130" deer I guess.

[kbbailey]

I don't know, I find myself questioning the sportsmanship of some of the 'pro hunters' that I see on TV. I have watched too many of these guys using the latest high tech gear, sitting over some sort of bait attractant, make a mediocre shot, look into the camera and fist-pump and utter the standard, "I SMOKED HIM" line.
I admit, I find myself cheering for the deer.

Oh yea....and "management buck"......(yea right), more like "let's make a TV show" buck.

[ZeroJunk]

I don't understand why ya'll watch that stuff to start with. Particularly if it annoys you.

[Arkansas Paul]

Hey, seeing big bucks beats not seeing them, even if they're in a fence. lol

[TexasPatriot.308]

when these guys smoke a good buck with a .338, then sit in their blind whispering, I cant help but laugh at these "hunters" just a joke to me, too bad they kill some really nice corn fed bucks I will never get the chance to take, much less hunt.

[35 Whelen]

I have to agree that TV hunting shows have had a hand in changing hunting. Twenty years ago, NO ONE asked "...so what'd yer buck score?", or said "...yeah...I watched a xxx-Class buck today..." I personally despise the TV hunting shows. Everything is about the how big the quarry is and not about the hunt. Anymore, if you have money, can ride an ATV, and are a half decent shot, you can kill huge game. It's all about money. That's the very reason I couldn't care less about seeing some gigantic buck that's lived a relatively safe life behind a high fence waiting to mature to the point that he's ready for some wealthy dude to "smoke him".
I never watch hunting shows anymore but have buddies that do so I see them from time to time at get togethers. Can't stand them. If they've have done nothing else, they've taken the personal-ness out of hunting and created the illusion that in order for a hunt to be successful, the game has to score X number of points. The ones I've seen, which are admittedly very few because I can't stand them, seem very unrealistic.

Last year I took my wife hunting and it was one of the most memorable hunts of my life. The buck was a little 8-point, but we literally had to belly crawl up a mesquite and cactus choked draw to get within range. My wife learned how to use the wind to her advantage and how to use the terrain, bushes and trees to get closer. 45 minutes later, she made a nice 120 yd. shot with a 40 year old rifle wearing a 40 year old 4X scope.

I've killed some nice deer and elk but the most memorable hunts were the ones where I really had to work for the game. That's the kind of stuff you won't see on TV.

35W

[Sav .250]

Makes one wonder. They set up hunts all over the place in the intertest of giving the arm-chair hunter an inside look at "always" getting the local brute.
I often wonder where they put all the mounted heads or what happens to the meat.
Seems like some of these "hunters" have shot more big game than the
Indians! Plus, they seem to be able to "draw" a lic for any hard to get amimal at a moments notice, while most(average hunters) have to wait extended periods of time.
Rarely do they come away from the hunt with out bagging some giant. While the average hunter knows that feeling well. :)

[kyle1974]

Wait....you mean these hunting shows are edited in order to fit a 30 minute time frame?

As far as hunting on managed property...it's not as easy as you think. To each their own.....if you haven't done it, I'm not sure how one can be so opinionated about it. I hunted probably 35-40 times before I shot a good deer last year. One of the other guys had a good deer on his trail camera, but never got a shot at the deer. I would guess that if I "edited for TV", it would look rather simple

This thought that people that care to manage their property to have better than average deer are the problem.... Almost sounds like communism in here.

Anyone that has more than I have shouldn't have it.

I don't see how this has ruined hunting... people have always talked about big horns.. always. It's on cave paintings that are tens of thousands of years old! there are more big deer in this country than any point in our lifetimes, so the opportunity to shoot a big deer is better than it has ever been.... but it's harder to do so? I'm not buying it....

[Art Eatman]

The programs are set up as infomercials, and it's obvious that they're selling product.

But separate that out from the scenery and the critters. IMO, best to watch with the sound off. For one thing, that whispering is a serious turn-off for me. An explanatory voice-over in normal tones during the editing process would be far more realistic.

The experienced people, the guides? Hey, they're getting paid and likely having fun. The dudes they take out are also having fun. Seems to me that it doesn't matter if their style of hunting is different from mine.

