Duck Commander by Benelli... I was embarrassed to be called a hunter...

[Rob]

This weekend I was with a couple buddies.  Mix of new hunters and non-hunters.

Uncle Ted was on and we watched him shoot a nice Audad in Texas.  He ended with his usual "God Bless America, it's great to be a hunter, be proud of your heritage, honor your game by using it" dialog.  It was great.  Next up on OLN was a show I had never seen before called Duck Commander. 

Benelli was a major sponsor of the show and it was set in Louisanna so I had high hopes for a good follow up show.  What followed was horrid.  A bunch of guys who look like ZZ Top's ungroomed evil twins came on the tube.  I have no doubt they were excellent duck hunters.  I have no reason to believe that they were not some of the nicest and most ethical guys ever to walk the earth.  But these guys were an embarrassment to watch.  I expected the dueling banjos song to come on...

Now I have nothing against these guys, like I said, I have no reason to believe they are not salt of the earth take a bullet for you kind of guys.  And chances are I would gladly sit down and have a beer with one of them over half the folks I work with.  But is this the face we want to send out to the masses to represent the common hunter?? 

I might have even been able to get over the visual effects had the show been good.  But there was limited info, and literally 1/2 of the show was dedicated to some kind of interfamily rivalry being played out in a Jr. High football game.  I'm not kidding. 

Has anyone else seen this?  What was your reaction?  Feel free to call me prejudiced and duplicitous.  I probably am.  I just can't believe Benelli would sponsor such a show.

http://www.duckcommander.com/

[full choke]

The Duck Commander guys have been around for a long time. They probably have 10-15 videos out plus who knows how many shows and endorsments. Mostly decent guys- I have seen far worse behavior out of a lot of the other guys on tv. The head duck commander- Phil Robertson was a college football player- started ahead of Terry Bradshaw, I think. Basically tongue in cheek humor- they have a backwoods look and it sells. Bayou Rednecks. They have even filmed a couple of times here in Washington. I don't know- I guess I don't mind them. Like I said earlier- I have seen far more embarrassing behavior out of other tv personalities.

[jackelope]

those guys are legends.
it makes for good TV watching, which is why it's there...to sell products.

look...now we're talking about it on the WWW. i bet more people go and watch it now...the theory worked.

[jackelope]

p.s. was uncle ted hunting behind a fence? because that bothers me more than the duck commander...and is/should be an embarassment to hunters more than the duck commander...not specifically targetting uncle ted, because he's one of my heroes with the exception of the high fence stuff.

[KillBilly]

Not I... after clicking on the link and seeing "Fear the Beard" I rolled my eyes and left the sight. I wouldn't watch that bunch if you paid me too. In fact I would watch the 3 stooges or Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny before first. There is just something about the Name and the Look... it makes me want to re-enlist again.  

[KillBilly]

p.s. was uncle ted hunting behind a fence? because that bothers me more than the duck commander...and is/should be an embarassment to hunters more than the duck commander...not specifically targetting uncle ted, because he's one of my heroes with the exception of the high fence stuff.

Ted doesn't impress me or bother me in any way. I don't disrespect what he does because he does it for the money. Money makes people act different. He is one of those guys that just exist in my world and has absolutely no impact on me. I never cared for his music or his politics. I kind of group him with Captain Kirk doing Expedia travel commercials. gotta do something to make a living. 

[sparksbr]

I've watched the show a couple times.  It's about the only duck huntin show I can stand to watch any more.  I enjoy it because they dare to be different.  It's cool to see another perspective of the sport  

Why would I be embarassed?  They are ethical, responsible hunters.  I'd encourage someone to watch the Duck Commander show over a Texas, high-fence safari any day.

[adam.WI]

I personally don't mind them. They found something that makes them money and have ran with it. Not to mention that I believe that family is actually like that which make it a very realistic hunting show. Which is better than some of the others out there. As far as the football game, that's poor producing. I'll take that over some fenced hunt any day. This last deployment I was on, my wife sent me some hunting videos. In them was The best of buck fever, I have never seen so many texas high fenced hunts in a row. I was so bored I turned it off. Another was Duckmen 9, my buddies and I watched this one many times and it was entertaining. Just like it was designed to be.

On a side but similar note I watched one of those African/Texas hunts and they killed a jacob sheep....... sweet looking animal, but the one in are pasture was bigger so I was a little disappointed. Nothing screams ethics like shooting domesticated animals for sport.

[Shadow Cat]

I actually like the Duck Commander and I have used their calls. They also shave their beards off for their wives a few months of the year and grow them back for duck season. Phil Robertson has a masters degree as do most of his kids. He also was a starting quarterback at Louisiana Tech over Terry Bradshaw.

If you want to look at images being put out in front of the public, look at RNT-V. Big Jim Ronquest is as big as a house and has a deep southern accent and says a few things that are not grammatically correct, but he is still the face of RNT-V. We can't all look like movie stars and that is what makes us real and makes our sport unique to us, we are as real as our sport. Looks never put meat in the freezer.

[New England Native]

I do believe phil is also some type of preacher. He is hired to go around the country to have people listen to him about the bible.

[Rob]

To me, and I may be in the vast minority on this, the show just further beats into the mind of the public a poor image of the American hunter. 

Like I said, these guys may be salt of the earth kind of guys.  They seemed like really nice folks on the show.  But in a country where only about 6% of the people hunt, folks are trying to steal our 1st amendment rights, and activists are attempting to take away hunting opportunities, image (as shallow as it seems), is important.

On the Texas high fence, I have no issues so long as the area is large enough.  It affords many folks hunting opportunities they could not otherwise afford.  Consider that South Africa is almost 100% high fence hunting now as well. 

[Rob]

We can't all look like movie stars

And that is why you will never see my ugly mug on a TV show!!

[Timberstalker]

I guess this kinda rubs me the wrong way.  When I go hunting the last thing i worry about is what I look like.  That is not saying I am going to be a slob but If I am not clean shaven and I have a holey flannel on then piss on it.  I am not out trying to score ass or impress any yuppies I am out hunting.

[Rob]

Yep.  I know I look like slob.  I also smell bad.  But if I was going to be on TV representing the sport, I would clean up.

When I work from home, I hang around the house in boxer shorts and a T shirt.  But when I go to work I take a shower and put on slacks and a dress shirt.

[jackelope]

i wish all the hunters on TV looked like Tiffany Lakoski