Scene - Cut - Print!

Amateur Videos - Are They Worth Watching?

I have read and written all the articles I can and have watched all the professionally-produced upland programing a dozen times over. What now?

Well, desperate times and all, there are dozens of free, online, video channels and productions to sift through! These can range from pretty entertaining to having more holes in its production than a decade-old archery target. Here are some things to look for in free outdoor (amateur) video production as well as my top-five cinematic masters of free upland entertainment.

Now, some of the amateurly produced outdoor pieces aren’t half bad - once you train yourself past motion sickness. Not up-scale enough to hire camera operators, most cameras are mounted on the heads of those participating. You will quickly learn that some folks swivel their heads like a nervous rat. Similarly, while their dog(s) are on point, the camera follows the videographer’s eyes down at the ground; like searching for lost car keys, our view is distilled to twirling circles. Watching some of these videos is akin to spending a stormy day at sea or twenty minutes on a whirl-a-gig ride at the fair! Hooomph-blaaah!

Positives:

It seems that there can be a bit more than entertainment to pass the time here. For example, if you pay attention, you might note landmarks in the background during the hunt or the often tedious vehicle travel commentary; getting a sense for the region where they are hunting. While on the hunt, you can look at the landscape and vegetation that seem to produce (various) game birds. There’s also the guns & ammo being used, vehicles, camp set-ups, and dog accessories. The dogs used by authentic uplanders are generally very well trained and much can be learned about dog performance and breeds.

There is something to be said for learning from the mistakes of others. That is, of course, if you are capable of discerning when a mistake is being made. Most often it is mentioned but it’s important to be able to distinguish wild hunts from preserves. Here’s why.

First, let me state, there is nothing wrong with preserve hunting. They can be quiet enjoyable while being mindful that the outing is but a pale replica. Some folks apparently don’t know the difference; believing - bird hunting is bird hunting. It’s important to note that the vast majority of preserve hunts bear only slight semblance to hunting wild upland birds in natural settings. And, when kept in the correct perspective, that’s okay.

What To Look For: Here are ten dead-giveaways that what you are watching is a plant-and-take operation and/or a relative novice hunter. (Note: If they don’t have dogs, I don’t view their video.)

Grounds:

1. If you enjoy a lot of shooting - whooping and hollering - watching a group march in straight lines, then the traditional mid-western group hunt is for you. Resembling a school field trip, groups wait to climb aboard an old school bus (typically) that transports shooters from the lodge to their field of dreams. Basically, a version of British driven pheasants, it has been delightfully Americanized so that beaters, along with blockers and flankers, all have guns.

2. Look for landscape consisting of tall cover with mostly straight channels mowed through them. This is a typical groundskeeping practice at preserves to allow hunters to casually walk in the cuts while dogs scour the lines of cover for hidden game. Take care not to mistake harvested fields for this practice.

3. Hunters are staying in lodges or cabins adjacent to habitat groomed for the purpose of holding birds just long enough to harvest them. This, of course, does not include typical hotel/motel operations.

Game:

4. Either-sex pheasants are being harvested. Due to sound wildlife management practices, states have not allowed bagging wild hen pheasants for several decades.

5. Pheasants (game birds) prancing around in front of the dog like barn-yard chickens. By Opening Day, naive wild birds have all been scooped-up by the numerous predators that hunt them.

Wild game birds don’t prance around in front of dogs.

6. Chukar partridge are flushed among mid-west style corn and other field crops. Chukar is an economical favorite addition to preserve hunts. Natural dweller of semi-arid and rocky areas of the west, wild chukar populations may be found feeding in (grain) fields adjacent to rock canyons and sage brush; not in relatively flat, heavily agricultural, landscape.

This one’s merely an unresearched observation; if every bird that flushes is a rooster, some without tail feathers, and every rooster cackled as it flushed, there’s a high probability that you are watching a preserve hunt.

Participants: Finally, the main characters, themselves. Keep in mind that darn-near anyone with a pulse and a smartphone can contribute to this vast storehouse of publicly accessible productions.

7. The obvious inclusion of a gun-less guide with dogs and a very laid-out strategy, (see: #1). Yeah, there may be some hunting on private land with wild birds but, to maintain huntable populations for several clients over the course of a long season, there will be put-and-take birds found in cover usually not inhabited by many wild birds - beyond Opening Day, especially.

8. If the cast is adorned in spanking new orange clothes, new boots, and sporting an equally bright hunting vest, chances are very good you are learning right along with your host.

9. While we are on the subject of clothing accessories, a new fedora-style hat, and a large purse-like bag - don’t call it a purse, call it a “satchel” - worn about the shoulder. In the delusion that they are somewhere in the British Isles shooting driven pheasant, they stuff warm game into the airless leather shoulder bag. Yuck!

