Why I've lost interest in hunting shows.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I have noticed that as well. Lots of bad looking penetration. I think it has alot to do with mechanical broadheads. Some could be hitting the offiside shoulder though.

[Doc]

I have noticed that as well. Lots of bad looking penetration. I think it has alot to do with mechanical broadheads. Some could be hitting the offiside shoulder though.

I was thinking mechanicals also, but I didn't want to start everybody hitting me over the head with their favorite broadheads ..... lol.

[G-Man]

far shots, mech broadheads, low poundage bows for the women... idk... havent watched a hunting show in about 2 years don't really miss it... the biggest problem they create is unrealistic evpectations for new hunters, and a few wanbe's .. my friends daughters 10years old a few years ago decided to sit with their dad in a blind to hunt... after 10 min they turned to him and asked where are the deer like on tv daddy... talk about a let down for him... try explaining that its not like on tv and then why they hunt where/how they do... all the time trying to get your kids into hunting.....

[Doc]

far shots, mech broadheads, low poundage bows for the women... idk... havent watched a hunting show in about 2 years don't really miss it... the biggest problem they create is unrealistic evpectations for new hunters, and a few wanbe's .. my friends daughters 10years old a few years ago decided to sit with their dad in a blind to hunt... after 10 min they turned to him and asked where are the deer like on tv daddy... talk about a let down for him... try explaining that its not like on tv and then why they hunt where/how they do... all the time trying to get your kids into hunting.....

Yeah, these shows really do make hunting look like something super-easy. Makes people wonder what's wrong with you that you don't get your 12 point buck every year ..... lol. Geez dad, how long will it be until you finally get smart enough to do this like everybody else?

I guess I never thought about how it might effect perspective future hunters when they learn that TV hunting is not the way it really is. It's kind of hard to teach patience and realism in the first place without these shows portraying hunting as something that is quick and easy.

I think the other place where the ficticious expectations really is having a negative effect is on hunters that should know better. I think that a lot of the hunter drop-outs may just be because of unrealistic expectations based on TV programs. these shows have created a new standard of success that we never had years ago. I think experienced hunters really know better, but cannot help but be affected by seeing harvests on TV that make it look like some of the game-farm hunt results are the norm that they themselves should be expecting. It could be that hunters are now demanding more of themselves than is practical and perhaps getting more discouraged than they have a right to be.

[skyhunter]

I recorded one last week that I recently watched. A guy shot at a nice buck and I could clearly see that he hit 2-3" below the spine above the guts. I thought, Good luck tracking that one! He got down and both he and his guide looked at the arrow and said it was a "clean miss" and both commented that it is a lot better than a bad hit. My jaw dropped, as I clearly saw the arrow hit 2-3" below the spine! I rewound the recording and watched it ~10x, in slow motion, and clearly saw the arrow hit the deer. That drove me NUTS!! If they were going to flat out LIE about the bad hit, then they should have edited out the shot!

I would agree that the footage you often get is not in line with the story being told. They often cover up bad hits, sometimes even showing a recovery with a substituted dead animal that was not the one shot at and hit poorly.

Yes the result of a miss is better than a bad hit but they also don't tell the real truth about misses either. I've seen Ciancirullo laughing about a guys repeated misses, when the real truth is that when looking at it from a shot accuracy standpoint a bad hit is a more accurate shot than a clean miss. They show the miss as a no harm no foul, when in reality it's very foul and really stinks. Guys that miss alot wound 2X as many that are not recovered, but again they cover up the truth about guys that miss alot.

Ever notice how many spine shots they show you? Why?; because the animal went down and that is the best footage they can deliver. They also act like great shot that was when the arrow dropped the deer in it's tracks, when we all know they were an inch away from another wounded non recovered animal. We also know guys that act like that do also miss the spine by that inch frequently and they don't recover a pile of those deer as well. That's why they act like fools when they get lucky and one drops.

Yep, there are only a few guys on TV that do it with class; Mike from Heartland Bowhunters and Greg Miller to name a couple. They tell the true stroy of what happened. Unfortunately many of the rest are still dragging their knuckles around while they climb into their treestands.

Edited September 25, 2011 by skyhunter

[skyhunter]

What has been amazing me lately on some of these shows is the terrible penetration that some of these guys are getting. I seem to recall that almost all the other programs of the past featured a lot of "pass-throughs". That's good. But on many of the shows that I have seen recently, it sure looked like they were only getting around 7 or 8 inches. Awful lot of arrow sticking out the near side. They always seem to get their deer, but frankly I would be real nervous with that little penetration and their sure wouldn't be a whole lot of celebrations until I actually had that critter laying at my feet.

