Holy Cow Jimmy H. is a piece of crap.

[JT Bagwell]

I know this is a "Bass Fishing" board, but this shocking story

involves bass angler Jimmy Houston. What a piece of dog crap

he is. I hope he loses all of his sponsors.

Glenn, I am sorry for linking to other sites, but everyone has to

see this.

http://real-hunters.com/bellar-trial-video.cfm

If you don't have time to watch all 12 minutes, just go to the 3rd

clip down and watch Jimmy Houston hunt caged deer.

His own website has even set up a special area on the forums where

he can get ripped for it. I have yet to see him post a response.

http://jimmyhouston.com/community/index.php/topic,200.0.html

That is just SICK!!! >

JT Bagwell

[Nick_Barr]

I didnt get to see the video becuase it would show up on my screen, but i did listen to it and read of his actions. I CANT BELIEVE I USED TO BE A FAN OF JIMMY HOUSTON! THAT HORRIBLE PERSON, NO SPORTSMANSHIP OR ETHICS WHATSOEVER!!!!!!!!!

[KU_Bassmaster.]

WOW!!!!!  I would love to hear Jimmy's explanation of that one.  Did this happen recently??  I think he was suppose to speak at the Bassmaster U in KC this weekend, but I don't think he showed up.  Someone that was there can correct me if I'm wrong.

It's too bad too.  I actually liked his show even though you didn't learn a whole lot about fishing.  He "was" very entertaining.  Now I can never look at him the same way.  If his show is on I will just keep on going.

[Chris]

If you watch his show a lot he talked about this on one of them. I think it was about a month or two ago. He explained that a guy that was his guide was going to trial over a show of his. I think Jimmy's position was that he didn't know it was such a small enclosure.

[JT Bagwell]

Somewhere in the video it said the area was only around 3 acres. I am pretty

sure that from a tree you could see a 6' fence on any side of 3 acres.

My yard at my old house was 2 1/2 acres and I could see a golf ball from

one end to the other. I think that is a poor excuse for old Jimmy.

JT Bagwell

[Chris]

I agree

[KenDammit28]

I am not a big hunting advocate to begin with, so this is even more dispicable for me, compounded by the fact that I thought Jimmy was a pretty good guy.  I had heard a few ramblings about this the past couple days, but after seeing it..its just sickening.

I understand the sport of fishing, catch and release, its not such a deadly thing..but hunting has always kinda gotten to me because I know a lot of guys who hunt just to put trophies on the wall.  Don't know any fisherman who keeps them just for trophies.  This just cements how much I dislike hunting, and especially hunting shows.  I know there are a lot of hunters on this site, and I don't have a problem with someone doing it ethically and with well reasoned intentions, but I see no need to kill for the sake of killing.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

"I didn't know" ...doesn't cut it.

[paparock]

Just because someone famous did something really stupid in any sport we need to be careful in the way we present it to others. Outdoor participation such as fishing and hunting are becoming an ever smaller percentage of the population and as a result our continued enjoyment can rest in the hands of our fellow citizens that have no understanding of what we do and why. When the law is broken then the law needs to be enforced and those guilty punished.

Ethics is a choice we all face be it a pen hunt, staking out fish before a tournament, or using illegal means to harvest fish, foul, or other game. The actions need condemnation as policing ourselves strengthens our cause. There are unscrupulous fishermen and hunters and I wish I could say I have never known any but I have. I have also turned in those that choose not to follow the law and see nothing wrong in breaking it. But just as important is challenging fellow sportsmen when the line of ethical actions is crossed. I have seen way too many turn a blind eye towards others lapses including myself. We can point out actions that are questionable in a way that states our displeasure without personal attacks. We are all human and have done things we later regretted. Jimmy Houston should face the consequences of his actions but please leave enough room for repentance by him. If it's a pattern then it's different than a lapse of judgment; I just think it's a little too early too condemn the man's whole life but condemning his action can not be made strong enough. Just my thoughts. :'(

[Cephkiller]

I am going to wait this one out before I pass judgement.  I think Jimmy's reputation gives him the benefit of the doubt until I get more information.

