Self Filmed Archery Turkey Hunt - too brutal?

[fly4fish]

Hey, you guys have always been brutally honest with me on my other videos as to their brutality. Here's another? This is almost exactly how this hunt ended up with the exception of some cutting for time purposes. I was all for showing the whole story, but the more I watch it, the more I wonder if it is just a little too brutal. I doubt any of you will have an issue with it, but I do not want to stir a pot that is already being stirred.

Give me your thoughts please, and give it a like (if you do).

SORRY. THE OLD, BRUTAL VIDEO HAS TO BE DELETED TO UPLOAD THE NEW VERSIONS.  You can watch the new version here:

http://solvidsystems.com/videos/hunting/birds/

[RadSav]

My first impression is that less is sometimes more! 

[fly4fish]

My first impression is that less is sometimes more!

So, would the short simple answer be: yes, too brutal

[RadSav]

I would not necessarily call it "too brutal".  More like "too drawn out".  Many have a low opinion of bowhunters anyway.  Drawing it out doesn't do the sport of bowhunting any favors and rallies the anti groups.  Just my 

[270Shooter]

It's all part of the hunt and sometimes you don't get the clean kill you are hoping for, probably wouldn't put all of the video on TV but it doesn't bother me.

[rosscrazyelk]

Showing the Turkey suffering and the gut hanging out is probably overboard.
I am wondering if those cameras have Zoom? Seems all the videos I see posted with solvid cameras are hard to determine what you are seeing.  Yes I could see a Turkey with that but barely

[jackelope]

My thought is if you have to ask, you already know the answer.

[Romulus1297]

"Whoops that shot was a little far back. We should check the video and back out of here and come back in the morning. Wow here it is." He didn't wait until the next morning he chased it down. This type of hunting has happened for 1000s of years.

[pd]

Nothing strange to me (ringing the neck of a bird is how it is done, after all).  Do you have to show the entrails hanging out like that?  No, probably not. 

Discretion is the better part of valor.

[mfswallace]

Reality yes, brutality yes. Find the happy medium!

[lokidog]

Nothing strange to me (ringing the neck of a bird is how it is done, after all).  Do you have to show the entrails hanging out like that?  No, probably not. 

Discretion is the better part of valor.

This was my thought as well.  Nice job on a bird with the bow though.  I have been lucky as I have not had to run after the two I've gotten with the bow, though I've shaved feathers off of two others.   

[sled]

  You Are Pretty Quick On Your feet

[fly4fish]

The tribe has spoken. I am rendering a new edit right now.

Showing the Turkey suffering and the gut hanging out is probably overboard.
I am wondering if those cameras have Zoom? Seems all the videos I see posted with solvid cameras are hard to determine what you are seeing.  Yes I could see a Turkey with that but barely

Yes the cameras (basic camcorders) do have zoom. We do not use it at all for the shot, but will take it off to zoom in after to get the death on film, which I would have done had I felt I did not need to chase him down. Using the zoom is up to the user, and very risky. I tried it once on a coyote, which I did not get a shot on. He came into 15 yards, and would have been out of frame had I got a shot. Plus, a narrower field of view equals more movement, like zooming in a scope. There is a lot of movement with mounted cameras, the head being the least. I like to have the arrow visible with the animal toward the top of the frame.  I think you may want to watch the video again; the bird is clearly visible as soon as he walks from behind the tree at 45 yards (the highlighted area). This is what you get on a small animal, POV, Self Filmed, with a basic camcorder and the Solvid CamStrap; the shot was 25 yards. Also, it was still low light in the dark timber. YouTube doesn't do it any favors either. The video is much clearer and smother right off the computer. I wish I had a way to show it in its true quality.

The alternative is packing another person around, a tripod, or using an action cam such as a GoPro. You can ask anyone who has used an action cam in this scenario, and a deer sized animal at 25 yards is less visible than the turkey on this video. With an action cam, I bet you would maybe see some movement at 25 yards, but that's about it, especially in this light. I guess a  guy could just hold the camera and zoom, but good luck getting a bow shot.  No, the video is not like someone behind with a tripod and an expensive camera, but it is far better than nothing; I have seen enough videos of zoomed in turkey kills that they don't excite me at all. Maybe its because this is my video, but I would much rather watch POV footage, even if it does look a little further than reality.

On different note, I arrowed another turkey this morning with much better lighting. There is no need for editing anything out this one though, and at a distance of 10 yards, it is very visible! Video to come....   

Here's a picture...

[RadSav]

Nice bird, nice picture!

For most of us hunters the chase after a shot and the ring of a neck seems the right thing to do when a shot (shotgun, front stuffer or bow) does not impact where we might have hoped.  What might seem like brutality to some is in actuality a responsible hunters desire to limit suffering and reduce loss of the meat.  But, what is lost in todays Youtube "Even Bad attention is Good Attention" mindset is the power of discretion.  As responsible hunters we have as much duty to use high integrity and discretion as we have duty to limit pain and suffering.

A rather famous bowhunter who was on the leading edge of the video hunt industry once explained it to me like this;

  "There is nothing wrong with sex.  In fact it is one of the most intimately pure acts we as married people can enjoy.  But, that doesn't mean we need to share those intimate moments with the world.  Filming hunts should be looked upon in a very similar way.  There is nothing wrong with what we do.  But not every event in the process between the shot and final harvest needs to be recorded and shared with the world."

I seem to agree with him more every day.

[fly4fish]

Nice bird, nice picture!

For most of us hunters the chase after a shot and the ring of a neck seems the right thing to do when a shot (shotgun, front stuffer or bow) does not impact where we might have hoped.  What might seem like brutality to some is in actuality a responsible hunters desire to limit suffering and reduce loss of the meat.  But, what is lost in todays Youtube "Even Bad attention is Good Attention" mindset is the power of discretion.  As responsible hunters we have as much duty to use high integrity and discretion as we have duty to limit pain and suffering.

A rather famous bowhunter who was on the leading edge of the video hunt industry once explained it to me like this;

  "There is nothing wrong with sex.  In fact it is one of the most intimately pure acts we as married people can enjoy.  But, that doesn't mean we need to share those intimate moments with the world.  Filming hunts should be looked upon in a very similar way.  There is nothing wrong with what we do.  But not every event in the process between the shot and final harvest needs to be recorded and shared with the world."

I seem to agree with him more every day.

Well put RadSav. You are right, as is the quote. A new edit is rendering right now. I think it will be better perceived by all.

[RadSav]

I'm looking forward to it!  Always enjoy seeing a new thread from you.  Always exciting!

[BOWHUNTER45]

It said this video has been removed 

[fly4fish]

It said this video has been removed 

Sorry, It did get removed. I replaced the Vimeo video with the new one and the YouTube video had to be deleted to upload the new, less brutal version; if I don't delete the old video, YouTube says it is too similar to a video that it already exists.

Here is a link to the new one if you are interested. It is less brutal, but is shorter and not missing a whole lot. All you are really missing is a neck ringing.

http://solvidsystems.com/videos/hunting/birds/