And number 10: If the hunter approaches the pointing dog with the gun barrel pointed down like a S.W.A.T. team member. Military or police gun training often includes this gun down position for better eyes-up scanning for danger. When hunting any game bird, the gun pointed down - toward the dog - requires its user to awkwardly lift the comparatively longer barreled firearm; having gravity and physics working against them rather than taking advantage of it. This signals, to me, that the person(s) lack significant experience.

The Down Side:

Be prepared for viewing long moments of uninteresting and unproductive wandering. Open microphones on small video units exaggerate the noise caused by prairie winds; some, to the extent where muting the set is preferable. We can’t all be movie directors like Spielberg or Tarantino, still, (poorly edited) video production isn’t as annoying as some of the characters and content can be.

Many videos open with a ghastly and obnoxiously loud musical score exhumed from the trash bin of some failed ‘80’s spandex rock band. Other musical selections paint an (exaggerated) mental image of a hoedown amongst broken-down - bullet-riddled - vehicles and machinery. In the background, a slightly leaning wooden shack, quaintly decorated with boarded windows and an outhouse door-front. (Apologies to the owners of any residence bearing a resemblance.)

Still others begin with an exhaustingly repetitious narration laced with “Umm…” and every cliché since the age of “talkies.” Worn-out phrases such as, “come join us,” “ride along,” “we’re on the board” or, the dreaded, “click the subscribe button” when you haven’t even seen the production, yet. And nothing says, “I flunked out of grade school,” like the use of “F_ _ _’in” as a precursor to every noun, (person, place, or thing). They additionally prove that calling on the Lord to damn misbehaving dogs or every missed shot doesn’t seem to improve the situation.

I’m no prude but these comments tend to feed the machine of anti-groups; substantiating their increasingly unjust portrayal of hunting’s ignorant participation. Pro-hunting organizations are spending loads of time, money, and effort to fight this misconception; why feed it? I just prefer videographers that choose their words and actions with a bit more wisdom, is all.

Beyond boring stereotypes, be suspect of tell-tale titles that include, “Limited Out!” or a photo of two guys with a dozen pheasants and a title that says something like, “First Day in South Dakota!”

Nothing against this accomplishment, of course, but limiting out as a goal is merely the second stage (of 5, typically) on the way to what is often considered, hunting maturity; an indication that the participants aren’t there, yet. Not always but generally, these are hunts for wild birds and reaching the maximum number of birds in the bag is an accomplishment of no small means. Not the main focus for folks that like to watch dogs work and enjoy the day but, obviously, there’s entertainment along with education.

And, at four birds per day - per hunter, Kansas has the most generous pheasant limit; most allow two or three. More birds than that and you may be viewing exhibit-A of a case involving a couple morons soon to be donating an additional fee (read: “Fine”) to the state game department for poaching. Much more likely, you’re just watching a couple of guys that have enjoyed a lot of shooting at a preserve that receives payment based on the number of pheasants removed. If you like lots of shooting, you’ll probably enjoy these videos but learn nothing much of value about wild game.

“Opening Day in South Dakota”!

Pardon the (deliberate) dreadful misrepresentation of hunters.(*)

I have a lean towards tradition - that may have come across? I can over-look a lot of things but a couple of guys hunting from a BMW, (not the SUV, a hatch-back), is hard to find interesting. Now, add to that, the blissful couple driving along the road watching for birds. Then, once spotted, they released their dog - yes, sadly, they had a least one pointing dog - to sniff out game birds from along the road. Now, that’s just plain hard to watch.

While we are on the subject of road ditches… Yeah, I know it’s legal (in a few states) but good hunters - with dogs - generally want to hunt away from the roads. Obviously taking their parent’s jest to go play in the street too literally, there are other repeat videographers that use dogs while hunting road ditches. I know the state(s) that they are hunting in and know them to offer large and numerous areas where it is possible to avoid the possible hazards of taking a dog on a road-side “shooting.”

Here’s another red-flag; how about when the young man in the video actually says on camera, “I like hunting in “BLANK” state because you can road hunt with your guns loaded in the vehicle.” Oh, man! Needless to say, that’s as far as I got.

And, what of the dogs? Of course, I would look at the breeds and level of dog work, right? I have cautioned in a few earlier blogs about the dreadful misinformation often found on this free public forum. There are varying levels of acceptance when dogs are involved - to each there own, I suppose. If they are pointing breeds, do they point? If not, does the owner make adjustments, excuse it away, or, even worse, reinforce the bad behavior? Dog training and etiquette run the gambit in these poorly edited productions.

Watch for close-working pointing dogs with little more than a stutter before barging in to flush the bird. Afterwards, the hunter congratulates the dog like a prize-winner. Using a pointing dog like a flusher is obviously in poor form. Wanna retriever, get a retriever! On that, not all dogs retrieve but it’s kind’a comical to watch those that do so to varying degrees.

