Where's The Gun Hunter TV Shows At?

Hoskins

New member
Why is it that the majority of the huntig shows on TV are bowhunting? I have really noticed this since I got the Sportsman & Outdoor Channel. I know that there is Shooting & Tactical Arms type shows on, but the majority of actual hunting shows, the folks are mainly using bows & muzzle loaders. Heck, sometimes they even act like hunting with a rifle is almost taboo...I know around my neck of the woods in the Mountains of KY & down here around base in Coastal NC...there is many more hunters in the woods on opening day of modern gun season than there is during bow & muzzleloader season. Just wondering what your alls thought is on this?
 
For many years all you saw on tv was rifle hunts. Now more of the bigger deer states are bow ,shotgun and BP states and thats were these "pro" hunters get free hunting trips so what you see is bow, shotgun and BP. Does bow hunting take more skill and makes better tv?? maybe. Anymore if you don't bow hunt you better live in the south i guess. I live in the NC mountains and you better be a bow hunter here. There is a rifle season but it is short.
 
To me, personally, anyone can shoot a deer with a rifle at 100+ yards. It really doesn't take a whole lot of skill, especially on the game ranches that they hunt. The archery hunts actually take skill, and quite often lead to stories of missed opportunities, which quick frankly, is more realistic for the "average joe" that doesn't get to hunt these ranches.
 
Camper4lyfe, I hope you really don't feel this way. "anyone can shoot a deer with a rifle at 100 yds, it doesn't take alot of skill. The archery hunts actually take skill" I disagree strongly!! Archery and firearms hunting require their owns skill sets.. IMO, your statement was too broad:(. I have hunted both with bow and with rifle and IMHO, They're both difficult. When I say that your statement is too broad I mean that isn't a hunter equally challenged by shooting skills be it bow or rifle or atl-atl or whatever weapon, the art of woodsmanship is the most important skill. I could liken my idea to two hunters, one bow-hunter and one gun-hunter, they both go to the woods to hunt, the bow-hunter or BH for short, climbs a tree and places a stand to sit and watch a trail. the gun-hunter or GH for short, starts his hunt by slowly stalking his way up or down a large hollow. the GH can afford to stalk because he has a longer shot capabilty than does the BH so for now the BH sits motionless until his prey wanders close enough for a skillfully placed shot.. Meanwhile the GH has just glassed some deer at about 100-150 yds, he carefully takes a mental note of which animal he would like to take, Steady position, Proper sight alignment, Breathing control, Trigger squeeze. If all his time spent at the range is going to pay off for him it's Now. Back to the BH, he hears movement right behind his stand, he slowly stands up and turns around to see a nice buck feeding his way to the "comfort zone" that the BH had already checked out when he placed his stand, he or she for that matter, picks the bow up off it's hanger and gets the release ready. The buck is still coming right into the spot that you have visualized. You draw your bow, now at this point all your practice and shooting skills are the only thing between you and the deer being taken. How can anybody say at this point that one hunter is more skilled than another????? The GH practiced at the range all those days, and the BH practiced shooting arrows until he had a blister from it. I want you to think of this, Handi-capped hunters, how do they fit in this world of skilled hunters?! Are they not skilled hunters, the days practicing shooting their special appuratus.. I guess I'll come off my soap box, sorry for the rant fellars!??.... Never think a bow-hunter posesses more skill than a rifle hunter, there's more to it than just tools of the trade!

Thanks for coming!:cool:
 
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Hooligan,

Remember, we're talking about hunting shows on TV. And yes, I'm 100% serious about my comment. "Anyone" can shoot a rifle with basic training, so long as it is properly sited in. How many of these professionals do you see taking off-hand shots? None. They've all got shooting sticks or rests, or using the blind as a support. You're turning apples into oranges with your rant. The rifle shooters are shooting out of the same stands that the archery guys are. This gives the GH's a VAST advantage. Again, 100+ yard shots are just like a free throw in basketball for these guys. What fun is that to watch? Sure, a 20yd archery shot is, too, but it takes more work to get to that 20 yds, as opposed to shooting across a field.

