Just came home saw this "hunting show on VS channel called "fair game" There was 4 guys in a truck, and glassing a large mulie buck. One dude has the rifle hanging out the window of the truck. I think he's just using the scope... guide tells him to jack one into the chamber and he freakin shoots it OUT OF THE TRUCK!!! They call it the show where anything goes!!! I GUESS!

HOLY CRAP THEY JUST DID IT AGAIN!!!!:eek::(:(:(:mad:

I think I'm gonna have to write the Versus Channel on this one!!!!

http://www.fairgametv.com/show/

Maybe its a reality TV show about hunting in Southern Missouri...:rolleyes:

Where is that even legal?

Where is that even legal?

Some disable permits allow it I think.


IMO that is a bad name for any type of hunting show, the "Anything Goes" part.

I am with you Flat, even if it is legal it is still WRONG! I was watching a hunting show where they were hunting from a permanent blind for deer using rifles and had on no orange then they said it was in S. Illinois. I took down the info. and looked up the outfitter on the web and found out it was a high fence hunting (if you can call that hunting) place. To me that is just WRONG too.

I am with you Flat, even if it is legal it is still WRONG! I was watching a hunting show where they were hunting from a permanent blind for deer using rifles and had on no orange then they said it was in S. Illinois. I took down the info. and looked up the outfitter on the web and found out it was a high fence hunting (if you can call that hunting) place. To me that is just WRONG too.

I'm guessing Sampsons Ridge ?

I'm guessing Sampsons Ridge ?

Yep that was the place.

Are high fence areas (target ranges?) exempt from all hunting laws?

Are high fence areas (target ranges?) exempt from all hunting laws?

Kind of, I think I read where you need a hunter safety course if born after 1975 but other than that it looks like they are exempt. You can use any weapon, hunt from mid Aug. (Velvet Hunt) until mid Jan. and hunter orange is not required.

I thought hunting from a truck or any vehicle was only legal at night with a spot light? And that is up north and you can only collect the antlers and backstraps off the animal??:mad:

I understand disable permits. But a show? Anything Goes. What a great example to set.:confused:

I caught the last few min of the show and after reading this thread about the disable permits part I think it might have been disable veterans cause they said something about "thanks for supporting the men and women in uniform". IDK for sure though.

If its all goes, can't wait until the episode when they use hand grenades and bazooka's.

Its pathetic that deer hunting has become a commericalized industry that is for sale.

I am glad not to have any of those TV hunters living near me.

If its all goes, can't wait until the episode when they use hand grenades and bazooka's.

Its pathetic that deer hunting has become a commericalized industry that is for sale.

I am glad not to have any of those TV hunters living near me.
You don't think disabled veterans should be able to hunt from a motor vehicle? I'm not tryin to start an argument I'm just wondering..:)

While they were mil members, they all walked up to their kills from the truck just fine...:confused:

I caught the last few min of the show and after reading this thread about the disable permits part I think it might have been disable veterans cause they said something about "thanks for supporting the men and women in uniform". IDK for sure though.

You don't think disabled veterans should be able to hunt from a motor vehicle? I'm not tryin to start an argument I'm just wondering..:)

Disabled is a broad term and this really should be grouped different than running around with a gun hanging out the windows.

Do you think if a person is totally blind they should have the right to hunt? They are disabled. I think it is ok for Blind individuals to drive as I have followed them before and the ATM I use has braille on the keypad. :eek:

Well I know they have wonderful prosthetics these days compared to the past. I mean you can't judge by what you see on TV. If some one has one or both legs missing they can still walk but not necessarily climb a stand or walk all day. I never seen the entire show so I will reserve my opinion until I have adequate information to make a judgment. Not that my opinion matters. :D

I mean you can't judge by what you see on TV.

1. T'hell I can't! I watched em shoot 2 deer out the window of a truck at 150 + yds and they ran right up to em.


If some one has one or both legs missing they can still walk but not necessarily climb a stand or walk all day.

2. From what I saw there wasn' t even a limp. Look I support ALL VETS, but being a vet doesn't mean you can road hunt... AND ON TV... BAD PUBLICITY!

I never seen the entire show so I will reserve my opinion until I have adequate information to make a judgment. Not that my opinion matters. :D

3. You do that!!! :cool:

1. T'hell I can't! I watched em shoot 2 deer out the window of a truck at 150 + yds and they ran right up to em.




2. From what I saw there wasn' t even a limp. Look I support ALL VETS, but being a vet doesn't mean you can road hunt... AND ON TV... BAD PUBLICITY!



3. You do that!!! :cool:

Well... I will...:p

Texas you can you pretty much anything you want. What do you think about 1000+ acre highfence ranch? They talked about this on Bucks of Tecamote a few weeks ago and brought that up. When I heard highfence, I always thought of small plots that farm raised deer were put in and someone pays to shoot them. If a guy has neighbors or state ground next door and the people shoot whatever walks by, how can they manage their deer w/o a fence. Do you think it could be a fair hunt with large amounts to ground and a managed herd inside a fence?

