North American Whitetail Article

THE LLC

Well-Known Member
Any of y'all read NAW's September article "Closing the Deal"? I don't know the hunter or author so I don't want to trash the guy, but dang, reading that thing was like the transcript of a NASCAR driver after winning the Daytona 500. Is it really necessary to do so much advertising that your story gets lost?
 
I just don't watch hunting shows anymore with the exception of Shockey's show. Too much put-on BS.
 
I just don't watch hunting shows anymore with the exception of Shockey's show. Too much put-on BS.

Meateater and Shockey's stuff is about all I watch on my Samsung TV via Sling TV on ROKU while sitting in my Lazy Boy. I'd also like to thank Dell and whoever my internet provider is for making this post possible. ;)

I agree outdoor TV has done more to hurt hunting's image than help but money makes the world go round.
 
I agree, there are a few shows I will watch but the over bombardment of sponsors has just ruin it for me. It not realistic from my experience that when you go out that monster buck shows up 30 minutes later and gives a perfect broadside shot. Most of us work hard for our deer hunting privileges plus I have mixed feeling about hunting deer that are fenced in, just doesn't seem right to me.
 
And if I never hear the word " smackdown " or the phrase " smoked him " again, it will be too soon for me........all the while the buck is running off with 20" of arrow hanging out of his midsection.
 
Last week, I watched a deer hunting show for the first time in many years. Within 5 minutes I was so disgusted I had to turn it off. It was some idiot bow hunting mule deer in Utah. He took a 70 yard shot at the deer! He claimed the arrow deflected on a branch but when they slowed the video you could see the buck react to the sound and actually see the arrow as it came at him. Of course, he jumped way out of the arrow path.

Get I'll give it a try in another 10 years:rolleyes:
 
I don't watch any of the hunting shows on TV. I find them obnoxious and offensive. Nonetheless I have nothing against someone that can make a living off of hunting. It's never been anything but an expense for me.

Back in the 90's when I bought my ranch I wanted to learn how to grow food plots on it. So I arranged to go to the Tecomate Ranch where I met Dr. Gary Scwarz, David Morris and their farming savant Fred Schuster. I quickly learned that it took a LOT more to grow plots in the desert than this La. boy knew.These guys took dry land farming to a scientific level far beyond my skills or equipment. I also found all three to be deer fanatics, outstanding managers and highly entrepreneurial .

Gary was the founder of Tecomate and as far as I know was the one that introduced the hunting world to lab lab. While an oral surgeon by profession he poured all his passion in trying to grow outstanding whitetails. While still passionate about deer he is now also on a quest to grow gigantic bass. David was so impressed with what Gary was doing he bought the ranch next to him imploring him to execute the same farming techniques on his ranch

David was a good old boy biologist from Ga. He was running a farm there when he saw potential and was one of the founders of North American Whitetail magazine. He reminded me a lot of Ray Scott founder of BassMaster and Imperial Whitetail Seed. A master promoter and expert at getting the dollar out of your pocket into his. Also though he was as knowledgeable as anyone on whitetail deer , nutrition, and all the stuff many of us find interesting. And passionate would be an understatement similar to saying nuclear war might be dangerous.

Fred was the dry land farmer that taught them how to grow in the desert. As David and Gary began commercializing the business Fred dropped out and went back to farming.

I say all this only to acknowledge that if someone can make a living in the hunting industry good for them. These guys have done well, have enormous passion for what they do, and also have the skills to back it up. I applaud them for their success.

As for me all the advertising, promotion, hyperventilating smoking smack downs are just noise. I pay no attention to it. I try to learn from the best and ignore the rest and find that for me hunting and the outdoors has never been better than it is now.
 
Meateater and Shockey's stuff is about all I watch on my Samsung TV via Sling TV on ROKU while sitting in my Lazy Boy. I'd also like to thank Dell and whoever my internet provider is for making this post possible. ;)

I agree outdoor TV has done more to hurt hunting's image than help but money makes the world go round.
Now that's funny !!
 
When I was kid my grandmother would watch tv and if it was raining or snowing she would make the comment that would be over us soon. My point, tv is just that , a little reality with a bunch of fiction and shouldn't be taken any way but a fantasy. Had a friend who got into the business for a while filming and indeed it is a lot contrived, much of it refilmed after the fact. I don't watch hunt shows often but take them as they are, usually a high fenced, reshot , trumped up drama.
I've hunted with Jim Shockey and his family, guides, and cameramen and they are all great people that love the hunt. But indeed they are there as a business and cater to those needs accordingly to make a living. So be it.
 