There are those that run a few victory laps around the expectant owner. Some may search for the downed bird and, once assured that the bird is dead, leave it right where it was found to find another. Some that will find a bird all right, then politely pluck feathers for its handler on the spot. Without any apparent embarrassment, the owner has been “trained” to make the retrieve; all-the-while repeating, “Fetch - fetch here, Bozo - fetch!” After-which, they congratulate the dog on finding the bird. Thus, sealing the poor behavior for the life of the dog.

And, to finish the comedy of errors, resembling the rubber chicken comedic prop, a dog or shot mangled bird carcass being held up to the camera for the viewers at home.

Yes, you watch enough of these amateur productions and you will see it all! Many pay for it through (brutal) comments they receive by the “Viewer-Police”. Comments on everything from safety to the video producer’s choice of dogs and training. You may believe that is what I’ve done here but I’m merely mentioning what to look for in these videos to make your viewing more insightful.

Summary:

It should be apparent that the quaility of entertainment and information found in online videos cannot compare to that found in professionally edited media. The reality is, like credible research, the contributors to these publications are chosen for their ample experience and the work refined by their peers. These are the true professionals of our sport.

Still, even the most poorly accomplished videos took time, effort - and a certain amount of courage - to share with even the least discerning audience. As mentioned, motion-sickness, poor editing and etiquette considered, viewers of a higher standard can glean some information while being motivated and entertained.

As promised, it’s time now for my top-five picks of worthwhile viewing: (In order of time spent watching.)

1. Eric Forrester - 16.7K subscribers: These productions include knowledgeable hunting and dog (Wirehairs) experience with a multitude of American wild bird species on public grounds; everything that makes this a must-see channel.

2. Uplander - 13.1K subscribers: Multifaceted in upland-related business and experience; the country and birds are as wild as they can get and the dogs (Britts) are all excellent reasons to check out these productions. There are enough prairie hunts but many are videos of grouse and woodcock hunting.

3. TRPLC COOP - 2.34 subscribers: There’s plenty of public land action with wild birds and well-trained dogs that will motivate you to get out and hunt. There is great trust in the dogs (GSP and Britt) and the hunter shows a great deal of experience.

4. Birds, Booze & Buds - 4.35K subscribers: An intelligent hunter, Tyler has turned a North Dakota mail route into an upland goldmine. He’s tasteful enough to hunt with a setter and uses diminuative .410 or 28 ga. double-guns. He has a podcast and, therefore, likes to chat - the intro’s can be exhausting. The venues are all wild and branching out.

5. JCW Outdoors - 2.69K subscribers: I’m going to throw flushers a bone here and offer up this channel. One of the least followed of the folks I enjoyed, the guy is well-spoken and an honest hunter. The venue is almost soley east-river South Dakota pheasant hunting but the locations are generally publically accessible and the birds are wild. The action and locations are “real” and, having to retrieve inordinate number of cripples, the yellow lab in these productions is a doll.

Honorable Mentions: (Five more suggestions in no particular order.)

Tim Wagenman - 2.07 subscribers: Good narration throughout the hunt and the dogs are a central theme. He hunts three GSPs together and they are often in competition for birds. Meaning, some may be pointing but there’s generally one (at least) that will bump the bird. Leaves you wondering if they weren’t almost exclusively hunting thick cover, would the pack of dogs hold birds in range.

Under Forty Yards - 10.8K subscribers: Though garnering ten grand in subscribers, the channel is dominated by grouse and woodcock hunts. The pheasant hunting can often be public access put-and-take birds; at least he’s honest about it. Dogs are very good (GSP, mostly) and there’s enough range of venue to interest most wild upland enthusiasts.

Bird Tales - 2.89K subscribers: This rather eccentric host has designed a PVC tube contraption for over-the-shoulder viewing that reduces (spinning) motion. I would say that the dogs aren’t a high enough priority and venues aren’t often spectacular. However, he was a guest on an episode of the “Flush” television series, so...

NW Wingshooters - 2.47K subscribers: As the title suggests, the venues are regional - public accessible - wild birds. The dogs (Britts) are a major emphasis but the main character gives me a sense that he hasn’t got a great deal of long-term experience. See what you think.

Bonus: Hank Patterson - 29.8K subscribers: Okay, this guy is no uplander but anyone interested in fly-fishing and also likes to laugh will enjoy his work.

All for the passing of time until we can get out and make our own memories - videos or not!

(*) Often thus portrayed by hate-filled media, I used the misleading depiction of hunters so that folks new to hunting would recognize the familiar scene. Relax, surely you know by now that it’s okay to make light of hunters (and Christians) because we have spines and don’t feel the compulsion to retaliate - no matter how well deserved.