Was his name Jim?
Dropped Project Alaska
- Thread starter DHaffner
- Start date
Yup. He was full of great advice about lots of things Alaska related. I think his Sitka Blacktail offer has Law boy losing sleep with excitement. August 2013, we will be scaling the steep slopes around POW, looking for alpine blacktails with the expert himself.
mtlion
Well-known member
Fin, I've done POW DIY twice, first trip I took a small blacktail buck and last year a big fall black bear. Next time I want to go into the high country and look for a good buck...It just so happens I'm booking a halibut fishing trip for my wife and I and some friends of ours from Germany...looking to be on the island about the same time as you, sometime in July-Aug 2013. Because my german buddy can't hunt w/out a guide I was not going to hunt. Didn't want him to get jealous...but maybe I should say screw it and do it. :hump:
ColoradoHunter
New member
I feel sorry for these two brothers. Mainly they had no idea of what they were getting into. If you have ever walk a mile in the area they are hunting you might understand. Most of it is like walking on a one foot thick sponge. If they ever shoot a moose they will understand quickly. But give them a chance , one of them already has a bum knee and to be trying to walk would be a chore. But to kill a moose they are going to have to go for it.
the nikster
Well-known member
Someone said something about sitting around camp on the hunt of a lifetime, I agree. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin"! I can sit in a lawn chair right here in Poland. Or in my back yard, or on the divide in Idaho-but watching a couple of clowns squander the hunt of a lifetime, well that just aggravates my ire.
ARCAT
Member
I've seen the bum knee plenty of times on tough hunts. 90% of the time a Bum knee = losers limp. I think they are scared and tired. I can't believe they ever got picked to do the show to begin with. There is no way the producer or camera men are going to let them get seriously hurt or even very hungry. I'm suprised the producer doesn't kick them out of camp and tell them to go hunt or go home.
I would not be suprised if one of them doesn't come up with a phantom injury or medical condition and they have to call in the egg beater and scrap the whole thing.
I would not be suprised if one of them doesn't come up with a phantom injury or medical condition and they have to call in the egg beater and scrap the whole thing.
pseshooter300
Member
You guys are brutal lol
Great post!
Seems to me they were a good choice. I mean, here you all are, on the internet, talking about them...
pseshooter300
Member
Like I said I like it it is defiantly not like the other shows of being guided by a outfitter all the time. Tonight at 9
npaden
Well-known member
I watched an episode of this and the outlanders last night while working out on the elliptical. I've been recording meat eater too.
They are for sure a change from the typical, show up at an outfitters place, laugh and joke and horseplay, then go shoot a monster animal that most people are going to have one chance in a lifetime at shooting. Every show.
In some ways you feel that they are stealing from the popularity of On Your Own Adventures, but then you think that is really a good thing. I'm sure there will always be a dozen shows of midwest treestand hunting, but the new trend of more DIY type shows really is a good thing I think. Many of these shows end with what a traditional show would consider to be a failure, but I would rather watch a DIY type show end up with no animal on the ground than watching a midwest whitetail hunter shooting a monster bull at a private guided ranch in Colorado.
They are for sure a change from the typical, show up at an outfitters place, laugh and joke and horseplay, then go shoot a monster animal that most people are going to have one chance in a lifetime at shooting. Every show.
In some ways you feel that they are stealing from the popularity of On Your Own Adventures, but then you think that is really a good thing. I'm sure there will always be a dozen shows of midwest treestand hunting, but the new trend of more DIY type shows really is a good thing I think. Many of these shows end with what a traditional show would consider to be a failure, but I would rather watch a DIY type show end up with no animal on the ground than watching a midwest whitetail hunter shooting a monster bull at a private guided ranch in Colorado.
theat
Well-known member
I like the idea of the show, scenery ect. but I am not that impressed with the hunters. I have done a few 14-20 day solo hunts in remote difficult terrain so I know how hard it is to maintain focus and motivation, but if I was there and saw that bull up on the mountain I don't think anything could have kept me from going after it.
If you guys are interested in seeing a real alaskan adventure check out Bruce "Buck" Nelson's video called Alaska Hunting Adventure: 700 Miles Alone by Backpack and Raft. This guy films himself on a six week solo hunt in the brooks range. This is definitely amature filming/editing but still worth watching if you ever plan on doing anything like this. He also has a video I have not seen yet where he spends 77 days traversing the length of the brooks range.
