Deer hunting TV Shows & Videos

That is one serious school of slabs you’re on Mike
Thanks for the report.

Great Pics!

nice meeting you Mike. My day was a little less than average..I didn’t go where I had planned, but I ended up with around 15 nice sized crappies and a whole bunch of little ones. I didn’t keep anything, just put some in a livewell I made on the ice to take a picture of 3. The first pic is an 11-1/2″er and the second is a different 11-1/2″er on top and 2 10″ers below. It was pretty clear that you guys were in the right area at the right time! I caught fish everywhere I went at the same depths you described but never really layed into them like that. Nice job!

What are some of your Deer Hunting favorites???

I would like to hear some opinions of what you guys like about some of the shows out there. Overall Layout, hunting styles, special segments, etc.

Also what don’t you like about some shows; Overall Layout, hunting styles, special segments, etc.

Lastly, what would you like to see or see more of or different???

Drury shows for their story telling/settting up the hunt.
Driven/Hunters Specialties/Primos and any onther show that stictly films from a tree arm or tripod. Hate shaky footage.
Primos for their ability to consistently get over the shoulder kills where they tie in the animal and the hunter. Nobody does it better.
Any show that uses topo and/or arials and takes the time to explain why the hunt was successful. Seems as though viewers are looking for more then just the kill these days.
Bone collectors/Road Trips because Michael Wadell has the best personality in the industry.
Shows that have pro staffers who can smile and let the viewers know that they are having the time of their lives, doing what they are doing. Can’t stand stiffs that are too cool/tough to show a little (real not fake) emmotion after killing a booner.
Getting Close because of Tiffany, enough said.

Just my 2 cents.

I totally agree with you Ben on almost every point.

I absolutley love those “over the shoulder” harvests.

EDIT: Also Ben I think it is now called “THE CRUSH” for the same obvious reasons you mentioned before.

I second what Ben and Lip mentioned above. What I would like to see more of is the misses as well! The harvest is great, but not all hunts end in a harvest! Another thing I would like to see is something that happens to every hunter…a hit but no recovery. I would like to see how they handle those types of situations…I think I’ve seen one show (Tred Barta I believe) that had the balls enough to show a hunt where he hit an animal but lost the blood trail. We all know it happens but i would like to see what lengths they go through to recover it. Not that I want to see alot of wounded animals but on the other hand, the shows depict either a hit and harvest or complete miss but not how they handle wounded game! just my .02

Dart

I like Primos for being what their videos are called the truth…when the hunter finds the deer dead he actually just found it rather then them finding it earlier and setting the camera next to it and watch them walk up to it and “fake” emotion as said earlier.

I also like how Roger Raglin can still get so excited over even little deer

Jim Shockey also has won many awards for his camera angles and he does have a lot of cool footages of many different kinds of kills with a muzzleloader

But the Crush is again a top my list for obvious reasons

I too like all mentioned. I also love it when they talk about and even show, them eating their game. I love how Nugent almost pulls a Weber out of his backpack, to start grillin’ the backstraps Big or small, he eats them all I switch channels when I see Canned hunts. You can sniff em out a mile away… Bushman comes to mind, along with Mr C’Mere deer, Hank Parker (and now his boys) & Bill Jordan…. some of them are probably just gettin’ too old to do a real hunt anymore. You settin’ somethin’ up Lip ???

big G

the buck commander dvd is by far the best one ive ever seen. It could of used some better editing istead of just cutting to the next scene but i think they are as real as it gets. They remind me of normal guys hunting, the flying out of the rig to try and set up on a big buck you just drove by and such.

I have to agree with the majority here…Over the shoulder video angles are great! It gives the viewer a sense of reality and in my opinion is more educational as you are able to get a view of the hunter as he puts his plan into action.

As far as personality goes, I love to watch shows where the hunter gets truly excited no matter what the situation may be. A few that come to mind that have great on camera excitement for me whould be Stan Potts, Michael Waddell and Tiffany Lakosky.

I agree with many of the statements above.

Here’s what I would like to see more of:

1) I would like to see and learn more about the strategy of the hunt. Why they set up in that stand, why they picked that tree, why they picked that tree for the camera. Topo maps of the bedding area, travel routes, food sources etc…

2) Once the buck is harvested, I would like them to comment on how and why that buck came from that direction. What was he doing? Explain to the viewers the particular habits of that buck.

3) Film the hunt as it unfolds (like Jim Shockey does). Don’t try and fool us and put in footage after the hunt. No one believes it anyways.

4) Most big bucks that are killed have a history about them (pics/sightings/misses etc…). Tell us the whole history about the buck (Lee and Tiffany do a pretty good job of this).

5) Show me your scent ritual and your gear preparation and what is involved in getting ready to hunt.

6) I would love to see a reality deer hunting show. Follow one hunter during the entire course of the season showing the highs, the lows and the emotions he/she experiences during the hunt. I believe some viewers are sick and tired of just seeing big bucks killed on outfitter ranches over and over again. For example, a hunter sitting in a huge box stand shooting a Texas deer that is grazing on a food plot. Some viewers have a hard time envisioning the same success as the celebs do because those ranches are not available to them unless they pay big $. The viewers simply can’t relate to it. I would like a show to be more about a joe average hunter like me experiencing the highs and lows of bow hunting.

I like Drury for their drama and the fact that they kill giants!!!