Debunk is right. Disabled is a very broad term. I got out of the military with a 10% disability. My knees will not take standing still on hard surfaces for extended periods. It hurts like heck, I have arthritic knees. Can I hunt still? Yes. I understand wheelchair bound. That is a different story. These guys hunting, according to Bob, sound like me. We both would be running up to a nice kill.

I just used prosthetic as an example. It could be any number of disabilitys. Like I said I didn't see the whole show but I know they can and will manipulate what they broadcast before they broadcast it. The guy running up may not be the guy in the actual hunt. It maybe the same guy who sat in a truck and shot a gun sticking out the window but it might not be the guy actually hunting. They change stuff all the time. Maybe they where doing a story about a farm or group of hunting reserves that wanted to do something for disabled veterans to show their appreciation for the sacrifices the veterans made. I don't know because I didn't see the whole program..:) It may have not even been about disable veterans. I seen a guy at the end in a desert camo uniform say " thanks for supporting men and women in uniform" and kinda stuck it together that they might be disabled vets because someone said disable folks can hunt from a motor vehicle. So I was just speculating.:o Jacobs right also. What about terminally ill folks? Or terminally ill youngsters who hunted before they got ill? :confused:

Here is the upcoming schedule... watch it and see what YOU think...


VERSUS Thu 12/25 5:00 AM
VERSUS Fri 12/26 8:30 AM
VERSUS Tue 12/30 3:00 PM
VERSUS Thu 1/1 5:00 AM
VERSUS Fri 1/2 8:30 AM
VERSUS Tue 1/6 3:00 PM

I found it for your watching pleasure...

http://www.myoutdoortv.com/hunting-microsite/fair-game.html

Go to the "Military Mule Deer"

(NOTE: I think this is the same one, but I can't see it here at work.)

I've been reserving some level of judgement on that particular episode until I could view it -
I think we have two issues up for discussion in this thread., disabled hunting and this monstrosity of series.

First - Regarding this series.. I was livid before I ever got past the open page of the shows web site. The more I explored it and the more clips I watched, it became something akin to a bad train wreck.. you don't want to watch, but you can't tear your eyes away.

The whole concept of "Anything Goes" sends an immediate and poor message. We all know that in the ethical and hunting worlds that most of us move in ANYTHING DOES NOT GO.

The whole "Fair Game" theme seems a bit of a misnomer because I wasn't seeing much of anything fair in anything that was done in respect to most of the hunts and clips I watched. Pay to hunt.. ante up you $ and we'll take you by the hand and give you trophy. BAH

They state that they provide a show that "those who have never been hunting" can see and learn about hunting and catch the spirit - wonderful. SO is this targeted at non hunters as well, hoping to bring new folks into the fold?

So many mentions of sponsors and the references to well outfitted, young professionals - and then great kicker.. where they procliam they are not "hicks from the sticks" not grey topped hosts. Infereing multiple times that older rural hunters (read not a young professional flush with cash and well outfitted ) are passe and not worth considering. That didn't sit well with me either.

It seems to be a show that is promoting a style of hunting and a "hunting lifestyle" that most of us could ill afford nor would want to be a part of.

However I do recognize that there is quite the large section of the hunting world that finds this sort of thing perfectly acceptable.

The more I read about their advertising awards etc. I have to wonder if this isn't a case of the tail wagging the dog.. a show specifically designed to for lack of a better term yuppie/monied audience and to promote all sorts products as an offshoot. We've been watching the cartoon and toy companies do it for years.

Multiple reference to "hunting entertainment" and the new and exciting way to hunt.

My letter to the show, it's sponsors, and hosting network ran a little over two pages. I just find the whole premise extremely distateful. Hunting is not about who has the newest most expensive toys, the most money to hire a guide and book a hunt at ranch that will deliver a trophy kill. Regardless of how it is done .
And while the show made several references to sports women.. it also showed all the men fully clothed on the various web site an those s affiliated with the show while the women were prancing about in camo bikinis ..grrr

Leaves that same bad taste in my mouth that places like the one Harry outlined earlier do.

For the record, I don't think that the veterans in this particular episode were hunting from a vehicle due to disability. Yes it was stated that they had been wounded, however I think they were hunting from a vehicle because that's the practice at that particular location.

as for the disabled debate.. maybe we could have that on another thread? I am disabled.. some days much more than others due the nature of my disease and I am very passionate about access to outdoor activities for the disabled, but not to the point that it borders on unethical.
You can be disabled, even chair bound, and still enjoy a great many ethical and traditional hunting methods and outdoor activities.

I contacted them and all the sponsors... here is the gist of what I sent.

