HISTORY OF WILD DAKOTA

     In 1989 Vern and his younger brother Wayne decided to purchase video equipment to start their own production company, not yet sure of what to film. Shortly after an acquaintance of Wayne’s asked if they would capture a wedding and the company Video Works was born. In 1992 Vern took over the business and renamed the company to Vern’s Video. Since weddings alone could not support the business Vern soon opened the doors to video transferring. Phone calls wanting photos put to music and then transferring of old 8mm to a medium that could be played on that era’s equipment. Next came transferring of foreign formats to video with the list of others Vern’s Video had an income to keep the business afloat. This is how Vern introduced video production into the Boer family.
      Father and son team Vern and Jeff both had a passion for hunting. Even though at the time neither of the two had ever gave thought of laying down video of their own outdoor experiences. But placing themselves in the few outdoor programs on TV at that time was a personal dream of Jeff’s. Neither film nor hunt would meet for several more years.
     Being an electronics geek Jeff would sneak his father’s camera out just to capture day to day meaningless nonsense for the sheer joy of running the cameras. After gaining some trust by Vern, Jeff started to help out with weekly projects that Vern’s Video came up with and the team moved on to learn more and gain skills on and off the camera. Meanwhile the video editing industry is changing from manual editing to computerized programs, Vern decided to immediately jump on board adding a computer to their editing arsenal. By now wedding and picture videos were starting to overwhelm Vern and he actually started turning customers away do to conflicting schedules and both Vern and Jeff had the hurdle of the learning curve with new technology.

     By 1998 Jeff had Graduated from college with a degree in Graphic Communications (advertise & Design) and stayed working at the electronics store, unrelated to the degree. Here learning more on cameras, all about the time digital formats were being introduced into the market. The following year purchased a digital 8mm camera that never left his side for personal and also recording for Vern’s Video. By the fall of 99 Jeff and another family member were heavy into archery hunting and since the digital camera was smaller and could fit into a backpack, it was brought every time they climbed into a tree. By some stroke of luck only a couple of weeks into the season Jeff shot the first Whitetail buck on film, less than one week later the second buck was captured getting stuck with an arrow. Both times the film was immediately brought back to show the rest of the family and friends. From then on the camera was in the field every time Jeff and Vern went into the field. The following year Vern was captured on film taking a buck. Now the cameras were taken to just about every open season the guys took part in. While editing the film, Jeff jokingly mentioned we should start an outdoor show and keep filming our hunting experiences. Farfetched as it may have sounded he didn’t know what was to come in only a couple years down the road. Here is where Dave Angle came into the picture working with Jeff at the electronics store, the three got along well being sportsmen with the love of hunting and fishing.

     Midsummer of 2001 Jeff came across a customer while working at Karl’s TV who owned and managed a commercial pheasant hunting operation. During the transaction, of all things a “camera purchase” the customer told Jeff his intentions were to film the large bird numbers at the ranch for potential clients to see the quality of hunting they had to offer. At that time Jeff brought up the idea they had for a local television program him and his father had toyed with but did not have the financial backing. The customer of several years was intrigued by the idea and by the end of the sale responded by saying “I’ll back it”. Scrambling to tell the guys of the great news the reality of a dream began to unfold. At this time they didn’t have a name or any idea what airtime would cost, or for that fact how to even get on air. With a phone book Jeff called every local station inquiring on rates airtime and all kinds of tedious questions. The only person willing to give him the time of day is Sandy “Lasner” Ellefson a sales rep at FOX TV. She actually went out of her way, came to drop off all of FOX’s information, and then stayed to answer all of his ridiculous questions.

     A name for the program had not yet been decided. The first thought was to call it Wild Outdoors. They soon found out the name was already taken by another program. Jeff submitted two other Ideas to the family, the first being Triple B Outdoors, standing for Boer, Boer, and Boer with the correlation of a shotgun shell, and second Wild Dakota more generic and not personalized. Since they wanted the title to not only capture the meaning of the program but the spirit of the group, Wild Dakota was voted by all to be the official television name.
     At this time Vern is putting his own business “Vern’s Video” on the line taking all of his equipment and doubling it for the Wild Dakota Production. He will be the backbone the whole television concept will stand on. The reality of television was slowly sinking in. South Dakota is a diverse state with all different walks of life but holds a strong Christian atmosphere with a large percentage of outdoor persons. So when looking for a time slot several different pulls were taken and the time 7:30 Am was decided allowing both non-church and church goers the opportunity to watch.
     To secure the 7:30 Am time slot the guys needed to sign a contract obligating them to the deal and to start broadcasting one year from that time. Naturally the contract was signed. Going back to the financer, originally willing to support the program the guys come to find him only full of financial hot air, backing out of the original promise to support the program. This left them standing with no money and a contract that had to be fulfilled.
 

     Late winter of 2002 Vern attended a local sport show. Visiting with friends after the show, the subject of outdoor TV comes up and how they were all disappointed nothing was really focused on South Dakota. Vern was then asked,” whatever happened to the father son team to be.” After the story was told, spirits were low, yet Vern’s comrades gave a massive vote of confidence. Armed with the reinforcement of friends, Vern pulls together a meeting with the family to devise a plan to head back into the field looking for advertisers and sponsors that would keep this idea alive. The father son team regrouped equipped with confidence knowing they have a product/idea that could fly in this market, so a sales itinerary way made! The first stop was Central Plains Taxidermy. Terry said let’s do it! Second was Gary’s Gun Shop. Steve and Tony gave the thumbs up! The third stop was a local boat shop and they said yes. It wasn’t till the forth stop before they got a no. To their surprise almost every one said “do what it takes to get airtime and they would provide the backing.” 7:30 Am August 3rd of 2003 was now secured on local Fox KTTW 17. The nightmare was almost over! Many hardships to come!
     Since, they have expanded their broadcast to an international media on www.outfitters.tv 3 times a day. And again to Vern and Jeff’s amazement this company provided as much support as Fox did when they first started. As time went by advancements in production and equipment were to be made. The first three years of the program put Vern, Jeff, and Vern’s Video further in the financial hole. Through side jobs of extra video work they accumulated the funds needed to now produce as good as or better than any outdoor footage you’ll see on other networks. Year’s number 4 and 5 would determine the fate of the program. By the end of the forth year the show turned a profit not much but defiantly put Wild Dakota in the black for the first time. Now that year 5 is here with a recently reformatted program Wild Dakota in now enjoyed by nearly 200,000 local viewers and countless internet fans with a production quality that rivals the best, and on the road to a successful year.
     Vern and Jeff also have expanded into the internet with a new website that is second to none. It is designed for the sports enthusiasts needs for products, services, where to get them and at affordable prices. There are articles written by people that actually have gone through many of the situations we all face in the field or on the water at one time or another.
     If you were to ask Vern or Jeff who is actually responsible for the creation of the television program Wild Dakota, both will stake claim! More importantly if the big man upstairs will allow it, father son team, along with a growing number of friends in the upper Midwest, will continue to show hunting and fishing at its best! Even sometimes at its worst! Both will do what they love and love what they do! That is what makes this show real.