Those who have read my material in the past know that I am affiliated with the outdoor YouTube channel, Mid-Mo Reapers. That having been said, I film almost everything I do in the field.
Over 90-percent of my deer and turkey hunts are “self-filmed”. The vast majority of my deer hunts are filmed from elevated positions or stands. Conversely, all of my turkey hunts are filmed from the ground.
Because of the importance of producing quality video from the ground and from tree stands, I have done extensive research to help me achieve my filming goals. As a true bonus, I have discovered that the same devices that perfectly support and stabilize my camera, also perfectly support and stabilize my gun while shooting.
Let’s first look at elevated hunting and shooting. For these activities my research led me to an American company called XtraArm. I have personally spoken, many times, with Nick Matic. Nick and his family manufacture all of the XtraArm products and accessories in Ohio.
The versatility and flexibility of the XtraArm camera and gun rests are unparalleled. By that I mean that for absolutely any elevated stand from which you hunt, XtraArm has an adapter designed to work on it. They have a base bracket that attaches directly to the tree. This is perfect for the saddle hunters out there. It also works great for climbing stands and lock-ons, as well.
For me, I love their system that locks on to the bases or shooting rails of virtually any portable or ladder stand. This is done with a padded C-clamp. The rest comes with a variety of extension pole lengths and an attachment to accommodate any camera you may use. XtraArm also has attachments and accessories for box blinds, as well.
The rest arm itself is double hinged, adding a massive degree of versatility. You can literally film or shoot 360 degrees from your stand. The gun rest fits right on the XtraArm, just like the camera platform. You can adjust the height of the gun rest to the perfect spot for shooting.
Contact Nick Matic at 440-856-9272 or check them out at huntxtraarm.com.
Lower down, Turkey hunters also know full-well how important it is to be silent in the timber. My old tripod was metal…and loud. It was heavy and cumbersome. Again, with some research, I found Final Rest Shooting Systems.
Final Rest produces the latest generation of shooting and filming platforms for use at ground level. They manufacture several different styles of tripods. They are versatile, lightweight and extremely durable.
These tripods have more height adjustment possibilities than any other I have ever used. They are a composite material and are totally silent to set-up and adjust. And, like the XtraArm products, Final Rest tripods are all made in America.
I know some of you right now are saying, “A tripod is tripod”. Please allow me to correct you. Many tripods can stabilize your camera while filming. Others can stabilize your gun while shooting. The Final Rest system, however, allows you to do both at the same time. There is a single function base on this tripod for either your camera or your gun, but Final Rest has developed a bracket base for their tripod that holds your camera and your gun at the same time.
As a self-filming turkey hunter I flipped out when I saw this. As I set up this system for the first time, I realized that I could film exactly where I was shooting, without having to touch the camera. It would just track to wherever my gun is pointing is where my camera is filming. Amazing!
That forward thinking is what has set Final Rest apart from all others in the field. And everything that I have just described to you easily fits into a handy carrying case with handles and a shoulder strap.
Contact Final Rest at 616-863-8520 or check out their entire line of shooting and filming systems at final-rest.com. And be sure to subscribe to Mid-Mo Reapers on YouTube.
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