Even if the incident actually happened as portrayed, here is something to chew on:

These animals are bred and raised for the purpose of being killed.  From this perspective, they are no more noble than cattle or chickens.  I despise payed hunts of all types.  Is this really that much worse than paying to go to a "ranch" and following a guide to a certain spot where he knows a deer will pass.  In this scenario, the hunter has done none of the work and success is virtually assured.  The only ethical lapse Jimmy may or may not have had is not disclosing the unfair advantage he had to his viewers.  In this respect, he is no worse than TV fisherman who catch "trophies" on privately stocked and managed ponds and representing it as a fair catch - *cough* Bill Dance *cough*.

[Gatorbassman]

I just talked to a friend that used to be on one of Jimmy's video crews. He said that Jimmy used to always keep a couple of big bass in his live well just incase he didn't catch anything on a filming trip. He raised these bass in his private pond. He would take one out, put a hook in it and put it in the water then start rolling film.  That's just sad. I wonder if anyone else does this?

[Upnorth]

Truly disgusting. I found an online petition that is being sent to ESPN, The Outdoor Channel and other Houston sponsors. I have signed it and it only takes a minute of your time. Here's the link: http://www.petitiononline.com/020206

[Cephkiller]

I just talked to a friend that used to be on one of Jimmy's video crews. He said that Jimmy used to always keep a couple of big bass in his live well just incase he didn't catch anything on a filming trip. He raised these bass in his private pond. He would take one out, put a hook in it and put it in the water then start rolling film. That's just sad. I wonder if anyone else does this?

This is the stuff you here about all the time.  Babe Winkelman came to my hometown ~20 years ago to film with a local fishing "celebrity" and people claimed he was paying people for big bass to use for the same purpose.  I bet many others have similar stories about all the TV fisherman.  I'm not sure if they're true or not.

[BassChaser57]

Well the dark side has come to light.

This is wrong in my book but it says alot about dollars and cents. When we all demand these shows and the producers want the film for the least cost it is a $$$ issue with getting the show. As long as there are fenced hunts we will have these kind of images to contend with. Of course different fishing shows do what they need to do to get the fish. At least Bill Dance fishes his private oxbow lake and has no need for trickery.

I have seen this first hand while flying corporate customers on a company sponsored duck and quail hunt. These guys thought they were really doing something shooting pen raised wing clipped birds. When you get checking into it, it is a very ugly industry.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I just talked to a friend that used to be on one of Jimmy's video crews. He said that Jimmy used to always keep a couple of big bass in his live well just incase he didn't catch anything on a filming trip. He raised these bass in his private pond. He would take one out, put a hook in it and put it in the water then start rolling film. That's just sad. I wonder if anyone else does this?

Have you read Ike's book?  He says that kind of stuff goes on all the time.

[Minuteman]

That video of JH could easily be edited (cut fence shots) to make it look like a legitimate hunt. I figure that many hunting and fishing shows are staged. It reminds me of slaughtering animals on a farm, just "playing" around with them before you kill them. Not much sporting involved just cruelty and disrespect.

[Matt Fly]

Does everything Jimmy is being accused of on tape? No editing. Because this was brought out a couple years ago also. The same scenerio, its not new, and I believe he answered the critics then as to say it was a PETA person who accused him of it after a video was edited. There was the original video, and the altered, and Jimmy showed his original video, then showed how the original was altered and posted on lots of sights.

This was 2 yrs ago, jimmy said the man was convicted, but his hunts were not as bad as press was being written.

http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/05/5/tsg.judgesraphunts5.05.htm

http://www.tristate-media.com/articles/2005/01/20/warricknews/editorial/01crowley.txt

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Something else just came to mind.  I don't know if it's the intro to his show or a whole show in itself, but I vividly remember the words "The deer started running right at me"  coming out of his mouth.  Could this not be the only time?  Did that deer run right at him because he was caged??????

[Rattletrap]

IMO. You should not make judgments until you personally see and hear both sides of the story.

