Trad Gang

My friend, Ruddy ("broketooth") and I have been planning to get together for some of our turkey bowhunts this season. We have also been discussing use of video cameras in general. About a month ago or so Ruddy jumped in head first and grabbed the bull by the horns, so to speak. He tried out the video feature of his wife's camera, and wound up doing a nice job of posting his first attempts at videos of himself bow shooting. He mostly just wanted to see how to do it, and if he could, do it at all. However, it turned out most of us were pretty impressed with the results, and enjoyed the videos.

Well it got me to thinking that I had just about forgotten that my camera (I use at shoots, hunts, etc.) has that capability also. The last couple of days I got out the Ops Manual for my trusty Kodak (camera), and then decided it was time to take a clue from Ruddy and "get in the pool"

I showed my wife, Rose, how to handle the camera, got out my Anneewakee Addiction recurve, "Blackie", and we went out to my shooting area. Rose did pretty good on the first one which shows me shooting. Forgive me, as I may have been concentrating more on the video procedures than on my shooting - LOL. By the second video, she was shivering in the chilly wind, so it's a little shakey. We are pretty proud of our first attempts - all the way to here (this thread via PhotoBucket - LOL)

Thanks for giving me the needed kick in the slats to try something new, Ruddy.

Click on the picture to play it's video (I think          ;)         ).

        (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/th_100_3170.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/?action=view¤t=100_3170.mp4)

        (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/th_100_3171.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/?action=view¤t=100_3171.mp4)

You done good. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, magnus - I'm pleased with the first attempts and I'm sure, now that I see how easy it was, there'll be more (from shoots, etc.)

Just as I finished typing the original thread entry, Rose said supper was on the table -  so I hit "post", and ran for the boiled shelly shrimp. (Can't blame me for that - LOL). So, I just now got to see if the videos actually worked, here in the thread. Again, I was pleased - however, I have no idea why the sound of the bow and hit of the arrow, in the first video is so far out of sync with the action - makes it kind of weird. Anyway I hope folks enjoy them, and that it will encourage them to try, just as Ruddy's doing it earlier fired me up. It's always good to learn new tricks - 'specially when yer an old dog     :laughing:    .

Great picts,

Sweet shooting Bernie,done blew that turkeys head clean off.  :thumbsup:

Really great

Good job Bern, now get you a tripod and let Rose shoot with ya!

Boy, how I wish she would, ck, but not a chance. Got a couple of tripods a'ready, one tall one from the "35mm old days", that work well and may use them sometimes too (Rudy used one for his). Wanted to try it this way first to see how feasible it was also.

Thanks all. I think that was as much the wind and weather over the years that wore the Tom's head down, Larry, as much as my shooting.    :archer:

Good shooting and fine job with the videos... you and the missus done yourselves proud.    :thumbsup:  

Kawika

Thank you, kb, so much. (Please love Hawaii a little extra for us - Rose and I loved it so much for the years (3 for me, 4 for her) that we were there.)

Good job! Looks like the weather was pretty nice at the coast today. You may be on to something with the early bow sound--after the deer jumps at the noise, you can take your time with a silent shot.   :laughing:

Gerald

bernie, miss rose did a fine job shooting the vids for ya. your camera makes pretty good videos too. it does help to have a tripod, even if you have a partner doing the filming. keep at it turkey season is just days away, we can get your hunts on video now. ruddy

cool flick,,,

Last two days (and tomorrow) have been beautiful but windy (and more so tomorrow) here on the coast, Gerald. (Reckon that'll work on the deer   ;)  ?

Thanks go out to all three of you - Gerald, Ruddy, and Ray.

Bernie you owe you wife a dinner for the camera work,now all you have to do is connect with a turkey,take care Larry

That would make me so happy I might not be able to take it, Larry - but I'm sure hoping.

Interesting point Re "trying something". Back when I first bought my Kodak Z700 (3 or maybe 4 years back), I asked my dear friend, Killie about doing videos, since she was doing one occasionally.

Killie said (basically), "Gee, Bernie, I just read how to take videos with my camera, and then I uploaded them to PhotoBucket, and posted them to tradgang just like I post pictures - it's real simple."

I thanked her but thought to myself, "yeah, buddy, easy for you to say!" (She's sooooo good with cameras.) Then, as I used to do as a kid, when confronted with something I wasn't sure of, I put up a mental block until I forgot all about it. I should have gone to my adult/Marine way of tackling things, and heeded her advice, as I decided to do after Ruddy's example.

