As if reality-show contestants weren’t dangerous enough, the WorldHunting Association (WHA) now wants to arm them and send them into the sticks.
The WHA, a competitive hunting league based in Michigan, issued a casting call last month for a reality-TV competition, inviting entrants to submit short video clips of themselves stalking and bagging game. In January, submissions will be posted to WorldHunt.com, where WHA members can vote for finalists to compete on camera.
WHA Commissioner/CEO David Farbman, 35, founded the league in June with the aim of creating a “social-networking and marketing platform for the outdoors.” The league has taped and streamed two slickly produced 25-minute episodes of its competitive hunts. The goal, Farbman says, is “to build through ITV” before “going out on the box,” ideally on a network like ESPN2.
The league has been criticized by hunting and outdoor groups for its enclosed hunts and its ambition to make hunting a competitive sport.
But Farbman says resistance has “all cooled out,” thanks to outreach among hunters and WHA’s decision to abandon its initial use of tranquilizer darts—a practice that drew the mockery of The Daily Show in September.
For those who’ve never known the thrill of the hunt, the site has a virtual hunting game. And for those who just want to see chicks with guns, the WHA Girls are waiting for you.
