Dear Outdoor Television

[Sabot]

I am writing to you on behalf of many of your viewers with some constructive criticism. Don't get me wrong, we don't know what we would do without Outdoor TV shows, but a few little tweaks might be in order:

1) The 2 second clip showing the hunter cocking the hammer of the muzzle loader or taking the safety off of the rifle. Do we really need this? It wouldn't be so annoying if it wasn't featured in EVERY episode. Are you trying to emphasize that the safety was on prior to the shot? Are you trying to build drama? WE GET IT. Nobody shoots a deer with the safety on.

2) To the guy who writes the episode descriptions: Your creativity appears to be limited to describing every show as a hunt for "Trophy Caliber________" Seriously. Every single show is described this way. Today I noticed that there was an episode featuring a hunt for "Trophy Caliber Hogs in Texas." Seriously? Stop over using "Trophy Caliber"

3) Every sport has it's own vernacular. We are not asking your hosts to stop using the following terms: Slay, Smoke, Toad, Monster, Giant, and Hammered. BUT, we wouldn't mind hearing them less often.

4) In all seriousness, the variety of shows is fantastic. We have some shows with slow motion, high def, melancholy hosts pondering the deep mysteries of the universe, and others full of corny clowning. Some are hosted by fat old dudes and others with backwoods barbies. All good. No change needed.

 

[kansasdad]

5) I'm sitting here with my good friend.......fill in the blank of the name of the outfitter giving away a free hunt to increase traffic to their hunting operation......

6) I understand product placement of your sponsors is necessary. Don't beat me over the head with it, over and over and over, I'm begging you.

 

[LCH]

I get a little sick of the reenactments. Some shows, you can tell the hunter just launches another arrow with the camera on him, when you know that's not the actual shot on the animal..

 

[Much2hunt]

I get tired of all the funny talking Bubbas with their big old bellies and their cutesy little gotees, thinking they are big time hunters because they can afford a professional camera.

 

[Speeddmn]

I get a little sick of the reenactments. Some shows, you can tell the hunter just launches another arrow with the camera on him, when you know that's not the actual shot on the animal..

This is something that annoys me with quite a few shows. They have a camera set up next to said downed animal and show them walking up to it all surprised. I understand the need for proper lighting, angles, etc. In all fairness, I'd rather see the expression of the hunters face when they walk up to it for the first time.

Some highlights I love about Randys show is it usually shows some of the prep work required, diffrent angles etc. Actually show the hunting and frustration that goes along with it. Something I would love to see it actual costs it takes to get an animal down on the ground. It maybe diffrent person to person, but atleast it gives you a refrence point.

 

[johnp]

How the noise of jacking a round into the chamber while in close range of the animal doesn't send them running is quite amazing.

 

[emrah1028]

Or how the reality t.v. "competition" theme has infiltrated hunting shows. The show with the Keefer brothers for example. Not everything is a XXX vs. XXX in life. Geesh. You get free equipment, free clothes, free hunts, etc. Just say how freakin' lucky you are to do what you do and enjoy hunting fer chrissakes.

Emrah

 

[sbhooper]

For crying out loud, quit naming the damn animals!!

 

[gwhunter]

For crying out loud, quit naming the damn animals!!

x2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AZBridger]

One of my biggest pet peaves is how they let everything sit over night. I hate hearing "We need to back out and come back in the morning". I understand that SOMETIMES it is necessary, but it seems like every animal shot in the afternoon gets left until morning, some of them are obviously kill shots. It almost seems like they let the animals spoil on purpose so they are not obligated to do anyhting with the meat. I bet there is a LOT of wasted meat in many of the hunting shows

 

[Sabot]

One of my biggest pet peaves is how they let everything sit over night. I hate hearing "We need to back out and come back in the morning". I understand that SOMETIMES it is necessary, but it seems like every animal shot in the afternoon gets left until morning, some of them are obviously kill shots. It almost seems like they let the animals spoil on purpose so they are not obligated to do anyhting with the meat. I bet there is a LOT of wasted meat in many of the hunting shows

I was intending to make a light-hearted thread, but this really does bother me too. I think many of these hosts kill 6 or 8 deer a season, and so they are taking the lazy approach to just getting the antlers by leaving them overnight. Not saying its never a good idea and I understand that they risk wasting an episode if they don't recover the deer BUT....I've seen several shows where the tag is punched and the recovery is filmed taking several days. I think that is more compelling to most of us.

