I quit watching hunting shows. Too much over the top celebrating and hype, over just shooting a deer, coyote or even a bird.
They have fallen victim to the new reality TV fad of over exaggerated, pre-rehearsed television. Fishing shows are just as bad.

Or it's a different deer.

Far worse than the hunting shows on TV is the presence of a film crew and celebrity sharing your hunting camp. Just watch the outfitter, guides, cooks, and wranglers go gaga over the chance of seeing themselves on TV. And you can be sure that the celebrity will hunt the prime stands and locations, often for an animal that has already been scouted (go online an have a look at Colorado Buck's giant Stone sheep). And the celebrity almost always gets a free hunt, while the other hunters in camp have paid full fare for second-class service.

I have shared three hunting camps with hunting show camera crews:

1. Quebec caribou. Archer's Choice (The Choice) with Ralph and Vicky Cianciarulo(Vicki and posse-mate, Dusty, were on this hunt; Ralph was in Alaska).

2. Saskatchewan whitetail. Scrap Yards and Hunters with Will and Mary.

3. Argentina red stag, fallow, and blackbuck. Petersen's Hunting with Brittany Boddington.

In all fairness the Quebec hunt was handled by the outfitter rather fairly, the other two hunts less so. Going forward, I now inquire if there will be a film crew in camp. If so, I won't book a hunt on that date. It's quite unfair to pay $6000+ for a trophy hunt to only be seated in the back of the bus.

Keep that in mind when you're watching a hunting show. In my mind, the whole process just overly commercializes and cheapens the sport of hunting.

I've seen plenty of average Joes that pay for their hunt to be filmed act like celebrities. Quite sad.

Agree with both...Now do I watch these shows or not.????

There was a time when you could actually learn something on the hunting or fishing shows but as has been stated they are now just another infomercial pushing their latest sponsors products.
The one legit show that used to be on was Honey Hole. I know because we sponsored them back in the late 90's early 2000's and I was the one that fished with Jerry Dean as the company spokes person. It was all straight up the same thing as if any of us had gone to the lake. If they weren't biting, you went back out the next day and fished until you had caught enough for to make that weeks show. He did want me to use his sponsors bait but when they weren't hitting it I did what I wanted to. What I did worked and he used that on the show. You don't see that any more.