I should know to listen to you, Killie - yer (most) always right - LOL. So, if you have a camera that "does" it, try it, folks, you'll like it!

Oh, BTW - I think the Videos and sound are in sync now - go figure.

Bernie,

Never noticed before but you pucker up and kiss yer fletching when you hit anchor! How adorable!      :eek:  

I still say you have good form, well, the bow draw and release form...the rest of your "form" I still say would make a great Travelocity Garden Gnome, or as our ole buddy OL used to say, "ya mini-grunt!"  :)

Be well. Thanks for the "Bernie Fix". Will miss you at B'more again this year!

YOU DO shoot that li'l Addiction so well!

Thanks fer lookin' , Dave. My old (ever since teens) rounded shoulders don't help much. Well, perhaps they do help the "Garden Gnome" impression - LOL.

Yeah, it wasn't a conscious thing but somehow I started that pursing my mouth thing about two or three years back, and still do it on most all shots without thinking. Have no idea where, how, or why - except perhaps to come in contact with the fletching. Come to think about it, perhaps it came into being when I switched to "three under" and that was just early last year, I guess.

For those interested, this AM I posted another video (of my largish, Camo Dog and our new Chihuhua pup, Bozo roughhousing - funny to watch) on my FaceBook. Trying to get more familiar with using my camera that way. Could have benefited with a little more light though.

Good job bernie, The camera that I have like yours does great. It's what I shot the clip of Taylor shooting ariels ( in the archives). Works real good. I just got a hard drive video camcorder and now I got to get a new computer to download and edit on. good luck on the turkeys. Don

I remember that, Don, (the clip and the camera) - didn't realize you did it with that camera - neat. Good luck with the new puter - LOL.

Don, I had been reading a little about the Hard Drive Camcorders - sounds interesting. Are you sure you need a new computer, and not just new software? Unless maybe your old one doesn't have enough storage, etc. for video editing/capabilities and video storage. Should be fun once you get set up in any case, especially for shoots and hunts (and family stuff, of course -  :D  ).

Allright Bernie get out in the field and make us a turkey video,you have gotten it down so lets see some action.  :bigsmyl:

Well, I sure would like to, Larry. Doesn't open here until this coming Saturday though, so I guess I better wait a little more    ;)   (Runs through the 7th of next month.)

Nice goin Bernie!

I have a couple digital camcorders. One is a 30GB HDD (HD 1080i) and another is a HD flash drive camcorder. The flash drive camera is small, as in tiny small but still records in HD quality. A little camo and it would be great to stick in a pack;

 (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61g0d5sfXAL.jpg)

Digital advances has changed how we record things these days. Even digital still cameras do a good job at recording imformal video.

JL

Nice videos Bernie! Good luck with the Turkeys.

Thanks, DannyBows. Hey, JL, how ya been. Nice looking rig. I also have a larger Digital Panasonic camcorder that uses small cassette films. Looks about a little smaller than your larger one. Used it for my grand younguns recitals, etc and it was/is a real good one. I used to pull a still off it with my old computer now and then - but don't know about using it like this.

I took some more videos today and going to post them here directly.

I decided (after the bad weather passed over today - LOL) to try more with the videoing. I tried making these videos using my tripod and handling the camera myself. I also made sure I paid more attention to my bow practice today - I practiced after the video session both days also - BTW. I also took the shooting vid from the other side (of me) I think - LOL, and the target one from a little different & closer angle. I also did a little more talking and hope it was loud enough to carry to the camera. I threw in a third, shorter video while pulling the arrows from the second six shots - just for kicks. I also found out I can edit (trim ends, splice, add music, etc.) them in my software but decided not to do that with these 3 - today anyway - LOL. I checked and the distance was 13 yards - BTW

As before, click on the picture to view it's video - thanks for looking.


  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/th_100_3173.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/?action=view¤t=100_3173.mp4)

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Good shooting, Bernie.

Thank you, Jeff.

Bernie, you ol' double-clutchin' E-flat tractor-trailer, you may be slow but you will end up passin' the lot of us!
What a treat to see and hear you doing what we love the most. Please thank Rose for her part in filming you, so that we could spend a little time at the targets. You sure married the right woman, even if she won't shoot with us.

Killdeer   :archer2:

Bless your heart, Killie - I was hoping you would take a gander in on this thread -     :archer:

Bernie you sure figured out the video thing in quick-time! It's nice to see TGer's in action, better than pics for sure. I like the ones with the camera near the target. Hiss-Thunk, Hiss-Thunk. Awesome! Those Turkeys are in for trouble my friend.    :thumbsup:

Ahhh, from your mouth to God's ears, my friend, and thanks for the kind words.

