‘Hunters Club’ has Canada, US audiences in sights
A TELEVISION hunting show featuring three Otago hunters is about to be exposed to millions of potential viewers in Canada and the United States.
The Hunters Club, featuring Wanaka’s Dan Curley, Dunedin’s Sam Yule and Queenstown man Anto Hall is about to start streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Ninetysix million households subscribe to Amazon in the United States alone.
The show is in its fourth season, after being picked up early on by Sky Television and broadcast by the payTV provider and on Prime.
It is already broadcast in more than 20 countries, including Russia and France, and will air in 25 by the end of the year.
The show features two other hunters along with the Otago men, Andre Alipate, of Hamilton, and Tim Barnett, of Nelson.
Its cameramen and producer is Dave Shaw, who studied zoology and film at the University of Otago, and started off filming for Cow TV on Dunedin’s Channel 9 (now Channel 39).
Mr Curley said the show began after he hosted The ITM Fishing Show’s Matt Watson in Wanaka about four years ago, taking him fishing and hunting.
Mr Shaw was Mr Watson’s camera operator, was impressed with what he saw and suggested they collaborate on a pilot episode of a new hunting show.
A pilot was prepared, and was picked up by Sky TV.
‘‘We’re just about to air our fourth season, and it’s just getting international traction,’’ Mr Curley said.
The fourth series takes in hunting in areas including Perth River on the West Coast, Three Kings Islands, north of the North Island, the Chatham Islands and Stewart Island.
Mr Curley said hunting was sometimes poorly represented on television.
‘‘What we show is sustenance living, and truly selective hunting.’’
The hunters on the show would head into the bush for a week and leave perhaps 30 animals they saw, targeting just what they had come to hunt.
‘‘The whole philosophy behind it is earning the right to take that animal.
‘‘Immersing yourself in the outdoors, and respecting the outdoors is a massive part about it, as opposed to the kill, which is 1% of the show.’’
While the Amazon move would mean a financial boost, all three Otago hunters had day jobs, Mr Curley said.
He was a land development consultant, Mr Yule was a builder and Mr Hall worked for the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
However, the larger potential audience meant it would be easier to negotiate with sponsors, who would get a bigger reach.
It also meant there was more than just enjoyment to be taken from hunting expeditions.
‘‘We most definitely get paid for what we do.’’
The fourth series of the show screens on Sky from July 16.