Wow Formermarine,

You're actually defending Bear. You usually tell us to look elsewhere for info! Why the change of heart?

KKM

quote:

Originally posted by Atroxx:
Thanks for the advice formermarine, but I don't think I'll be around that long. As soon as the interest in this thread dies out, I'm outta here. I'm not going to go picking fights with people, but I won't take any guff either.

I really don't watch MvW, ever. I only watched the AL episode because it was filmed pretty much in my back yard. It is because of this that I am so passionate about the subject.

Alabama was grossly misrepresented, and as an overall fan of the Discovery Channel, I can't help but feel somewhat bitter towards them. I had great respect for DC before this, now I'm not so sure. They held a responsibility to run a fact check before they let the show go to air.

Just as Jeff_L said above me, the problem is not with Bear Grylls, he is charismatic, intelligent, and let's face it, he is a handsome devil to boot. If he just had a better creative team behind him, the show could be a thousand times better.

My sentiments exactly. And yes, I can see the errors and still like the man and the show. He does have talent. I just think the show is taking a wrong turn - too sensational even for MvW. I don't care about the clothes thing too much. Any child under age 12 should be in bed by 9pm anyway!

quote:

Originally posted by erin143:
Don't worry about your daughter. In the future, her trying to find another man that measures up to Bear should keep her pure for a long long time.

That note alone can take this thread in some wild directions! My Lord, woman!

quote:

KKM quote:
Originally posted by erin143:
Don't worry about your daughter. In the future, her trying to find another man that measures up to Bear should keep her pure for a long long time.

quote: originally posted by KKM:
That note alone can take this thread in some wild directions! My Lord, woman!

Oh yeah KK, I realised after I posted it, the potential for a double entendre, I'm sure we'll chew on that one further in our private emails. But I was not referring to measurments with a ruler but more of the caliber of his personality and natural beauty. Just saying when they made Bear they broke the mold

I wonder if he thought He would get all of this bad reviews ?? lol
I found it SOO FUNNY! like everyone else commented, its crazy, ive lived in, and near Adamsburg for 17 years!! and its Nothing like he says!! lol i bet they had to edit SO MUCH out of the show !! like all the trails,etc where he was trying soooo hard to survive! lol

Fraz09,

I was laughing when his butt aired uncensored on TV. It was a startling (albeit nice) surprise. I just didn't expect it on Prime Time TV. It looks like DC is trying to step it up a notch and divert our attention away from their editing process.

Don't care. I want to see every State in the USA before I go and now Alabama is way up there on my list. Despite the misinformation, Alabama will definitely get more tourists now. That's NOT a bad thing.

Yeah come see us- you'll be amazed how beautiful NE Alabama is. I've lived here for over 12 years and have always been surprised (pleasantly so) that this area continues to be relatively "unknown" to the rest of the country. If you do come to visit- watch for gators, don't eat the deer crap and never ever go in a cave with just a homemade torch . If you try to jump onto a passing log truck be sure your life insurance is apid in full. Like others- I was disappointed in this episode...for 2 main reasons. One being that I felt like this area was worthy of an episode but they could have scouted a more "realistic" location. I live in Jackson County- close to me here we have a canyon called the Walls of Jericho. It's deeper and much more remote than Little River. Our local rescue squad is constantly getting people out of there. That's just one example- I'm sure there are plenty of others around here. Having said that, my second complaint is that a healthy person could get out pretty easily anywhere around here that I can think of. A day of walking(or even a few hours) and you're bound to run into a house or a road or even some yahoo on a 4 wheeler. To make a realistic episode, there should have been some kind of injury that prevented him moving easily or climbing.

People should know by now that the terrains and timelines in the shows are not contiguous but that Bear moves around over a week’s time to present a variety of terrains and situations. Sure extreme situations are often depicted, but that’s the nature of the show.

Regarding the issue of alligators, it is undisputed, I presume, that there are alligators in Southern Alabama. Twice in this EP. Bear states he’s moved further South. After the waterfall jump he says: “Now further south I enter deep woodland”

Again after climbing up and out of the rock fissure after going through the “Alabama Labyrinth” he informs us: “I’m further south now on the look-out for food”

I listened a few times and it is my opinion that he said “Alligators up to 15 feet long can be found in it’s swamps”. He just did not enunciate the “n” as clearly as it seems is necessary, considering the number of folks making a flap about 50 footers. Considering “The biggest 'gator ever recorded was 19 feet 6 inches and shot in Louisiana in 1890. The biggest in recent years was about 15 feet” [in the USA] (according to herpatologist Richard Freeman in this article: http://questfornews.blogspot.c...abama-alligator.html debunking a report of a 23 ft gator) It’s absurd to purport that Bear said 50 feet. If he was in Northern Alabama where there are reports of 8 footers and 12 footers, you’d probably be hard put to find a full 15 footer there, but considering the record in Louisiana, it seems to be an acceptable maximum length range for Southern Alabama. We don't know exactly where he was in AL when he mentioned the gators, but even if he was in the north...

