Television Turkey hunting

[dennishoddy]

Ok, I've been hunting turkey since they opened a season.
Went many years without getting one.
I've always done it by watching a flock or pair and putting it to bed, coming back the next day and setting up about 200 yds away. When they fly down, the calling starts. I'm more interested in seeing how close they can be called vs meat on the table. When one is shot, its done.
When I see these TV hunters(I'm watching one now) call in a bird, and shoot it, they scream like girls, jump up in a panic while the bird is flopping with a broken neck and hop and jump while high 5'ing each other. What the heck is this all about?? Shoot him, clean him and eat him. They look like idiots doing that.

 

[Dead Aim]

I totally agree with you...What gets me is the deer hunters on those kind of shows. They act the same way. Not hard to kill a deer where a automatic feeder is sitting...

 

[ewheeley]

I can't stand watching ANY kind of hunting/fishing on TV. It's too easy. Everything is laid out in front of them, all they have to do is go through the motions. The worst is the shows where their hunting blinds are actually dug into the ground, so the deer/turkey/random helpless animals get within 5 feet of them. Those guys aren't hunters, they're personalities with guns. The joy I find in hunting isn't about the harvest, the equipment, or the amenities. It's about getting outside and enjoying nature. Not editing it all out to see the kill shot.

 

[minman]

I'm almost embarrassed watching some hunting shows. What is embarrassing is how these clowns act after they have harvested the animal. Total lack of respect. Don't get me wrong, when I am fortunate enough to harvest whatever game I happen to be pursuing, I've very happy, but I don't jump around like an idiot or giggle like a 9 year old school girl while high-fiveing my buddy. Disgraceful!

 

[bigcountryok]

As far as panicing about the bird getting away, seeing the bird you just shot flopping away from you (even though you know its dead) does bring out a OH NO for a moment. The only time I ever ran out on a bird that was shot was one my son shot, cause I got caught up in the OH NO.

As far as celebrating...

Well I'm guilty of a yell or two myself. Hugging my son, and giving him a pat on the back. Celebrating when a buddy or myself lands a huge fish after a long battle. HELL YEAH!!!!

For me its a high comperable to nothing else out there and IMO there's not a damn thing wrong with celebrating a kill. It's not discraceful at all to celbrate the hunt IMO.

But I do agree that sometimes they seem to put on a show for the camera. But when it's true emotion...that's just part of it. If you don't get that rush...you're missing out.

 

[ewheeley]

I remember when I quit watching hunting on TV... It was a "management" hunt in Utah, where this game preserve had a Cape Buffalo that was sick. They had some guy with his daughter, bonding. She got to shoot it, but it was either sleeping, drugged, or so sick it couldn't move, so she was within about 50 feet before she shot it. "Great shot honey!"

 

[imhntn]

I get sick of all that hollering "Big Buck Down!" and whatever. It is just too much. I got rid of the outdoor channels several years ago. I miss them sometimes but it just isn't reality and not worth my money. There are a few guys that I love to watch like Randy Anderson calling coyotes...he is pretty low key and always helpful. Maybe those hyper and overly excited boys just make good tv personalities but I don't want to watch them.

 

[ewheeley]

Varmint hunting is a lot more enjoyable, because to do it you need a little different kind of motivation and patience.

 

[the man]

The hunting shows are a huge problem when your kids watch them. They see the same personalities killing huge deer (or other species) every hunt. Sometimes...two or three on the same show. If you watch the credits and google the ranches they hunt on...most are high fence hunts.

I was fortunate this year and took a pretty nice 9 point this year during black powder season, nice high tines. He wasn't a monster, but just a nice mature buck. When I got home, my son looks at him and tells me I should have waited for a bigger one.

He hunts with me and has since he was about 4 or 5 year old, but because of these "hunting" shows he watches...he thinks we should see 5 or 10 decent bucks a day. He is always wondering what we're doing wrong when we don't see at least one 140" buck a day. These shows create an instant gratification which is engrained in new hunters.

I would love to take some of these TV personalities out and turn them loose on some of the lands I hunt and have a little contest.

 

[SoonerBorn]

I remember when I quit watching hunting on TV... It was a "management" hunt in Utah, where this game preserve had a Cape Buffalo that was sick. They had some guy with his daughter, bonding. She got to shoot it, but it was either sleeping, drugged, or so sick it couldn't move, so she was within about 50 feet before she shot it. "Great shot honey!"

Lol. Rarely is sarcasm palpable within a post on the interwebz.....nicely done.