Ray Mears
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Finish work ...... hopefully .... at 7pm .. home ... again hopefully for 7:30 .. Thank god for ITV+1! no sky+ yet ... 
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(I don't think its a bushcraft program as such, more tracking and whatnot, though I suppose that is bushcraft, just not practical UK bushcraft. Still, like with any of his TV work I find it very watchable and he always makes the subject interesting.
Synopsis
Ray uses his unique skills and extensive wildlife knowledge to follow the leopard in Namibia, the bear in British Columbia and the wolf in Central Idaho.
By reading the clues animals leave behind, he offers viewers the opportunity to gain a rich insight into their habits and lifestyles as he follows them at remarkably close quarters in their natural habitats.
Ray uses his unique skills and extensive wildlife knowledge to follow the leopard in Namibia, the bear in British Columbia and the wolf in Central Idaho.
By reading the clues animals leave behind, he offers viewers the opportunity to gain a rich insight into their habits and lifestyles as he follows them at remarkably close quarters in their natural habitats.
At one of his talks in November he said that it was something that he had _really_ wanted to do.
I suppose that he is taking a break from just lighting fires etc and doing some practical bushcraft somewhere nice and warm!
We can always watch the DVDs again
Cheers,
Steve
I suppose that he is taking a break from just lighting fires etc and doing some practical bushcraft somewhere nice and warm!
We can always watch the DVDs again
Cheers,
Steve
As the man himself said, he wanted to put his tracking skills to good use and see the whole picture of a single animal, in that he succeeded.
A well shot documentary.
Burn me at the stake.
A well shot documentary.
Burn me at the stake.
The photography was good...but I have seen better presented Wildlife Documentaries.
Although Ray was seen using tracking skills the real results were obtained by his camera crew...and the lady seemed to be as clued up as Ray.
Not over impressed - but the photography was good!
Although Ray was seen using tracking skills the real results were obtained by his camera crew...and the lady seemed to be as clued up as Ray.
Not over impressed - but the photography was good!
i liked it and now its certainly opened my eye up to tracking sod all that looking a prints and vital clues malarky just knick an aerial off the roof and rig it up to track those rare endangered animals wearing collars :-D
Ah now we can't be thinking that Ray is God and he has to know more than everyone else and do all the work
He learns just as much as anyone else!
I have not seen too many Wildlife Documentaries presented by "Enthusiastic Amateurs" - they are mostly done by "Experts"
I wasn't impressed impressed meself, too stylised. I think Ray's days on TV are drawing to a close.
Sorry but I just have to comment here, and though I feel it may not be my place, I still have to say a bit on this. I grew up on a trap line (in fact my parents had two) and it is important to have a really good understanding of the animals behaviour, biology, eco-system, tracks etc etc etc. I grew up with these things here in Canuck land I have fished, hunted, tanned hides, made moccasins, dried meat, made fish hooks from bone, processed the sinew for thread, cut the eyes for a variety of uses, did moose and caribou hair tufting, processed bladders for pots and bowls etc etc etc and used every part of the animals we either hunted or trapped, but when I got the Northern Bushcraft Book for my husband (he's done a few responses on the forum under Mahikan as well ) I was very disappointed in Ray's lack of knowledge in some fairly common things to do with signs and tracks. Especially the wolf scat, sorry but a few of us Canucks have had a hard belly laugh at his photos on the wolf scat, the "birch" and a few other things in his book that he totally got wrong.
I think (as I've said in a few other forums) that when he does his "stuff" in UK I'm absolutely mesmerized by him, but when I've seen him do the odd thing on this side of the pond I've found him to be lacking and somewhat uninformed.
I don't want to have a go at the fellow, because he is very passionate about what he's doing and I think that is a great thing, but sometimes he has bitten off more than he can chew and seems to be trying to be an expert at everything... I wish he'd focus more on his expertise in UK (rather than trying to impress with a broader based knowledge he hasn't got) and even the other areas of the world where he seems to thrive. I'd actually be inspired to watch his shows then...
I spent my life around bears as well as wolves (not a day that I've not been around bears growing up) and many of his "facts" about bears he's gotten wrong, my husband and I track and get incredibly close to bears (both grizzlies and blacks plus timber wolves and grey wolves) on a very regular basis and have a bit of experience around that.
It is sad, but I hope whoever Ray used as a mentor or teacher had correct information to pass onto him.
Sorry.. rant over
Mahikan
) I was very disappointed in Ray's lack of knowledge in some fairly common things to do with signs and tracks. Especially the wolf scat, sorry but a few of us Canucks have had a hard belly laugh at his photos on the wolf scat, the "birch" and a few other things in his book that he totally got wrong.I think (as I've said in a few other forums) that when he does his "stuff" in UK I'm absolutely mesmerized by him, but when I've seen him do the odd thing on this side of the pond I've found him to be lacking and somewhat uninformed.
I don't want to have a go at the fellow, because he is very passionate about what he's doing and I think that is a great thing, but sometimes he has bitten off more than he can chew and seems to be trying to be an expert at everything... I wish he'd focus more on his expertise in UK (rather than trying to impress with a broader based knowledge he hasn't got) and even the other areas of the world where he seems to thrive. I'd actually be inspired to watch his shows then...
I spent my life around bears as well as wolves (not a day that I've not been around bears growing up) and many of his "facts" about bears he's gotten wrong, my husband and I track and get incredibly close to bears (both grizzlies and blacks plus timber wolves and grey wolves) on a very regular basis and have a bit of experience around that.
It is sad, but I hope whoever Ray used as a mentor or teacher had correct information to pass onto him.
Sorry.. rant over
Mahikan
Not a lot left to say after that insight other than for all the anomalies of last night's programme how can you blame the guy for jumping at the chance to globe hop and do all this stuff (whether 100% correct or not) when most of us don't have the time to do what we want in our backyard.
Ray's a man who got real lucky and is making hay while the sun shines. Who amongst us wouldn't jump at the chance to fly off to Africa to help a blond Bushcraft Betty ID a few paw prints even if the carbon footprint is a little high??
Go for it Ray but do consider investing in a slightly larger pair of shorts and especially when in female company!
Cheers
Ray's a man who got real lucky and is making hay while the sun shines. Who amongst us wouldn't jump at the chance to fly off to Africa to help a blond Bushcraft Betty ID a few paw prints even if the carbon footprint is a little high??
Go for it Ray but do consider investing in a slightly larger pair of shorts and especially when in female company!
Cheers
I feel a bit sorry for Ray TBH
No matter what he does some folk will always kick him in the balls for doing it.
He's got a job a lot of us would really like. Gets paid handsomely for doing what he loves and gets to be a bit of a personality...
Go the Mears....
No matter what he does some folk will always kick him in the balls for doing it.
He's got a job a lot of us would really like. Gets paid handsomely for doing what he loves and gets to be a bit of a personality...
Go the Mears....
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