GoPro use

W

Worth Mathewson

Active member
Lately I have been watching British wildfowling films on You Tube. Some are excellent. There is a guy in Ireland that makes them somewhat frequently. He shoots from a drop dead wonderful old stone blind on the edge of a bay. Just guessing, he is using a GoPro. And seems to have it mounted on his cap or head? My son has one and I am thinking about trying to make videos of shooting. Especially if Marge and I are able to go to Scotland next August for wood pigeons. Any of you guys had experience using one? Any tips will be greatly appreciated. Best, Worth
 
I bought Andrea a shotkam for the holiday (I follow some guys in Norway with them on Instagram) and it is wildly cool. It's mostly a training tool for her, as she leads well but has been shooting high (or at least given the last 5 hunts). I'd like to slap it on my gun, but not until she's shooting better. The fact that they turn on with movement is awesome. I have a friend who always has a gopro mounted somewhere for grouse camp and we always leave him in the dust because we're tired of waiting for him to finish screwing around to get it set up. Just something to consider.
 
Learn how to use it ahead of time and get it adjusted how you like so you aren't trying to figure it all out in the field.

I film all my hunts in 4k resolution, linear field of view. Linear FOV removes the fish eye effect. The head mounts are okay, but I like using multiple cameras with a few mounted in a place where they don't move. Gives me more freedom with editing. Of course that's a bit more complex than just putting a gopro on your head.

In the end they aren't the best for filming waterfowl hunting, but they get the job done.

DNvTNxP.jpg


This shot I have a Hero8 on my head and this picture was taken with another GoPro statically mounted.
 
If the shots look far away, then it's probably a GoPro. If the birds seem close or zoomed in, it's probably a Tactacam. They make shotgun mounts, etc. and are better for game that's further away.
 
I like my Tactacams... and they are local.. only 50 miles from me. They have the BEST customer service.... bar none!

Filming your own hunt is HARD! Head cams, will make you sick watching... at least if you move your head like I do... LOL... Barrel cams are hard to keep the camera on the bird all the way to the water..... then you have to be safe if that is filming the retrieve. At least that is my experience..... OH... and you have to remember to turn the camera on and off....

I also have a GO Pro Hero 3... I mix in some video off my Nikon D300S or D500.... and a little off my cell phone... Filming your own hunt is just hard to do AND actually hunt... My video... all just suck...

This is the Go Pro mounted on the left side of the layout....

RR Layout - YouTube

Cell phone of Otter's very first retrieve.

VID 20181004 171924113 - YouTube

D500 DSLR video.... holding steady is always an issue in the boat... or in general

DSC 2111 - YouTube

Tactacam Barrel mount

20201129 112517 - YouTube
20201023 120247 - YouTube

Tactacam head mount... the other difficulty is making sure is pointing where you want it to

Video details - YouTube Studio

Go Pro on a head mount

First water Retrieve - YouTube
 
First off, Craig makes some of the best videos I've personally seen that pertain to duck hunting and local offshore fishing (NJ). Without a doubt, I can say he has a wealth of knowledge. My contribution to this thread is amateur at best. I have 2 GoPro's and they see minimal use. I've not gotten comfortable (yet) with all the other tasks that go along with safely navigating the marsh, getting setup, etc to knowingly put some time into mounting up the GoPro. What I can tell you is this:

- Be mindful of the WiFi mode. If you turn it on the night before, you will wake up to a dead battery. Turn it on just as you get to your spot.
- The WiFi controls are worth their weight in gold. The remotes are even better to snap the camera on when the time comes.
- Don't turn your nose up at ball cap brim mount. In a pinch, I used it to record one or two clips from an early goose hunt in NJ. It's very easy to squeeze on your bill in the heat of the fly-in and snap some good shots. Here is a screen grab of a one shot-double I had last season. I sighted in the ball cap mount early that day and it was perfect.



View attachment goose.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top