BigGameHoundsmen.com

You know guys I find the whole hunting show thing on TV a bit of a joke. If the show does not have a hunter hanging in a tree waiting for some animal to come by or the hunt can not be viewed from beginning to end in some field in the mid west then the Hollywood types do not know how to do it. The camera for the most part is not meant to be run around the mountain tops or river bottoms nor is the sound equipment designed to record any sounds any great distance from the mic, TV shows need to be exciting, have drama and action right there in front of the camera or the average non hunting person will turn the channel. And lets face it if the viewers do not watch then the commercials are not seen and the show soon leaves the air. It is not about the show, it is about the money that can be made from the show. I would bet that 99.9% of the shows on TV today are not there for the love of the sport but are really there for the love of the all mighty buck.

Let's face it the Hollywood types for the most part live in a make believe world inside a sound stage or on a set where all the scenes are rehearsed and only give us an illusion of the real world. That is why we get shows where game wardens in California run around like idiots trying to fake charges against hunters so they can justify their jobs to shows like mountain men and on and on. The outdoor hunting shows are nothing more than the reality shows moved from an island, jungle or where ever it is filmed to the out doors so they can corner the sportsmen who like to hunt.

Now I am not saying there are not a few independent outdoor shows that do a good job. But none of them I have had a chance to see have had a good show pertaining to hunting with hounds. The few that were broadcast in my general area may show a track started in some cases and then the host of the show does a lot of talking and then they have the last half of the show with the dogs treeing and the host trying to get a shot off. I guess this type of show is good in some part for the hounds men as they have shown us in a positive light rather than the blood thirsty guys with the dogs from hell that go out into the woods and kill every living thing if you listen to groups like USHS. I do not know if anyone outside of hunters themselves would watch a show that would follow a hounds men around for a while and honestly show what goes on with a hunter and their dogs. How the dogs for most of the hounds men are part of their families and if lost or hurt how it effects the families. Or show how the dogs themselves love to go hunting and how excited they get and how badly they want to go. Watching them start a track, listen to dogs run and see what goes on during the running of a track. Most non hunters think that the hounds men sit in the cab of their truck and watch a GPS till the dogs tree. I would love to see a camera man running through the woods trying to stay up with the dogs and be there at the tree in the end. Not have the hounds treed for ever and then have them walk up to the tree or God forbid have them not show up because it is more than a hundred yards from a road. But hey, I am preaching to the choir here so I am only stating the obvious and all of you know that this would not be done.

We as a group of sportsmen are getting smaller every year and are facing a society that for the most part live in metropolitan areas and if they even give a hoot at all they believe the bologna the anti's are preaching because we do not stand up for ourselves and our rights. I think it is really funny as we the hounds men are slowly killing our on sport. If you think about it most hounds men are individuals who either hunt by themselves or in a small circle of friends. They brag to one another but for the most part are very happy living in their own little part of the world hunting with their friends or by themselves and hoping the rest of the world would just go away. Now I know that most of the states have non hunting times during the year and if we do not start banding together during those times and start fighting for our rights to hunt with our dogs then in the not so far future hound hunting will be just a thing of the past.

I would say the name of the game is Wake UP or you are going to lose it all...



What Do Ya Think....

You need to check out the couple of bear shows and one lynx show I did with Tred Barta, one bear show and the lynx show had alot of dog work in it. The camera guys where not just guys with a camera both are world class videographer and made sure they got the dogs working. If you could make a show with Danny Kirsic and David Abbott running camera and field producing a show you would end up with some awesome TV. Problem is no one can afford to hire that quality of talent for a hunting show.

Hey JustaGuy,
That was quite a rant and I agree with most of what you are saying and I probably shouldn't be saying all of this because you may not like me either because we have done several hunting shows at my outfit in Wyoming. We are doing 3 more this coming season. To be honest, I probably don't watch 20 shows a year. First, I just don't have time but more importantly, I understand what you are talking about that most are just reality shows and I hate reality shows. There is not one that i watch except every now and then I catch Duck Dynasty. I like rednecks cause I are one. But, here is what's happening on the TV side of things. Yes, you are right, they are doing it for the almighty dollar but isn't that the real dream of all of us? To make a living doing what we love? I know many of these guys doing shows. Some are great guys and down to earth guys that love hunting. I know some very popular ones that really love themselves and are some of the most dishonest people you will ever meet. I have seen it first hand. But, these guys are making a living doing what they love. So, if you are going to do that, you better be doing what sells if you want the electric bill paid. So, what sells? The majority of hunting in the US is Whitetail and Turkeys and bass fishing is right behind them. We out here in the NW don't do a lot of that but we are such a minority it doesn't matter. There are more hunters in PA than in Oregon and Washington combined. There are more whitetail hunters in PA and Ohio than all the hunters in the whole NW. Sponsors want their products sold and it gets sold by the more people that sees it. Now, in saying all of that, I go to sportsman shows in PA and OH and I believe with talking to those guys back there and having all the hunters I have from there come out to hunt with us in Wyoming, I believe that oudoor shows and more importantly the sponsors would not miss a lick with putting more stuff about us here in the NW for their shows back East and hound hunting is one of them. Another thing, is a camera man going to follow your dogs? Nope, but neither am I. That is why I have the Alpha. But those hunters back there love their hunting and are real purests so I know they would love seeing more of what goes on around the country for hunting. Over 70% of my hunters come from back East. But getting back to what you were saying,Yes, it is a living for the hosts, camera man, editors, promotors and everyone else involved and good for them to do what they love to do. Just the cost of getting a channel to except you is off the charts. Like everything else, it is expensive. I have never complained about a person making as much as they can in their occupation. I just don't want to hear a bunch of whinning when they have priced themselves out of a job or crying for handouts for some to bail the out of their bad, Irresponsible, greety decisions. This is just my 2 cents. Bythe way, we need to hunt together some day, we would get a long just fine. Jon