[Matt Fly]

I will say this, if I spent $10K on a trophy hunt, I know I wouldn't shoot anything like the scenerio has been painted.    How many people would pay $20,000 dollars to shoot a sick buck laying on the ground as reported.   I don't know famous celebs, but the hunters I do know would not even think of such  a hunt and would take a few of those guys teeth out pretty quick to pull some of that crap off.  

 

If you want some more reading on this, google:  Jimmy houston and canned hunts, that will do it.

[Rattletrap]

All those canned hunts are unethical. I'd be asking for my money back once I saw what was going on.

[SENKOSAM]

This is the stuff you here about all the time. Babe Winkelman came to my hometown ~20 years ago to film with a local fishing "celebrity" and people claimed he was paying people for big bass to use for the same purpose. I bet many others have similar stories about all the TV fisherman. I'm not sure if they're true or not.

BW was also fined for using walky talkies to track and kill game.

Houston made a show in NY during closed season and wasn't caught by the DEC because the tip came too late.

Fishing shows are simple to edit and truth in advertising doesn't apply to ad men like Grigsby or Dance.  He**, these guy were never up for sainthood, so why the surprise?

[Hookhead]

This happens all the time and I'm not surprised. I'm disgusted but not surprised. On a related topic, I was watching BPSs fishing show a few days ago. They had Woo Davies and a BPS general manager on a boat trolling for swordfish. There were 5 deck hands rigging and setting up planer boards while the BPS GM was doing some full-time brown nosing with davies. During the conversation you see one of the rods bend on the back of the boat and a deck hand sprint over to it, yank it our of its holder and hand it to the BPS guy. The BPS guy proceeds to fight the fish until it gets near the boat where the deck hands bring it onboard. The next 5 minutes are spent posing next to his fish while he boasts, "it was a hard fight.." It makes me sick knowing that at some BPS store there is a huge picture of this fool with fish he "caught". I have absolutley NO RESPECT for these people. > How would you get any sense of accomplishment knowing that someone else did all the work it took to catch that fish?

Woo Davies was next and the exact same scenario took place. That's not fishing. That's "reeling". Any idiot can reel in a fish.

It's just like Jimmy Houston. I've watched several of his shows where he's hunting with a guide and miraculously comes across a GIANT deer or elk. I've hunted deer for 20 years and I know what it takes to locate and kill a decent buck. It certainly isn't that easy.

[KYbass1276]

Isn't it sad what some people do to make money. There other shows out there that do just the same Bill jordan's realtree outdoor comes to mind Killing deer on a ranch somerwhere when they come to a feeder how is that hunting that ain't the only show that does it I'm sure. I hunt but rarely watch a hunting show because thats all you see anymore is morons killing deer or something else while it was comeing to a feeder then thinking they accomplised something I can't stand it. What these idiots are doiing is building a case for peta by unethicaly killing game which in turn screws the average true hearted fair chase hunter's out there. When non hunters who never had a problem with people huntning before see stuff like this they assume all hunters do it, and put them all in the same category. It makes me sick to think most of these show do this crap to sell something. It saden's me to think that Jimmy H would do something this low. I don't care if it was his first time doing something like this and I am sure it isn't How can you call yourself a true sportsman knowing you killed a cage deer or drugged deer

[KenDammit28]

IMO. You should not make judgments until you personally see and hear both sides of the story.

How much do you really need to see and hear when there is clear video of Jimmy Houston in a tree in the middle of a pen no wider than a normal backyard in a subdivision? On top of that its pretty clear to see the deer running to fences, only to stop and try to run in another direction. Like LBH said, "I didn' t know" won't fly because there was no way NOT to know. Its just a disgusting situation, the same as these guys who claim to be "excellent" fishermen that pull em out of livewells.

I don't really have an ethical problem with what Bill Dance does, he's still actually catching the fish, as far as I know. Is what he does any different than having a private pond raised to trophy bass status, just without camera's around? He still casts out, reels in, and hopes he gets bitten. Hunting in a cage is not hunting, its killing. And for the record, I HATE PETA! Watch this video and you'll probably not like them, either.   Its a Penn & Teller episode of "Bull****" so it may not be work safe for all of you.