Tred’s motto is to do things “the hard way, the Barta way.” When hunting, he 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, Tred 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.
Tred 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, Tred’s methods leave him in close 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.