I'd like for them to do a DIY hunt ANYWHERE in north La. No guides with one named and patterned for them. I bet that would be a VERY humbling experience.

Yes sir, that one was good. There was another one I believe local to central and north Texas I liked, but don't recall the name. I believe it was the same fella that did all the DQ commercials in the late 80's? Texas Outdoors, or something like that

agreed, they kill monsters up there. i will also watch major league bowhunter, heartland bowhunter and dropped.

Hunting is a personal thing, not meant to be commercialized. In short, hunting and TV don't mix. As Dave said, it cheapens all involved.

Ones I like, meat hunter, own your own, ridge reaper, team elk.

Others I just skim through

Hunting is that to you. Not me.

Some people truely love letting other people experience hunting with them...wether on tv or in person.

Letting someone see places and hunts that some of us may never get to go or hunt is alright in my book.

By painting a broad brush of a cheap commericalized hunting experience what you really painting is your personal view of hunting thus highly limited to yourself. In turn it degrades those that like to share their experiences.

I agree the hunting show's today are just a 28 minute infomercial. Stopped watching.I have found a few good DVD's I enjoy.

Well, everything I type is simply my opinion unless stated as factual. Sorry if anyone feels degraded.

There are a few shows I like too. But by and large, IMO, the crass commercialization of hunting is not a good thing. And hunting TV is a leader in the crass commercialization. IMO. It is changing what hunting used to be into something else. IMO. There is little about the true hunting experience that translates well on TV. IMO.

IYO-

IMO, I want the world to see the good shows also, the ones taking kids hunting, vets, wives, grandfathers, families, dinning on their harvest etc.
If some ex MLB guys want to film a hunt with face paint on cool, maybe it will entice more kids to hunt. Or a NBA wants to make a fishing show, great hunting/fishing is cool, spending time outdoors is cool, getting off the pavement is cool.

As long as they are respectful and lawful I'm good with hunting shows. See nothing wrong with them. In a world of concrete and TV it's nice to see shows like uncharted that capture the culture of worlds most kids don't even know exist.

Agree or disagree TV can also be a away of opening an interest.

There are adults that pop join this forum every day that have never hunted but want to because of what the see and hear via media.

That's a fine opinion.

I wish more shows were like that. I see very few with any merit-and many with way more negatives that do not reflect hunting and hunters in a positive light. IMO.

I can make a pretty good list.

Regardless it's like Texas trophy hunters mag... Most people in here will say it's all HF deer and breeders yet....last issue I read had more youth hunting stories and vet stories about sub 140 deer then it did big deer

I always hate to see people whoring out hunting. I hunted ducks before duck hunting was cool. You know when you could legally use lead shot. The shell box had a duck and a pheasant on it. # 4 lead worked good. Now I have quit duck hunting because everybody wants to be the duck commander. You can barely find a freed up piece of water to hunt on. We used to duck hunt on the red river in some flood plain in the 80s and never even heard another shot much less saw anybody else. Bet it aint that way anymore. As for the let lay thing. In east texas you will come back to a bag of bones because the coyotes are ridiculous. Hey if you fill the need go ahead. You may find your deer head at least. Im not a believer in pushing a deer though. Ultimately there is going to be a hole lot of want to be hunters in the woods that would probably be better off on the couch. I don't want them shooting around me. Maybe Im selfish I think being introduced to hunting should be a little more genuine. Id rather hear someone say grandpa taught me how to hunt rather than I saw it on tv. Eventually we will run out of private places to hunt. Everything will be commercialized and you can hold me to that.

At some point it all just blends together. Can't even tell you the last time I actually thumbed through a EHJ or HF mag without someone telling me to go look at something in one.

TTH has built its own reputation for being a high fence mag. I don't know if I didn't realize it or not, but I don't remember it being a high fence mag 15 years ago. IT just seemed like a regular hunting magazine back then. I don't even pick pick one up anymore because that's all it is now. Seems more like a deer breeders magazine now days. Thanks TTH magazine. One of the few texas hunting magazines that I used to like now I hate.

That's true.

But overall the trend towards crass commercialization has been inexorable. As RM said, it is all blended together so much now many folks don't even know the difference anymore.

The hunting shows, TTH magazine, and HFs have all been at the forefront of it. Not every hunting show is Ted Nugent/Wildgame Nation, not every story in TTH is a HF penned hunt, and not every HF place is a canned hunt on 100 acres. But, overall, they have not been good for hunting. IMO.

That's my point... Actually read TTH.. Your perception is based off the advertisements, not the stories.

The perception is real. They clearly threw their lot in with the HF, breeding, big buck contest crowd years ago. The quintessential "Texas Model" where it's all about the antlers. However you feel about those issues, I don't see how that can be denied. Throwing in a feel good kid story or a predator hunt story every now and then doesn't change that. IMO.

Like I said NP go grab a couple of issues and start reading.

The perception is manufactured. It's called imprinting a false truth.

Like calling a 20k HF ranch a PEN. Say it enough people believe it.... But I don't have to define that persuasive tactic of propaganda to a lawyer.

Again grab an issue and prove to me that HF and Breeder articles are the majority or even present. You will be pleasantly shocked.

OK I'll go get one. I'll be shocked if it has changed but you are right I haven't looked at one in a long time.

I will say that what you have already said- that they still have the cover to cover ads for the breeding industry- is enough to make the perception real IMO. No other hunting magazine I am aware of does that.

So in your opinion advertisements define a show or Magazine not the articles or the shows actual content?

Hey NP you do know that soldiers run the enemy down if they get by them for the kill all the time. Its a pretty common tactic. I don't believe in loosing when the prize is just a few steps away. Its one of the advantages of hunting off the ground.

My opinion is that TTHA is firmly in bed with the breeder, HF, and contest industry that has come to be such a big part of hunting in Texas. In fact, they were an early leader in the "antler" industry. Don't honestly see how the point could be argued with a straight face.

Like I said and you acknowledged you base magazines and tv shows via the advertisements not content.

Well, looked at my TTHA magazine. Cover story is a super high dollar south TX deer. Feature story is a monster from a 1500 acre HF place outside Uvalde. Chock full of breeder, "pay to play", HF contractor ads. Ted Nugent is now a monthly contibutor-I'm shocked.

And this bit of wisdom from rifle and ballistics expert Horace Gore on how .30 caliber 180 grain bullets pass right through deer without ever opening up:




About what I expected.

I will give credit where it's due: in the "News" section there were news releases about a group opposed to deer breeding/put-and-take industry ("Texans For Saving Our Hunting Heritage") and B&Cs new resolution disallowing the use of their scoring system on captive/genetically enhanced deer. Kudos to them for including those.

And there were some normal articles on youth hunts, varmint hunts, "feel good" stories, and the like. So definitely not all bad.