As an avid waterfowler, I also hate knowing that so many of the ducks and geese killed never get eaten.

 

[Dave N]

Leave a deer overnight around here and you'll only find bones!

 

[MThuntr]

Lightheartedly...the terms Freak Nasty & Thunder chickens top the list of things that make me change the channel. Just about anything said with a southern, redneck accent (likely faked) makes my skin crawl.

Seriously...anything involving a treestands, feeders, hogs, or whitetails won't get watched. I'm not against any of those I just find them boring or over sensationalized.

 

[Big Slick]

My pet peeve is the long range gut shot. Or when you see the animals a&& hit the ground and it's head is still up. But I hit it at 1380 yards......Just bad for all of us. I have seen plenty of bad shots at a lot closer range, but why push it.

 

[MKotur325]

One of my biggest pet peaves is how they let everything sit over night. I hate hearing "We need to back out and come back in the morning". I understand that SOMETIMES it is necessary, but it seems like every animal shot in the afternoon gets left until morning, some of them are obviously kill shots. It almost seems like they let the animals spoil on purpose so they are not obligated to do anyhting with the meat. I bet there is a LOT of wasted meat in many of the hunting shows

<Begin Rant>It seems to me to be more about entertainment value than honoring the sport or the ethics of the hunt. I honestly think some of the shows out there will let a deer sit overnight just so that they can have the hero shot during daylight. I don't think it's at all about "we might spook him, and he might run off" IMHO it's about, The video will look better and be more entertaining with the hero shot during daylight. I know that not all shows are shot this way, but it truly sickens me to see the attitude in some hunting shows that the quality of the video and shot are more important than respecting the animal. That is one think I have really liked from Fresh Tracks and OYOA is the respect for the animals harvested. Just my $.02 <End Rant>

 

[Much2hunt]

Lightheartedly...the terms Freak Nasty & Thunder chickens top the list of things that make me change the channel. Just about anything said with a southern, redneck accent (likely faked) makes my skin crawl.

Seriously...anything involving a treestands, feeders, hogs, or whitetails won't get watched. I'm not against any of those I just find them boring or over sensationalized.

You said it perfectly!!!

 

[captaincoot]

I watched a goose hunting show and some really rare geese flew over. They talked about conservation before they opened up like a bunch of teenagers killing all four of them. I guess their allittle more rare now

 

[Festus]

I ain't got no TV and don't have no use for it (he said in his best western accent).
I watch OYOA and Fresh Tracks on CarbonTV.com and buy an occasional DVD - that are from a known 'good' source or recommendation.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I won't watch a show where I don't think I can learn something from the host. If I think I am a better hunter than they are, I cannot see the point in watching them being led around by the hand by a guide. I could care less how many animals you kill, if you would never have been able to kill them on your own, I am not interested.

On the other hand, with the shows I do watch, I try and glean something new from every episode.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

I'll go Letterman style and make a list
1. Do we really have to watch you sight in EVERY episode? Waste of 3-4 minutes IMO.

2. Stop naming the animals! I haven't heard the elk name the hunters Whiskey Breath, Snacks Alot, Ditzy Double D's or Smelly Fart Bombs so why do we have to name them like they're pets?

3. "Backing out" in the afternoon on what the film usually shows as a lethal hit. I'm guessing they just like to have a stiff animal to pose with in good camera light the next day. Not how we do it in the real world.

4. Tree stands and ground blinds on private property are boring. Deer farming should have it's own channel

5. Stop talking about how much you "earned it" when you show up at a private ranch, cruise around and kill one the first day. The outfitter or rancher who did all the prep work earned it.

I really enjoy seeing the struggle that most of us go through hunting public land on draw tags or OTC tags where we deal with other hunters, property boundaries, tough weather, etc. Part of what makes Fresh Tracks great as it's stuff all of us deal with and any of us could do with some effort.