Yes folks, there ARE, in fact, alligators in Northern Alabama: See this article: “Alligators making a Home in Northern Alabama” http://questfornews.blogspot.c...abama-alligator.html

Some excerts from this article:
“This much is known: In 1979, 55 alligators from southern Louisiana were released at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge to help the then-endangered species thrive and to help control the beaver population, according to Bill "Gator" Gates, wildlife biologist at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.
Before their official introduction, alligator sightings at the Wheeler refuge date back to 1964”
….
“Regardless of the exact time frame, Vinny Grosso, shelter manager at the Florence-Lauderdale Animal Shelter and local wildlife enthusiast said, ‘I don't want to scare people, but the alligators are here.’ “ ….
“Hudson, [“Keith Hudson, a wildlife biologist with the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, who lives in Florence but works throughout northern Alabama. “] when asked to speculate about the alligator's range said, ‘It is inevitable that sooner or later they will be valleywide.’
He added that the freak-out factor for a public that hasn't had to live with them shouldn't cause concern.
‘I hope people would appreciate them and enjoy them,’ Hudson said.
For example, in south Alabama, people water ski in waters with alligators, he said.
‘It's not like we won't be able to use our water here because of alligators,’ Hudson said.”

End of those Excerpts.

Bear also said: “There are alligators about, but it’s cold, it’s early in the year, this water’s cold, and they’re going to be much less active around now”

This makes sense to me, to be just as cautious of a less active gator as of an active one.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prior to his night in the shelter, regarding Bear’s saying “with sub zero temperatures common here at night”. This seems to be an editing mistake. The show is also aired in the UK where temps are measured in Celsius. To them zero is our 32 degrees Fahrenheit freezing point. So by sub-zero he meant temps below freezing, not below zero degrees Fahrenheit. He was there in March folks, so it was possible. We all saw the icicles near the river.

-----------------------------------------------


Regarding the feral pig. Bear said: “The area is full of other large animals, like wild pigs, considered pests across the USA, they’re trapped by local farmers.” Regarding the demo pig he says “destined for slaughter, it’s been left for me to dispatch, to show you how to tackle one of these if it got caught in your snare”. He is very clear in stating that he did not trap it and that it was presented to him so he can demonstrate techniques to the viewer, in conformance with the disclaimer at the beginning of the show.
Some posters dispute the presence of wild pigs in the area. Bear also never claimed the feral pigs were indiginous. I found these articles which back up Bear’s statements on the existence of the wild feral pigs:

http://www.outdooralabama.com/...articles/hogwild.cfm

Excerpt: “Feral hog populations have greatly increased in Alabama since the 1980s. Before that time, feral hogs were located mostly in south Alabama with highest numbers found along the lower Tombigbee and Alabama rivers. Hogs have spread to northern portions of the state as a result of individuals illegally relocating feral hogs into new areas and some natural dispersion. The human relocation of hogs has resulted in feral hogs on many of Alabama’s WMAs.” End of Excerpt.
Other Alabama feral hog links:
http://www.wildlifetrends.com/predators.cfm

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,275524,00.html

3Alandowners-statewide-face-near-impossible-task-controlling-feral-hogs-

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Orig. Posted 08-19-09 10:16 PM by Atroxx

quote:

As for the fire? What a joke, we do stuff like that a lot on purpose just to clear out the brush.

Regarding the fire Bear encountered, he was very clear in informing us that it was a controlled fire, not a wild fire: “This is definitely a controlled fire… see it has one long line… Fires like this are set deliberately to manage forest areas, but if the wind picks up it can be just as dangerous as forest fires… a controlled fire like this is a good indication that people and civilization aren’t far away.”

quote:

Originally posted by shawnbama1:
A day of walking(or even a few hours) and you're bound to run into a house or a road or even some yahoo on a 4 wheeler. To make a realistic episode, there should have been some kind of injury that prevented him moving easily or climbing.

We have plenty of yahoos in ATVs here, too. I'll get there. It'll take some convincing and time. I always thought the South was really pretty.

