Stalking Videos

[Deermanagement]

Been watching in the background some stalking videos recently, and maybe I’m getting grumpier with age, but heck, there’s some nonsense talked. Besides that, it’s nice to see some beautiful countryside and whether it’s professionally filmed or fpv go pro type filmed, some are very enjoyable.

There is a lack of educational video, with just about all telling stories. A record of “the story” is nice, something to remember and reflect on, or re-live another day, unless of course it includes embarrassing nonsense

A couple of examples: -

A knowledgeable guy, with a good film and production team based around the Cotswolds, in the middle of a stalk and talking to the camera about the wind being in the wrong direction, suggesting that the viewers “you can see? ”…… sorry, but the wind’s not visible on the video, nor was the effects of the wind direction

Watched an Irishman from a well-known Irish outfitter, racing around some hills and forest with an American in tow from “Roam and Harvest”. It wasn’t stalking, it looked like an effort to show how much fitter than the Americans, the Irish are Racing to promising positions, all the while explaining and talking about how elusive the Sika are. I don’t think the client was that impressed with the triathlon, nor should he be. Sensible stalking may have produced a result in such wonderful topography

Ref Ireland and it’s countryside….. wild, rugged and beautiful, but hell, mud, bog, dragging and carrying deer for miles……. Not my idea of a fun time

Another was a couple of guys stalking in Scotland, again Sika, but this time more self-filmed, but still interesting. A hind shot with what looked like a decent shot with a non-lead bullet, with the deer travelling 200yds or metres (can’t remember) before falling......and the nonsense bit……. “It’s normal for Sika to travel that far with a good shot”……… what? Maybe with a 22LR, but not a .308

One from the “Deercast”, stalking an area with the wind behind them which is fine, as it was to get to an area where they could approach into the wind. On the way they thought deer may have been held up in a small wood, but because they were upwind of the wood, the deer detected them. They “had no option” other than to do it that way, but surely, with the wood being what looked like an acre in size, they could have taken a path wide and approached from the other side, which may have used up 5 minutes? Maybe there was no option to do it this way, but the video should have been more explanatory.

Lastly for now, again in Ireland with a guide who explained that the Sika are 95% nocturnal, but thought that it was good practice to stand in the open with a US client on quad sticks, in the hope that a stag in the 5% category would oblige at I assumed was around mid-morning. Hell, after stating the forests were under their lease, get in there and stalk some deer, rather than lazily camping in the open for that sleepless stag. If deer are nocturnal, they do not disappear, you just need to enter their domain

On a more serious note, I know how difficult it can be to put a decent video together, and it takes an experienced stalker to get into the right position at the right time. If I manage to edit some video one day, yes I’ll recreate a bit of a story, but will also provide some tips from a lifetime hunting, the things that make the difference between success and failure

Oh…. And just had another very well filmed production with a French girl “harvesting”, muntjac and CWD. “Harvesting” …. Say it as it is….. “shooting”, maybe “taking”, but “harvesting”…….give me a break.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

harvesting is a US phrase used over there a lot.

 

[Mike1979]

Yep...you are a grumpy old man but so am I so dont disagree

 

[6mmarc]

Looks
Like I’m joining the same grumpy old guys club then got to say I agree with most of this on some of the videos

 

[Nickb]

I agree with the above , there are some very annoying Youtubers . I know its not easy to film and I would never do it but there are some right clowns.

 

[Grand Slam]

There are very few content creators out there that I watch / rate, especially when deer stalking is involved.

 

[muddy42]

If you want education, go stalking not watching videos! I think its very difficult to make a decent 2 min stalking video for the scrolling youtube generation - low light, walking slowly, no noise etc. But I think that's why we love it, so that's a good thing.

Actually its 4.30pm, I'm off!

 

[Foxyboy43]

And then there is sponsorship, partners and blatant product placement…..

 

[Grand Slam]

And then there is sponsorship, partners and blatant product placement…..

Nail on head there! That’s the reason why a load of them do it. Then they beg people to follow them, to subscribe so they can carry on what they are doing etc! If you enjoy deer stalking then just go do it!

 

[Deermanagement]

One on in the background now...... young lady, spotless clothing, all the gear, custom pink knife that matches immaculately painted nails. Surprised the quad sticks are not finished in pink

Having to blur out film of carcasses in a chiller for youtube rules though? If that's the case, these videos will become a thing of the past. Animals part processed will then progress to not allowing the viewing of anything dead, also implied in this video, and then it'll move onto the suppression of any video showing an actual shot taking place? The only thing left will be the dark web

 

[Foxyboy43]

The Toob has become a farce recently with “censors” pretty much diluting the content to the point of making it worthless - on many occasions the presenters have even to apologise for not showing said “offending bits”. All part of the terribly soft and awfully fluffy world we currently inhabit gawd help us.

PS
Presumably the aforementioned “young lady” was using a Creedmoor - just curious like…

 

[Mike1979]

The Toob has become a farce recently with “censors” pretty much diluting the content to the point of making it worthless - on many occasions the presenters have even to apologise for not showing said “offending bits”. All part of the terribly soft and awfully fluffy world we currently inhabit gawd help us.

PS
Presumably the aforementioned “young lady” was using a Creedmoor - just curious like…

I always do my nails before taking the creed out ... though dont bother with the lippy or do my hair (dont have any)

 

[Foxyboy43]

I always do my nails before taking the creed out ... though dont bother with the lippy or do my hair (dont have any)

I always do my nails before taking the creed out ... though dont bother with the lippy or do my hair (dont have any)

Duw, there’s lovely…

 

[Deermanagement]

The Toob has become a farce recently with “censors” pretty much diluting the content to the point of making it worthless - on many occasions the presenters have even to apologise for not showing said “offending bits”. All part of the terribly soft and awfully fluffy world we currently inhabit gawd help us.