However, i have grown to love MIDWEST WHITETAIL with host Bill Winke! He goes over topo locations and WHY they hunt those specific locations. But the most important reason why i like his show is because his hunts are aired within like 4 days of being filmed To me that is incredible and is a GREAT way to keep an audience!!! It is on You Tube or Realtree.com if you guys want to check it out! Also adding to loosing deer, Bill or one of his Prostaff members hits a 190″+ buck and doesn’t recover him Still it shows what all hunters go through and how mistakes happen to even the best

Anything that’s real and isn’t trying to advertise all of the equipment the hunters are using. It would be nice to see a blood trail once in a while. Deer DO bleed! Seems everyone now days is afraid to show the details and say the word kill or killed. I’m not fond of the word “harvest” that is so often used. We didn’t PLANT the animals we kill or killed so how can we HARVEST them?

Stan Potts is my favorite because he shows his emotions. He also throws in a lot of good tips. The Drury brothers do as well. They also get family involved. I just wish they wouldn’t have left Hoyt!!!

I don’t get to see many of these videos or shows…..only what my pocketbook can afford and like everyone else, those dollars just aren’t as abundant right now. From the ones I’ve seen, I’ve noticed some good and some bad in almost all of them. I think the task they’re under is really a difficult one so sometimes I just ignore the obvious “cuts and inserts”.

The videos are supposed to be educational but they’re truly made to make money and advertise products. Most of us, while hoping to learn something, like to be entertained as well. So, fair chase with a hunter and a camera and show every aspect of every hunt???? This is a pretty tall order without blowing the hunt or your production budget.

Keeping it as real as possible is what every viewer wants but again, the entertainment angle is what “ropes” most of us. So, if you get too in-depth and aren’t showing a hunt but after every 10 minutes of detail (front and backside of each hunt segment), I think you’re going to lose audience after the first production. The absolute best thing to do to learn is get in the woods. No video is ever going to replace experience.

For a series, more tactics can get included and people can decide what episodes are of value and which are not. For DVD’s, put the in depth details on a seperate menu selection, include misses and bloopers at the end of the shows, and when they do have to get creative for the sake of having something to show, simply explain the circumstances to the viewer and move on. No one believes it and whenever you insult the intelligence of a potential customer, they become less inclined to believe anything else in the show.

I haven’t seen this “Tiffany” being talked about but my guess per the commentary are that she has to try extra hard to be taken seriously, trying to get past our eyes and reaching our ears! But face it guys, she can be as legit as anyone with a passion for the sport but it’s still angled into roping more viewers. Until I see a woman in a public forest, with no guides, no “grunt crew”, and absolutely no makeup, I believe I’m being pitched “entertainment”. Actually, I have seen this but the one that fit this description didn’t have the “qualities” necessary to warrant her own show. She was simply a guest.

I don’t know why this bothers me so much, but I just hate it when guys/gals shoot a deer with whatever they’re using and they are still whispering. It doesn’t spook deer out of the property to give a yell of excitment. At our camp it has come somewhat of a tradition to give a Yodel, if you will, to let people know we got the first deer down. I’ve had deer around me when it has happened and they don’t care.

The reason you don’t see blood trails and animals that have been hit and not recovered is more a network and/or a sponsorship deal then anything. They just won’t allow it. Kind of like ESPN2 not showing impact shots. Its a network decision not the shows. Beyond that some of the egoes don’t want to be depicted as less then perfect too. This goes for TV only. Videos are less strict on what is shown.

Another example would be the hunter soft selling Rage broadheads in a a pre-hunt interview or open, then wounding an animal with one. You think Rage is going to give that show any money for next season? I know the soft selling of product during the hunts gets old but if it weren’t for these sponsors their would be no show. Just another thing to think about when critiqing these shows.

Some great ideas and opinions guys! I agree with most, but keep them coming

What I would really like to see is the average guy hunting on public and regular private land. Or people (hunting stars) hunting on their own land. I really have a lot of respect for the Drury’s, Gregory’s and Lakosky’s as they often hunt their own stuff. Sure they go out West and to Canada also, but they really concentrate on their own stuff during prime time.

I like knowing why they picked a certain stand and or farm to hunt on that particular day. I also like the idea of following a group of hunters through out the year. Seeing the highs and lows of the season but also all the hard work these “Regular Hunters” go through to put the EDGE in their favor against these whitetails.

What are your guys thoughts about narration or explaining of the hunt after the fact in a different environment using graphics etc.??

I can’t remember the name of the show, but I think its Game Trails or something like that. I know Mr. Whitetail Larry Wishuhns ?sp is in it. They show a situation and then they all comment on what they would do. Then they run the footage to see how it played out. Sometimes they get the shot, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes the wind swirls and they get busted, sometimes a bigger one is following… kind of neat, they put you in their shoes so to speak. I like that concept.

big G

I would like to see someone do some shows on differnt deer camps, how they’ve came together, what goes on though out the whole season. Gotta Love deer camp

Lip Ripper
Great conversation topic and great thread. Part of my dream is to have my own outdoors show, be it fishing in the summer and hunting during the winter i love it all. Anyways im making good progress on that, but that is a side note. Back to the subject. Like the guys said before i think truth and enthusiasim are most important. Someone who hunts for a particular deer, or is hunting their own property and has success well i want to know how they did it, or what they did to succeed. I really like Michael Waddell and the Lakoskys “spelling on both?” Anyways i think they show that its not all about harvesting an animal, but more about the pursuit, challenge etc. We have all experienced the deer that have taken our best ideas and made fun of them, or just out-smarted us. My question is how did these people beat these animals in their own evnironment. Be truthful, hell maybe you just got lucky and thats what happend. Needless to say, tell the truth and be legit. Also no shaky footage. I filmed all my hunts this year and i could see a difference without a doubt when i had an arm versus without, aka a person. In my opinion shaking is less quality. Anyways you are a great source of info, and have some great footage, so keep up the good work, and when you make the big bucks selling footage to a major sponsor remember us here at ido