Erin - excellent post. You're dead on right about the controlled fires 'n' all.

I only wish there was some obligation of the producers of the show to share some of what is written here. MvW appears to be nothing more than a show where a cute little British chap is taken to the woods with a camera crew to act out survival skills in staged situations.

For anyone to think that there was ever any chance that he would do anything other than walk out is silly. If one finds oneself where Bear was in Little River Canyon with no directions or trails, simply go to the other side where you'll find the DeSoto Scout Trail leading to Camp Comer.

Resolving being lost in Little River Canyon is quite simple. Sit quietly and concentrate on the sounds of the woods. Then when you hear a motorcycle or ATV, walk towards it. Or, look high to the edge of the canyon, and when you see the reflection of the sun off of a luxury cabin's full length windows, walk toward that cabin.

Even better, listen closely for the sound of the teenagers playing in the river. They'll even give you a beer for nutrition.

But please quit defending these charlatans.

quote:

I only wish there was some obligation of the producers of the show to share some of what is written here. MvW appears to be nothing more than a show where a cute little British chap is taken to the woods with a camera crew to act out survival skills in staged situations.

What is written here is shared by DC, right here...

Yup it's a show, what a concept! They write the script not you.

He is cute.

He is not LITTLE.

quote:

Even better, listen closely for the sound of the teenagers playing in the river. They'll even give you a beer for nutrition.

Folks that let their underage teenagers drink beer in the river should get their own house in order before worrying about a tv show.

To elaborate on:

quote:

He is not LITTLE.

Bear is 6 feet tall.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MvW_Mod_Melissa,

Being from alabama and the regions in which this was filmed what a joke. I guess sensationalism sells but only if you dont know the region. Next time you run into a controled burn perhaps yelling is the best thing to do. Maybe a forrest ranger will hear you lol. I liked this show until I saw this. Are all the shows this unrealistic?

after watching this the show is a joke I'm sure there more on satelite than this. Thank God!

Are you kidding me?? It's a joke, right??

I spend many hours in and around Little River Canyon. Let me tell you, I've always thought the show may have been a bit dramatic, but now I know its just downright false!!
First - Why chopper into a canyon that has a road it's entire length? In fact, when he dropped in he could have walked 25 to 50 yards away from the rim and hitched a ride home.
Second - How did he end up in wild forest after he rafted down the Little River. I'm not sure how he missed the picnic area at Canyon Mouth Park as he would have floated right through. May have even copped a sandwich off someone.
And how did he not hit his head on the bridge shortly thereafter?? Hmmmm...
Third - Subzero temperatures in Alabama????? Whatever.
Fourth - Wildfire??? My guess is they were filming about a year or so ago when the park service closed the park and did a control burn.
And Lastly - Entering a cave because it is abundant with food. Once again, are you kidding me?? Do they think we're stupid?? He even mentions the cave fish?? The Alabama Cave Fish is a protected species. And folks, I'm an avid caver... good luck spotting one of those. They are very rare and it is very dark in a cave.
My conclusion - Bear, his cameraman, his producers, his director, the Discovery Channel, are liars. Do not believe what you see. I don't think I can ever watch Discovery with an open mind from this point forward.

quote:

Alabama was grossly misrepresented, and as an overall fan of the Discovery Channel, I can't help but feel somewhat bitter towards them. I had great respect for DC before this, now I'm not so sure. They held a responsibility to run a fact check before they let the show go to air.

After reading comments from locals and after seeing an episode that was filmed in an area I am familiar with I have come to the conclusion that the issue is not a lack of fact checking but rather a deliberate attempt to sensationalize. They scout an area ahead of time and they consult with local experts so it is just not possible that this level of misrepresentation could be accidental. There is certainly nothing wrong with a little fiction on TV but when a channel attempts to pass it off as fact there is a problem. As I understand it when the show first came out there was some controversy about this very issue which Discovery claimed to be ignorant of. So what’s the deal now? Do they still not know what’s going on or did they realize the original format brought better rating so decided to say what the heck?

quote:

People should know by now that the terrains and timelines in the shows are not contiguous but that Bear moves around over a week’s time to present a variety of terrains and situations.

Anyone who has spent much time reading posts on this forum or is familiar with an area depicted should know this and anyone who spends much time in the wilderness should suspect it but I’d say the vast majority of the viewers have no clue. This is backed up by comments I’ve see on facebook, on other forums and right here by new members.