I certainly agree with 35 Whelen about, "...TV hunting shows have had a hand in changing hunting. Twenty years ago, NO ONE asked "...so what'd yer buck score?", or said "...yeah...I watched a xxx-Class buck today..."

I don't define success in those terms. But, it's not much different from bass tournaments, seems like. Too much emphasis on some sort of "win" or money prizes, and not enough on just having an outdoors experience.

I like shooting a big buck, and doing some bragging, maybe, but the last thing I'd ever bother with would be entering it in a Big Bucks contest. It's not what I go hunting for.

[Nimrod2]

I guess the main reason I dislike *some* outdoor show hosts is that some act like they have really accomplished something when they bag some semi-tame critter that could have easily been bagged by a lame, 90 yeal old crippled person.
Other hosts pretend to be really pumped up over hunts that are routine at best. They just aren't sincere and I will not watch them again...YEAH! LOOK AT THAT MASS!! THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!!!
I grew up hunting public where it was very difficult to shoot any deer at all until you developed the skills needed to learn about your prey and the land you were hunting on. You NEVER saw mature bucks posing in an open pasture during daylight hours.
So when I see some TV hunter knocking over a mostly tame deer or elk, I don't really think they are great hunters- just paid shooters- and I won't watch that program again.
And then there are the bogus hunting products- but that's a different thread.

[35 Whelen]

As far as hunting on managed property...it's not as easy as you think. To each their own.....if you haven't done it, I'm not sure how one can be so opinionated about it. I hunted probably 35-40 times before I shot a good deer last year.


What's not as easy? Shooting a really big buck? What qualifies as good? A score of xxx points?

This thought that people that care to manage their property to have better than average deer are the problem.... Almost sounds like communism in here.

Anyone that has more than I have shouldn't have it.


Not at ALL. Managing property is the property owners business and if that's what he or she want to do, I support them 100%. I absolutely DO NOT prescribe with your final statement in the quote above. I have always and WILL always work for everything I have.
Here's my point: 20-30+ years ago if someone shot a really nice buck or bucks, it meant he was either very lucky or in the case of multiple nice bucks, he was a good hunter. Nowadays, it likely means you have money to essentially raise nice bucks. Nothing at all wrong with that! It just seems silly to brag and high-five over a buck that was essentially raised under controlled conditions.

I love big bucks and will always pick a big rack over a small one, but to me again, it's all about the hunt. The last really nice buck I killed was a 7 1/2 year old, 23 1/2" wide 8-point. My neighbor and taxidermist buddy who mounted him (I hadn't mounted a buck in 20 or so years) told me he missed the Texas Big Game Awards 8-point catagory by fractions of an inch because he had a broken brow tine. (I didn't even know there was such a catagory) But that particular fact means nothing to me. What means the most to me was I beat that buck at his own game. I found and stalked him. THAT to me is what hunting is all about. NOT the size of the rack or how many "points" the rack scored. But hey, for the guys who like to shoot XXX-class bucks that are confined within high fences, more power to you...just don't expect any high fives from me!;)

35W

[kyle1974]

Like I said about... to each their own. I can't figure out why it's always people talking down to trophy hunters though.... keep up the division among hunters, I'm sure it will do the sport a lot of good overall.

35 Whelen, you wouldn't happen to be one of the texas hunter safety instructers that spends class time stating personal opinions about high fence hunting, are you?

[35 Whelen]

I can't figure out why it's always people talking down to trophy hunters though.... keep up the division among hunters, I'm sure it will do the sport a lot of good overall.


I don't so much see/hear people talking down to "trophy hunters", just questioning their motives. Our material teaches several stages of hunters one of which is the Trophy Stage. In this stage, the success of a hunt is defined by how large an animal or antlers of an animal happen to be. It's not division to me, it's just different perspectives. Dig out your Hunter Education manual and check out the 5 stages of a hunter. It's very interesting.

35 Whelen, you wouldn't happen to be one of the texas hunter safety instructers that spends class time stating personal opinions about high fence hunting, are you?

I never insert personal opinion into the departments curriculum. I teach based on two things: The material provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife and my own experience...and since I've never hunted behind a high fence, I have no experience with that.

35W

[kyle1974]

there is a thread on texasbowhunter on a instructer somewhere in the north texas area that was ranting about hunting over feeders and the like in a hunters safety course....

