...a video monster. I've always liked photography, but I had a blast this past season playing with video. Now, keep in mind I am a real amateur here....just the editing software from Windows, a GoPro, and a Nikon Coolpix camera. I have to say, though, for a first try at video, it's come out pretty good.....
You guys are a pretty friendly audience, though, so here's a first look....more parts to come.
https://vimeo.com/121614859
Well, for your debut you did a heck of a job. Can't wait to see more, very well done :notworthy: :clapper:
That's awesome! Very well done, and cant wait to see what is to come!
Nicely done ! Looking forward to more.
Pretty cool! I enjoyed the video can't wait for part two.
Tell us a little about the bows design it looked like they really zip an arrow.
That is awesome!!
If that is your first try at video production I can't wait to see what happens when you become proficient!!!
Nice Mark but I am a little impatient for part 2.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Wow. Great video!! Love it!!
Thanks guys...I usually post a "Season highlights" for the Baker family each year, but decided to try something different this year. After working on the "Journey of Challenge" video project that PBS put out last year, it became apparent to me that video is really the way to reach new folks and project a positive image of what we do to the public. It's not too hard to do it, and it's what we need to do to safeguard our opportunities...so I do have a bit of an agenda beyond documenting my own memories. I just dived into this stuff a bit, again, with relatively few tools other than what I already had.
The bows from this season are all osage selfbows built by ourselves. These particular bows this year (we do new ones almost every year) are all from the same stave...pretty cool! They range from mid-sixties to almost 80 pounds for my son's bow...he likes them heavy. All cedar arrows. In part two, there is another young man I taught to build bows that is toting his own creation. I have part two done....and there will be a part three, and maybe more. I have a lot of footage.
If kill shots are what you want to see, they won't appear on my videos, but plenty of just plain hunting and building bow footage. There are some "trophy's" for all of us, though.
:thumbsup:
Very cool! Just finished watching with my boys. I'd be up for another vid.
:archer:
Great job Mark, I was able to get parts 1 & 2. You really got me thinking about trying my hand at making a self bow!!
Great Sean...just got Part two uploaded awhile ago. It will be a couple days before part 3 though....
Selfbows are certainly addicting, and not as hard as you may think....just got to wrap your mind around the idea!
Here's the link directly to part two for those that can't get there...
https://vimeo.com/121729435
Great video! The scene of the river bottom with the mountains in the background was amazing.
Beautiful videos! Gotta ask, what is that hip quiver?
Saw parts 1 and 2. I love the videos. Every time my grandson and I go somewhere to together he puts your CD into play especially -"Feathers thru the wind" . Looking forward to more.
I use Tim Roberts Absorkee Quiver, which is modeled after my Quiver Caddy/Kwikee outfit that I have used for decades now (and my son Kory and his friend "Cheese" still use). Tim has FarrWest Leather and is a sponsor here.....great product!
I just watched the double feature. Inspiring.
Thank you.
Tom
That's just way too cool. Great stuff.
gotta be one of the most pleasant, engaging trad videos i've watched. THANKS :notworthy:
Loved them both.
Mark that's great. I really enjoyed it. You done a great job Keep making more vids and we'll keep watching. God bless Ya brother.
Nicely done Mark!
Awesome Mark !!!!!
Fantastic!,,
Thanks for sharing..
Good stuff, and beautiful country especially in the fall.
OUTSTANDING!
Awesome Mark well done.
I thought the video was great!
My concern is; I couldn't tell if you were wearing a safety harness in your tree stand, I didn't see one but it is hard to tell.
As one who took a life changing fall from a treestand, broken back and wrist, I always like to see safety as part of any video that depicts tree stand hunting.
That is really a nice bit of work Mark!!
Thanks for sharing it with us.
You had me from "Nothing really begins or ends for us". So much truth in one line. Really love your draw knife by the way have the same one for 15 or so years now of bow making.
Thanks for your comments all...also with Eric's "concerns". I don't want to turn this into "how-to" video, and that includes treestand safety. Suffice to say, I've taught bow-ed for 18 plus years, and both the young men (myself too) are intimately aware of their safety risks. We use belts and harnesses at times, and we live on the edge at times. Choices, and free will, and I'll leave it at that.
I own several draw knives and that one is by far my favorite. I did get a small "flexicut" (I think that's the brand) that I love for working around knots and difficulties...
The score card I am holding high above my head has a "10" on it! Thanks so much for sharing.
great video. loved your music selection!
Nice job!
Hey Mark, doc you make your bow center shot? It looks almost like you used a natural bend in your stave.