You know Jonsoutdoors I do not disagree with a thing you said. But I guess my thoughts on the shows is that most of the time we, hounds men, seem to get the short end of the stick In the TV world and real world both. I have lived in California for most of my 66 years and I have just experienced having one of my liberties taken away from me because some boob that lives in the middle of LA listened to people like USHS and they decided how I should live. And this has soured me on my state and I am making every effort I can to move away.
I guess my real complaint about the shows is not so much they either cater to the easy shows to film like deer hunting in a stand or pheasant hunting in Nebraska but because hound hunting is such a difficult show to film you do not often see one and then if it is done badly then it almost does more damage than good. But what the heck if 99 percent of the people do not understand anything about our sport then I guess watching some guy acting like he is lost and can not find his truck or is worried about not being to find his dogs when they have GPS collars on then whose to know. Right !

I would like to think that our sport of hunting with dogs would last for ever but I am afraid that if we do not band together as hounds men and join in with any other pro hunting groups the sport is going to die. Most of you think it is not coming but all I have to say is we have lost lion, bear and bob cat hunting with hounds in California, and Oregon has lost lion and bear hunting with hounds in the last couple of years. It can happen to YOU !

Oh and a closing note how many of you know that Obama is trying to take our guns away by utilizing UN sanctions. If this is new to you please read up on it.. and talk with your state representatives and see how they feel about it...Obama is after our guns...

Hey JustaGuy,
I think we would get along jsut right. I agree. like I said in my last note, I think that a lot of the TV shows and I mean the majority of them, do what is easy and I think they are missing the boat by not adding all hunting. I feel for you down in California. There is no rhyme or reason for thatto happen except for control. But, as you are saying, we as sportsman don't stick together at all. I have been putting all the info that Mike has been getting out, in my newsletters and facebook and you want to know who is contacting me? IT is the guys back East. Okay, I have to get on my soap-box now. Sorry. I was on Dicks Sporting Good's pro staff for fishing. I haad one of the local stores full of deer, elk, antelope heads for display. Back when Obama presented his plan for taking AR's and large clips and all the nonsese he proposed, Dicks followed it to the tee. They supported Obama with all he wanted. As soon as I heard this, I called the cooperate office and had myself taken off the pro staff. I also went in the store and took all my stuff out. They wanted to argue with me about them not being anti-guns and I totally disagreed with them.if they take one legal gun off their shelf to suport Obama, they are anti's as far as I'm concerned. I put that in my newsletter so my customers wouldn't think there was anything wrong. I got 50-75 emails from customers supporting me and they were ALL from back East customers. I talked to a buddy the other day and he was telling me about a fishing rod he got from Dicks and after questioning him about supporting Dicks, it was because he saved $28. That is unbelieveable to me. Another thing, last year the NRA, Rochy Mountain Elk Foundation and a couple hundred venders boycotted the Harrisburg sportsman show because owners of the show were following Obama and wouldn't allow any military type guns, clips or ammo at the show so they Boycotted it. Great. that is what should have been done. Well, I called and sent a letter to both the NRA and the RMEF asking them why they boycotted a sportsman show but not sporting good store for doingthe same thing? Why didn't Dicks at least get a scorn of repremand by the NRA and RMEF? I never got an email or call back so I called the NRA and a lady ripped me up for even asking. I reminded her that I am a member and thought that wasa fair questions to ask and I was belittled by her for asking. Now, I am not saying to stop supporting these organizations because they have done great things but this still taste bad to me. It seems like a lot of people like to complain but if it costs anything, that is where it stops. To me it i skind of like people criticizing our military like my son and many other sons, my love the freedom and protection they give. Okay, Iwill get off my soap-box now.
I know what you are saying and again, we would have a great time on a hunting trip together. Have a great day.