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Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

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Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby CurlyTail » 04 09, 2018 •  [Post 1]

Is anyone filming their elk hunt this year? I have had so much fun watching the amateur YouTube Elk Hunting videos, that I am thinking about trying to make one myself this year. It would be a great personal memory, but I am sure that the logistics of filming and trying to catch a shot on film would be challenging.

If you haven't discovered it yet, go to You Tube , search for Archery Elk Hunting, and enjoy about 200+ hours of content. Some are better than others, but I seem to find something to like about almost all of them.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby currie » 04 09, 2018 •  [Post 2]

I would too also but I don’t know what would be a good camera to use considering price and quality of video
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 04 09, 2018 •  [Post 3]

currie wrote:I would too also but I don’t know what would be a good camera to use considering price and quality of video


Currie, sounds like the makings of a great thread! Why don't you start one asking members to chime in on gear recommendations for hunt filming.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Navesgane » 04 09, 2018 •  [Post 4]

currie wrote:I would too also but I don’t know what would be a good camera to use considering price and quality of video



Been thinking about picking one of these up if I can find a deal or a used one. Seems to get mixed reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KQTWZ ... ref=plSrch
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Fridaythe13th » 04 10, 2018 •  [Post 5]

Yes I am, if the elk cooperate, lol. I bought the tactacam 4.0 last year. Had a problem with it but sent it back in and they gave me a new one. Great people to work with.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby currie » 04 10, 2018 •  [Post 6]

Navesgane wrote:
currie wrote:I would too also but I don’t know what would be a good camera to use considering price and quality of video



Been thinking about picking one of these up if I can find a deal or a used one. Seems to get mixed reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KQTWZ ... ref=plSrch[/quote

Looks good but I think I’d like one that I can wear on my head like a headlamp type, after years of shooting I think it would be hard to hold my bow up, after I realese the arrow I always drop my bow.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby under H2O hunter » 04 10, 2018 •  [Post 7]

https://youtu.be/AQ351bh575k

Here is some pre training filming I did last week. Turn your volume on and Enjoy.

Filming yourself is very difficult been doing it for a couple years... There are some products that are better then others... Sovid Head straps can be configured to work smart phones, go pro's, or camcorders. Personal I use a Panasonic 4K camera that weights in at 3/4 of a pound. It takes some getting used to but it doesn't use a wide angle fish eye like a go pro which is useless if an animal is beyond 10 yards. You can zoom in after the shot. Here is a link. http://solvidsystems.com

I am sure I'll get some pretty cool footage from this years epic adventure.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby ishy » 04 10, 2018 •  [Post 8]

I usually do, and have tried for years for a decent elk hunt on film. In Jr High a buddy and I use to hook up two VCRs to his parents stereo and make our own Michael Jordan videos. That kid now has 8 Emmys for sound editing. I actually attempted to strap a hi camera to a pack frame years before gopros came out to film hunts. I have gotten a couple deer and bear kills, but elk are another story. Shots are just so hard to come by that it is hard to risk it for footage, and it will cost you shots if you attempt it very much. Hunting North Idaho doesn't help. Here's some southern Idaho footage-makes a little difference when you can see more than 20 yards.
https://youtu.be/OoLoDdLKBiE
I am the only one in my group remotely interested in filming. It would be a completely different story if a couple guys were willing to pack a camera in my group. The caller and if you have multiple shooters will always have opportunities to get good footage. With technology today it is very affordable and light weight. The camera I've use for 8 years weighs less than a pound and fits in a shirt pocket and only cost $100 years ago. Today there are 4k cameras with 60x optical zoom now for under $400! I haven't seen much action cam stuff that I like. Anything over 20 yards and your hard pressed to see an animal. There is just way to much that happens beyond 20 yards that I need to get. Under 10 yards they are great, but how often do you really get that. Every year I struggle about packing a tripod, and after my last bull that I didn't have the camera out I was kicking myself because it would have been a perfect opportunity. He came in about as oblivious as I have seen an elk, but I didn't know that was the case till it was too late. So now I decided to go with the Solvid cam strap with just a camcorder that has a bigger zoom on my head. Still allows you to get the kill by yourself and gets you a little closer to the animal than any action cam. This year should be a LE Utah tag, so I will be packing a camera for sure. Hopefully will get decent footage. Anyone thinking about doing it I highly recommend it. It adds a whole different side to hunting. My buddies give me grief saying that I would rather film than shoot especially for bears. Here is my last bear. https://youtu.be/5Zau8PpRbTw
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby ishy » 04 10, 2018 •  [Post 9]

That's funny H20-I was typing while you posted that. I like your thinking!
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby CurlyTail » 04 10, 2018 •  [Post 10]

Our group has 2 tags this year, 3 guys. Our plan is to have one guy be the caller, one guy shooter (taking turns), and the 3rd on a camera behind the shooter. We also want to do some time lapse stuff like camp set up, quartering the elk, and the curvy drive to elk camp. One of our guys even wants to do some Drone footage.

