Regarding Janis, all i said is I wonder about it. I think these hunting shows get in a grey area that could potentially raise some eyebrows. The law is that you can’t pay someone to guide you unless they are licensed. It’s an actual law and many people were raising hell on this site about a certain local WA guy helping hunters for free in some of these same areas.
I think it should be pointed out that this is not exactly correct information. While many western states do regulate big game outfitting there are no big game outfitting laws enacted by the State of Washington. However, if you accept payment or compensation for services provided on federal lands you must be permitted by that specific federal agency to operate in that area, that is a federal law that applies on federal lands in any state. By legal definition, if there is no payment or compensation involved you are not outfitting or guiding.
TV shows are also required to be permitted to film on federal lands because it is a commercial endeavor. As popular as the "Meat Eater" series is, I'm sure they have been checked by federal agents many times and I would think they are certainly properly permitted. Many far less popular shows have been caught for not being properly permitted.