I saw a "hunting" show for the 1st time yesterday that according to their website you sponsor. I can honestly say their tag line "anything goes" is on the money! I watched in horror as they drove around and shot deer out of the truck... Yup that's fair game! The show is an insult to the ethical hunting community. I will be contacting VS tv and all "Fair Game TV" sponsors as well to let them know that you are going down the wrong path in portraying hunting as they are, and you are supporting.

Signed an ethical hunter,
Bob Rutkowski
www.siloutdoors.com

I watched "Military Mule Deer" and it looked to me like they where in a jeep type vehicle with a open top and when they went to shoot the guide said "lets get out and put a bullet into the gun". When they shot it looked like they where standing and using the vehicle as a rest because they had a sandbag type support on the hood they where laying the gun on. That video didn't look like the same one I seen yesterday though.

Yeah, that ain't the episode... guess you'll have to watch versus...

Just got this e-mail back from a Yukon Optics Rep...

Mr. Bob Rutkowski,



Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This is not the image we want to portray and this goes against the ethics of hunting. I have not seen this episode of the show but I will be looking into this with deep concern. We do not want to be apart of any show that devalues conservation techniques and the hunting community.

This 'sponsorship' was started before I took over this position (Jan 08) and, unfortunately, is now something I have to deal with. We are a medium sized company that has grown tremendously since our conception. This growth can be attributed to solid products with lifetime warranties and the 'right'
type of advertising to create awareness. Driving around in a truck shooting deer is not the image we want to convey and is highly irresponsible. It is very unfortunate that this happened and I am about to take a look at the show and contact McRae entertainment about this major concern. Thank you for bringing it to our attention and to VS TV. Please keep me in the loop as to how VS and the other sponsors respond.

I will keep in contact to let you know what I hear from McRae and others.

I am sorry about this unfortunate event because we want to sponsor ethical hunters and conservationists that help the outdoor community grow.

My direct email is XXXXXXX and I can be reached at 817.225.XXXX
if you have any other concerns/ comments. I really appreciate you bringing this to our attention as this really upsets me on a personal level.

Thanks for your time.



Best Regards,

Bobby XXXXX

Awesome.

As someone who is just getting into the sport, I appreciate the dedication that SILO members show to the great outdoors and Bob is a great role model for all of us, young and old. Amen.

Awesome.

As someone who is just getting into the sport, I appreciate the dedication that SILO members show to the great outdoors and Bob is a great role model for all of us, young and old. Amen.


He don't know me very well do he???:p;) JK Phisher!!! JK... Thanks... I try, but I'm far from a Saint!:eek:

It's good to see a sponsor that cares about the image it presents with the shows it sponsors. I hope the other sponsors are equally responsible citizens.

Heard from the Owner Producer of "Fair Game TV"...

Hello Mr. Rutkowski,

My name is Marc McWilliams and I own and produce Fair Game TV. I was contacted by one of my sponsors you sent an email to about an episode of our show you recently viewed on Versus. I wanted to clarify for you a very important item. I am assuming you missed the beginning of the show where we explained and told the very touching story of the two guest hunters. Both are soldiers in Iraq and both were wounded severly in action. One had one of his legs blown in half by a roadside bomb and the other shot in battle. Our community here in West Texas puts on a tremendous event call "Show of Support" that takes wounded soilders hunting to try and thank them for all that they sacrifice. This was their hunt and we took great pride in doing it for them. Obviously able bodied people like you and me would be out afoot hunting mule deer in the mountains, but these two soldiers were not physically able to do that. The soldiers were so excited and so were we. If we had a fault here it was that we may not have done a good enough job explaining the situation during the entire show, sorry for any confusion. Thank you for watching our program and next week you can watch as Ron and I climb the mountains in BC for mountain goat. Thanks again, Marc McWilliams





MY REPLY:



Marc,

I appreciate your response regarding the show in question. As a vet myself and longtime outdoorsman, I know of the "Show of Support" program, great stuff. I've watched other shows and ranches also involved in it and it is a most noble cause. Admittedly, I did miss the beginning of the program. IN NO WAY would I downplay any injury received in combat! But!!! After the shots on the program the shooters "seemed" very able bodied in the approach of the downed animal. At least able enough to sit in a blind next to the road. I hope in your future shows you either explain the situation both before and after, to ensure viewers understand your reasoning or find a better way to accommodate the hunters and film an ethical hunt. Showing anyone shooting deer from a truck on TV is BAD publicity for the ENTIRE hunting community. I own an outdoors forum here in Southern IL, and it was hashed out pretty thoroughly on there. (disability issues as well) Also there are other hunting forums I've found regarding this show that they too all missed the reason for the shooting from a vehicle. You may want to consider covering it again on your web site, or show, to set the record straight.

Here is a link to the discussion on SILO.
http://siloutdoors.com/showthread.php?t=8619

Again I truly appreciate the response, and I'll try to catch the next episode to see how the goat hunting goes.

Bob

That does shine a bit more light on it.