I recall the different stages they teach in that class. just because I go after big deer doesn't mean I do not get other things out of hunting.

see the video below... we didn't kill anything, but this is a great memory for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clR8wzo6aE4


jsut because someone is a trophy hunter doesn't mean they don't appreciate the outdoors....

[Outlaw81]

Hunting shows are complete BS. There are relatively few "real" situations in them and the product pushing just makes the hosts look like whores. If ur a true hunter, u learn from trial and error. Im not even gonna bash people in treestands cause a lot of people are good at it and that's their cup of tee. Kyle, I don't see how u could defend a group of people who's true knowledge of hunting (if they even ever had any) faded long ago. Those shows are simply showing everyone the glamorous side of hunting. Not the reality. I like to compare hunting shows to looking at playboy. Sure it all looks attractive, but how much must the normal Joe shell out for a rack like that?! As far as the limits go, I have been personally told by numerous management officials that they look the other way in Oklahoma. Law enforcement doesn't care about who shoots the animal as long as its checked in legally by someone. Im personal friends with a deer guide, and use to guide myself for extra cash. We did it 100% on public hunting land and still drug out some 180 class deer. It cracks me up that some of the "guides " on those shows couldn't help anyone find a deer on property that doesn't have a tall fence or a feeder nearby. While im on it, trail cameras are a joke too. Who wants to spoil the joy of actually finding deer the old fashion way and hunting them down yourself? This hunting generation needs role models, and the hunting show hosts aren't them. Here's the modest wall of what I've shot in the past few years. Every single deer was shot on the ground less than 100 yards away with no cover scent and at least 400 sq inches of blaze orange on. I don't wear camo either. Bill dance didn't show me where to catch all four of those big bass either!! LOL!!

[kbbailey]

Outlaw81,
Well said. Your entire post is dead-on and a real gem. I share your thoughts.
My son is 20 and watches all the hunting shows. I am grateful that he loves to hunt, but I'm working to ensure that he appreciates the hunt and the animal more than they do on TV.
Again, a great first post.

[Outlaw81]

Thanks Bailey. I honestly think that everyone needs an old school mentor to show em how its done from scouting to responsible marksmanship.

[kyle1974]

So once again, it's about the money. In order to be "real hunting", it has to be public land, or some place that game barely exists. They could be in the middle of no where, but if anything better than average is killed, it must be tame...never mind the fact that some of these people are professional hunters. I guess sports are fake too...those guys endorse products, they're all FOS just like Larry weishuhn and those boys from primos calls.


What makes you think all these deer are tame? Because they got into range while video taping? Maybe an exciting show would be where no deer showed up, or if they did, the hunter was busted before they got into range. Sheer adrenaline rush.



Where did you catch those bass?

[Outlaw81]

Kyle they're aren't completely tame. The shows are about the $ and endorsement. My cattle aren't completely tame either but, if I drive to the same spot in the pasture every week shaking a sack of cubes out, I can pretty much tell where they're gonna be everytime. Deer are creatures of patterns. That's why people who wish to get paid for hunting or look good on TV are ALWAYS seen hunting next to a feeder, food plot, or cornfield. Deer that are taken on public land usually are scared and skiddish as hell. Far more than deer on ranches. I've got 650 acres that I don't deer hunt on for that reason. The deer don't run, and if they do, its not far. If u are a guide, im not trying to insult ur way of earning a living. I did it myself for almost ten years. Im simply pointing out the fact that what is done on hunting TV is simply not the way it is. The deer are usually fed some crap to promote antler growth and let to an unknowing slaughter from a food source they've come to trust. Deer on public land are allowed to be wild deer. They eat acorns and normal deer food. Half the fun is guessing where they're at. Someone also pointed out that 20 years ago u never heard of people speaking about the inches in a rack. No one cared about that nonsense till deer hunting became commercialized. The only reason I know my largest deer was a 193 3/8 is the game warden that was at the check station measured it. Otherwise I was gonna take a bunch of pics and send its butt to the slaughter house. After that, I got feature in the sports section of the local newspaper and won a $100 Big Buck pot that I never heard of. The only reason the head is mounted was the tribe im a part of had it done as an achievement and to this day its at our capital in the courthouse. The game warden just knew it was close to a state record but it was 3" short at the time. I can honestly say I was completely satisfied that my father was able to drive me to pick the deer up and see what I had accomplished thanks to him. You see, deer hunting is something that shouldn't be.commercialized, it should be held as a treasured bonding time between family and friends. I caught the two under the racks at McGee creek reservoir in farris OK. They were in may and June on buzzbaits. I don't usually keep bass that are eight pounds but I wanted to try out a taxidermist. The bigger two.on the table are a 10 1/2 caught on Hugo lake in 98 and the other was an 11 1/2 caught at the same place in 04. I had those done by a better taxidermist. I only had those mounted cause bass over ten pounds are harder to catch than a ten point Buck on public land. And yes, all the hunting show guys are fos for the fact that they say their products are the best. That is false. The only TV guy I had respect for was tred barta. He loved hunting grizzly on the ground with a recurve bow. He was just a rich guy that financed his own hunting show. He's dead now tho. People like ted nugent, the guys from promos, bill Jordan, and Jim shockey should be ashamed for selling out. But to each his own. I don't lose sleep over being fake.