If you guys are interested in seeing a real alaskan adventure check out Bruce "Buck" Nelson's video called Alaska Hunting Adventure: 700 Miles Alone by Backpack and Raft. This guy films himself on a six week solo hunt in the brooks range. This is definitely amature filming/editing but still worth watching if you ever plan on doing anything like this. He also has a video I have not seen yet where he spends 77 days traversing the length of the brooks range.
ARCAT
Member
I know the Losers Limp well, and have seen the phantom injury raise its ugly head many times. When the hunt gets tough or the weather bad, some guys would just rather go home.
Heck I even tried to pull the Losers Limp myself one time. I was about 25 and decided that instead of setting up camps and cutting fire wood all summer I rather be a rafting guide on the main salmon. What could be better than hanging out on the river, camping out in a different spot every night, doing a little fishing, take a few naps, and rowing rafts full of hot chicks and cold beer down the river for 8 hours a day? I got a real shock on the first trip when we stopped at northfork and the head guide said NO BEER. No Chew. Once we got on the river I soon realized that those rapids are Huge and I had no idea what I was doing. Its much easier in my opinion to run a pack string with 6 cranky mules down the trail than a raft full of hippies down the main salmon. Hot chicks and cold beer were no where to be found. I would have gladly faked an injury or even setttled for a death in the family if it would have got me off the river. You can get hurt bad hunting but those big rapids can kill you if you don't know what you are doing.
Come to think of it maybe I should lighten up on these guys... but they are on a dream hunt, never mind, they need to go Hunt.
Heck I even tried to pull the Losers Limp myself one time. I was about 25 and decided that instead of setting up camps and cutting fire wood all summer I rather be a rafting guide on the main salmon. What could be better than hanging out on the river, camping out in a different spot every night, doing a little fishing, take a few naps, and rowing rafts full of hot chicks and cold beer down the river for 8 hours a day? I got a real shock on the first trip when we stopped at northfork and the head guide said NO BEER. No Chew. Once we got on the river I soon realized that those rapids are Huge and I had no idea what I was doing. Its much easier in my opinion to run a pack string with 6 cranky mules down the trail than a raft full of hippies down the main salmon. Hot chicks and cold beer were no where to be found. I would have gladly faked an injury or even setttled for a death in the family if it would have got me off the river. You can get hurt bad hunting but those big rapids can kill you if you don't know what you are doing.
Come to think of it maybe I should lighten up on these guys... but they are on a dream hunt, never mind, they need to go Hunt.
Bambistew
Well-known member
Any guesses on the size of the bull that showed up in camp, in the episode last night?
I'm guessing it will be damn close to B&C, and 65" wide. Sure hope it doesn't die in the water.
I'm guessing it will be damn close to B&C, and 65" wide. Sure hope it doesn't die in the water.
pseshooter300
Member
Lastnight was pretty good 3 more shows last show will be a hour.
Last night was the second episode I have been able to catch. My perspective may be different, knowing too well the situations they are faced with in trying to capture the essence of this trip for TV.
The first thing that struck me is that they have some great production values and wonderful imagery. Especially considering the production challenges that come with filming in remote areas, for long periods, in terrible weather and tough terrain.
The amount of production gear they had to bring must be huge. Cameras, spare cameras, camera batteries, chargers, media cards and ways to download each day, computers, tripods, weather protection, lenses, filters, audio and backup audio, tons of AA batteries, etc. I suspect they have at least two camera guys, and probably two boats of gear for their production crew and the production equipment.
My impression is that this show was targeted for the guy who dreams of Alaska, but has probably never been there. I could be wrong. If that was the target audience, I suspect it has been received very well. It seems the show was intended to provide more entertainment than information, which again, if that was the case, probably has been very well received.
If the network and sponsors expected to target the guys who have been there and done that, it will probably be received differently. Most AK hunting veterans will watch it and know some of the stuff is to raise the drama for the target audience of the guy who has never been their before. Experienced AK veterans will look at the equipment used and know that much more effective gear could have been used, resulting in better performance and comfort, with less weight and bulk.
