Blog

By Tracy Breen

Turkey season is upon us!  One thing more turkey hunters are doing is filming their own turkey hunts.  It seems there are two types of filmed turkey hunts.  Amazing films that capture everything turkey hunting is about and films that show a gobble or two, some blurry footage of a turkey, and a loud boom.  Dr. Grant Woods of GrowingDeer TV films countless turkey hunts every year.  Woods loves turkey hunting and he enjoys capturing the hunt on film.  Below are a few of his tips to ensure you end up with a film all your friends will want to watch.   

KEEPING CAMERA GEAR CONCEALED

Most turkey hunters run and gun at some point during their season. Unlike deer hunting where most hunters are stationary and can take their time setting up their camera, turkey hunting requires hunters to be on the move which often makes filming more difficult.  “Often turkey hunters are forced to set up in a hurry so little details like making sure the camera is completely concealed gets missed.  A turkey will spook the moment they see a big black camera or a bright shiny camera lens.  We try to hide the cameraman near a big tree or bush.  Then we cover the camera with a cloth so the birds can’t see the camera or the lens.  Carrying all this around when we are hunting can be difficult, but it is worth the effort because we spook fewer birds and get better footage,” Woods explained.   

A DECOY IS A MUST HAVE TOOL

Turkeys hunters often debate whether they should use decoys when turkey hunting because decoys can sometimes spook birds.  According to Woods, decoys are often required when filming a hunt.  “A decoy takes the birds’ attention off where the calling is coming from and then they focus on the decoy.  We put the decoy about twenty yards from our set up and even closer if we are bowhunting.  With a decoy close, we can get good footage of a tom when he comes into the decoy,” Woods added.     

HUNTING FROM A BLIND

When Woods and his team notice a tom and his ladies are regularly hanging out in a food plot or field, they often set up a Redneck Blind near the field edge. “The wonderful thing about hunting out of a blind is it conceals your movement and the turkeys don’t seem to get spooked by a blind.  They don’t pay attention to them.  In addition, all the filming from a blind is much easier than running and gunning.  Every turkey hunter should have a blind, especially if a person is going to bow hunt.  A blind conceals the camera man and the hunter when they draw their bow,” Woods noted.

 THE REX ARM

One item that has changed the way Woods and his team films turkey hunts is the Rex Arm from Fourth Arrow Camera Arms. This camera arm can be used with almost any tripod and it allows the hunter to move the arm with the camera attached without moving the tripod when filming. “Turkeys often come strutting in and moving around.  In order to keep them in the viewfinder, we have to move the tripod.  The Rex arm is an efficient system, allowing the hunter to utilize 360 degree movement within a 10-inch radius of the tripod.  Now we can easily move the camera and keep up with the gobbler without having to jerk the tripod around.  It minimizes movement and increases the quality of our footage,” Woods added.
 

Filming a turkey hunt is fun and exciting. Hopefully the tips above will help you produce a better film this spring that you will be able to enjoy for years to come.

By Tracy Breen

When it comes to filming a hunt, there are many opinions. Fill a room full of cameramen and they will all share an opinion on which editing software is best, which camera arm is best, and how to position a treestand perfectly for filming a hunt. The opinions will vary and some will disagree with each other. One thing all camera guys will likely agree on is that point of view cameras aren’t a good investment for those who want to capture great footage.

Grant Woods from GrowingDeer TV spends countless hours in a tree every fall with a camera man over his shoulder. Over the years, they have come to one conclusion: point of view cameras are good for one thing: getting footage of the hunter taking the shot. That’s about it. “Point of view camera companies do a great job of marketing the cameras so many people buy them but besides being lightweight and easy to use, they aren’t a good camera to record a hunt with,” Woods said.

Below are a few reasons Woods believes hunters wanting to film a hunt should not purchase a point of view camera.

POINT OF VIEW CAMERAS CAN’T CAPTURE THE DETAIL

“These cameras are not detail oriented. You can see very little of what is going on at twenty or thirty yards with one of these cameras, which is where most shots are taken with a bow. You can hardly see the deer in the footage,” Woods said. We film hunts so we can watch the footage and see the action after the hunt. With a point of view camera, you can’t really watch and enjoy the footage.

