User reviews

Disregard all the armchair survival experts who are slamming this program. It never claimed to be an educational program on how to survive in the wilderness.

Like almost every other program on TV, it's entertainment, and it does a dang good job of it. Watch it, if this is your kind of thing, you'll enjoy getting to know the interesting characters who you'd expect to be living in The Boonies.

Watched The Boonies the other night on NatGeo and was pleasantly surprised, though I probably shouldn't have been being that it is a National Geographic production. The photography and the scenery were simply beautiful.

The series follows the lives of four people who live off the grid and away from society in general. Bear Claw lives the life of a mountain nomad in northern Idaho. Dan Burton and his family live on an island in the middle of Lake Michigan. Doc and Jeannie Leverett live in north-eastern Washington State above the ground in a tree house. And Joe Ray lives in the underground caves in northern Arkansas. Each of the parties, unique in their own way, weave a story of true American spirit and survival against the odds.

The first episode established the living arrangements and a brief back story for each of the series' regulars, setting the stage for the development of an interesting and exciting storyline.

Looking forward to following the series to see how successful these folks are living off, under, above and beyond the grid!

So far this show is awesome after 4 episodes! I believe you can learn a bunch after watching this show.

This is an entertaining show. But literally the only reason I'm leaving this review is to ask/exclaim: Why do these people seem to think they own the land that they occupy?! No one is "trespassing" due to the fact that YOU DO NOT OWN THIS LAND. Merely using and occupying an area does not make it yours. That's one of the differences in living off of the grid and participating in the rat race. If you want to be able to keep "trespassers" away, you'll need to purchase that land buddy. That is all.

I see a lot of reviews here saying this is boring and "lame" television. however, joe's story is unlike any other. i've never heard of anyone in the modern day living in a cave, of all things. and it's really fascinating how he lives. it's worth the watch for him alone, as well as bear claw. he's living an authentic 1800s pioneer lifestyle, and i most definitely think it's true. for a look into off the grid living and survival, this is the series to watch. it's short, i really want there to be another season- whether it revisits the previous boonie dwellers, or all new ones!

I've had a real calling to move to the mountains and I have. I don't live totally off the grid as you can see I have the internet but much like Doc and Jeanny My wife and I live in a Forest on our own piece of Heaven. We have chickens and goats right now & looking to get some pigs "maybe". The altitude we live at is around 7500'. I get some of my best ideas from this show and Live Free or Die. Living away from society has not been a burden at all. Please bring this show back it is Great!

People who move away from society most generally do not want to be movie stars. I know a few families including ourselves who lived and raised they're kids in Northern Idaho and NW Montana. kids peddled a stationary bicycle every Saturday morning to generate electricity so they could watch cartoons. And no, they were not skinny and under-nourished, you would have to be a real fool to starve in this country with the deer, elk, moose, porcupines, squirrels,game birds, fish..... Im happy this show aired and wish it was still on, Clearwater river and valley is a site to behold let alone the little mtn man guy, who is basically just a local living in a tee pee rather than a house! Maybe Bear grils will come and make you guys the kind of show you crave! lol...Mr.x

Am curious to know who owns all the properties comprising the places these folks have set up as home? Do they own it?

Having just discovered this program, I am truly enjoying a window into those featured persons lives! I get the impression that they are truly down to earth and are genuinely good people! I'd love to hang out with any one of them! Especially, because they don't kill anything as a trophy, they consume their hunted animals. Can only respect that! It's an awesome show! I only dream of living off the land!

If they are just eating what the kill and find, how come they are not skinny? In fact, one of them is rather hefty. If all I had to eat was veggies and meat, I'd be a size two. So, I'm not buying it. A lot of it is just to far fetch. It doesn't look like anyone is hungry, have problems feeding themselves and their animals. I assume none of them go to the hospital. The only one I can believe is the guy with the boat. I get that. Anyway, it is fun to watch but just not believable.

No serious outdoorsman today dresses like folk out of Dances with Wolves. This show is fake and yet tries to carry realism??? Fake as hell

This show follows some people living in remote areas. Most of which are screw ups doing staged chores and mostly poorly and incompetently done. One guy lives in a cave and brags about spending the rest of his life there. He is a liar. Next is a couple living in trees. Oh my god they can't even do that right. We basically watch them take a horrible camp and limp through improving it. There is a nut job who think he is a mountain man and lived in a brand new tipi and rides around on a horse, hunts with a bow but funds excuses not to shoot deer. He'd rather eat tree rats. The one competent fellow lives on an island on Lake Michigan. He has a dog that won't come when called. You can tell all these people are new at what they are doing. Like many reality TV shows the events are lame, contrived, and absurd. Really, you live in the wilderness and this is this first time you've done this stuff? Skip this show. There are better. Life below zero is a bit Bette but still somewhat contrived.

In what universe is being followed around by a camera crew and being on tv considered "living off the grid"?

It's all so staged and fake. Can't believe NatGeo would put their name on it.

Dan Burton seems legit- clearly he is really living the off-grid life. But the others? Lol. Seriously? You have some intellectually depleted hillbilly who lives in a cave and makes empty threats against imaginary intruders. A dramatic fellow who wants to look bad ass and calls himself "doc" and lives his obese wife in a ramshackle tree house. And the funniest ever- Gary- who calls himself "Bear Claw" and fancies himself some sort of hybrid cowboy/Indian. He talks about his parents too much and uses antiquated phases like "mosey along" and "folded money" . He's the real hoot of the whole show.. a bad actor, living out his fantasy.. clearly he read one too many Lonesome Dove type books as a kid. This show is an amusing weekend diversion IF you need a laugh. But there is almost nothing of real value- "It's the cheesiest!" would be a perfect tagline.