Just messaged this to the Outdoor Channel:
I'm writing to let you know that I cancelled my cable in 2015, and that the poor quality of outdoor programming is the main reason. The Bill Busbice poaching conviction brought this topic to mind and I decided to write instead of letting myself be just another anonymous cord-cutter. I watched your channel religiously when it first came out and was the only option for hunting TV other than Saturday mornings on ESPN. Over time I grew tired of watching the same formulaic shows where a hunting "celebrity" would show up on a private ranch, which are many times high-fenced but never acknowledged. The hunter would shoot a monster buck, measure the rack, and make an ass of him/herself for 30 minutes, never displaying the least bit of hunting ability or physical exertion. The viewer is subjected to numerous product placement commercials within the body of the show, further distancing us from an authentic hunting experience. Often the hunters were "unsure of their shot", and would back out of the woods and allow the animal to spoil overnight so they can get the discovery footage in proper filming light. Very few of your shows ever hunt public land or pursue animals that actually face hunting pressure. I now get my fix of outdoor content from YouTube, forums, and podcasts, notably Steven Rinella and Randy Newberg. I would consider subscribing to cable again someday if the quality of outdoor programming changed and you had new blood of hunters who hunt public land, locate their own animals, hunt using fair chase ethics, stalk close enough to take ethical shots, and process their own meat. I have no interest in the same old thing you've been broadcasting for the past 20 or so years.
I'm writing to let you know that I cancelled my cable in 2015, and that the poor quality of outdoor programming is the main reason. The Bill Busbice poaching conviction brought this topic to mind and I decided to write instead of letting myself be just another anonymous cord-cutter. I watched your channel religiously when it first came out and was the only option for hunting TV other than Saturday mornings on ESPN. Over time I grew tired of watching the same formulaic shows where a hunting "celebrity" would show up on a private ranch, which are many times high-fenced but never acknowledged. The hunter would shoot a monster buck, measure the rack, and make an ass of him/herself for 30 minutes, never displaying the least bit of hunting ability or physical exertion. The viewer is subjected to numerous product placement commercials within the body of the show, further distancing us from an authentic hunting experience. Often the hunters were "unsure of their shot", and would back out of the woods and allow the animal to spoil overnight so they can get the discovery footage in proper filming light. Very few of your shows ever hunt public land or pursue animals that actually face hunting pressure. I now get my fix of outdoor content from YouTube, forums, and podcasts, notably Steven Rinella and Randy Newberg. I would consider subscribing to cable again someday if the quality of outdoor programming changed and you had new blood of hunters who hunt public land, locate their own animals, hunt using fair chase ethics, stalk close enough to take ethical shots, and process their own meat. I have no interest in the same old thing you've been broadcasting for the past 20 or so years.