SEEING SHOT PLACEMENT IS DIFFICULT

Filming hunts has changed the way we recover deer. Make no mistake: filming hunts has increased the number of deer that are recovered. “With a real camera, I can watch the footage after a hunt and see where an arrow hit exactly. Based on the shot placement, I can decide if I want to try to recover the animal right away or give it time. I can see if I hit the deer in the lungs, a little back, or a little high. Filming has changed the game for us. It is difficult to see exactly where you hit a deer when using a point of view camera,” Woods explained. “One of the greatest benefits of filming a hunt is being able to watch the kill shot over and over after the fact. That is lost when filming with a point of view camera.”

THE AUDIO ISN’T VERY GOOD

“Point of view cameras do not capture very good audio, therefore if you are talking with your buddy in the tree or want to hear what is going on around you after the fact, the camera won’t do it. If person is on a dirt bike or using a loud machine, it will capture that kind of noise but subtle noises like birds chirping, people talking and other noises we hear in the woods won’t be captured well,” Woods explained.

POINT OF VIEW CAMERAS WERE NOT DESIGNED FOR FILMING HUNTS

“Point of view cameras were not designed and manufactured to capture the type of video footage a hunter wants or needs to produce a quality production. They are perfect for action sports but not hunting. When someone wants to film a hunt, they should invest in a camera that can do a good job of filming a hunt,” Woods said.

POINT OF VIEW CAMERAS ARE PRICEY

“Point of view cameras are pretty expensive for what you get. They really aren’t a good value. For about the same amount of money, a person can buy a real camera that they can use to produce a quality video they would want their friends and family to watch,” Woods advised.

Do you own a point of view camera and regret the purchase? Are you considering purchasing a camera to hunt with this fall? Save your money and invest in a camera that can actually capture high quality footage you would enjoy watching with a bowl of popcorn and a cold drink.

Read Time: 3 minutes

The hunt/film industry has exploded over the last several years. Many guys and girls are looking to start filming hunts but don’t know exactly where to start. There’s no doubt about it- it can be overwhelming. To simplify things, I have outlined the main qualities to look for in a budget friendly setup for filming hunts.

    1.    Affordable: You want to film your hunts and earn a position as a prostaffer but don’t want to break the bank. Yes, filming is an investment, but it isn’t as bad as you might think. Many beginners think that buying a $499 GoPro is a great start, but truthfully, you can get an entire budget kit for $499. While GoPro’s great marketing may be persuasive, a GoPro’s wide angle will make your deer at 10 yards look like he is out at 100 yards. A POV action cam is great for a secondary angle, but only after you have a primary angle on your hunt.

    2.    Portable: Getting into filming your hunts is always exciting. What happens when the novelty wears off and your camera rig weighs too much and is loud setting up? You get sloppy. You begin hitting the woods without a camera. I can’t tell you how many hunters have shot their deer off film on that one time where they chose to leave the camera at home. You don’t want to be that guy. When choosing an arm heavily consider what will be the lightest and most packable system.

    3.    Adjustable: A pet peeve of many videographers is a limited range of adjustment. This primarily pertains to your camera arm, the key piece that supports your fluid head and camera. Some camera arms require a very straight tree in order to level. Save yourself some frustration and make sure you look for a highly adjustable and stable arm. Note: Run from anything that simply screws into the tree or has a tiny stamped “base”.

    4.    What is your purpose? As with any decision you make in life, ask yourself why? Why do you want to start filming hunts? Is it because you are on a prostaff that requires it, or is it because you want to start a TV or online hunting show? Filming hunts isn’t for everybody, it takes dedication, time, money, and extra gear. Benefits are being able to replay the shot to determine point of impact, capturing memories forever, documenting reactions of friends and kids, and capturing some of the greatest moments in your life as you film a successful harvest.Before jumping into filming your hunts you have to determine if the payoff will be greater than the extra work.
You’re all in? Great! This rough guide will explain in greater detail what features to look for in a filming setup and will get a solid setup for under $500

Video Camera: $249

    •    Minimum of 10x optical zoom
    •    Manual Focus
    •    High Definition
    •    Positive Ratings
    •    For some examples click here.

Camera Arm: $159 Stiff Arm found on this site

    •    Large Range of adjustability
    •    Space Saving and Light weight
    •    Affordable bases for each stand location
    •    Good Reviews

Fluid Head: $79 found on this site

    •    Size that fits your camera well
    •    Good Reviews
 
Good luck in the woods this fall with your bow, gun, and camera!