Justin

For those of you who watch Bowhunting TV shows, what are your likes and dislikes about what you see with today's shows?

I'm looking for the specifics and the "little things" that make your favorite shows stand out above the rest to you. Is it the personality of the people on the show? Is it the quality of the footage? The number of kills in each episode? The places or game they hunt? The knowledge you learn during their shows?

And I'm also looking for the little things that drive you nuts that will make you not want to watch that show again. Whether it's product sponsorships, too many commercials, bad shots, bad camera work, bad hosts, bad info, etc.

Let's hear it - the good and the bad, and what your perfect bowhunting/deer hunting TV show would be. Does there have to be a kill in every show, or would you settle for a guy who hunts his heart out and comes up short?

Discuss.

txjourneyman

I think the perfect show would be a guy like Tred without the arrogance. He is just so full of himself. I do like how he will show misses and other blown opportunities or even a show with no opportunities. I would like to see a show with a guy, (me?), hunting on public land or an "average" lease. All fair chase, and all bowhunting. Maybe alternate every other week between trad and compound. I would like to see a tips section, and a gear section that is unbiased. Maybe a traveling public land show. State to state, all public.
What turns me off is the televised hunts on private game preserves and ranches that cost eleventy-two thousand dollars to hunt. The average joe will never see places like that or if so its just the high fence he gets to see while driving by.
Last thing is don't show a bad hit and talk about how good a shot a hunter made. If someone puts a bad hit on an animal explain what went wrong and what can be done to insure it doesn't happen again. Also how about following a bloodtrail once in a while. It could be done in an instructional manner. Instead of showing the hunter just walking up to a trophy show him having to work for it, from scouting, hanging stands, making the kill, and recovering the downed animal.

Germ

ditto here and tx you just described WKP video "beyond the kill"

txmarshmonkey

txjourneyman, you type faster than me but I'll post mine too.


I like to see the animals for a while before they are shot. I know that sometimes it all happens quick and there's not much time for video. Those quick ones are fun too, but I mainly watch hunting shows to see the behavior of the animals. I like watching them before, during, and after the shot.

I don't liketoo much narration. (Bushman style)

I like to see more shows with real hunters getting the job done on PUBLIC land.

As for advertising, it's okay just don't THROW IT IN MY FACE. If you feel that a product helped you be successful, then mention it. Then at the end of the program, show the viewer more details about the product (company name/phone #/web address)

txjourneyman

Then I may just have to order one!

brucelanthier

Tell me why you put the stand where you put it.
Tell me why you expect the deer to come from that direction.
Tell me what gear you are using.

Do not whisper at the camera for 10 minutes to fill air time. Fill the air time with you taking a few practice shots or with why you are using a particualr broadhead.
Do not show 10 minutes of footage of deer grazing 100 yards away.

Most bowhunting show couldfill the air time with info pertinent to that particular hunt - How long you scouted, your arrow specs, your bow specs, why the camo you are wearing, why the rangefinder you are using, stuff like that.
The last 10 minutes of the show can be the actual shot, trail and find.

quiksilver

Yeah, I'm with tx - there's more useful information out thereabout bowhunting than a guy could learn in 2 lifetimes. Give it to us.

Most people don't know anything about string materials, shortcuts to hanging a fixed stand, how to fletch an arrow, how to properly install a tree step, how to set up a clean mock scrape, how to properly run a drag line, etc...

Hunting shows aren't informational anymore - they're infomercials.

Tell me why camo pattern x is best for this stand set. Tell me why you went with a thumb-release instead of an index-finger caliper. Tell us why you had your bow restrung with 452X. Tell us why you're shooting cock-vane-up out of your particular rest. Tell us how many times this particular stand has been hunted, and under which prevailing winds, and why. Tell us why you're using a particular call or rattling pattern. Tell us about the thermals. Tell us about why you chose broadhead X over broadhead Y. Tell us what your riser is made out of, and how it's going to act in the cold. Tell us why you went with a heavy wood grip over a metal one with wooden sideplates. Tell us about draw length, speed, and how to maximize both of them. ....and BE ENTERTAINING WHILE YOU'RE DOING IT!

Seriously - most people don't know this stuff.

Obviously, all that is nice, in theory, but you can't produce a hunting show without sponsors... and nobody's sponsor wants you to be pimping somebody else's brand on their dime.

Catch - 22

...I'm big into "themes." Every show should have a theme. Glassing, picking a stand site, safety, string selection, broadhead selection, sights, rests, stand selection, climbing, arrow selection, wind, crops, food sources, bedding, water, scent, proper scouting, etc... Just pick a theme, show us the "how and why," then show us howthose tactics led tofilling a tag.

txjourneyman

By the way Justin, WHY? Is HNI planning a hunting show? If so come and hunt pigs with me! Heck, come and hunt pigs with me even if you aren't starting a show!

The Rev

I think most of us feel the same way that Greg does. But one thing that drives me completely nuts is "name dropping" and I completely understand it. I know about sponsors, but give us a break!!!
Sounds something like this: I waz jus sitten thare when I hurd with my Walker Game Ear dis big ole buck. I was wearing my trusty Mossy Oak hat and fruit of the Loom undies. I put the second pin of my spott hog, extra long fibers for better low light visibility when I let my carbon express with the lumknocks and grim reaper broad head out my Matthews LX with the Zebra String all the while I really need my depends drawers cause I just bout crapped in my britches...

DRIVES ME NUTTTTS.

HuntinGUS

Likes/Would like to see more of:
[ul][*]Increased footage prior to the shot to show the animals behavior.[*]More information on the set-up......like the guys on the Summit show do.[*]Increase footage on the recovery that is realistic not staged.[*]Slow motion impact shots. You used to see this a lot, but not much anymore.[*]TRUE Emotion.....[*]Failure[*]If it's a fenced hunt...........make them say so.[/ul]

Dislikes/Drives me nuts:
[ul][*]One hunt over the entire show surrounded by commercials.[*]Too much information on the "gear" ie: "Thanks to enter any weapon/gear/accessory we were able to make this hunt a success!"[*]Anything filmed on a high fence operation or "Game Ranch".[*]Unrealistic hunts[*]No Blood on the animal![*]After the deer is dead and they do the little speech while holding setting behind it they act as if the hunt is over. Those of us that have hunted know that is when the work begins. Show more of the work and less of the speech when the hunter is telling about everything that we just watched![/ul]