[tchunter_va]

here lately i have been watching some of the hunting shows on the outdoor channel and the so called pros hunt over bait, food plots and inside high fences how can you call that hunting? hunting like this you know your going to kill big bucks i have also saw them shoot and kill deer at 300 plus yards the deer dont even know your there to me this is just killing deer not hunting i believe in fair chase hunting being up close to the deer

 

[Hunterdave]

Amen brother! And its all for the almighty dollar. And everyone calls these guys experts and their hunting heroes. Bunch of edited crap.

 

[tchunter_va]

you said it dave and after watching these shows most people wont even think about killing a doe they want that big rack well you need to kill some does to keep the deer in check and i have no problem with that either

 

[buckfever]

I very rarely watch hunting shows. Anymore you dont know if there staged hunts or not. I like the regular hunter, whether he is a big buck hunter or a freezer filler hunter. The folks that I would consider to be the pros of deer hunting are these guys that consistently take deer that are mature on a yearly basis. On their own land or private land they lease. Not on some buck ranch. They dont have a scout team , they do it all theirself or with a couple hunting buds.

 

[wmi]

I have a slightly different view. Most of these pro hunters have more than paid their dues long before you knew their name as hunters. What we need to keep in mind is all of this we watch is TV full of commercial advertising, ratings that have to be met, multiple successful hunts that must be filmed, etc... all for our viewing entertainment. The key word is entertainment. All of these people are not much different than ourselves with families, mortgages, and other bills that need to be paid. Most involved in this occupation are not wealth but closer to flat broke. Very few in the over all numbers of people involved ever make anything that could be considered a comfortable living. Most are what you might call hunting bums that due to their passion for hunting or the outdoors don't have any other choice but to try to make a living out of it. Yes there is for lack of better words a lot of editing that takes place and no mention of those who did the real scouting and placement of stands but it is all for our viewing entertainment. Cut some of these guys/gals some slack at least we get to see some great looking animals on TV even if we don't see them in our woods-------YET. LOL After all you don't expect to see Batman, Spider man, or Robocop walking through your yard except for maybe Halloween and even then it is for entertainment. I have to agree with Buckfever there are many out there that get the job done year after year that you will never hear their name or see the story of all the work put into taking of trophy class animals off of non-trophy managed lands. We all however if you really pay close attention to a few of these shows can pick up valuable little pieces of information that could help you on your next hunt. Over all the biggest plus to the TV personalities is they are spreading the word of our great sport to help keep our hunting heritage safe and strong for the future. Don't look down on them but give them a pat on the back for all of their hard work and time away from home to help us enjoy hunting even if we ourselves can not be there. Thousands of young hunters every year join our ranks because of the excitement they see on the TV screen. Now if we could only get rid of all of the rest of the garbage like gangs, killing, and drugs that ooze from most other popular shows we all would enjoy a better community where ever we call home.:yes:

 

[Hunting Man]

Pretty good post WMI! I see it this way: For those who want to pay big prices for shooting a animal more power to them. They have the money and someone has the managed property, so what. For those of us who see this type of shooting game as something we wouldn't do, why should we condemn others for doing it? Personally, I don't think much of running dogs for deer, but its legal in some areas, I don't loose any sleep over it. The most important thing each of us as individuals must make is how we want to hunt, pick those we want to hunt with, and then sit back and enjoy ourselves. Life is simply too short to be consumed with negative thoughts or criticism of others. I've carved out my style of hunting over the years and wouldn't change too much except, I wish I had traveled to great buck states and tried for a giant buck and yes I would have paid an outfitter for the oppertunity to hunt their property. This would have to be fair chase on open property. That's the view from here.

 

[nimrod62]

i couldnt agree with hunting man more , i watch these videos for the same reason i read bow hunting , guns and ammo magazines, field and stream ,etc for the entertainment when the seasons are over and i cant get to the woods , there are many reasons for why and how some hunters hunt , being it terrain , age and or disabilities that dont allow one to hunt the way they would like to , when i was young i used to love being a driver on a deer drive , but now my heart says yes and my body says " what are you out of your d--- mind " ?