Great Job!  You know it's good because it makes me wish I was there to shoot with you.    :campfire:

 

QuoteBy the second video, she was shivering in the chilly wind, so it's a little shakey.  

I've got a nice afgahn I could send her!

Blessings!

LOL - that's funny, Tim. (There'll be some of Rose's afghans on the St. Jude auction again this year but not as many as last year. The quantity tended to lower the bids overall on them we think - so she'll go back to fewer this year.) You'd be welcome to come shoot with me, and glad you enjoyed the videos.

Thanks for posting Bernie! I enjoyed that!   :thumbsup:   Great job and great shooting!   :archer:

Thank you, bp, and I'm pleased to hear that.

I did another set of three videos - shooting from a POP-up blind - yesterday but for some reason they kept failing to upload to PhotoBucket. I'll see if they have it fixed yet, today, or perhaps try  making a new one.    :dunno:

Looks like PB is working on videos again today but still some trouble. I had clipped and spliced the three I took and they play well on/in my files. PB uploaded the compiled video but when I played that copy, it stopped the video at the end of the first one but continued on with the audio - LOL - not good. Perhaps it is too long. So I went back and uploaded the three clipped ones separately. and will be posting them shortly.

You will note (probably right away - LOL) that I am shooting out of the back/entry of the blind to aid in the camera seeing inside the blind. You will also note some not so good hits - ugh. I could have left those out but I figured if I'm gonna show the "good", I might as well show the "bad" - now if I just don't continue to degrade and wind up having to show the"ugly" - LOL

Anyway, enjoy - i did making them:

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/th_100_3178a.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/?action=view¤t=100_3178a.mp4)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/th_100_3179a.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/?action=view¤t=100_3179a.mp4)

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Great to see you out shooting and having!   :thumbsup:

Thanks for looking, Tim. It is enjoyable to learn new things, especially when you can connect them to trad shooting , which we all love.

I have just come in from making one more set of videos, which i will be posting after supper. They are shooting out of the "right" side of the blind (a window side). You will of course see some of my movements inside the blind but not much - mostly just arrows coming out, and also at the target. Do realize that when hunting I will wear camo (or black) all over including gloves and face mask. I hope some of you are enjoying these - I am enjoying learning/making them and (of course) the shooting (much better today - BTW). Rose helped me again today but still using a tripod, so it cuts down on some of the transit time in the ones where I was running the camera alone - LOL.

I realize these videos must use up some band pass, so, after the thread has been up a while, I will understand if it needs to be deleted. I'll be back to post the new videos (4 this time) after I eat, and get them uploaded.

These 4 Videos are shorter than the previous ones because of Rose running the camera for me. The audio on the 3rd one is low because the camera is at the target and I am back in the blind. If you have the capability, you may want to jack the volume up on that one. Don't forget to put it back down before you go to the last one though - LOL:

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/th_100_3182.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/?action=view¤t=100_3182.mp4)

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Nice videos Bernie,can't wait to see more.Good Luck

Thank you for looking and the kind words, Curt. I may yet do one more (before hunting), from inside the blind, to see if I can shoot a video from in the blind, while by myself.

Oooops - for some reason, last night I read that avatar as Guru, instead or Grinch - DUH! So my reply (still the same - LOL) should have been to my friend, Larry, not to my friend, Curt. How the devil am I gonna get a turkey when I can't tell one "Gobbler" from another by their avatar [knothead] (Sorry, Larry.)

Oh well, it takes this "mess" back "to the top" anyway [Big Grin]

Those were some nice videos. I hope you do some more to share.

great job on the vids bernie! i think you're more than ready to be chasin turkeys. ruddy

Thank you, Night Wing. Man that is a gorgeous Kayak on your bio page - reminds me of the canoes they build like that in Maine. Did you make it yourself? Beautiful in any case. I do plan to try one (video) taken from inside the blind tomorrow, Joe.

Thanks, Ruddy. I do hope to get out a time or two during the coming week, if all goes well.

I made three more videos this AM to accomplish what I spoke of yesterday. The first one will be with the camera in the blind, focused on the "target area", as it would be in a real hunt situation, alone, or with a partner. The second is taken from outside the blind again - to see if I've succeeded in keeping down the flash of hands, sleeves, etc. The final one is just a short one to look at the arrows fired in the second one, and pull them. Again, please enjoy.


