Every time I see a painting or setup photo of an upland hunter - usually with a grouse, woodcock, or pheasant just taking flight in front of the hunter – I'm reminded of many of the "action movies." You know the type, that shows the hero or heroine (actually, their stunt double) involved in some highly physical and/or violent situation, and then, when the action is over, he or she doesn't have a hair out of place. God forbid if we viewed Angela Jolie as "Laura Croft, Tomb Raider" looking like she'd just been run through a muddy motocross course. Thankfully, real upland hunters often get sweaty and dirty as do their hunting clothes.
Any upland hunter who's spent a few autumns in the best grouse covers – replete with thornapples, briars, stick-tights and burdock – knows what I'm talking about. Hands and faces get scratched by briars and thorns, clothes get peppered with dirt and burrs and shredded by all sorts of thorny flora, and a couple hours of bulling through jungle-like cover soaks your undershirt with hard-earned sweat. There are creeks, swamps and muck holes to slog through. There are low branches that delight in snapping back into your face just when you thought you were clear to move forward. That's real-life upland hunting.
And the bird dogs usually depicted – often show-class and manicured setters or pointers – bear little resemblance to a seasoned upland dog. If it's a long-haired breed, its hair is apt to be tangled and knotted with hundreds of burrs. Both long- and short-haired breeds will sport mud-covered legs and bellies, and may have blood staining the tips of their constantly wagging tails from whipping them against assorted flora growth as the dog follows scent. And the dogs, uninhibited as they are, love every minute of it.
Obviously no one really enjoys seeing someone they admire smile and exhibit a green glob of spinach between their front teeth, and it's the same way advertising handles hunters. Only occasionally have I seen an ad that showed a hunter dirty and sweaty or the worse for wear. The status quo "ad hunter" is more like a runway model who has just stepped out of wardrobe and makeup, complete with perfect and flattering lighting to showcase the product. I, like most avid hunters, live in the real world where an often less-than-ideal nature and weather often present as much of a challenge as does the game I seek.
For example, Realtree Camo, Bill Jordan's multi-million dollar enterprise, uses setup images to exhibit its array of camo clothing. We call them "effectness photos." Hours are spent seeking just the right natural background, foliage and light to create an ad image in which the camo-clad hunter-model appears almost invisible. Not that the camo isn't effective in concealing the real hunters who wear it, but that image is what sells the camo clothing. It's somewhat like the evolution of fishing lures, which now look like real bait, not so much to catch more fish, but to get more anglers' attention to buy them.
Having been involved in the making of several hunting or fishing TV shows and videos over the years, the impact of both Madison Avenue ad techniques and Hollywood film making is far more dominating than the casual viewer of such "outdoor shows" may realize. They are, first and foremost, meant to be entertainment. As such, reality is sometimes the biggest loser.
Because nothing can be guaranteed when hunting or fishing "for real," the hunting productions are normally shot in a "controlled environment" – meaning a private ranch or hunting preserve, where game is far more plentiful and trophy-size animals are the rule. Fishing shows use several elements to make them interesting, from editing several segments together to make the fish-catching seem commonplace, to actually using "pre-caught fish" that are attached to the anglers' lines and then "re-caught" on camera. Cheating? Not really. Remember, this is entertainment, not necessarily reality.
