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Deer Hunting Divas

October 23, 2009

Deer Hunting Divas

The January issue of Outdoors Magazine—a periodical covering hunting and fishing in the Northeast—asks the question “Can the beautiful women we see on television really hunt, or are they just selling sex appeal?” The magazine also promises to “shine a spotlight on the steamy world of women and whitetails.”

I’m a little confused about this question. “Can these women hunt?” Of course they can hunt! They are on camera, in the field, pursuing and killing deer.

The implied question is a little more troublesome. “Do these women actually have hunting skills, or is the camera just on them because the producers know pretty women will attract male viewers?” I happen to know a couple of the attractive women featured on outdoor TV and they are both serious and highly successful. They may have been introduced to hunting by their husbands relatively recently, but what does that matter? Do we require the men we see on these shows to submit a 30-year resume of hunting accomplishments before we’ll watch them?

No we do not. We watch them if they are engaging personalities who portray hunting in what (to us) is a positive light and entertaining. If they do not, we tune them out.

But, as I’ve noted in previous posts, I’m no big watcher of outdoor programming, so maybe I’m the naive one here. Are there women on these shows that insult your sensibilities? Do you feel blatant babe-ism is a problem in the world of deer hunting tv? I’m anxious to hear your thoughts!

Comments (30)

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from thuroy wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

It is absoulutly fine with me to have attractive women on hunting shows. I don't watch them because they are attractive, but it doesn't hurt and manufacturers relize the commercial appeal. These shows are advertising and sex does sell.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from JOHN ANDERSON wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

couldnt of said it any better,thuroy.good comment.

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from AP wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Truth be told, I've asked myself this very same question regarding some of the male hunters I've seen on tv. Consequently, I have no reason to belive that the female hunters are any less capable than their male counterparts.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from HighCountry wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

A lot of the men I see on outdoor shows are hunting private game ranches over food plots; I'm sure the women are every bit as capable as those guys.

+2 Good Comment? | | Report
from jjas wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Wouldn't you rather watch hunting hotties than old fat guys hunt deer?

Sex sells everything, everytime.

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from buckhunter wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

I've stopped watching hunting shows or at least most of them. I find myself getting pissed off more and more with poor shooting and hunting over bait.

The production is also very poor. How about multiple camera angles of the kill shot instead of these fake cut outs.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from buckhunter wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

I'm not against hunting over bait but I would rather watch a good stalk.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from 86Ram wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Reminds me of the 1940s pin up girls SWEET!!

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from Walt Smith wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Would the racks calenders sell as well with guys in jockstraps instead of the bikini clad silicon girls??

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from straightshooter wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

About half of the participants in our youth shooting program are girls. Several of them hunt and some have taken deer and other game. One young lady shot her first antelope when she was about 13 years old. Yes, ladies (even attractive ones) can and do know how to hunt.

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from stickbow13 wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

a good rack is all ways a good thing..... we get your kid into hunting why not get our better looking halfs into hunting to

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from NorCal Cazadora wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

I know the teaser for that coverage is just a teaser, designed only to get attention, and it's probably just going to be a nice little feature about how some pretty girls - gol-leeeee! - can actually hunt.

The only problem I have with pretty huntresses getting TV show is that it seems to be a prerequisite for women to get shows, which is OBVIOUSLY not the case with men. When fat, middle-aged women can get their own hunting shows just as easily as fat, middle-aged men, I'll have no complaint anymore.

But really, all I want to see on TV is good, authentic hunting.

+7 Good Comment? | | Report
from Bella wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

My hunting togs are not very sexy, but then a camera crew of excited sweaty men would scare away the 4 legged bucks. Besides silk stockings are hard to find in Camo...

+6 Good Comment? | | Report
from motyarrum wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

I have an 11 year old daughter, who seems mildly interested in hunting, and she LOVES to see Tiffany Lakosky and Vicki Ciancurulo and Brenda Valentine hunting. I'm glad we have some female role models for young girls. It doesn't hurt that these people are attractive, and again, they can obviously hunt. I would suggest that they have benefits we don't, mostly regarding contacts and properties, but like was posted previously, I HATE the fake cutaways and the post-hunt editing that is fairly obvious on any of these shows. Make it realistic!

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from steve182 wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

It seems to me few participants on these shows, male or female, would be too successful minus the bait, guides and fences. I truly believe on public land like i hunt, most of these guys would be no more successful. As stated above sex sells. Or maybe there's a disproportional amount of bowhunters with attractive wives who happened to have a hunting show. Ever notice how the women on the TV news are getting more attractive these days? Coincidence?

