What TV hunting personality?

[Scott CWO]

Would have loved to have hunted with the late Curt Gowdy.

I have guided the following at full price:

Archery Shiras moose with Will Primos. A really fun guy walking through the woods quoting scenes from the Jeremiah Johnson movie. Not a trophy hunter. I had to pull him off some bulls he wanted to shoot. We got a 46” bull.

Muzzleloader mule deer, archery elk, and rifle white-tailed deer with David Blanton. David is a highly religious man and a joker. Always a pleasure in camp and on the hunt.

Rifle Shiras moose with Bill Jordan. Bill was friendly and generous to everyone in camp. He even autographed another client’s moose antler! Walking down the street in Walden, CO some other hunters recognized him and he was very gracious and took time to talk to them. Got a big bull and gave me and my staff most of his moose meat and even paid for the processing, which we really appreciated. His knees are both bone on bone and he cannot get them fixed surgically so he’s not hunting much anymore.

Jim Zumbo was drawn for bighorn sheep in one of my units several years ago and wanted a free hunt. I declined so he booked a hunt anyway but then backed out a month before the hunt after I turned other people away. Communication was also poor. He’s not welcome in our camp.

 

[ElevenBravo]

I've been to SHOT show a lot so I've run into a lot of these TV hunters, spent time with some of them when the cameras weren't pointed at them so they weren't "on". A lot of these people do remember my wife when we run into them, and that weighs heavily in my judgement. And I'm keeping this list to just TV personalities that I've met over the years....

Jim Shockey seems like the real deal. He knows my wife, and calls her by name when he sees her. They have a little tradition where she brings him a little cup of mustard as the first time we met, he was looking for some mustard to put on a hot dog. She call him "The Mustard Man". Haven't seen him at SHOT the last couple of years, I think he may have stopped going and does SCI now.

Pigman? No. He's an entertainer and a product hustler, not a hunter. I'd probably end up going off on him. The way he is on camera is pretty much how he is off. His wife Junie and mine get along very well, and she did do a lot of hunting a few years ago but I think life is happening with her and she doesn't get in front of the camera as much anymore.

Nugent? No, and I'll leave it at that.

Mike Waddell? Not really a fan of the "we're wacky and zany hunters" gonzo style show he does, but I have hung out with him when the cameras are off. We also know a lot of the same people in Texas and have hunted the same places for hogs. He appeared genuinely sad when we told him that a mutual acquaintance's wife had recently passed away. I could spend a day or two with him as long as there were no cameras.

Lee and Tiffany Lakosky - Lee seems like a pretty serious hunter and knows things. Tiffany can hunt. Doesn't hurt she's pretty and a little goofy. Wouldn't mind hanging out with them.

I don't know Rinella enough to have an opinion. Same with Melissa Bachman. I've met her, seen her on TV. Seems real business-like. Might not be my idea of fun or maybe it was just show stress.

Fred and Michele Eichler - My wife adores them. Michele recognizes her on sight, remembers her name. Remembers when we had to cancel a hunt with them due to a cancer scare with my Mrs. Michele is why I use Muzzy broadheads because things like that matter to me. Fred is a fun guy to hang out with. Haven't seen them at SHOT in the last couple of years and I don't get Sportsman's Channel anymore so I don't even know they're still on TV.

If I had to pick a non TV hunter... James Hetfield from Metallica.

 

[Russ16]

I’m not sure if it is good or bad but over never heard of at least 80% of the celebrities mentioned in this thread.

 

[Happy Myles]

I politely decline opportunity to hunt with celebrity . Past experience is no matter how nice and considerate the famous person is the camp is completely focused on them. Maybe extra PHs and help constantly attempting to help them. I like to hunt in wild places and a quiet campi, a relaxing fire, a nice meal, then off to a nice tented bed where I listen to wildlife night sounds as I drift to sleep. Tomorrow the hunt, alone with my PH and trackers

 

[MS 9x56]

Coastal brown bear with Phil Shoemaker in Alaska.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I politely decline opportunity to hunt with celebrity . Past experience is no matter how nice and considerate the famous person is the camp is completely focused on them. Maybe extra PHs and help constantly attempting to help them. I like to hunt in wild places and a quiet campi, a relaxing fire, a nice meal, then off to a nice tented bed where I listen to wildlife night sounds as I drift to sleep. Tomorrow the hunt, alone with my PH and trackers

I agree. Less is more. I prefer to hunt solo. Hanging out with celebrities has absolutely no charm for me. Zero. I cannot imagine living a life where everyone wants to be attached to me, even just momentarily for selfies. Ugh! Leave me alone! Having to worry about groupies and stalkers invading my space all the time would drive me nuts.

 

[DaddyFlip]

I owned/watched Mark Sullivan and Phil Robertson videos over and over decades ago and I enjoyed hunting with them on VHS more than I ever would in real life. I still hunt with Mark occasionally through his two books. Were I to venture out with "known" people (not really TV) for any reason, I would pick Tim and Kim Sundles of Buffalo Bore. I like watching his ammo and rifle vids and I buy his product.

 

[375er]

Jim Fowler is busy in the pit wrestling with the crocodiles, so let's take a short break to talk insurance with our friends from Mutual of Omaha!

"While Jim wrestles with the giant anaconda, I'll be in the hut with the native girls"

 

[JE245]

Mule deer with Cody Robbins. He seems like a good guy. Not hunting, but I would have loved to have fished with Flip Pallot.

 

[roland hester]

Jimmy Houston is a fishing guy,but was filming a deer hunt where some of us were quail hunting. Our host did not realize where he was ,and we totally ruined his hunt.He could not have been more gracious. Class guy

 

[Flbt]

He gone now
But Red holland from fishing with red tv show out of al
He gone to but jack Weingate from a local ga raido program off of lake Seminole