A couple examples of what I saw that make me think this was targeted toward entertainment more than information. I could be wrong in my belief. They very well could be doing this for information and education. If so, I may have missed that part in the other episodes. I use these examples, not as critique, but to tell what parts of the show gave me the impression I have been left with.
The mere premise of acting like they will live off the land for a month is hard to believe for anyone who has been to remote Alaska. None of the experienced AK hunters I know are going there with that notion. You bring enough food, dehydrated or otherwise, to make sure you get through your hunt. You might lose some weight along the way, but you never would do a remote hunt under the idea that you will live off what you shoot. You migh eat some of what you shoot and augment that with what you brought. Pitching the show with that premise of living off what you shoot is good for entertainment and probably good for viewership.
The sequence of being mad and cussing about their low food levels and having just floated twenty miles further than expected seemed like something the production crew put them up to. They did not seem natural in how they did that. That is how it goes when TV producers try to take control over hunting content. Fortunately, as the owner of my show, I set the rules and everyone in our crew knows that hunting and content is what drives our message, so I am afforded a luxury others may not. Again, it may have all been natural, but it did not come across that way to me.
I will continue to watch it when I can, as I think they are doing some cool production things. I think it is a good show and way better than most the other stuff that airs on the networks. If nothing else, it is at least something different. Easy to get excited about the images they show of Alaska.
Given we are going to do a two-week moose hunt this fall, it is interesting to try put myself in their shoes and imagine the logistics we will face by watching what they are doing. Just watching them float down the river with those "sweepers" hanging off the bank made me think about how much risk the simple task of river navigation presents. One miscalculation and you end up in/under those trees hanging off a bank. That miscalculation has been the last mistake for many people on those rivers.
We are faced with an 80# weight limit for our flight in, so we will go far more spartan than they did. Our goal is showing people how to come to AK and do the hunt on the lowest possible budget, which is different than what their focus has been. That will give us a heavy focus on the hunting and information that will help everyone who might want to follow our steps.
I hope these guys continue to produce TV, as they are providing a great alternative to what is out there. They take a risk of doing a show in this format, as they open themselves up to criticism about what they did and how they did it. I respect that they took on the task and have made it entertaining, even for someone like me who watches TV more for information than entertainment.
I wish them the best of luck and I hope people tell the network they want more of this kind of stuff. No disrespect to my friends who produce turkey and whitetail hunts, but I think we have plenty of those kind of hunts on TV. If we are to engage the next generation of hunters, a group more interested in adventure than rack size, this kind of programming is much better avenue to accomplish that.
If I were Siskel and Ebert for the day, I would give them two thumbs up for the entertainment and production values they are bringing under some very difficult filming conditions.
The first thing that struck me is that they have some great production values and wonderful imagery. Especially considering the production challenges that come with filming in remote areas, for long periods, in terrible weather and tough terrain.
The amount of production gear they had to bring must be huge. Cameras, spare cameras, camera batteries, chargers, media cards and ways to download each day, computers, tripods, weather protection, lenses, filters, audio and backup audio, tons of AA batteries, etc. I suspect they have at least two camera guys, and probably two boats of gear for their production crew and the production equipment.
My impression is that this show was targeted for the guy who dreams of Alaska, but has probably never been there. I could be wrong. If that was the target audience, I suspect it has been received very well. It seems the show was intended to provide more entertainment than information, which again, if that was the case, probably has been very well received.
If the network and sponsors expected to target the guys who have been there and done that, it will probably be received differently. Most AK hunting veterans will watch it and know some of the stuff is to raise the drama for the target audience of the guy who has never been their before. Experienced AK veterans will look at the equipment used and know that much more effective gear could have been used, resulting in better performance and comfort, with less weight and bulk.
A couple examples of what I saw that make me think this was targeted toward entertainment more than information. I could be wrong in my belief. They very well could be doing this for information and education. If so, I may have missed that part in the other episodes. I use these examples, not as critique, but to tell what parts of the show gave me the impression I have been left with.
The mere premise of acting like they will live off the land for a month is hard to believe for anyone who has been to remote Alaska. None of the experienced AK hunters I know are going there with that notion. You bring enough food, dehydrated or otherwise, to make sure you get through your hunt. You might lose some weight along the way, but you never would do a remote hunt under the idea that you will live off what you shoot. You migh eat some of what you shoot and augment that with what you brought. Pitching the show with that premise of living off what you shoot is good for entertainment and probably good for viewership.