Anybody else noticing that?

Yes, all the time. Looks like most of the arrow is sticking out and often falls out of the near side, yet they whoop and holler it up like that was a great hit. I think they do this with every shot taken and then when they get the dog out and sometimes find the deer, then they have their early celebration footage to fall back on like there was "no doubt". These guys are priceless.

One thing can be noted about some of these lack of penetration shots is that sometimes it is the result of hitting leg bone up front. Arrows can even penetrate both lungs and bounce back and fall out the near side when the hitting the far shoulder or some meaty part of leg bone.

All in all though, I agree with your point. The footage today is just sloopy. When I make a good hit the arrow is almost always sticking in the ground behind where the animal was standing, but you don't often see that on todays TV shows.

[Karpteach]

I agree that most of the hunting shows are BS. There is one show/guy that is down to earth that is Roger Raglin(idk aboutspelling). Good guy and fairly descent show.

[gjs4]

Theyre all commercials...heck- even most the videos have gone that route....they prey on the lazy thinking some product will be the magic key to score a big buck....NY hunters are the worst imo....Gander in Buffalo is sold out of just about every kind of (illegal) bait....the Acorn Rage, Trophy Rocks, etc...... hard work one the front side is key.... These shows are all outfitter based fully endorsed farts in the direction of true hunters who have to deal with outrageous hunter denisty and so called state management organizations...

[pawle76]

I agree that most of the hunting shows are BS. There is one show/guy that is down to earth that is Roger Raglin(idk aboutspelling). Good guy and fairly descent show.

Yeah I watch Ole' Roger Raglin. But he's an old school legend. He reminds me of my Dad or some of the older guys he used to hunt with. I wouldn't lump him in with the rest of the "Hollywood" Hunting "Pros" (I use that word loosely).

[wdswtr]

Yes I agree Roger Raglin is a good show and teaches as he goes. I couldnt believe the one I was watching late last night. Ultimate Shot. It has to be the biggest oximoron to the name Ultimate shot I have ever seen. This dude went to hunt in africa, his bow was cranked up so high he just about shit his pants everytime he drew it back, He took shots over 80 yards with animals in very very thick heavy cover and you could barely make out the outline of the animal on the tv. He wings and arrow in there and you see it hit a large rotten limb and wood is flying everywhere, he then claims it was a clean miss. This jack ass then proceeds to move on and jumps what he thought was another animal and takes another shot through tall grass at this thing completely broadside and it was very easy to see he completley missed, then he runs up to the dead animal the bushmen with him find his arrow and point out there no blood on it but low and behold there lays the dead deer lol. Then the bushman points out that there is a broadhead sticking out its ass and they find the first shot entering right in the front shoulder and indeed it was the first arrow he shot. They never once looked for his first arrow and to find blood or any kind of follow up they just got dumb lucky they jumped it again by accident. The dude then continues on to say they desperately need camp meat as they been out of meat for a week but yet he passes on several animals claiming he cant bring himself to shoot a female. The next one he shoots at was at 50 yards and he clearly missed it again and said that the problem is the extreme heat is effecting the flexability of his bow limbs and that is the cause of all his misses, yeah its got nothing to do with shooting through thick brush 80 yards away right. Next one he shoots at you see the animal running away with and arow stuck in its lower left leg and they are all happy and shit celebrating to walk up and find the dead animal yards from where they shot it. The funny part about that was if you paid attention when he shot the camera had his arm in view with his watch on it and it had 935 on it and when he was holding up the animal again you could see his watch and it had 847 on it lol. Ultimate Idiot is more like it. That was the biggest joke of a hunting show I have ever seen.

[huntography]

Huntography, just saw your trailer and have to say it looks different, Looks real.

Thanks! I film everything as it happens. Can't wait to start filming again in 3 days!

- Rudy

[mbucks27]

Hey Rudy,

What kind of camera do you use to film with? do you self film or do you have a partner?

John

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Jiminey christmas you guys are hard on these hunters that get paid to do what they do.Most times its a landowner that calls such andsuch big names and tells them there is this big buck hanging out in their woods.Then pro hunter pays x amount to the land owner to hunt that deer for a week. Then again sometimes they just let them in the gate and say see you at supper.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

What I'm seeing this season on tv is more misses and unsuccessful hunts, but because they have a "Pro staff", it just so happens that another hunter from the team is on the other side of the farm. Then they show that hunt were someone else bags one. I'll bet money that the top ten guys on this forum do better than any hunting show, given the same opportunities.