And if I never hear the word " smackdown " or the phrase " smoked him " again, it will be too soon for me........all the while the buck is running off with 20" of arrow hanging out of his midsection.
"Dirt nap" is another one that used to be funny but TV shows killed it
 
I don't watch any of the hunting shows on TV. I find them obnoxious and offensive. Nonetheless I have nothing against someone that can make a living off of hunting. It's never been anything but an expense for me.

Back in the 90's when I bought my ranch I wanted to learn how to grow food plots on it. So I arranged to go to the Tecomate Ranch where I met Dr. Gary Scwarz, David Morris and their farming savant Fred Schuster. I quickly learned that it took a LOT more to grow plots in the desert than this La. boy knew.These guys took dry land farming to a scientific level far beyond my skills or equipment. I also found all three to be deer fanatics, outstanding managers and highly entrepreneurial .

Gary was the founder of Tecomate and as far as I know was the one that introduced the hunting world to lab lab. While an oral surgeon by profession he poured all his passion in trying to grow outstanding whitetails. While still passionate about deer he is now also on a quest to grow gigantic bass. David was so impressed with what Gary was doing he bought the ranch next to him imploring him to execute the same farming techniques on his ranch

David was a good old boy biologist from Ga. He was running a farm there when he saw potential and was one of the founders of North American Whitetail magazine. He reminded me a lot of Ray Scott founder of BassMaster and Imperial Whitetail Seed. A master promoter and expert at getting the dollar out of your pocket into his. Also though he was as knowledgeable as anyone on whitetail deer , nutrition, and all the stuff many of us find interesting. And passionate would be an understatement similar to saying nuclear war might be dangerous.

Fred was the dry land farmer that taught them how to grow in the desert. As David and Gary began commercializing the business Fred dropped out and went back to farming.

I say all this only to acknowledge that if someone can make a living in the hunting industry good for them. These guys have done well, have enormous passion for what they do, and also have the skills to back it up. I applaud them for their success.

As for me all the advertising, promotion, hyperventilating smoking smack downs are just noise. I pay no attention to it. I try to learn from the best and ignore the rest and find that for me hunting and the outdoors has never been better than it is now.

Certainly not taking away from their knowledge. I now David personally. But it's kinda like country music--the folks putting money in their pocket will NEVER live the life they show on TV or sing about. But, I guess, giving folks the thought that they might SOMEDAY get there is worth something.
 
I must be one of the few that enjoy watching hunting shows?

I only watch the shows where you can actually learn something from it though rather than just watching something getting shot like most shows only do. I'm also not a fan of the canned/high fence hunts where they usually shoot them over bait either, and surprisingly, there's a bunch of em on. That's the farthest thing from hunting to me, and are both obnoxious and offensive. I can deal with the hooting and the hollering after a kill more than I can the high fence shows. They are embarrassing to the hunters that actually have to hunt in the real world. Most of the shows don't show the reality that most of us deal with, which is hunting on small tracts of land and not being able to pass up every 3 year old buck because of fear of your neighbor shooting him.

Truthfully; the advertising doesn't bother me at all. It's just a part of being on TV and being able to produce a quality show. Now most of the quality shows are going to Youtube because they don't need to be censored like the network programs do. Plus they are much cheaper to produce than the shows on the networks.

Some of my favorites are; Bowlife, Rival Wild, Nock On, and Heartland Bowhunter. Midwest Whitetail is one of the best, but it's only on Youtube now. All good shows where you can actually take something from the show and make yourself a better hunter and increase your habitat.
 
I do watch the vids I get each week from Bill Winke and Dr. Grant Woods. No commercials and solid info, and although I can't relate to the big deer Winke hunts, he seems like an honest, down to earth guy to me. Some of the public land hunts his "crew" shoots are well worth watching also. I have to say I've learned some things from Dr. Woods also. I suppose one of the main reasons I like these is because of the food plotting info. It's always nice to see how other folks do things.
 
Fred was the dry land farmer that taught them how to grow in the desert. As David and Gary began commercializing the business Fred dropped out and went back to farming.

Can you share some of fred's insight?

thanks,

bill
 
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