I stand by my statement that archery hunting is more "entertaining" to watch because the probability of a mistake is that much higher.
 
I'm must have been mistaken, anybody would rather be intertained by what they're watching. As for me I think a skilled hunter is a skilled hunter. I guess your right also about anyone being taught to shoot a rifle as the armed forces do it every day. But I will gracefully disagree about Bowhunters being more skilled than Gunhunters...sorry that's just me..:rolleyes:
BTW sorry hoskins I wasn't trying to kill your thread..(won't happen again)
Thanks for coming!:cool:
 
I guess I did totally kill this thread.... It was definetly not my intention to do so.:( Hey we all know that what the media puts out on their sport channels is going to lean heavily towards political (cowardace)correctiveness.. Watch that BEST OF THE WEST program it's pretty enjoyable... I hope you get what you wanted out of this thread despite being pirated by the hooligan1!!!


Thanks for coming!:cool:
 
timely

Bow season is creeping up, and the programmers are running bow hunts.

As gun season draws nearer, I bet you'll see some more gun hunts.

Any of it beats baseball.........................!
 
I suspect it has as much to do with a few factors as anything else.

(1) Archery and M/L companies are the ones sponsoring the shows. If Whamo slingshots were the sponsors, they'd be using Whamo slingshots. (This applies to fishing shows also.)

(2) Archery and M/L seasons are longer giving them more opportunities to hunt.

(3) Archery and M/L seasons are generally earlier in the season so the weather is better giving more opportunities to shoot film/video under good conditions.
 
When i turn on the TV and just see Bow and arrow stuff, I change the channel.
I dont have anything against Bow Hunters, but I am just not interested eneough in Bow Hunting to watch it.
Not to mention we finnally let two bow hunters in our Hunting Club, and Caught them Poaching Deer.
They thought that just because we couldnt hear them shoot they had the right to sneak game out. WRONG!!!!!
 
I don't think you killed the thread holligan & I agree with you 100%, each "tool" takes its own set of skill sets. I enjoy both, but I enjoy hunting w/ a gun better. I have just noticed that there is so many more bowhunting shows on than there use to be. It seems as if there has been a shift & some of the celebrity/ "PRO":rolleyes: hunters are all about bowhunting.

I'd like to see them chase after some squirrels w/ a rimfire & see if that is so much easier than bowhunting!:D
 
I'd like to see them chase after some squirrels w/ a rimfire

I like to do that myself.
.. I am also going to try to bowhunt deer this fall... Got a mathews conquest 2 bow month ago... I have never done it before.
 
Let them fancy huntin fellas show up here with a .22 lr and I'll take them rabbit hunting.

Now that would be a show worth watching!
 
The only ones i watch nowadays are jim shockey and wednesday nights on the range. I've noticed Mr. Shockey has been taking longer and longer shots these days.
 
Bowhunters are more gear/ gadget oriented and buy alot of new gear every year. They are an advertisers dream. Alot of them buy brand new bows every year and all the accessories. New camo, scent lock, etc, hoping to stack the odds in their favor.
Gun hunters buy a good rifle, a scope ammo,and theyre about done.
FWIW, there is NO comparison, in the amt of skill required to get in bow range, draw un detected and make a lethal shot, vs shooting a game animal with a rifle. Take the scope off your rifle and dont load it until the animal is with 25-30 yds. You are well withing his sensory range and remember than an arrow kills by hemmorage as well, not shock. Once you hit him, youve still got to find him. Watch the video of Fred Bear shooting a Brown Bear at 15 feet with a recurve, with no gun backing him up, then tell me how hard gun hunting is...
I can kill deer almost at will with a rifle, with a bow Im lucky if 1/2 - 2/3 of the deer I get in range offer me a shot.
 
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