[kyle1974]

the boone and crocket club was founded over 100 years ago, and began score keeping and big game competitions in 1947. I assure you 20 years ago, people were talking about what a deer scored.I agree that it's much more common these days, but I can promise 20-30-40 years ago, people were talking about what a deer scored. Here are some links to different contests... all over 25 years old. The muy grande contest was established almost 50 years ago.

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/2010/10/04/hunting_big-game-hunting_ga_0706_01/

http://muygrandevillage.com/

http://www.loscazadores.com/

http://www.globalpc.net/angadiwebnl/english/whoweare.htm

http://main.colablanca.net/




if you're not into score, no big deal. If you like hunting pulic land.... no big deal. I don't go out of my way telling people their way of hunting is BS. What's the issue with other people complaining about trophy hunting, or high fence hunting? If it weren't for high fence hunting, there would be numerous species of exotics that would be extinct... now there are large enough populations to hunt and reintroduce to their native areas. The high fence ranch I hunt on sponsors charity hunts every year, in particular a hunt for wounded warriors that get the chance to come out and shoot a great deer. I guess it's not real hunting for those guys though.... some of the ones that lost their legs and are confined to a wheel chair should be told their deer doesn't count, unless it's off public land. I know several other high fence ranches that do the same thing.


I'm not defending their endorsement of products, it's no different than anyone endorsing shaving cream or golf clubs.... get over it, it's the world we live in. some products are good, others are crap... I use practically none of it. however, you guys sound like the kids in a record store that whine when their favorite underground band signs a record deal....because their band isn't "keeping it realZ"


When did Tred Barta die? last I heard he was still hunting out of his wheelchair.

[Art Eatman]

One thing that continually amazes me is the amount of emotion over a silly TV show, or how one hunter can get all negative about other folks' ways of doing things.

The open grassy plains aren't the same as mesquite-brush country. Forested mountains aren't the same as jungle-y swamps. Terrain and vegetation force different styles on hunters. Big deal. So what?

High-fence pastures are to keep other deer from coming in to the smorgasbord of improved habitat, to maintain a proper size of herd at or below the carrying capacity of the land. Keep them out, not hold them in. Dunno why that's so hard to learn. I guess it's easier for those of us who learned about carrying capacity when we were kids on the ranch. :)

And God invented the Clicker so one need not be offended by any TV program of whatever sort.

[Outlaw81]

Ur right on two counts. Those ranches benefit folks who otherwise wouldn't be able to hunt and the man is still alive!! Geez I didn't know he DIDN'T die. I understand that those trophy systems have been around for years but only recently did everyone start taking it seriously. Like it's a damn competition. Different folks go to different lengths to do what I sometimes take for granted. Although I do like to say that people who say they're REALLY hunting on ranches is like a crackhead comparing his buzz to a runner's high!!! Lmao!! Y'all be good. I gotta go feed my cows before the deer get up here!!!

PS: Art's a dork!! ;-)

[Art Eatman]

A whitetail deer's "home turf" is rarely more than a section of land. What, then, is the difference between hunting on public land vs. hunting on private land? I've done both, and I fail to see any difference.