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from bowhrad wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

I don't watch any hunting shows. I see no value in them. I still treat hunting with a bit of reverence, it's not all about high-fiving and whooping and hollering over a canned-for-TV-hunt. Did you ever wonder since the video camera came into vogue and hunting shows became popular with hunters along with everybody posting and showing their hunts and bowkills on places like YouTube that the anti-hunting crowd have become more vitroil than ever? I don't remember anti-hunters around forty years ago. Maybe what goes on in the woods and fields between hunters and game should remain there, and let's keep it our secret?

+7 Good Comment? | | Report
from Sanjuancb wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

I don't have a problem with beautiful women hunting (who would) but I think all 99% of all "hunting personalities" have their deer, etc spoonfed to them. I mean really, it's all about money and technology. Would Tiffany Lakoski be a deer slayer if she was forced to hunt on public land with sponserships? I don't know. What I would say is that these personalities have to work considerably less hard for their deer than the average Joe does. That's what I love about Tred Barta. He may not be the most successful, most delightful personality ever, but by golly he hunted on the ground with a longbow. I appreciate someone who really challenges themselves more than I do someone who just has a pretty face.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from Jim in Mo wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

Maybe I'm getting old and crotchity but I can't stand the hunting shows from the last few years. To fake and commercial for me. I don't care if miss cutie pie hunted naked. These shows need to get back to reality.

+2 Good Comment? | | Report
from Ed J wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

miss cutie pie, indeed .
your age is showing.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from deadeyedick wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

I'm like you, Scott, I do not watch very many of the shows on TV. The only ones I do watch are fair chase . As for those shows on huge ranches where deer are raised for some rich guy and his kids to KILL, not hunt, whitetails. as for the good looking females that are begining to show up on some shows . I say more power to them. So what if they are good looking !! IT just adds some Pizazz. Can they hunt? of course they can and they are good shots too. maybe if they wore hunting clothes from Victoria secret , it would be going too far....

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from waterdrinker9 wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

If you don't want to see Tiffany Lakosky, Miranda Lambert, Elisha Dushku, Nicole Jones, and Julianne Hough hunt. Then you have something wrong with you. Well, Julianne's boyfriend is supposed to take her hunting. I didn't know she shoots guns until a few weeks ago. AWESOME!!!

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from 86Ram wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

Question would Lee & Tiffanys hunting show be as successful without Tiffany?

Brenda Valentine is another respected female hunter. She's not as young but still respected.

Where would companies like DeadDown wind be without their huntress line of scents, and the female owned women hunting clothing lines be without their models?

I dunno.
One things for sure it's not only geared towards males .. it's eye candy for the ladies too

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from vtbluegrass wrote 3 weeks 3 days ago

They can do both sell sex and really hunt too. Could any TV personality go out and kill monster deer on public ground in any part of the country? Hell no. Only a select few TV hunters seem to possess any more hunting prowess than your average hunter. Not to mention the caliber of deer taken routinely on TV don't exist everywhere. What these hunters are is more business savvy than most of us and can be interesting on camera.

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from jfgann66 wrote 3 weeks 3 days ago

I would like to go on the record yes I lke good looking woemen. Yes I like watching hunting shows. These two things kept me going while in Iraq for a year. I would however like to see more detail in hunting shows tell me why your set up worked from the food plots to thestand placement to the route you took to the stand. then the equipment you used. Then put a great looking girl in there and hell thats papyper view.

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from rocky12 wrote 3 weeks 3 days ago

Didnt Elisha Dushku say she arrowed at buck on Christmas? If thats not a true hunter I don't know who is.

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from jamesti wrote 3 weeks 2 days ago

pretty or not, if they can hunt ethically and do it well, i'm all for the women getting out there.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from 86Ram wrote 3 weeks 2 days ago

jfgann:
Welcomeback. I agree the shows aren't very into sharing the knowledge as much as they are with sharing their kill.
Have you ever watched a show called hunting university .. they sometimes go in depth.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from Sage Sam wrote 3 weeks 2 days ago

To be honest, nearly all of the hunting shows are contrived tripe. The only shows that readily comes to mind that actually demonstrates sound hunting techniques and actual DIY Public Land hunting is Eastman's and the TRCP shows hosted by Ken Barrett.