Really cool. I loved living in Livingston. The paradise is so great.
DK
Cool says it all !!! I could watch that all day
I taught hunter safety for 10 years as well. The state recruited me after my fall so I could tell the youngsters how it really was when one got careless about treestand safety.
I could tell I was preaching to the choir a lot of times during my classes as people do get set in their ways.
Ha Mark I know about living on the edge last year was the first year I ever used a harness in 30 years of bowhunting. I used a strap at times when in tree. This year I used harness all year and even when hanging stands! I didn't this mostly so I could get my son to wear one!
Very nice. If only TV could be this interesting and tasteful.
Nice work!
Nice video #2 Mark...
Eric and Doug....harnesses are always a good topic to talk about again, and again. I just didn't want to turn this into "that". Believe me, I have preached as well, and my "boys" as younsters were always required to wear them.
Not so easy these days. By the way, besides myself, both these boys have worked for Scott Koelzer who "infamously" took a tumble some years back. They work 40 to 60 hours each week walking high walls, roofs, ladders, and scaffolding, in any manner of very dangerous work (construction)...they do extreme (I mean extreme!) snowboarding...and generally live every day "on the edge". For them to come home to hunt with Dad, and strap in for an 8 foot climb in a well-hung, maintained treestand....well lets just say they are old enough to make up their own minds. I am just happy they still want to hunt with me.
All these boys are blessed with huge doses of confidence, coordination, and common sense. And while you and I know that "stuff happens" to the best of us....to them it's a nuisance worry over nothing. Our family has lived, breathed, and eaten bowhunting for their entire lives...they know this stuff like the back of their own hands...
Myself....I am finding each year that I am losing the basic skills of balance and confidence that I have carried myself with, and I certainly do "strap-in" in many stands (not all though). I find I'm using ladder stands a lot more, and hunting from the ground more as well.
So, as I've said, the concerns are not lost on us, and we thank you for them, and are aware of what we are doing.
Sean....yes, that bow was made from the last remaining piece of wood in that half-log of osage I had. The boys both made their bows first, and I made another from a belly-split, and the last one laid alongside a huge knot in the wood. I placed the area that went around the knot where the riser would be, and built the bow around that....pretty cool. I backed it with rawhide, as the grain was really squirrelly and it "tore out" on either side, so the backing is just for insurance. I call this bow my "Natural Wolfer", as it resembles Dicks creation a bit. By the way, this was some good wood....all these bows are super shooters.
Outstanding! I enjoyed that! Both parts were great!
Really enjoyed these! :clapper:
Would love to see more!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper: Mark, thanks for taking us along. We're so glad you've "created a monster"!
Wow! Outstanding! Really captures the spirit of traditional bow hunting.Very well done! :clapper: :clapper:
Really liked it, I need to get a better camera! And those wide shots of those mountain ranges are absolutely addictive.
Great videos! Looking forward to more.......
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Those videos are great! :thumbsup: :clapper:
MAN,the other day i was going to post and see how your hunting season went..i guess this what you have been doing..that is some GREAT WORK mark..now i will put in a request like a 5 year old..I WANT MORE,I WANT MORE..i think any thing with a selfbow is great..thanks so much for sharing...john
Mark that was Outstanding! Thank You :clapper:
Part 3 just got uploaded.
https://vimeo.com/121849658
Might be a few days before I upload more...they say I'm running short of "space". I ain't buying more either...
So far so good Mark, great scenery. You're doing a great job!!
That's beautiful looking country. Very nice videos.
Awesome stuff Mark !!! Thanks for taking us along.
Bill
Mark,
Great video's, thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed them. The only thing I would change (and yes I know we have had this discussion numerous times), is using the drawknife upside down when chasing the final growth ring.
Really well done.I enjoyed all 3 immensely.
Thanxx fer posting them Mark.
:thumbsup: awesome. How many will we get to see?
Absolutely gorgeous country by the way. I'd be looking at that beauty so much I'd forget to hunt. Unfortunately we've had sooo much beetle kill in colorado that the mountains are just brown. Really sad.
All I can say is wow great to see these energetic you men getting after it! That open country is amazing after sitting in "pine thickets" all the time with a few harwoods scattered in a gully! Great job these will be great for promoting our sport.
:thumbsup: Please keep them coming! :thumbsup: Thank you.
Bob
Enjoyed all three, can't wait for number four. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome buddy!!
Awesome...enjoyed the walk immensely.
:thumbsup:
Those were great! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome Mark, I am hooked.
