Turkey season is here, and filming your own turkey hunt can be a ton of fun. Turkeys seem to be made for the camera as they strut, gobble and put on a show for their ladies. But getting good, quality footage can be tough if you don’t have the right equipment. Below are some tips on how to produce better turkey hunting footage this season.
The right tools make filming your own hunt a much easier task.
Extra Angles
For starters film your hunt from several angles. The easiest way to do this is by having a cameraman filming from over your shoulder and by placing a point of view camera such as a GoPro in the decoys. Fourth Arrow Camera Arms actually makes a decoy stake and a mini tripod both of which can easily film a longbeard as he approaches a decoy. Placing the GoPro inches from the decoy is an awesome way to get great footage.
Let the Longbeard Get Close
Next, actually let the tom come all the way to the decoys. One mistake many hunters make is shooting the bird 10-20 yards before the gobbler makes it to the decoy. Close up footage from over the shoulder or from the point of view camera adds a lot of action and makes the video more exciting.
A few years ago while hunting in New Mexico, I had a cameraman that wanted me to wait until the gobbler was less than 10 feet away before I pulled the trigger. The bird was 5 steps from my boot laces when I shot the bird. The footage of the bird fighting with the Jake decoy and the footage of the bird 5 steps in front of me when I shot the bird made the TV episode exciting.
Use a Rex Arm
Another way to create better footage is to use a Fourth Arrow Rex Arm on your tripod. Footage shot from the ground on a conventional tripod can sometimes be choppy as the camera is moved around to get good footage as a bird approaches the decoys. The Rex Arm offers a 20 inch radius of motion eliminating blind spots when filming a bird and makes filming out of the window of a blind a lot easier. The Rex Arm can quickly and easily be attached to most tripods.
The Rex Arm allows for greater mobility and reach. It’s the perfect setup for hunting from the ground blind.
The Pillar Kit
Those that are filming from a stationary or popup ground blind my want to consider using the Fourth Arrow Pillar Kit. The Pillar kit consist of a monopod and Rex Arm that attaches to the side of a blind. This system takes up a lot less space than a conventional tripod, but gives you the stability of a tripod and the advantages of the Rex Arm.
Turkeys are fast moving birds and when they approach a decoy they often come running in which makes keeping the camera on the bird difficult when using a tripod. Hunters are often forced to move the camera and the tripod from one window to another. Hunters that are hunting without a blind face an even bigger problem-trying to move the tripod when a bird is approaching. Using the Rex Arm can eliminate a lot of the awkward movement, keep the hunter from getting busted and create better footage.
To learn more about Fourth Arrow Camera Arms and their complete line of camera arms and accessories designed for hunters visit www.fourtharrowcameraarms.com