I have a hard time believing the deception is unintentional and would like to see Bear step forward and do something about it. I read a lot of negative comments about the show and most are directed at Bear personally. It seems a shame that he is taking the fall, so to speak, for decisions that are probably not his. It seems likely that his reputation will suffer for it in the long run and probably has already been damaged beyond repair amongst those he would consider his peers.

Listen to the show intro - He states he is facing a series of challenges over the course of a week to show us a variety of survial techniques. - They disclose the premise of the show right up front in the intro and include a disclaimer after every commercial break.

Were they perpetuating a deception neither would be there.

I have listened to the intro. Here’s what it says–

“I’m Bear Grylls. I’m going to show you what it takes to get out alive from some of the most dangerous places on Earth. I’ve got to make it through a week of challenges in the sort of places you wouldn’t last a day without the right survival skills”

According to people familiar with the location he filmed in Alabama he is within yards of a road and would have passed right by a picnic shelter. This is what they’re calling one of the “most dangerous places on Earth” and suggesting that survival skills would be necessary to “last a day” there? Considering this I’d have to say that the intro is part of the deception, not an attempt to dispel it.

As for the disclaimer –

“Bear Grylls and the crew receive support when they are in potentially life threatening situations, as required by health and safety regulations. On some occasions, situations are presented to Bear Grylls so he can demonstrate survival techniques. Professional advice should always be sought before entering any dangerous environment”

I don’t see how this explains that actually there are no alligators or feral hogs where he is filming nor does it explain any of the other misconceptions and flat out falsehoods that the show perpetrates in other episodes.

quote:

According to people familiar with the location he filmed in Alabama he is within yards of a road and would have passed right by a picnic shelter. This is what they’re calling one of the “most dangerous places on Earth” and suggesting that survival skills would be necessary to “last a day” there? Considering this I’d have to say that the intro is part of the deception, not an attempt to dispel it.

I don't necessarily disagree that AL was not one of the most dangerous places on earth, but I would add this:
Bear takes the more dangerous routes, over any alleged near-by trails (that probably make for easier access for the crew & equipment,) in order to demonstrate techniques that can be used in extreme situations and which make for a more interesting show. (The name of the show is not Man Playing it Safe). Let's remember people that get lost have often strayed away from a trail which may still be near-by.
People should use common sense and not down climb a waterfall or go deep into a cave if they are unsure of their own skill set, just because they saw it on tv, when there is another safer route they can choose.

As for alligators and feral see my 8/23/09 post in this thread.

quote:

Bear takes the more dangerous routes, over any alleged near-by trails

From what I’ve seen I would have to disagree. In the South Dakota episode for example he jumps off some rocks into a pool of water beneath a small waterfall. He makes some comments about not knowing how deep the water is and about things getting tough or something but in reality he was not in the “wild” at all. The spot he was at is called Big Falls although most locals refer to it as Hippie Hole. It’s just a couple miles from the town of Rockerville and about a 15-20 minute drive from Rapid City. The truth is that if the weather had been better that day they wouldn’t have been able to film that scene because there would have been dozens of people swimming and sunbathing there. There’s actually a rope to help you climb up to the spot where he jumped off. Considering thousands of people have jumped from the very same spot that Bear jumped I’d have to say Bear doesn’t always take the more dangerous routes and after watching the behind the scenes videos and reading comments here I have to wonder if he ever does. With that many support people, logistically, it would be impossible to go too far from a road or trail.

To borrow from the late GREAT Steveo..."Crikey, what a bloomin idiot..."

I agree with many of the posts so far.

I've lived here in Huntsville, Alabama all my life (almost 50 years) and Little River Canyon is a place I've been to many times. First, the river is more of a stream, canyon is at best a stretch, but I suppose it qualifies as one.

I watched this show with great anticipation, not sure where he would show up. LRC is about an hour drive east/south east from here. It's a beautiful state park but some where it's so very difficult to get lost in. So far as I know, there are 2 trails by the "river"/stream and many leading up the sides, where there are roads.

Now I know, watch only for entertainment purposes only.

Better places for a "survival" thing would be the Bankhead National Forrest, Talledega National Forrest or even the swamps down in southern Alabama.

What a fraud---this program needs a dose of integrity

http://blog.al.com/scenesource...abama_episode_a.html

There are no gators in that part of Alabama. It would be hard to find a pig too (there are some, but not a lot). In the winter the snakes are not active. Probably more risk of getting shot than anything else.

It's all fine and good to entertain, but saying there are gators there aren't is just bs.