Here are the videos from today, and as usual just click on the pic to see it's video:

  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/th_100_3187.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/?action=view¤t=100_3187.mp4)

  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/th_100_3188.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/?action=view¤t=100_3188.mp4)

  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/th_100_3189.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/First%20Videos/?action=view¤t=100_3189.mp4)

As this day has worn on since making the videos this AM, I have found my wrist may have been collapsing on those last three shots, as it has become apparent my wrist is in worse shape than I realized. I've had it in a heat wrap all day and really felt it. This evening I was going to go out and try to shoot again but, when I lifted my bow down, I found not only did it hurt me to do that but I also could not draw my bow. So I'll have to do some more "doctoring" and a little resting of the wrist, I guess. I'm sure it will straighten out quickly but I also will be doing some serious hoping and praying.Thanks for looking and bearing with me    :D .

I'm sorry to say that while my wrist feels a tad better this AM, it is still not back in shape at all. I'm trying a little Capzasin on it, which feels pretty good but won't allow for use of the wrist wrap. Definitely won't be any turkey hunting today, for sure - dag nab it! Oh well, the preparation & video learning have been a real ball so far anyway.      :archer:

Nice camera work and fine shooting.

Thank you, Friend.

My wrist is getting stronger again but haven't been able to go out for a hunt yet - darn it. I did pack my Blind back up (after wrasslin' with that figure 8 thing-a-ma-bob - LOL) and spray my Bug tamer suit with Permanone - so i'm ready. Hope to try my bow hand again tomorrow, if it feels as much better as it did today.

I don't think this blind is the ticket for traditional bowhunting. Especially with a video camera. I would quickly cut a way bigger shooting window especially into the corner areas of the blind and then fill the windows with shoot through netting. I think one problem is the height of the shooting window. It is too high for your recurve to be comfortable in that blind. These blinds are made for gunhunters and compost shooters. These new windows will allow you to position your blind, so you can use the diagonal room in the blind for less distraction and the shoot through netting will avoid a bird seeing that arrow appear in that window. Any unusual movement will alert the bird, that will not help your enterprise.And, the new windows will keep you better informed what is going on outside.

Good stuff Bern!!!!!

  :campfire:

Thank you much, Terry, I appreciate it.

I hope everyone knows/understands that I am not trying to "teach" others how to do this, or any part of it. I'm just sharing what I personally am doing to prepare for a chance at a turkey hunt this season, and showing that I've learned something new, i.e. taking and posting video clips.

tecum-tha, I must agree with you 100% on all aspects of your critique, and I probably would be  better off, or at least as well off, hunting off the ground in my 3D Leaf Bug Tamer suit, sitting in front of a big tree (if there were enough scattered around in this area), as I used to do before switching to trad archery. However Blinds seem to help around here and I could/can absolutely not afford a Double Bull (which would be much better suited). We Marines have always had to do the best we can with what we get -        ;)      This Ameristep Doghouse blind would do OK on room for a little guy like me (not perfect, mind you) if I were using shorter arrows (but these work well in my recurve so I am aware that I will be limited as to when I can draw - same as when hunting deer). I think your idea on cutting windows in the corners would be a good ticket to help matters. However the large steel band circles that support each of the four sides, meet/overlap right in the corners so it would not be feasible to cut new windows. Nor would the blind open or fold as designed if that were done - IMO. The blind does come with shoot-thru netting for the windows but I won't use them with the shaft-Judos I use behind my BHs. Thanks for your comments though, and thanks for looking.

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Bernie,
I understand. Since you were a marine, you know how to make stuff fit. Cut that center window you used in the video lower, so you can shoot kneeling.
I guess you tried to shoot halfway standing. This is not a real stable position unless you use Asbells s..t seat. I know that we smaller guys can not shoot comfortably out of those higher of the ground windows kneeling without stretching real bad, which make our lower bodies unstable.
I know why I have 3 double bull blinds and finally the Matrix, where you can adjust that...
The Ameristep blind is not bad, but you increase your chances with those slight modifications and make it easier on you to get off a perfect shot.
The netting is not required for turkeys, they tolerate the black hole.  
By the way, how far were your shots?
Another thing for good training is, to always only shoot one arrow at your intended target.
Your second arrow is automatically corrected after the first. Gives you a wrong impression about your ability,since only your first one counts.
Seeing in your videos, the first one always seemed to hit left....