In the 90% of all ranches that are not high-fence, deer go wherever they want. Again, aside from one's right of trespass, what's the difference in the way one hunts? Walking/stalking is walking/stalking in either case. Same for sitting.

[Sheepdog1968]

I like hunting shows. My guess is that a season worth of shows runs somewhere on the order of 20 to 24 episodes. Probably a third of their shows will involve deer so they only likely need to fill 6 to 8 tags a season. Not too hard if you go to several different states.

[Sheepdog1968]

A whitetail deer's "home turf" is rarely more than a section of land. What, then, is the difference between hunting on public land vs. hunting on private land? I've done both, and I fail to see any difference.

In the 90% of all ranches that are not high-fence, deer go wherever they want. Again, aside from one's right of trespass, what's the difference in the way one hunts? Walking/stalking is walking/stalking in either case. Same for sitting.
From my perspective is that on private land you might have less people and potentially reduce the risk of getting shot. Also, on private land, it's possible to make the land have more abundant food and water and minerals so you may get healthier bigger animals. One year I went hog hunting on private land that was on a vineyard. I think there were three of us hunting that day over a decent size plot of beautiful land.

[kbbailey]

the amount of emotion over a silly TV show

Whoa...wait a minute.
I could care less about the shows. I am concerned about the taking of our game animals solely for the porpose of making a TV show. I don't see the respect for the animal that I think they deserve.I think there may be an entire generation that thinks the best part of a hunt is the kill, and everything leading up to that is just necessary work. If you don't want to do it, you can pay someone to do it for you. All you have to do is show up and make the shot. They're missing the whole point. Think about it while you're watching your next show, and the host bursts into laughter when he 'spines' an unsuspecting deer or elk.

[buck460XVR]

jsut because someone is a trophy hunter doesn't mean they don't appreciate the outdoors....

Kyle....there's a big difference between a Trophy "Hunter" and a Trophy "Shooter". A Trophy hunter scouts his area and patterns the local deer. He knows where they feed and where they sleep. He then makes plans on how to hunt accordingly. A Trophy shooter pays for the privilege to hunt deer someone else has already scouted and to use a stand or blind that is already set up. Many times these are captive animals trained their whole life to come to feeders. Having $5000-$10,000 cash to pay for a trophy deer does not make you a trophy hunter......it makes you a trophy shooter. Sitting in a box stand waiting for that 180 class buck to come out in the food plot, because someone else told you he'd be there sooner or later, does not make you a Trophy Hunter.....it makes you a Trophy shooter.

Most of those TV celebrities were and still are good hunters. Most truly appreciate the outdoors....that's what got them into hunting before the money came around. They just don't have time to really hunt anymore. The problem is they do not get paid to hunt deer, they get paid to shoot deer and to use and endorse the products made by the sponsors. True hunting would never be successful enough to create a whole season of shows to air. It take too much time, success rates are too low and the majority of the animals would only be of average quality. To endorse a shooting preserve or game farm one must shoot a captive deer off it. This is not a bad thing....it just is not true hunting. If you believe those folks on TV are really hunting, I assume you still put out cookies and carrots on Christmas Eve.

[Outlaw81]

Amen!!

[Art Eatman]

kbbailey, as you and buck460XVR pointed out, it's the TV money and the sale of advertising which drives these shows.

No different from what's happened to Nascar racing. What with money, technology and spotters, a trained ape could finish fourth.

I've never figured out how to stop the changes engendered by the application of large amounts of money. Nothing against change, but not all changes are for the better. So, I don't pay much attention to most of what's on TV.

About all that I can see to do for us "little guys" is to talk about the package of hunting. It goes back to Sr. Ortega y Gassett's view: "One does not hunt in order to kill. One kills in order to have hunted." But it's a package, IMO, including being outdoors and seeing critters, and of an evening having a good BS session around a campfire.

[glockgod]

Let's get one thing straight-these aren't "hunting shows" these are "KILLING shows".
Having worked at a retail store selling hunting licenses I can also give you a news flash. A LOT of the "deer hunters" I see are either lazy or stupid. The Division of Wildlife could trim millions of dollars from their budgets by eliminating hunting law booklets for these "hunters". After all, it's the responsibility of the license agent to hold their hand while they're in the woods so they don't break any laws. More than a few times I've handed a "hunter" a rule book only to be told "I don't have time to read that!" Sorry Charlie-If you ain't got time to read the rules you ain't got time to deer hunt either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There-rant over. Now I feel better.

