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:way:End of an era at N. American Whitetail?
January 26, 2010 at 08:28 PM
BY LES DAVENPORT
EDITOR’S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by Les Davenport in this article do not necessarily state or reflect the views of PrairieStateOutdoors.com.
Sadly, things are disturbingly different today in the hunting world; it somehow became tainted, like molding bread. When I first started writing for Bowhunter and North American Whitetail magazines twenty years ago, it made my week to get the latest copy of either magazine. Reading about the successes of fellow hunters spawned anticipation for my next hunt and helped me get through the year inside Corporate America’s belly at Caterpillar Inc.
Then Corporate America bought these magazines. M.R. James sold Bowhunter and David Morris sold North American Whitetail and Game&Fish. These and others ended up with a New York-based investment corporation, InterMedia Outdoors. In my opinion, they held one main goal: make bigger profits for investors … regardless of how. Their magazines began taking on more advertising and promoting non-hunting products — sex-enhancing pills, for one. Maybe corporate higher-ups thought hunters could not perform after a hard day in the field. Wrong! Were they not smart enough to figure out that our kids were also reading these magazines.
Next, the outdoor channel was born and things got worse quick. Instead of reading about everyday hunters in our magazines, we got stories shoved down our throats with an overload of equipment promotion and accommodating outfitters. Somehow being handed free high-dollar gear and “complimentary” hunts (in slam-dunk situations) does not equate to the real-world hunting that you and I deal with yearly. Many of the “pros” who entered the limelight were arrogant individuals who had a bachelor’s degree in baloney. I hate that many young, naive hunters worship these egotistical garbage-peddlers.
Yeah, there are a few television shows that promote good causes and reputable products. However, too many promote trail cameras that are junk and scent-control products that smart hunters do without. What upsets me most is that instead of spending research and development dollars for giving hunters better-quality products, manufacturers pad the pockets of “pros” to sell you and me on television and in magazine ads. I never thought I would see the day when archers spent $100 for a $20 target or $200-$400 for scent-free clothing, especially when a bale of straw is $2 and Carhartts for under $100 do a better job of containing body odor. Have we gone nuts? Why does a near-nude young women entice us into buying a bow?
Corporate hunting America has slowly indoctrinated us to believe that we cannot be successful without listening to the pros and using the products they do. The pros have become Corporate America’s link into our pocketbook. It has gotten to the point where I would not believe any pro-staffer even if he said snow was white. I am also beginning to believe that magazines will soon be printed in China so their corporate owners can further boost profits.
As a freelance writer, I feel badly for the editors and their staffs who were on board before Corporate America gobbled up our hunting magazines. They either had to bow down to corporate demands… or quit. What most hunters do not realize is that editors are some of the hardest working, most highly educated, most underpaid people in our workforce today. They are usually salaried very low and expected to work 60 – 70 hours per week. A job they once enjoyed generated into one they are now chained to with no end in sight.
One of the most elite editors I ever wrote for finally took a stand! North American Whitetail editor Duncan Dobie quit the magazine in late 2009 when he was asked by corporate to put turkey hunting in this longstanding trophy whitetail magazine. He told corporate that this move would ruin the magazine for subscribers. They rebutted his advice, so Duncan got on a white horse and road out. There were other disturbing problems Duncan had with corporate, but the icing on the cake came with the turkey-hunting insertion into Whitetail.
The long and short of this move by the owners of Whitetail is this: In my opinion, they brainlessly considered advertising dollars over subscribers. If Whitetail readers wanted a turkey magazine, they would have subscribed to one, bottom line! What made things worse, the now acting editor, Gordon Whittington, tried justifying this corporate screw-up in his editorial in the February 2010 issue. It is too bad Whittington is not as strong in his convictions as Duncan. Duncan, I salute you!
My guess is that one of three things will happen with Whitetail: 1) subscribers will write and call in with complaints, many dropping their subscriptions. Whittington will soon after eat his words in another editorial; 2) the magazine will go under, or; 3) the owners will sell off the magazine to another group of corporate investors. If the third option happens, my hopes are that the new owners are smart enough to rehire Duncan and fire the individuals who did not have the guts to take a stand on the turkey thing.
I severed all ties with InterMedia Outdoor magazines after the deal with Duncan. It was with heavy heart that I asked for my name to be taken off of Bowhunter’s masthead. Publisher Jeff Waring, Editor Dwight Schuh, and Assistant Editor Brian Fortenbaugh are good people, to say the least. Fortunately, I hooked up again with Deer & Deer Hunting magazine and will write for them regularly. They have very ethical staffers and down-to-earth television hunters. None of this “Give me a minute, folks” stuff or arrogant biologists who shoot three-year-old bucks and call them six or seven to save face.
I think it is important for all sportsmen to ban together and take issue with 1) magazines that carry more advertising than stories, 2) television shows that promote high-fence hunters and severely altered film footage that deceives our youth hunters, and 3) “pro hunter” advertising campaigns that promote junk products. I hope you agree and speak out. The power of the pen and sharing conversations and ideas on websites like this are invaluable to the future of our outdoors.