Interesting - I will bear all of that in mind. As I mentioned in the videos, shots were between 13 yards and 15 yards for the different sequences. I use an old Marine Corps folding camp/desk stool and drop one knee down onto the ground to shoot - keeps me pretty solid (Kneeling used to be my strong shooting position but, as I said in the video - can't do that n'more - LOL). I really don't seem to have any problem with the window being too high (or low) for me, that I realize, but I'll take closer notice (don't want to be missing something out of loyalty - LOL). I do agree with the one arrow practice theory (though I don't    always  practice it - like if I am in a practice place hard to get to  - climbing stand, tower, etc. and in this case - while videoing). I'll look into that first shot to the left thing you mentioned though.

Semper Fi Folding Stool - LOL:

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/FS001.jpg)

Good videos Bernie. Didn't know old guys could shoot that good  :D    Sort of scared me when I saw your sweat shirt, I have the very same one...I guess it must be made for old fellers like us   :thumbsup:   You hold that 70 pound bow back just perfect. Was out back shooting my bow yesterday for the first time in a week. Guess what, I didn't get one bit better than the last time. Good luck on the hunt and bring the dinner home.                  Chort

Fantastic videos Bernie! And great job Ms Rose!

So good to hear from you, Chort. Hope things are well with you and yours. Funny about the sweat shirt. I wish I could (have ever) pulled a 70 lb bow - LOL. This one is 50 @ 28 but I only get (like you) a little over 25" on most days. It's sweet drawing though and, as can be seen/herd, it hits like a ton of bricks.

Thank you so very much, F81.

Boy, your fun hunting out of this blind will be seriously limited, unless the birds come running within 15 min after you set up. Not because of the blind, but because of this table/chair. Please do your back a favor and get yourself a tripod chair with a backrest. Cabelas has one on sale, there is one from hunters specialties and there is one from double bull. At amazon the double bull is priced very attractive and free shipping. Best chair I ever had!! Please do your back the favor and get one of these. I did hunt a few years on very light and packable chairs without a backrest, but it takes the fun out of blind hunting very quickly....
You can shoot comfortable seating from those chairs as well.

Wenn you're in your blind, walk around your chair after each shot. Then take position again. This is like your first shot then. Don't hold your position and "group"...

LOL - I do have one with a back rest that i use for ground blind hunting but I prefer this (MC) one for the more restrictive pop-up blind. As the years have crept up on me (76 in Oct.), I can only stand to stay out just so many hours anyway. I have sat in DB blinds w/ one of their seats (friends) - twice. (Loved it, like sitting in a living room     :)    - FWIW.) Wish I was rich, instead of so darned good lookin' -       :goldtooth:        

Here is my "Luxury" model - LOL:

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   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/FBH001.jpg)

I did get out and shoot a few yesterday afternoon - just to check a few things we've kicked around, including my wrist. Just using the camp stool (blind is already in car). Wrist and all went well and I probably will do it again this afternoon. Ruddy and I plan to go out, here, tomorrow AM, and see if we can at least hear a bird - "Gobble, gobble, gobble" - "Ch-uck, chuck, chuck"    :jumper:

Good Luck Bernie hope you are sucesfull.

Thank you, Larry - I'd love too but, if not, we will be happy just to be out there in the woods again.

This late afternoon I went out for one more short practice session, from my stool but sans blind, before packing up everything for tomorrow's search/hunt. I asked Rose to take a Still pic for me to show how I shoot off this stool, since there was talk of it. This is how I drop my forward knee down. As you can see, I am supported by the seat, my back foot/leg, and my front knee when I get ready to shoot:

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/TurkPrep001.jpg)

After shooting six arrows (I know, I'm not supposed to do that ), I decided to take another still pic, of the results, since the camera was out there (and I liked what I saw - LOL). The one to the left and a tad higher was actually the last shot of these six today:

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/TurkPrep002.jpg)

I was wishing I had videoed the sequence, after I finished - LOL.

good shootin bernie, now we got to locate a bird for ya. ruddy

Thank you, and I hear ya, Ruddy. We'll talk about "time" this evening.

Well, Ruddy and I went out Sat. AM Didn't see or hear anything but still had a good time in the Croatan here on the coast. This morning I will pick him up near New Bern to go to the First Annual Croatan Dogwood Blossom Stump Shoot  up there - assuming that hwy 17 isn't blocked from any of the bad storm goings-on last night. Waiting for the TV news to get going this AM.

Bernie

Don't know how I missed this thread. Must have my head under some quiver leather. Great job you and Rudy have done with the short takes. I like your style!!!!

Thank you, John, I appreciate that. It's been a lot of fun and very interesting, not to mention that it feels good to learn a new "trick".