Does it seem to anyone else as though the hunting industry is losing its focus entirely? I’m talking about shows, books, magazines, websites, etc. The entire industry has seemingly shifted away from hunters and hunting, to sales and selling. Now I know I’m going to hear, “you’ve gotta pay the bills somehow”, “that’s how they stay afloat”, ect. But at what point does the line get drawn? Anytime anything gets big, it seems as though the original mission is thrown to the wind. My question is why? I mean I’ve even seen it in BHOD. (Sorry Justin and others I still love the show and watch every week). But I mean recently it’s getting out-right ridiculous across the board with so many shows and companies. One year Mathews comes out with the Halon 32 and you hear Todd raving in a Mathews cult-like manner about how longer is always better and more stable. How a long bow is more repeatable and how it’ll shoot flat out to god knows how far. And then you’ll here how the halon 32 is the best hunting bow Mathews has ever produced, and quite possibly the best hunting bow of all time. Fast forward to the next year. Mathews drops the triax. Ope! Never-freakin mind. To hell with the 32...what even is a halon...check out my new TRIAX. So quiet, so dead in the hand, so maneuverable. It’s like the handgun of hunting bows and it fits right in and out of ground blind windows. THIS, now THIS is the best hunting bow ever produced. This is all anecdotal... but you get my point. It happens all the time. Levi goes from Mathews to elite and then back to Mathews. Elite was the greatest thing while he was there and then he had a change of heart and “came back home to mathews”. No! Mathews cut him the better deal and he showed right back up singing their praises again. Stan Potts. The guy was with like Mathews (I might be mistaken) and then goes to gear head. What the eff is gear head??? Literally months after being with gear head and singing their praises he goes to something like prime. Do these sponsorships even bring in sales anymore? I can’t speak for everyone but HOW could you believe these people and what they’re endorsing? Nobody is out there to just have fun anymore. And I’ve seen it’s worsening in just the 5-6 years I’ve been in tune with the industry. Who do we have left, Steven Rinella? I hope that guy never gets corrupted or infected with the ridiculousness of everyone else. Even bow manufacturers. Every year is a brand new bow. MSRP’s get higher and more ridiculous almost every other year. Bow companies are just putting out new products, not because they’re any better or even hardly different, but because they can make a quick buck. I know it’ll never happen, but they should change from a release every year to one every 2-3 years. Ugh, I gotta stop this soon...it’s turning into an incoherent rant. But hunting is turning into a game of money, sponsorships, and big brand accumulation. Now if you’d excuse me I must go put on my yeti underwear and Sitka socks. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Our cable has very few fishing or hunting show unless you spend a ton of $$$ to upgrade and get a bunch of channels that I wouldn't watch anyway. I have to agree that it is revolving around $$$. I have a hard time justifying spending $500 or more in a bow. I am going to practice with my 1970s Bear Whitetail compound. I tried to put a loop on it to use a mechanical release. It is so old, I couldn't get the cam and wheel to turn over at full draw. Back to the glove or my son's Darton bow!
Best post ever!! Who REALLY gives a crap about hand shock? I mean, am I not seeing the ipmortance of it? Are archery 3- d scores really much better then 10 years ago? And don't get me started on the new- killingest broadheads
Can anyone here say honestly they haven’t been influenced to buy anything that has been shown either on TV, in magazine or any type of paid advertisement? Doubt it If you don’t like it don’t watch hunting shows, commercials, reviews or read the magazines etc. I understand that my point isn’t entirely on the subject but without paid advertisements from the manufacturers and industry influencers they wouldn’t be able to publish or air anything, it’s their main revenue source. I 100% agree that every year the “advancements” are nothing more than aesthetic tweaks for the most part!
I used to watch the outdoor channel all the time, simply bc I like being around hunting and fishing. Now I don’t even bother putting it on, over half of the shows are commercials and endorsements. I understand that is what drives the shows and what drives all TV for that matter, but it’s just annoying. It’s an Industry, they feed off the hunters & outdoorsmen. Simply put, if you don’t like it don’t support it. I do own Sitka gear, but not because I saw some JO on tv wear it. Bc it’s the best IMO gear I have tried for my style of hunting.