The sequence of being mad and cussing about their low food levels and having just floated twenty miles further than expected seemed like something the production crew put them up to. They did not seem natural in how they did that. That is how it goes when TV producers try to take control over hunting content. Fortunately, as the owner of my show, I set the rules and everyone in our crew knows that hunting and content is what drives our message, so I am afforded a luxury others may not. Again, it may have all been natural, but it did not come across that way to me.
I will continue to watch it when I can, as I think they are doing some cool production things. I think it is a good show and way better than most the other stuff that airs on the networks. If nothing else, it is at least something different. Easy to get excited about the images they show of Alaska.
Given we are going to do a two-week moose hunt this fall, it is interesting to try put myself in their shoes and imagine the logistics we will face by watching what they are doing. Just watching them float down the river with those "sweepers" hanging off the bank made me think about how much risk the simple task of river navigation presents. One miscalculation and you end up in/under those trees hanging off a bank. That miscalculation has been the last mistake for many people on those rivers.
We are faced with an 80# weight limit for our flight in, so we will go far more spartan than they did. Our goal is showing people how to come to AK and do the hunt on the lowest possible budget, which is different than what their focus has been. That will give us a heavy focus on the hunting and information that will help everyone who might want to follow our steps.
I hope these guys continue to produce TV, as they are providing a great alternative to what is out there. They take a risk of doing a show in this format, as they open themselves up to criticism about what they did and how they did it. I respect that they took on the task and have made it entertaining, even for someone like me who watches TV more for information than entertainment.
I wish them the best of luck and I hope people tell the network they want more of this kind of stuff. No disrespect to my friends who produce turkey and whitetail hunts, but I think we have plenty of those kind of hunts on TV. If we are to engage the next generation of hunters, a group more interested in adventure than rack size, this kind of programming is much better avenue to accomplish that.
If I were Siskel and Ebert for the day, I would give them two thumbs up for the entertainment and production values they are bringing under some very difficult filming conditions.
I watched the episode last night. Thought it was really good. Done very tastefully.
My reason for liking this episode is not because they shot a moose, but how they told the audience what happened and how grateful they were to have the moose.
When you film, you get these "once in a three year" situations that come up. Having the second moose show up for them is exactly that kind of situation. How they filmed and handled that was very good.
I also like the message of passing the one moose. I did not feel that they passed on it because they wanted bigger, but because they already had a huge amount of meat on the ground that needed to be taken care of and a second bull may have some spoilage by the time they got both finished.
Not sure if that is what was going through their minds, but the narration did a good job of making the viewer understand that issue. To me, that is a good thing.
This was the third episode I have been able to catch. I thought it was by far the best message and the best production value. They seemed very natural in the hunting mode. Much more natural than the drama mode they had been put in during previous episodes.
Will try to catch another episode next week.
My reason for liking this episode is not because they shot a moose, but how they told the audience what happened and how grateful they were to have the moose.
When you film, you get these "once in a three year" situations that come up. Having the second moose show up for them is exactly that kind of situation. How they filmed and handled that was very good.
I also like the message of passing the one moose. I did not feel that they passed on it because they wanted bigger, but because they already had a huge amount of meat on the ground that needed to be taken care of and a second bull may have some spoilage by the time they got both finished.
Not sure if that is what was going through their minds, but the narration did a good job of making the viewer understand that issue. To me, that is a good thing.
This was the third episode I have been able to catch. I thought it was by far the best message and the best production value. They seemed very natural in the hunting mode. Much more natural than the drama mode they had been put in during previous episodes.
Will try to catch another episode next week.
konasage
Member
Well put Fin as usual. I like the show and look forward to more. I am also a sucker for rafting and like the aspect it brings to the show. Good Job
2rocky
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2010
- Messages
- 5,124
Randy, we are on the same page on that latest episode. While I don't know production, I'm seeing more of that style in the new generation of hunting shows.
Not seeing many of the previous shows, I was wondering how 2 guys (and a couple Camera men) can eat a whole caribou in 18 days? Are caribou that small?
Not seeing many of the previous shows, I was wondering how 2 guys (and a couple Camera men) can eat a whole caribou in 18 days? Are caribou that small?
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