Parents' Guide to

Sons of Winter

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Real-life bros take dangerous rite-of-passage hunting trip.

TV Discovery Channel Reality TV 2015
Sons of Winter Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

sonnycrockett
sonnycrockett Adult
May 13, 2015
age 10+

Very educational about values and a different way of life.

Reality show worth watching. Shows kids about how others live and the struggles of living "off the grid." I really enjoyed the closeness the family shares and all that it brings.... The scenes that show hunting and fishing for sustenance are part of this lifestyle and may need to be explained to younger viewers.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

SONS OF WINTER is a reality series following 20-year-old Dale and 19-year-old Shane Barks, two young men setting out on a 90-day winter hunting and trapping trip in the Northern Canadian Territories. Years ago, teacher Randy Barks moved his young family to uninhabited Northern Saskatchewan to live like the pioneers of past. Now near adulthood, his two older sons arm themselves with a radio, traps, rifles, and their smarts and leave the family homestead to live and trap deeper in the wilderness hundreds of miles away. While the rest of the family works hard to find meat and sustain themselves throughout the big freeze, they also worry about the brothers' overconfidence. But Dale and Shane soon learn they're not invincible and must think carefully about the risks they're going to take if they want to survive the journey.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The series offers a voyeuristic look into the lives of people who have chosen to live in the isolated and punishing wilderness of the Northern Region. Much of the show's entertainment value comes from the mistakes made and mishaps created by the boys, ranging from not securing their food to falling through the ice. Though some of these seem minor, all can have deadly consequences.

Framing the boys' trip as a journey into manhood feels a bit contrived, and Randy Barks' musings about the acceptance of the inevitable dangers they face while "living freely" gets a little tiresome. But if you like the many other outdoor-themed reality shows out there, you'll appreciate the endless hunting activities, as well as the casts' constant plans for survival in a place where they have no control.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what life is like in remote areas of the world. What's it like to live in a place with no neighbors, no stores, no electricity, no television, and no Internet? Do you think you could live like these folks for any period of time?

  • Do you think the story being told here is real? Or is it manufactured to make this family's life appear more entertaining for TV?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate