[Timberwolf]

I saw an article by Jeff Murray in a recent bowhunting mag and wasn't real surprised ... but just a little surprised.

The name stood out because I have a book I bought off the discount shelf for $4.99 called "For Big Bucks Only”. Jeff Murray is the author and on one page is picture of him in a treestand holding a gun looking down on a buck that he 'caught doubling back through a drive' ... Then on another page was a picture of the same buck(!) with Jeff in the background climbing down from a stand, with a bow hanging there, and the caption under that pic said that he 'arrowed this buck near a beaver pond'

Not long after that, I saw him in a video. A really nice deer came walking by broadside at 10-15 yards(?) (This was a guided hunt in Iowa – which seems to be a more popular way of building a reputation as an expert than hunting the big woods of northern MN.) The film freezes at the sound of the shot, you hear the crack of the impact of a shot that may not have been ideal. Then it cuts to the “pro/expert” holding the rack in the dark, and the first words out of his mouth were “See folks, this is what I’m talking about…”

Whatever … but to see him touted as a bowhunting or whitetail expert in a current magazine? It just doesn’t sit very well.

Maybe I have him all wrong and these were just two isolated mistakes? Is his reputation as an expert based on anything solid?

 

[meanv2]

I'll just say this I spent a week with Jeff in Bear camp, and knowingly I would not hunt the same camp with him again. Not sure how many I have shared hunting camps with, but I don't know anyone else that I would not be glad to hunt again with. No it wasn't because Jeff killed a Big Bear. He actually didn't kill anything. He is real alright. A real Doinker

 

[Bugle'm In]

Remember one thing and a lot of stuff comes into perspective......

"It's all about the Benjamins"

You either have the money to "Advertise" yourself as an expert or you have the personality and outlook/attitude that someone that has the money likes and they turn you into an "expert"....... although, these "experts" found a way or were graced with the opportunity to meet that person.



As a Elk hunting guide all my client's thought I had what it takes, just haven't had the opportunity to meet the person with the "Benjamins"..... probably has something to do with living in Montana, not much exposure out here.

Basically if it rubs you the wrong way, ignore it. If you want more opinions/thoughts, search for the "Michael Waddell, slams one next to a fence" thread, plenty of it there. Reading Michael's comments may give you a different perspective.

 

[Timberwolf]

I will check that one out -- would be interesting to hear it from the other side.

It just seems like stuff like this (above) would backfire on the guy trying to 'build his reputation' ... to see that it's actually working for him is what bugs me I guess.

 

[Orions_Bow]

I have read some of his books & so far he seems cool to me. His books about the moon phases are interesting. I have read his articles for years in vaious magazines & I have found no reason to not like him. I have never met the man that I can remember, perhaps at one of the ATA shows but if I did I don't remember it. I see no reason for me to judge him, he is making a living as an outdoor writer, I admire that he gets to do something he loves to do & he has become successful at it. If he follows all the game laws for whatever it is he is hunting thats all I can ask of the guy. I have found no reason to fault him from the material I have read over the years.

 

[Timberwolf]

Well that's good to hear. And I don't fault anyone for trying to make an honest living. I certainly haven't seen all his articles or videos. It was just that the two I did see seemed cheesy and less than honest.

Glad to hear that they were isolated mistakes.

 

[Orions_Bow]

One other thing to remember is that publishers & editors usually will pick the pictures to use for their magazines. It could have been a series of photos he had submitted & oncce out of context they seemed odd or out of place. Some photos are simply staged for magazine/books, nothing that the hunter really did wrong or odd.

 

[Meleagris1]

"For big bucks" only was a NAHC book if I remeber correctly. I read it back in the late 90's. Good read, I enjoyed it.

As far as experts, they all seem to come from the Midwest, particularly IL and Iowa. Must be something in the water out there.

 

[Jose Boudreaux]

Nothing against Jeff Murray as a person on ethics and what not but I can't stand to read any of his articles....it's a mathews advertisement with a couple hunting tips...when i had 4 mathews in the house he still had me barfing...

 

[Timberwolf]

Well I read the Waddell post. I've actually never seen him on TV or read any articles -- so I sure can't comment. From his post, he seems pretty well-grounded.

Personally, I think the comparison of "hunting pros", or whatever they're called, to professional athletes is weak and ends with the similar sponsorship by product makers. Golf, football, basketball, etc are sports/competitions between people and the guys/gals that have made it to the pro level are generally there because they are the best ... of many many that play those sports.