You rarely see any of the "TV Personalities" out hunting western public lands. Yeah, come out west and sit in a blind at a ranch, that's real hunting.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from russiangirls wrote 3 weeks 23 hours ago

Women have excelled in most fields so why not hunting too, though it would be very uncanny.
Russian Girls

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from tabileigh wrote 3 weeks 5 hours ago

I recently shot my first deer. The shot was perfect, right through the heart. She fell less than five feet from where I shot her. My boyfriend is in the military and we have had to go out countless times in the past few weeks to help his buddies track down deer that they had shot. Aren't these Army Rangers supposed to be good shots? Who says women can't hunt? You can't judge a book by its cover and you can't judge a hunter by gender.

0 Good Comment? | | Report

Post a Comment

from NorCal Cazadora wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

I know the teaser for that coverage is just a teaser, designed only to get attention, and it's probably just going to be a nice little feature about how some pretty girls - gol-leeeee! - can actually hunt.

The only problem I have with pretty huntresses getting TV show is that it seems to be a prerequisite for women to get shows, which is OBVIOUSLY not the case with men. When fat, middle-aged women can get their own hunting shows just as easily as fat, middle-aged men, I'll have no complaint anymore.

But really, all I want to see on TV is good, authentic hunting.

+7 Good Comment? | | Report
from bowhrad wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

I don't watch any hunting shows. I see no value in them. I still treat hunting with a bit of reverence, it's not all about high-fiving and whooping and hollering over a canned-for-TV-hunt. Did you ever wonder since the video camera came into vogue and hunting shows became popular with hunters along with everybody posting and showing their hunts and bowkills on places like YouTube that the anti-hunting crowd have become more vitroil than ever? I don't remember anti-hunters around forty years ago. Maybe what goes on in the woods and fields between hunters and game should remain there, and let's keep it our secret?

+7 Good Comment? | | Report
from Bella wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

My hunting togs are not very sexy, but then a camera crew of excited sweaty men would scare away the 4 legged bucks. Besides silk stockings are hard to find in Camo...

+6 Good Comment? | | Report
from thuroy wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

It is absoulutly fine with me to have attractive women on hunting shows. I don't watch them because they are attractive, but it doesn't hurt and manufacturers relize the commercial appeal. These shows are advertising and sex does sell.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from AP wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Truth be told, I've asked myself this very same question regarding some of the male hunters I've seen on tv. Consequently, I have no reason to belive that the female hunters are any less capable than their male counterparts.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from buckhunter wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

I've stopped watching hunting shows or at least most of them. I find myself getting pissed off more and more with poor shooting and hunting over bait.

The production is also very poor. How about multiple camera angles of the kill shot instead of these fake cut outs.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from buckhunter wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

I'm not against hunting over bait but I would rather watch a good stalk.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from motyarrum wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

I have an 11 year old daughter, who seems mildly interested in hunting, and she LOVES to see Tiffany Lakosky and Vicki Ciancurulo and Brenda Valentine hunting. I'm glad we have some female role models for young girls. It doesn't hurt that these people are attractive, and again, they can obviously hunt. I would suggest that they have benefits we don't, mostly regarding contacts and properties, but like was posted previously, I HATE the fake cutaways and the post-hunt editing that is fairly obvious on any of these shows. Make it realistic!

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from steve182 wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

It seems to me few participants on these shows, male or female, would be too successful minus the bait, guides and fences. I truly believe on public land like i hunt, most of these guys would be no more successful. As stated above sex sells. Or maybe there's a disproportional amount of bowhunters with attractive wives who happened to have a hunting show. Ever notice how the women on the TV news are getting more attractive these days? Coincidence?

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from Sanjuancb wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

I don't have a problem with beautiful women hunting (who would) but I think all 99% of all "hunting personalities" have their deer, etc spoonfed to them. I mean really, it's all about money and technology. Would Tiffany Lakoski be a deer slayer if she was forced to hunt on public land with sponserships? I don't know. What I would say is that these personalities have to work considerably less hard for their deer than the average Joe does. That's what I love about Tred Barta. He may not be the most successful, most delightful personality ever, but by golly he hunted on the ground with a longbow. I appreciate someone who really challenges themselves more than I do someone who just has a pretty face.

+5 Good Comment? | | Report
from jjas wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Wouldn't you rather watch hunting hotties than old fat guys hunt deer?

Sex sells everything, everytime.

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from Walt Smith wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Would the racks calenders sell as well with guys in jockstraps instead of the bikini clad silicon girls??

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from straightshooter wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

About half of the participants in our youth shooting program are girls. Several of them hunt and some have taken deer and other game. One young lady shot her first antelope when she was about 13 years old. Yes, ladies (even attractive ones) can and do know how to hunt.