PS
Presumably the aforementioned “young lady” was using a Creedmoor - just curious like…

Not sure of calibre. Very pleasant but did think that the latex gloves in the roe sack kit would have had to be extra strength to withstand the nails . Didn’t actually see them in use though, and suspect that work may have been allocated to the “cameraman”

 

[Merlyn]

After twelve years in the army, fifty years fowling and thirty years part-time keepering/foxing, I got into stalking, as a hobby, about fifteen years ago. By then I was an old man - I'm nearly 87 now, not in the best of health, but still 'at it' whenever I can. I take everything that I do pretty seriously, especially where animal welfare is involved.
Although I had shot the odd troublesome munty or roe, so was not a complete novice, I did the DSC1 and large animal hygiene courses etc, and went out with a professional a few times.
I read lots of books on the subject, some of these were very informative and some were not worth the paper that they were printed on.
Then I got onto YouTube videos.
Firstly, I would like to say that I learnt a hell of a lot and some of the presenters soon became my mentors, although I had never met them in real life. Excellent instructional videos and showing some of the latest kit, but I had to allow for the fact that they rarely criticised the goods they were reviewing - Naturally they can't afford to upset their sponsors, but it means you have to try to read between the lines.
Then there are the other videos which comprise rich groups shooting holidays in Europe and Scotland, less rich guys holidays wherever they could afford to be, and other guys just out hoping for a shot or two at the local deer around wherever they lived. This last group includes me, but I have never considered boring other people by showing them my amateurish attempts at following in the footsteps of the great stalkers of the past and present.
Unfortunately many do. Last night I watched the self shot video of a chap on a stalking trip on his own local ground. He had obviously not been stalking for very long, or if he had then he should consider taking up some other pastime, as he was totally inept at just about everything he did although demonstrated all the correct patter about animal welfare, safety, etc. Now I just watch these with a super critical eye and try to note all the errors and bad practices that I spot. I don't know why they bother to post them.
YouTube is a good learning platform, but you have to be careful what you watch, and what you store away in your brain box for future reference.

 

[devon deer stalker]

One on in the background now...... young lady, spotless clothing, all the gear, custom pink knife that matches immaculately painted nails. Surprised the quad sticks are not finished in pink

Having to blur out film of carcasses in a chiller for youtube rules though? If that's the case, these videos will become a thing of the past. Animals part processed will then progress to not allowing the viewing of anything dead, also implied in this video, and then it'll move onto the suppression of any video showing an actual shot taking place? The only thing left will be the dark web

A lot of these YouTube 'influencers' are just chasing the coin, I watched the same video, I wonder if the out of focus blurring of the shots were deliberate or just poor camerwork?

Some of them are ok, some educational, but as soon as they start plugging their sponsors too much I switch off.

So I guess I can also be labeled grumpy old man as well.

 

[Deermanagement]

A lot of these YouTube 'influencers' are just chasing the coin, I watched the same video, I wonder if the out of focus blurring of the shots were deliberate or just poor camerwork?

Some of them are ok, some educational, but as soon as they start plugging their sponsors too much I switch off.

So I guess I can also be labeled grumpy old man as well.

Of course some cut and hide shots, shot placement, shots taken on the move, not all the effort taken to find animals that were not despatched cleanly etc., etc. Whilst I'm drawing up some plans for building work at home, I've had a few vids on in the background, and once again the same guys who's suggested it's normal for Sika hinds to cover 200m with a good shot, on another has said that a hind "ran for around 200m, then dropped straight away" Not my definition of "dropping straight away"

Same vid shows a hind from a group shot from I think it was 460m in a stiff near 30mph wind Guys were a bit worried as they were not sure about it until approaching the site with a dog only to find said hind. Maybe they were not so sure because the one that fell was not the intended

 

[Cootmeurer]

Be thankful you have what you have.

Most of our American videos, which are not representative at all, are 23 minute long commercials that always must end with a BIG dead deer, a close up head shot on a turkey, or a pile of dead ducks. All the while they prominently display those sponsors products (duck hunting videos are the worst for this, always accidentally zooming in on the brand name of the wader or gun or box of shells).

But, let’s be honest, books are long form story telling, magazine articles are medium term stories, and videos are almost nothing but a sound bite. They try, and usually fail, to distill hours and hours down to 5 minutes so the short attention span gang can watch something die between checking their phone.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

And lets not mention camo baseball caps with sponsors name in big white letters on the front, I tried to find a camo cap without any logos on my US tips, an almost impossible task. Also when have you heard the Rourkes Drift drum corps playing behind you when you stalk into anything like on most hunting videos "Lord save me from influencers", The flu word fits this well.

 

[Mike1979]

Of course some cut and hide shots, shot placement, shots taken on the move, not all the effort taken to find animals that were not despatched cleanly etc., etc. Whilst I'm drawing up some plans for building work at home, I've had a few vids on in the background, and once again the same guys who's suggested it's normal for Sika hinds to cover 200m with a good shot, on another has said that a hind "ran for around 200m, then dropped straight away" Not my definition of "dropping straight away"

Same vid shows a hind from a group shot from I think it was 460m in a stiff near 30mph wind Guys were a bit worried as they were not sure about it until approaching the site with a dog only to find said hind. Maybe they were not so sure because the one that fell was not the intended

I do despair when people who should know better post some utter cack that they would berate if the tables are turned. Self promotion ahead of substance I suppose. The ones I detest are the unsafe shots ...or where the shot appears unsafe because of the filming angle...if its safe then make it clear that it is in the commentary as otherwise people will take the view that its dangerous and that does nothing for the image of shooting.

I do like some of the content...but as has already been said..the annoying product placement that occupies most of the vids is annoying ...