Of course, we don't want to show so much that everyone on Earth shows up at our spot the next year.

I personally don't like the go pro footage for hunting as even a 15 yard shot looks like 100.

If it rains, the camera is going to stay in camp.

I don't think I am to the spot mentally where I would pass up a shot opportunity just to get it on video.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Sticknstringer » 04 10, 2018 •  [Post 11]

We are gonna try putting a film together of our hunt this year. I got a Sony handycam I believe and my brother has a 4k.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Swede » 04 10, 2018 •  [Post 12]

I asked the Aflac goat what he recommended for me. He said "naa, naa, naa." :D
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby CurlyTail » 04 11, 2018 •  [Post 13]

I am concerned that actually doing the filming will not be as fun as thinking about it or watching it later. I certainly don't want to spoil our hunt messing with the cameras
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Elkhunttoo » 04 11, 2018 •  [Post 14]

I have wanted to film my hunts for lots of years. First one I did was 2016. I wasn't able to get the kill shot on film but honestly didn't try that hard to either. Mainly doing it for my own memories right now. I got some pretty good footage last year and went to watch it the other day and apparently it somehow got deleted which stinks. One day I will put them together and start getting them on YouTube. To those of you looking to attach cameras to your bow, check the states laws before you do.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby scubohuntr » 04 12, 2018 •  [Post 15]

I've filmed a lot of bear hunts, and a few deer hunts. My brother films all of his. It's much easier to do when hunting from a stand. I don't film to any sort of production standards; it's definitely third or fourth priority. I'd never pass on a shot because the camera didn't have it. I'm not nearly needy enough to put it on youtube. It is sometimes nice to have, though. One of my favorite sequences is a pine marten thoroughly exploring a bear bait. I have video of the biggest mule deer I ever saw standing broadside at 80 yards, during elk season in North Dakota. I have video of a 500-pound class Minnesota black bear coming in to the bait, walking around it, and never even slowing down. Things like that are much more valuable to me than killshots. I doubt I'll be filming elk hunts, though. Maybe some phone video in camp or while glassing. Possibly video of breakdown and butchering (I hope). I doubt I'll ever go out and buy a GoPro or anything like it. It's just more stuff to carry and more things to worry about. If I ever get so jaded by elk hunting that I no longer get too excited to think about filming, I'll take up golf instead.

Anyone considering drone footage, check the law first. It's not like a few years ago when anyone could go buy a drone and fly it anywhere. The jerks ruined that for everyone. Probably 90% of the drones you see around are being operated illegally. You practically have to have a pilot's license now, and many states forbid them while hunting. Also, if you intend to post video on youtube and gain anything from it (sponsorship, clickthroughs, etc.), you may need a filming permit for public land. https://www.blm.gov/programs/lands-and-realty/leases-and-permits/filming%20on%20public%20lands
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby ishy » 04 12, 2018 •  [Post 16]

CurlyTail wrote:I am concerned that actually doing the filming will not be as fun as thinking about it or watching it later. I certainly don't want to spoil our hunt messing with the cameras

Amen, thats why I have a hard time doing it with elk. Solvid system should help. You don't realize the extra work it takes to make a full draw type film while hunting. That b roll footage all takes work and detracts from the actual hunt to get. But there are scenes that I would give anything to have on film that I didn't even attempt. One was having a little bull raking the 6' bush I was behind and then bugling, the other was shooting a mountain lion at 20 yards. Those moments you only get a few of in a hunting lifetime and it would be great to have on film.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Joe Schmo » 04 12, 2018 •  [Post 17]

It’s gotta be the right hunt or better yet...someone else is in charge of filming YOUR hunt, and maybe calling for you too!! I only filmed one hunt, it was super windy and I was covered in bulls in the middle of a herd of 200 or so, tough to beat that one!!
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Roosiebull » 04 18, 2018 •  [Post 18]

I have made several salmon and steelhead fishing videos, one bear, and one blacktail.

Some things to consider, the gopro or similar type footage as a main camera is not very good, and a disappointment. They are ok for certain points of view, but nearly worthless for capturing and depicting a hunt.

I have filmed some hunts, but I have never been satisfied, what I have got is the shot, no story line or history, and it's not what I was hoping for, makes it seem really incomplete to me.

My problem is, I'm not going to turn on a camera and talk to it for commentary, so any filming of hunts I do will be incomplete, so I have pretty much gave up on the idea.

If you decide to do it, take no shortcuts and do it right, or you will end up spending a bunch of time editing footage, and end up with something that is very disappointing.