January 26, 2010 at 08:28 PM
BY LES DAVENPORT
EDITOR’S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by Les Davenport in this article do not necessarily state or reflect the views of PrairieStateOutdoors.com.
Sadly, things are disturbingly different today in the hunting world; it somehow became tainted, like molding bread. When I first started writing for Bowhunter and North American Whitetail magazines twenty years ago, it made my week to get the latest copy of either magazine. Reading about the successes of fellow hunters spawned anticipation for my next hunt and helped me get through the year inside Corporate America’s belly at Caterpillar Inc.
Then Corporate America bought these magazines. M.R. James sold Bowhunter and David Morris sold North American Whitetail and Game&Fish. These and others ended up with a New York-based investment corporation, InterMedia Outdoors. In my opinion, they held one main goal: make bigger profits for investors … regardless of how. Their magazines began taking on more advertising and promoting non-hunting products — sex-enhancing pills, for one. Maybe corporate higher-ups thought hunters could not perform after a hard day in the field. Wrong! Were they not smart enough to figure out that our kids were also reading these magazines.
Next, the outdoor channel was born and things got worse quick. Instead of reading about everyday hunters in our magazines, we got stories shoved down our throats with an overload of equipment promotion and accommodating outfitters. Somehow being handed free high-dollar gear and “complimentary” hunts (in slam-dunk situations) does not equate to the real-world hunting that you and I deal with yearly. Many of the “pros” who entered the limelight were arrogant individuals who had a bachelor’s degree in baloney. I hate that many young, naive hunters worship these egotistical garbage-peddlers.
Yeah, there are a few television shows that promote good causes and reputable products. However, too many promote trail cameras that are junk and scent-control products that smart hunters do without. What upsets me most is that instead of spending research and development dollars for giving hunters better-quality products, manufacturers pad the pockets of “pros” to sell you and me on television and in magazine ads. I never thought I would see the day when archers spent $100 for a $20 target or $200-$400 for scent-free clothing, especially when a bale of straw is $2 and Carhartts for under $100 do a better job of containing body odor. Have we gone nuts? Why does a near-nude young women entice us into buying a bow?
Corporate hunting America has slowly indoctrinated us to believe that we cannot be successful without listening to the pros and using the products they do. The pros have become Corporate America’s link into our pocketbook. It has gotten to the point where I would not believe any pro-staffer even if he said snow was white. I am also beginning to believe that magazines will soon be printed in China so their corporate owners can further boost profits.
As a freelance writer, I feel badly for the editors and their staffs who were on board before Corporate America gobbled up our hunting magazines. They either had to bow down to corporate demands… or quit. What most hunters do not realize is that editors are some of the hardest working, most highly educated, most underpaid people in our workforce today. They are usually salaried very low and expected to work 60 – 70 hours per week. A job they once enjoyed generated into one they are now chained to with no end in sight.
One of the most elite editors I ever wrote for finally took a stand! North American Whitetail editor Duncan Dobie quit the magazine in late 2009 when he was asked by corporate to put turkey hunting in this longstanding trophy whitetail magazine. He told corporate that this move would ruin the magazine for subscribers. They rebutted his advice, so Duncan got on a white horse and road out. There were other disturbing problems Duncan had with corporate, but the icing on the cake came with the turkey-hunting insertion into Whitetail.
The long and short of this move by the owners of Whitetail is this: In my opinion, they brainlessly considered advertising dollars over subscribers. If Whitetail readers wanted a turkey magazine, they would have subscribed to one, bottom line! What made things worse, the now acting editor, Gordon Whittington, tried justifying this corporate screw-up in his editorial in the February 2010 issue. It is too bad Whittington is not as strong in his convictions as Duncan. Duncan, I salute you!
My guess is that one of three things will happen with Whitetail: 1) subscribers will write and call in with complaints, many dropping their subscriptions. Whittington will soon after eat his words in another editorial; 2) the magazine will go under, or; 3) the owners will sell off the magazine to another group of corporate investors. If the third option happens, my hopes are that the new owners are smart enough to rehire Duncan and fire the individuals who did not have the guts to take a stand on the turkey thing.
I severed all ties with InterMedia Outdoor magazines after the deal with Duncan. It was with heavy heart that I asked for my name to be taken off of Bowhunter’s masthead. Publisher Jeff Waring, Editor Dwight Schuh, and Assistant Editor Brian Fortenbaugh are good people, to say the least. Fortunately, I hooked up again with Deer & Deer Hunting magazine and will write for them regularly. They have very ethical staffers and down-to-earth television hunters. None of this “Give me a minute, folks” stuff or arrogant biologists who shoot three-year-old bucks and call them six or seven to save face.
I think it is important for all sportsmen to ban together and take issue with 1) magazines that carry more advertising than stories, 2) television shows that promote high-fence hunters and severely altered film footage that deceives our youth hunters, and 3) “pro hunter” advertising campaigns that promote junk products. I hope you agree and speak out. The power of the pen and sharing conversations and ideas on websites like this are invaluable to the future of our outdoors.
