Filming hunting and fishing is definitely an eye opening experience to someone that is neither a hunter nor a fisherman.
While most shoots are ‘unsuccessful’, those shoots tend to be the most memorable for many different reasons. You learn a lot about the animal you hunt and you gain more appreciation for how smart these creatures actually are. Plus, you can also just have some great laughs with friends enjoying the chance to be outside in nature. Perhaps, even, a round of goose golf!
Kettlebottom videographer, George Manchester has spent 5 years learning that hunting is all about the experience and not the game you take home with you. George has been on over two hundred shoots and on dozens of occasions documented the emotions of the hunter as he harvests an animal. George has reflected that this is a very raw and emotional experience but, when the hunt is slow and yields little to no results, the experience of sharing time outside with friends and being in nature is what many enthusiasts express as ‘what hunting is all about’.
One shoot in particular that stands out in George’s mind is a hunt in which the weather looked great to harvest some geese. The hunt was taking place on a golf course so every crew member was told to bring their golf clubs along with their guns to make the most of the day.
The crew, Robb, AJ, Jay, and Tommy set-up goose decoys and waited in the reeds next to a pond. After two excruciating hours waiting for flights of geese to pass above, the crew became a little silly and started goofing off. Jay and Tommy started hitting off golf balls at each other and Tommy almost took a bath in the pond all of which is highlighted on video from George’s perspective!
Shoots like this showcase that, though you should always be serious about safety when hunting, you can also have fun without fantastic hunting results.