What constitutes someone being on a "Pro-Staff"

[Eric Gregg]

I was getting ready for work this morning when I was flipping through channels and came across a hunting show. A man was filming his son as they were deer hunting. No probs. They showed the young boy's name and under it the title "Youth Pro-Staff"....Doe pops out in a fire lane and boy almost gut shot the deer. They get out of the stand, supposedly "track" the deer (which was 10 yds away where they started filming again after getting out of the stand) and the boy goes over to the deer and says "Well, this is my first deer" to which I was reminded that Jr. was a "Youth pro-staff" member of supposed hunting show. How can you be a pro at something that you have never done???

So my question is, what makes someone pro-staff? Just curious

[tha bugman]

Just like everything else....it all boils down to who you know and not what you know.

[captin_hook]

Just like everything else....it all boils down to who you know and not what you know.

X2

[tomstopper]

Couldn't have said it better...

[BowBendr]

It's kinda' like putting the word "President" in front of O'dumas name. Doesn't have anything to do with what you know......

[nativeks]

The pro in pro staff is for promotional. Basically you need a big mouth to spread the word about their project. It has zero to do with your knowledge of hunting. I remember an Avery Prostaffer trying to explain to me how great a hunter he was, but he couldn't identify a prime drake widgeon he had in his hand. He thought it was a sea duck.

[Wingbone]

The pro in pro staff is for promotional. Basically you need a big mouth to spread the word about their project. It has zero to do with your knowledge of hunting. I remember an Avery Prostaffer trying to explain to me how great a hunter he was, but he couldn't identify a prime drake widgeon he had in his hand. He thought it was a sea duck.

Haha that's funny because I used to know a local Avery "pro" that didn't know his bass from a hole in the ground either. As far as constituting the name, well, I thought you just had to list it in your signature on any hunting forum and you were officially in the club then. Lol

[Old Gobbler]

Sadly,  the term prostaff has been so habitually abused by unscrupulous types,  that the term is past the point of meaninglessness, its a downright shame to the real pro endorsed hunters out there.


I cant speak for the tv world,  but in the forum board side of it , the constant problem of people gathering up strangers and bestowing the title prostaff has created issues . Most waterfowling and hunting sites do not allow "prostaff notations " due to people recruiting unqualified types not only in the hunting aspect but also in the immature social behavior that follows when you give some kid a " prostaff badge"

[ccleroy]

I was once offered to be on a pro-staff for a big named company and turned it down, it was nothing more than a marketing ploy to get the word out about products which isn't what I had a problem with...what I did have a problem with is all the so called "hunters" that shammed off upon people their so called bs knowledge of being legitimate killers. Its easy to talk the talk and get instant gratification. It disgust me to no end how the commercialization of hunting has and is ruining our sport.

[TRKYHTR]

I am a Mossy Oak Prostaffer for several reasons. 1) I love mossy oak camo. I will not endorse items that I don't like or believe in. I have had several companies ask me to be on their prostaff and I turned them down because they were questionable. 2) I have been teaching turkey hunting seminars for several years and speak what I believe to be the truth. When I teach a seminar I tell everybody what I use and what I believe works. I was pushing mossy oak camo before I was a "prostaffer", because that was what I used and thought worked best where I hunted. Almost every seminar I teach I push items that I am not affiliated with but that I believe work great. a Thermacell is one item. I own my own turkey call company and do not have prostaff. If somebody wants to endorse my turkey calls because they like them that is great but there is alot of negativity towards prostaffers and I understand that. If I do eventually have a prostaff, you can bet that they will know how to use a call or answer a few questions about turkey hunting. I have seen many prostaffers that couldn't kill a turkey in a butterball factory and that, to me, is ridiculous. 3) I do get good deals on Mossy oak items. Although I don't take advantage of this like I probably should. I have gotten more items for other people than I have for myself.
   
TRKYHTR
   

[ccleroy]

I am a Mossy Oak Prostaffer for several reasons. 1) I love mossy oak camo. I will not endorse items that I don't like or believe in. I have had several companies ask me to be on their prostaff and I turned them down because they were questionable. 2) I have been teaching turkey hunting seminars for several years and speak what I believe to be the truth. When I teach a seminar I tell everybody what I use and what I believe works. I was pushing mossy oak camo before I was a "prostaffer", because that was what I used and thought worked best where I hunted. Almost every seminar I teach I push items that I am not affiliated with but that I believe work great. a Thermacell is one item. I own my own turkey call company and do not have prostaff. If somebody wants to endorse my turkey calls because they like them that is great but there is alot of negativity towards prostaffers and I understand that. If I do eventually have a prostaff, you can bet that they will know how to use a call or answer a few questions about turkey hunting. I have seen many prostaffers that couldn't kill a turkey in a butterball factory and that, to me, is ridiculous. 3) I do get good deals on Mossy oak items. Although I don't take advantage of this like I probably should. I have gotten more items for other people than I have for myself.
   
TRKYHTR

Joe you are one of the guys I know that are legitimate and I have no question about you, your post was spot on about most pro staffers not being able to produce. Good post buddy.

[Old Gobbler]

I have to agree with Joe's opinion on the subject,  and will add that I have always respected  the highly professional manner that he has always done things

This type thread has surfaced before,  most frequent forum users may not be aware of the dramatics circulating around people who,  as Joe stated, couldn't  kill a turkey in a butterball factory/ most of you could not even imagine the dramatics   that a kid with a swelled up head can proliferate when people start to grow tired of the brainwash product pushing . Otherwise trouble free members start to resemble gremlins from the 1980's movie when they are fed after midnight .....then turn into little monsters , and become very defensive and aggressive about their new found public stature and go to great lengths to " keep the dream alive"

I have had people contact me before wanting to know how to pick out some prostaffers for their company ,and all I can say is that you best be dealing with a well balanced , mature person who portrays a good  public image if themselves , I would also ask for credentials like proof of skill via photographs and calling contest credentials ~ I would suggest to a background check including arrest and conviction records because of past notorious incidents , that I will refrain from commenting on any further.

We had a surge of this activity and drama years ago , thankfully those days are long gone and we can now enjoy a more ego free atmosphere on the forum

[barry]

I turned down a "pro-staff" postion with Preparation H, I figured it would just be a pain in the butt!

[BigMick]

I turned down a "pro-staff" postion with Preparation H, I figured it would just be a pain in the butt!

I don't care who you are....that's funny right there!!!

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

This is not a turkey hunting story:

I suppose being asked to be a pro-staffer can be a good experience for "some" people.

I was once asked by a company that I had not approached, that I had not done any business with previously, and I accepted.  They sent me a sample of their product, and I really liked it.  It worked great, and was actually the nicest example of such product that I'd ever owned.  I immediately purchased 3 more examples, in addition to the free one I had received.  So here I was with 4 examples of said item to use and show people, and I knew how to demonstrate the product.

So I go and share the story of my good fortune with my biggest hunting buddy, and I could tell that he was both jealous, and felt that I hadn't earned it with a lifetime of proven success in that field of endeavor.  I then discovered that my online "buddies" thought even less of it, and some questioned the whole pro staff part of the industry.  I hadn't seen this coming.  

I tried to openly defend the whole thing.  People demonized me, talked about me like a dog, and said negative things to the company I was representing.  The owner of the company started defending himself, but never mentioned my name one way or the other.  He stated publicly that he had allowed someone else in his company to select pro-staffers.  I felt betrayed, and sold the items I had purchased and received.  I didn't ask for any of what happened, and without doing anything inappropriate, my name had become mud.  They have a good product, but they treated me like crap.