It takes lots of quality footage to actually depict a hunt well and do the hunt real justice.

That is my experience.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby CurlyTail » 04 18, 2018 •  [Post 19]

My brother does not have a tag this year. Normally, we hunt together no matter what and split the meat if we fill our tag. The guy without the tags job description is "call and haul". This year his job is video, call and haul.

We are going to commit to either doing it right or just not doing it. But we are amateurs and probably a lot of fine points we are clueless about.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby BrowTines » 04 21, 2018 •  [Post 20]

If you are serious about quality, spend some money. I would recommnd Investing in a prosumer video camera like this one (Canon Vixia HF G21):

http://canon.ca/en/product?name=VIXIA_H ... --Consumer

I have an older version of this one and the image quality is great. It has a mode that puts red lines around whats in focus, so you know immediately what you will get. It takes the quess work out of it.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby CurlyTail » 04 24, 2018 •  [Post 21]

funny you mention that. I have been looking at the G40 which has 20x zoom. I can get on refurbished for 800 from cannon. That is more than my Elk Tag, but I can use it for many uses. Just gotta get approval from the better half. I have a history of dropping expensive camcorders into the ocean so she is skeptical that I can be trusted with expensive equipment.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby N2mywake » 04 24, 2018 •  [Post 22]

I've been trying to document with a GoPro some but tend to fail in the actual hunt recording.

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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby CurlyTail » 04 26, 2018 •  [Post 23]

I have a GoPro, but it has been frustrating for filming hunting. Too wide angle, even a 10 yard shot looks like 100 and you cant even see the target is appears so tiny.

Go Pro is more for snorkeling, kyaking, mountain biking, sky diving etc, Not a great choice for hunting films.
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Elkhunttoo » 05 16, 2018 •  [Post 24]

For those of you filming this year are you going to do one film for the whole hunt or a series? I kind of enjoy the day by series that hunters are doing right now
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Gypsumreaper » 05 16, 2018 •  [Post 25]

CurlyTail wrote:I have a GoPro, but it has been frustrating for filming hunting. Too wide angle, even a 10 yard shot looks like 100 and you cant even see the target is appears so tiny.

Go Pro is more for snorkeling, kyaking, mountain biking, sky diving etc, Not a great choice for hunting films.


So I had a client come out in 2016, he hunted 9 days somewhere else had his cameraman quit on day 2. He came to me for day 10, I had to ride horses and carry his $8000 video camera. He wore a go pro on his chest for riding shots then also had a handy cam for little shots and "B reel" footage. When we finally got to a spot and set up I controlled the big camera he had his handy cam and go pro. The edited film turned out amazing we got 30 minutes of the bull wallowing with his cow, had to cut out a ton of footage to make it a 30 minute film.

It was fun for me as I was only guiding so I called, and filmed. If I was hunting as well it would have been a lot harder but that's what our plan is this year, and we will trade off each day hunting and filming.

Our short film is on YouTube search craig Meyer 97, it's the elk hunting one. Otherwise our full video is on Vimeo
Https://vimeo.com/182855017

Craig did a great job editing, my filming was ok but I can find out the equipment we used for you if you'd like. Just for reference to quantity etc


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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby CurlyTail » 05 17, 2018 •  [Post 26]

You can bet that I am not interested in a 8,000 dollar camera of any type. The way I lose stuff and beat it up, I am having trouble justifying a 500.00 camera! Nice footage though, and looks like fun
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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby Gypsumreaper » 05 17, 2018 •  [Post 27]

Agreed not many people want an expensive camera for a hobby. The Sony handycam got some great stuff as well though for their price. Quality as far as distance I think they are great out to 150-200 yards any further the zoom isn't there. But I've also played with a handy cam on my spotting scope before and it was decent.


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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby robloft » 05 17, 2018 •  [Post 28]

This year will be my first trip out west. I’ve considered trying to film it but not sure how much difficulty it would add to the hunt since I’m lacking in experience in the first place. Now if someone wants to tag along on Montana and help film a first elk hunt send me a pm haha.


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Re: Anyone Filming their Hunt this year?

Postby ishy » 05 19, 2018 •  [Post 29]

Trickiest part for you newbies is deciding what you are willing to sacrifice for footage. There will be call ins that happen so fast you will risk a shot to get footage. The other issue is just setting up. If you want your caller to film they will not be in an optimal position-if they can see you they are going to be too close. Tripod is the other question. 1000 times better footage if you are willing to pack one, but gets real old real quick depending on the distance, thickness, and verticalness of where you hunt. The footage I posted above was all without a tripod and the bull at 2:15 mark was 700 yards out to give you an idea. Pretty shaky, but with 40X zoom without a tripod that's about as good as you could ever hope for. The tripod gives you another option if hunting solo, but comes with its own issues in the moment of truth.
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