Mark, Thanks for allowing us to tag along while you hunt. That colorful scene of the Yellowstone flowing through Paradise Valley is awe-inspiring.
Thanks for sharing Mark. Great job and beautiful country!
Nice work all around Mark. Great job.
Nice work buddy!
This past year was my first full year taking video of all my hunts and everything trad.
I've spent most of the winter slowly editing, and re-editing....not easy! Guys like Jason M. make it look easy!!!
It's been extremely rewarding though, and have saved for far better equipment than the low budget stuff I'm using now. I'm hooked!
Looking forward to a lot more brother....bring it on :campfire:
Thanks everybody, and thanks Curt...I think you're vids have inspired a bunch of us to give it a whirl. I have to admit, it's fun to do!
Most-excellent creativity Mark!
:clapper:
Ahhhhhhh..Big Sky Country...I'll be there for a few days next week!
:jumper: :jumper: :jumper:
Keep the wind in your face!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
Very cool video!!!!!
And I like the Didgeridoo sound very much :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Wow...I loved every minute of the videos Mark!!
Very, very good job!!!
All the parts are uploaded to our "Season's Journey" video....just follow the link, and you should be able to find all 6 parts. Hope you like em!
Mark.... Loved It!
Just watched the final three installments of "Season's Journey" and have to say that I'm very impressed. Great job of capturing the mood of the experience. Congratulations to all of you on another wonderful season, and thank you, once again.
Thanks guys for watching....
This is great! Glad I got to meet some of these guys :) Awesome!
Awesome! Loved them all, thanks again.
Bob
Good stuff...thanks Mark!
Sitting here still lookin at a mess of snow on the ground, you took me away and I THANK YOU. You are a talented man!
As I watched this again tonight, I feel blessed to have been there during the early season. What great memories/trophies I have. I couldn't help but feel anxious to see if Cheese (correct nickname?) got a deer. I literally got excited and am still smiling about that. Tell him congrats from me. I got to get back out there, maybe even just to build a bow :) Great stuff. Thank you.
~Brad
Well done! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
This sure rekindled a fire that has been lite within me after my first year hunting with an all wood bow.
Thanks guys. I'm even surprised myself how well they came out...really I'm new to doing this video stuff. Hopefully it will get better.
I have an ulterior motive in all this....and that is to show everyone how easy it is. (If I can do it, anybody can). We may not be able to afford good traditional programming on TV...but what we do is special, and easy to show folks online. Perhaps online is where we should promote ourselves most...putting out some quality video and showing the world that we are "out there" and how much we care...in contrast to the "crap" that is on TV these days. Most young folks get their info via You-tube, and the internet. Lets all show them the "right stuff".
Watched them all as well, also read your book recently and it was neat to see some of the country you wrote about in your book. I've been to Livingston before so I had a general idea of the area, but these vids wrapped it all up for me. Also seeing those osage bows lit a fire in me to build one again. I've been building my own glass bows for awhile and I kind of forgot about the selfbow, nice job on all fronts.
Very nice. That is some beautiful country your in.
I can actually smell the fall woods and feel the cool breeze. Thanks for taking us along a most excellent series of adventures
Those videos are awesome, Mark! I also really liked your thoughts about what bowhunting is. Thanks so much for sharing.
One question about shooting the self bows... I noticed that your son and his buddy both had very quick releases, once they hit anchor. Is that just their style of shooting or do you need to have a quick release when shooting self bows? Hope that's not a dumb question. :dunno:
Great job, Can't wait for more.
Good stuff Mark, Thanks for doing this!
I'm a definite latecomer to this thread. When I saw that all segments were complete I watched them all in sequence. All I can say is...impressive! Okay...inspirational too. I really enjoyed going along for the ride and seeing this through the eyes of Mark. It takes talent to create a nice video. It takes REAL talent to create and communicate a certain feeling those of us who hunt can understand. Great job Mark...I'm glad I waited and watched!
Thanks guys...I'm glad so many are getting something from it. I was worried that without narration or explanation somehow, that something would be lost. But I guess some things speak for themselves. Each year the "journey" starts anew...new bows, new adventures with them. That's what we live for...and so many of you guys share at least in part, a lot of the same anticipations and excitement that we do.
One part of the season that I enjoyed so much, was while elk hunting, after a day of slow action, we stump shot our way down the mountain...and doing it with the three young men that I helped mentor in building and hunting with their bows was one of those special "moments" for me personally. I don't know why really, but it hit me that day. Thanks for watching everyone!