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BY TRACY BREEN

When it comes to the sport of archery and bowhunting, many consider Levi Morgan to be one of the greatest that has ever lived. He consistently kills big animals and consistently finds himself on the podium at tournaments. Spring is right around the corner and Morgan is preparing for turkey season. “I love turkey hunting with a bow.  It is fun and challenging. People think turkey hunting is easy, but it can be extremely difficult when you are bowhunting them,” Morgan said.
 
SHOT PLACEMENT IS KEY

One of the toughest things about bowhunting turkeys is they have a knack for disappearing after the shot. “You can shoot one and watch the arrow disappear into the bird only to watch as the bird flies or runs off, never to be seen again,” Morgan noted. Because of that, Morgan prefers shooting a turkey right above the drumsticks. “Some bowhunters love shooting them in the head.  That’s a great option, but the margin for error is extremely small. I prefer shooting them two inches above the drumsticks. This takes out the chest cavity and takes out their legs so they can’t fly or run.”
 
MECHANICAL BROADHEADS

One way Morgan increases his odds of success is by using a broadhead that creates a devastating wound channel. “I like using the 2-blade Swhacker mechanical head that has a 3-inch cutting diameter. When that broadhead hits a turkey, it brings them down fast. Since it has such a large cutting diameter, even if my shot is off a little, there is room for error when a broadhead has a 3-inch cutting diameter,” Morgan added.
 
DECOY TRICKS

To increase his odds of success, Morgan prefers taking extra close shots at birds. One of his favorite ways to get close to birds is attaching a decoy to the riser of his bow and stalking birds. “Last year, I customized a Primos B-mobile decoy so it could easily be attached to my bow. I had a fan and everything on my bow. I had the body of the decoy cut just right so I could use my sight and rest without the decoy interfering with my setup. It worked great! Birds would charge me and I would shoot them at 10-15 feet. I love hunting longbeards this way; it is a ton of fun,” Morgan exclaimed.
 
Regardless if you hunt turkeys by stalking them or calling them in, getting them close before you take the shot is fun and increases your odds of success. This spring, shoot a large mechanical head, aim right above the drumsticks, and get close before taking the shot.  Maybe Thanksgiving dinner will be served early this year.

By Tracy Breen

Fourth Arrow Camera Arms is proud to introduce the new Pillar Camera Arm Kit. The Pillar Kit was designed to be used with a variety of hunting blinds including box blinds, tower blinds and soft-sided popup blinds.

Most hunters who film their hunts from a blind put their camera on a large cumbersome tripod that can take up a lot of room in a blind and is difficult to maneuver at the moment of truth. The Pillar Camera Arm Kit eliminates those problems, thanks to its space saving design. The kit includes a Fourth Arrow monopod, Blind Bracket, Rex Arm, and Tripod Adapter. You can choose from one of the following arms: The Raptor or Cha Cha Slider.

The Blind Bracket can be attached to a blind window or a horizontal shelf in a blind. The bracket combined with the monopod leg creates a stable platform for any camera weighing less than ten pounds. Along with the bracket and monopod, a Raptor Arm or Cha Cha Slider can be used to easily move the camera around quickly and quietly to film from almost any angle without having to move the bracket or monopod. The system can also be attached to the side of a soft-sided blind.

“Using a tripod when filming can be difficult at times, especially when an animal is moving fast in front of you,” said Dave Dykema from Fourth Arrow Camera Arms. “With the Pillar Kit, hunters can easily film all the action without worrying about getting poor footage or having to give up precious floor space in the blind. With this system, there is room for a hunter, a camera man, and all kinds of gear.”

If you have spent much time filming hunts and editing footage, you have discovered that not all hunting footage is created equal. Some hunters do a great job filming, editing and creating a production that grabs the eye of hunters everywhere. Some hunters fall short when it comes to creating a great film. Jake Cornish from West Michigan is a professional cameraman and producer. He says there are a few things all hunters can do to increase the quality of their footage and their finished film.


THE RIGHT CAMERA


One camera that Cornish often recommends is a Panasonic FZ 1000. “This bridge camera has a great built in 16X zoom so it zooms in well and it zooms out pretty wide. It boasts a versatile lens that a hunter will be able to use to capture great footage of deer when they are close and far away. It shoots 4K resolution and has a jack for a microphone so it is a great all around camera.” If a simpler camcorder is desired the Canon Vixia lineup is an industry favorite. Last I checked Campbell Cameras had some good deals on the Vixia lineup.



PROPER SECONDARY CAMERA ANGLE


When self filming your camera arm should be situated about waist high. This offers a great range of mobility and easy access to the camera. Be sure to note that any interviews should be recorded in a seated position so the sky is not the background. Often times the sky is bright behind the hunter so they end up getting washed out instead of achieving perfect exposure. Point of View cameras are particularly notorious for overexposing the shot if the subject is skylined, Using a Fourth Arrow Outreach Arm is a great option because a hunter can use the arm to get their point of view camera up in the air and out of the tree where the camera can be pointed down instead of having the camera pointed up to the sky,” Cornish added.