[jimmyraythomason]

A LOT of the "deer hunters" I see are either lazy or stupid. Wow,you learned all that by selling hunting licenses? I REALLY wish I hadn't stopped by this thread! Bottom line;if you don't like the shows...don't watch the shows.

[MCgunner]

if he's been doing it for 50 years, he would be in his 70s,

Why? I'm 59 in November. I started when I was 10, shot my first buck at age 11. My grandpa left me alone in that blind, too. That would mean I've been hunting 49 years, right? So, if Larry started when I did, he'd be 60, right? He looks about my age, about the same amount of grey hair. :D

I don't really watch the deer hunting stuff anymore. I still like to watch the bird hunting shows, rather do it myself, but don't mean I can't watch one. Yeah, they're infomercials. I can dream about where I could go if I were rich, like Argentina. :D I saw Tom Knapp in Argentina once. He was missing a lot of birds. I was shocked. I figured that guy couldn't miss if he tried. LOL! These birt hunting shows don't put themselves up as any kind of "experts" so much as they're usually hawking an outfitter. I don't much get off to the "you have to use com-er deer or dead down wind or whatever crap they're trying to say I "need". I don't mind hearing about the outfitters, though. Hell, some day I might win the lotto and be able to try some of those guys out.

[kbbailey]

No different from what's happened to Nascar racing

OK, but Nascar isn't making $$ by shooting deer/game that supposedly belong to the public.

[Double Naught Spy]

OK, but Nascar isn't making $$ by shooting deer/game that supposedly belong to the public.

So? What is your point?

[Art Eatman]

kbbailey, it's all about the sponsors and their money as they hustle the viewer to buy the products.

The TV folks went to the sporting goods manufacturers, saying they could help sell product. Same as a Nascar team owner telling all manner of business folks that he can help sell product. "Sponsor my deal, and sell!"

So, for a bunch of city folks who've never hunted (and many never will, but dream), the shows tell them about a version of, "This is how it is." That's what TV does. Kinda like watching the NFL or the NBA: Dream of being a part of something without ever leaving the couch.

[kyle1974]

no... nascar is just making money by polluting the atmosphere with vehicles that burn huge amounts of fuel, and have practically no emmissions equipment. So how does that go for the environment?


There are plenty of outfitters making money of a public resource too. There are plenty of fishing guides making money off a public resource. Wasn't someone complaining earlier that most of these hunting shows are in high fence ranches? If so, how does the general public benefit from those animals?

This whole "respect for the animal" thing goes a little far sometimes. Most people try to make ethical shots, but what do you expect people to do when they kill an animal? eat part of the heart, and use the blood to make a cave painting out of? Should they start crying when they kill it instead of saying "hell yeah!"? It's just a deer... there are hundreds of thousands killed every year. Dead is dead, and as long as people aren't torturing animals, I'm not sure what you expect to see.

[kbbailey]

Ooooookay, it's plain to see that I am having difficulty making my point so I will try to make a graceful exit.
But first, let me say that as a landowner, the local deer population does a significant amount of damage to my crops every year. I am not an "animal lover" in the PETA sense. I have killed deer for 34 yrs, and in every legal manner. However I do have respect and admiration for the old bucks and bulls that i see the TV stars look at and shoot with $$ in their eyes. When I see the "star" "smoke" the umpteenth buck of the year....I think that's one less for the rest of us workin' stiffs to get to hunt. But hey, at least I got to watch right??

[Double Naught Spy]

If the "star" is hunting legally, just like you claim to do, you don't have any real position to argue against the hunt or the fact that it is on TV. Yes, if the "star" shoots a buck, that is one less for everyone else. Every time you shoot a buck, it is one less for everyone else.

And those "stars" are working stiffs too, you know. They just make a business out of working in television and you don't.

If they are hunting illegaly, poaching, that is one thing, but if they are hunting legally, just like you, then deal with it. They are just as entitled as you are to be hunting.

[Art Eatman]

All of us have pretty well wandered away from the original issue, so let's put this one to bed...