Tred Barta is an American hunter, fisherman, and outdoorsman, who hosts The Best and Worst of Tred Barta on the Versus Channel.[1] As a fisherman, Barta has amassed several world records, some still current.
When hunting, Barta eschews modern contrivances and overly sentimental views of nature and favors a "common man" approach grounded in respect for animals he hunts and the view that the pursuit can be as meaningful as killing the animal. In keeping with this, he does not consider a hunt a failure simply because no game is taken. In addition, he usually hunts with a longbow and homemade cedar arrows, which makes taking game much more difficult.[2]
Barta has used his bow and arrows on his show to take several big game species, including bear, elk, and moose. He has used a handgun when pursuing wounded game (a wild boar) into thick brush, and a guide with a gun is often present during his hunts. Nonetheless, Barta's methods place him in proximity to animals that could harm him seriously, perhaps fatally, and involve a level of danger significantly higher than that faced by hunters employing modern weapons.