I see the BHOD crew promoting Mathews, and I have no problem with that. The new bows feature real improvements. I'm still using my Carbon Overdrive, and the only upgrade I'm looking at is a PSE Carbon Air. CamoFire had them at 850 the other day. Still won't pay that much for a bare bow though. BHOD is well produced, and aside from the choice of big cut mechanicals I don't see that they spend a lot of time schilling products. Hunting Public is still out there using whatever gear they have, and Randy Newberg is more about information and keeping it real than about sponsorship. The shows that have turned into infomercials for sponsors products don't hold my attention very long. I would probably enjoy having the newest gear every year, but my five year old Overdrive kept me within ten points of our first place league shooter who went out and picked up a brand new Vertix with all of the top end accessories. I really enjoyed helping him tune it. The next deer I shoot wont care that I used an outdated bow with a budget arrow and the unsung hero of mechanicals, the Rocket Steelhead, instead of the new ACC 4 mm shaft with a Rage on it. The mission gets derailed when the need to sell product to keep the show on the air trumps the hunters passion that got them into the game. The more mouths you have to feed, the harder it is to stay on focus. I've stopped watching shows that reduce success to a number of inches and not an experience. In the end you vote with your clicks and your cash. Keep in mind why you are out there, and when it stops being enjoyable, go back to the beginning and see what changed.
I am much more worried about corporate SJW tyranny than I am a little good ol' fashioned corporatism for profit. That being said; vote with your wallet. Or web traffic (which is their wallet.)
You're hitting the nail on the head and I agree with most all of it Shane. However.. when I discovered BHOD it was in the second season and I found it to be a breath of fresh air. As other posters have pointed out, other shows are pure infomercials and endorsements and yeah, those dudes can go f themselves in the a. I got so sick and tired of every other word being product x or y being the reason they were able to make the kill. I came to the conclusion that by their own admission they couldn't kill a deer without a truckload of bs products and that's just pathetic. I repeat, pathetic. Plus the fact that the majority of them hunt high fence, super duper pathetic and not even real hunting. Anyway, every show needs sponsorship and that is the system in which we live but when they just get greedy and go overboard, I'm out. I want to see Todd, Justin and the guys succeed and if that means hocking the newest Mathews bow every year then so be it because it is at its core a great bowhunting show. Wish they would make the switch to PSE but that's just a personal opinion and/or preference. I think the best example of sponsorship has been the Lancaster tip of the week, it's real information that benefits instead of buy x product or you're not a really hunting.
Ahhhhhh.....there's the Shane we all know. Young and full of piss and vinegar. Can you send me a link to this video? I would like to review it and see exactly what "cult-like manner" means. My memory isn't what it used to be in my old age. Stan, like many others, has a business to run. When one of your partners lets you go, you need to make money somewhere else. Unfortunately for Stan, he's a dinosaur in this industry and he's fighting for survival. Gotta take it where you can get it. With the exception of a few top producers that people follow because they like and believe them, it's not about the "endorsement" of the person using the product. It's about getting your product and your messaging in front of potential buyers. This is called marketing. Perhaps you can study it in college this year. Most of our partners realize that people aren't going to run out and buy their product because Todd, Justin or anyone else on our team uses it. I'm sure a few people will, but for the most part, they just want to get their product in front of the tens of thousands of people who consume our content throughout the year. Whether that be via the show, social media or website. If they do their job of making a quality product that people want to use, our job is easy and everyone wins. I like having fun. Yeah, I hope First Lite or Vortex never get to that guy. Perhaps a minor in Business would be a good decision as well.
It's entertainment for some, nothing more and nothing less. The outdoor industry has very little effect or influence on how I hunt. Maybe it's different for younger or newer hunters. Everybody has to learn to be a critical viewer on their own.
Some very good points Justin...& just a hint of the usual condescension to add to the discussion. Forgot to quote my admission that I liked both you and the show...how come?
I grew up wearing my Dads passed down cotton blend realtree camo hunting clothes. We were usually successful harvesting deer and turkeys regularly. Now I'm 35 and find myself tempted to purchase expensive hunting clothes to stay warmer and dryer...why is a First Lite/Sitka/Kuiu jacket $300? Probably the same reason my wife's Coach purse costs $300. Because people are willing to pay it. I've read Sota post this numerous times, that if you buy a product with a deer on the package, you're paying too much.
I hint of condescension? Man, I thought I laid it on pretty thick. I'm only hard on you because you remind me of myself at 18. I thought I knew everything about how the world worked and spent a lot of time making dumb posts on the Internet. 20 years later I've come to the realization I didn't know squat back then, and still don't most of the time.
I can't wait to run an NAP-tipped Black Eagle arrow out of the old TenPoint crossbow right through one of those suckers. Probably get him from my Lone Wolf stand over my Antler King plot and there's no way he'll know I'm there thanks to my ScentLok.