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from waterdrinker9 wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

If you don't want to see Tiffany Lakosky, Miranda Lambert, Elisha Dushku, Nicole Jones, and Julianne Hough hunt. Then you have something wrong with you. Well, Julianne's boyfriend is supposed to take her hunting. I didn't know she shoots guns until a few weeks ago. AWESOME!!!

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from 86Ram wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

Question would Lee & Tiffanys hunting show be as successful without Tiffany?

Brenda Valentine is another respected female hunter. She's not as young but still respected.

Where would companies like DeadDown wind be without their huntress line of scents, and the female owned women hunting clothing lines be without their models?

I dunno.
One things for sure it's not only geared towards males .. it's eye candy for the ladies too

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from jfgann66 wrote 3 weeks 3 days ago

I would like to go on the record yes I lke good looking woemen. Yes I like watching hunting shows. These two things kept me going while in Iraq for a year. I would however like to see more detail in hunting shows tell me why your set up worked from the food plots to thestand placement to the route you took to the stand. then the equipment you used. Then put a great looking girl in there and hell thats papyper view.

+4 Good Comment? | | Report
from JOHN ANDERSON wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

couldnt of said it any better,thuroy.good comment.

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from 86Ram wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Reminds me of the 1940s pin up girls SWEET!!

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from stickbow13 wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

a good rack is all ways a good thing..... we get your kid into hunting why not get our better looking halfs into hunting to

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from deadeyedick wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

I'm like you, Scott, I do not watch very many of the shows on TV. The only ones I do watch are fair chase . As for those shows on huge ranches where deer are raised for some rich guy and his kids to KILL, not hunt, whitetails. as for the good looking females that are begining to show up on some shows . I say more power to them. So what if they are good looking !! IT just adds some Pizazz. Can they hunt? of course they can and they are good shots too. maybe if they wore hunting clothes from Victoria secret , it would be going too far....

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from vtbluegrass wrote 3 weeks 3 days ago

They can do both sell sex and really hunt too. Could any TV personality go out and kill monster deer on public ground in any part of the country? Hell no. Only a select few TV hunters seem to possess any more hunting prowess than your average hunter. Not to mention the caliber of deer taken routinely on TV don't exist everywhere. What these hunters are is more business savvy than most of us and can be interesting on camera.

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from rocky12 wrote 3 weeks 3 days ago

Didnt Elisha Dushku say she arrowed at buck on Christmas? If thats not a true hunter I don't know who is.

+3 Good Comment? | | Report
from HighCountry wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

A lot of the men I see on outdoor shows are hunting private game ranches over food plots; I'm sure the women are every bit as capable as those guys.

+2 Good Comment? | | Report
from Jim in Mo wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

Maybe I'm getting old and crotchity but I can't stand the hunting shows from the last few years. To fake and commercial for me. I don't care if miss cutie pie hunted naked. These shows need to get back to reality.

+2 Good Comment? | | Report
from jamesti wrote 3 weeks 2 days ago

pretty or not, if they can hunt ethically and do it well, i'm all for the women getting out there.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from 86Ram wrote 3 weeks 2 days ago

jfgann:
Welcomeback. I agree the shows aren't very into sharing the knowledge as much as they are with sharing their kill.
Have you ever watched a show called hunting university .. they sometimes go in depth.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from Sage Sam wrote 3 weeks 2 days ago

To be honest, nearly all of the hunting shows are contrived tripe. The only shows that readily comes to mind that actually demonstrates sound hunting techniques and actual DIY Public Land hunting is Eastman's and the TRCP shows hosted by Ken Barrett.

You rarely see any of the "TV Personalities" out hunting western public lands. Yeah, come out west and sit in a blind at a ranch, that's real hunting.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from russiangirls wrote 3 weeks 23 hours ago

Women have excelled in most fields so why not hunting too, though it would be very uncanny.
Russian Girls

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from Ed J wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

miss cutie pie, indeed .
your age is showing.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from tabileigh wrote 3 weeks 5 hours ago

I recently shot my first deer. The shot was perfect, right through the heart. She fell less than five feet from where I shot her. My boyfriend is in the military and we have had to go out countless times in the past few weeks to help his buddies track down deer that they had shot. Aren't these Army Rangers supposed to be good shots? Who says women can't hunt? You can't judge a book by its cover and you can't judge a hunter by gender.

0 Good Comment? | | Report

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