KEEP THE CAMERA ROLLING


Another mistake Cornish sees hunters make is not having the camera on unless there are deer around. “Many hunters keep their camera off until a deer shows up. As a result, they end up with a few minutes of deer footage and a kill shot. Many hunters fail to realize that to produce a great film, the hunt should tell a story. Shoot as much footage as possible. If a squirrel climbs a tree nearby, film it. If a hawk lands in a tree, film it. Film everything that is going on so after the hunt there will be plenty of footage to choose from so a good film can be produced. When there isn’t much footage to begin with, the storyline ends up being pretty weak,” Cornish noted.

DON’T FORGET THE MICROPHONE


Many hunters aren’t afraid to spend a little money on a camera, but that’s it. One purchase that Cornish believes is a must is an external microphone. “There are several different mic options on the market from inexpensive to really expensive. Even if a person doesn’t want to spend much, a cheap mic is better than nothing. A good story can’t be told without good audio. Many people forget that good audio is necessary. The built in camera mic is not enough- especially when wind is a factor” Check out reviews on sites like Amazon before you purchase a mic.

DON’T SHAKE


Last but not least, shaky footage is not good. A general rule of thumb is you want to avoid touching the camera as much as possible. “When self filming or running camera for someone else a hunter should always have a good camera arm.” Cornish suggests a Fourth Arrow Stiff Arm. “When a hunter is in a blind, they should use a tripod and a Rex Arm. Even when walking and filming, it is best to use a glide cam that can stabilize the camera. Hand holding a camera results in shaky footage and shaky footage is hard to watch.”

Cornish is quick to point out that creating a quality film doesn’t require a lot of money, but it does require being patient, taking your time, being knowledgeable, and having the right gear. By investing a little bit of money in the right gear and educating yourself, you can produce films that everyone will enjoy watching.

By Tracy Breen

Self-filming a hunt isn’t very difficult. What is difficult is getting good footage that can be turned into a high-quality film. One hardcore hunter who spends a lot of time self-filming is Tim Wells from Relentless Pursuit TV. Wells films many of his own TV episodes so he knows about taking raw footage he filmed himself and turning it into a good looking TV episode. “For starters, I think every hunter who plans to film his own hunt needs a 4K camera.  With a 4K camera, a hunter can zoom in and show the animals they are filming when they are editing the film.  One of the biggest problems when people are self-filming is the animals are often way out in the middle of the woods or a field and you can’t see them very well when watching the footage.  With a 4K camera, this problem is solved because you can zoom in during the editing process so the viewers can see the action up close and personal.  There are several good 4K cameras on the market that don’t cost much money.  Everyone should have one,” Wells advised.

Wells also believes self-filming hunters should also have a 4K GoPro camera.  “With this camera, I can zoom in and make my point of view footage look better.  I like to have two cameras going and I want both of them to be 4K cameras,” Wells added.  

Marc Baird from Watermarc Productions believes having a second camera so the hunter can get a couple different angles is a must. “Having two cameras going tells more of the story,” Baird said. “It allows hunters to see what the animal is doing and allows people to see what the hunter is doing. If a person can’t afford a second camera, I suggest they go back after the shot and film some B-roll and add that in so the entire film isn’t just showing the woods and animals walking around.”

Another important thing when self-filming is making sure you use a camera arm that is easy to use when hunting and filming on your own. The Fourth Arrow Camera Arm system is easy to use and sets up quickly and quietly. The base and shoulder system is unique and easy to use.

Those who are filming their hunts with GoPro cameras or other point of view cameras will love the Fourth Arrow Outreach arm or ground stakes that are designed for filming with point of view cameras.

Self-filming a hunt can be challenging and rewarding. Hopefully the above tips will help you produce a better hunting film this fall.

By Tracy Breen

The majority of whitetail bowhunters hunt from a treestand. However, in the last few years, more companies have introduced ground blinds that are perfect for bowhunters.  Below are three reasons every bowhunter should consider hunting whitetails from the ground this fall.

* Modern day ground blinds don’t spook deer.  The Redneck Bale Blind, the Shack Attack form Double Bull and many others blend in perfectly with their surroundings.  I have placed ground blinds out and have deer walking by them the same day.  If you don’t like climbing into tree-stands, don’t like the extreme cold or are taking a youngster hunting, ground blinds are a great option.

* I enjoy hunting from a ground blind because ground blinds allow me to hunt in areas I would otherwise have to ignore.  In many areas of the country, finding a good tree to hang a tree-stand in can be difficult.  Sometimes I am hunting close to a bedding area and I want to slip in and out quietly.  Hunting from a ground blind is the easiest way to do that.  There are times where I need to hunt in the middle of a field where a buck is routinely seen traveling from one area to another.  A ground blind is a great option for this type of hunt.

* Filming a hunt out of a ground blind is much more enjoyable than filming from a treestand.  Filming at buck at 20 yards on the ground is exciting and can provide awesome footage.  When you film from a ground blind, you can easily move around and move your camera and tripod around without getting busted.  Filming from a tree is often complicated.  When filming from a ground blind, getting all your gear set up quickly is simple.

If you plan to hunt from a ground blind this fall, check out the Fourth Arrow Camera Arm Rex Arm.  This simple tripod arm allows you to rotate your camera 360 degrees while on a tripod.  This makes filming from a blind much easier because you don’t have to pick up your tripod while the camera is attached and move it to get the best filming angle.   Simply rotate the Rex Arm and you can get great footage without moving or making noise.

Hunting deer from a ground blind can be extremely fun and rewarding.  Try it this fall!