"Expert hunters" are generally in that position because they were in the right place at the right time and most seem to have some connection to the hunting industry.

Some, like Waddell, seem to realize that. Others don't. And in those cases, I think the "let's see the pro work his magic on this hard hunted land" comments are fair.

Again, I don't blame anyone for trying to make a living doing what they love to do. It's only when some try to paint it into something it's not ... when they're clearly dishonest or clearly ommit/edit/cut to inflate their image ... then I'll feel a little insulted, my eyes will roll, I'll feel like yak'ing, etc I can't help it.

 

[whtlfanatic]

Man, Ive been publishing a hunting magazine for 6 years and I've NEVER staged a photo, nor would I ever consider it. Please don't try to pass off a hunters attempts to "fool" his or her audience onto the publisher/editor.

I'm not saying that is what was done it the case mentioned above but to me it is simply out of the question to attempt something like that.

 

[Timberwolf]

I dug this thread out because I heard on the news that a bowhunter in Duluth was cited for trespassing (a tv news teaser with the word "bowhunter" in it -- don't hear that often!)

When they came back, the story was that a bowhunter from Duluth was cited for posting public land to keep other bowhunters out. The bowhunter -- Jeff Murray.

Is there anyone out there that has more details on this? Anyone from Duluth maybe?

 

[Tater12]

He is extremely arrogant

 

[muley40]

He has add in Bowhunting World selling cable to lock your tree stand, There was artictle in a hunting magazine that he had some kind of rare disease that could be fatal,

 

[HVAC]

I had a buddy that guided him on a turkey hunt and he was very arrogant and wouldn't listen to him. He ended up getting nothing. Blamed his unsuccessfull hunt on the my buddy who had watch numerous turkey come by the double bull blind he placed a week earlier. Mr. Murray took it upon himself to move it my buddy watch turkeys go by the original place everyday. Also I was just in Minnesota last week and on the news he was charged with poaching up near Duluth.

 

[brokenlittleman]

Real Deal

Spent some time with him on a hunt in Missouri. Without giving details I wouldn't want to do it again. My brother and some friends also where on a hunt in Kansas when he was there and got the same opionion of him that I did.

 

[Stump Shooter]

I dug this thread out because I heard on the news that a bowhunter in Duluth was cited for trespassing (a tv news teaser with the word "bowhunter" in it -- don't hear that often!)

When they came back, the story was that a bowhunter from Duluth was cited for posting public land to keep other bowhunters out. The bowhunter -- Jeff Murray.

Is there anyone out there that has more details on this? Anyone from Duluth maybe?

Like what other details?

As in.....he heard word of a large buck last year that was wounded and laying in a "unable to hunt" part of Duluth, called up a buddy to come and shoot it with a gun AFTER the Duluth city police and the ABA association told him that he shouldn't. He then called another buddy to access a tag for the buck. No charges! Buck disappeared.

As in....this latest instance of Jeff posting PUBLIC city ground so he could have an area all to himself that he knew a big buck was traveling.

As in....he was caught baiting with sun flower seeds.

As in....he would place his stands within 20-30 yards of other hunters and harass them because he wanted to hunt that area.

As in....he has taken down stands of other hunters and put his up.

A couple things of what I said is what I was told....the rest of it has made the Duluth paper because charges are pending. I'm sure that I could pull up more dirt as a good buddy of mine is really close to this situation and hunts up there. All of what I hear is that Jeff is just a pure slime ball and needs to get kicked out of the ABA and the Duluth city hunt for life. The Duluth hunt hasn't been open for that many years. I just wonder how long Jeff has been hunting that area anyway. Hmmmm

 

[Stump Shooter]

Here are the latest charges. And other links.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=56843

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/12/26/news/state/145287.txt

http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=61737&section=news

 

[rutnstrut]

If this is the same Moon guide guy,you guys that don't like him may not have to worry about him for long. I heard last year that he was very sick with some rare cancer,if this is true how does that make you feel for trashing the guy.

 

[Stump Shooter]

If this is the same Moon guide guy,you guys that don't like him may not have to worry about him for long. I heard last year that he was very sick with some rare cancer,if this is true how does that make you feel for trashing the guy.

Based on your pure speculation....I don't feel bad. Show me what you say is true and then I may care for a min or two. All I have to say is.....If only you knew what kind of a guy he is and what type of a hunter he is.

Pretty tough to be hunting non stop for over the last 2 yrs if your really sick with some rare cancer don't ya think? LOL You only know of what you've "heard". I have concrete info.