The Gear You Need To Film Deer Hunts | Camera Arms

Nothing is better in our eyes as whitetail hunters to be successful at a whitetail hunt, and live those 5-30 seconds of intense action just before the harvest. Once successful the whole hunt from getting into the truck, to placing the buck into the bed is a once in a lifetime memory that will never be forgotten. What could possibly be better than living this moment? Reliving it any time you want! Filming deer hunts is gaining more and more popularity each and every year. From simply watching the hunt and shot placement, too full out TV and online shows, filming deer hunts is a growing passion that peaks the interest of most if not all deer hunters. With all of the gain in popularity it’s a shock there is not more advice on how to actually film your own deer hunt, which camera’s to buy, or which camera arms, and camera gear you should buy.

Luckily we are creating and producing exactly that for you! This is part 2 on this topic, part 1 previously went over exactly what camera you should purchase for beginning to film your own deer hunts.

Camera Arms and Camera Gear for Filming Deer Hunts

Buying the right camera for the job is one aspect to filming deer hunts, and should be your first concern when begging or researching how to start filming your hunts. Our last blog was dedicated to which camera to buy for filming deer hunts. This part 2 will be more centered on the fine tuning of your gear, including a camera gear list of what you will need to successfully film your deer hunts out of the gate as a beginner.

How to Film Your Own Deer Hunt 2 | What Camera Gear and Camera Arm You Need

(Video) – Part 2 in the series devoted to filming your own deer hunt. This second installment will cover which camera gear and camera arms to consider for filming deer hunts.

Fluid Head

After you have purchased your camera arm, a fluid head is needed. The fluid head ensure smooth pans, smooth video during the hunt, and full flexibility to film the entire hunt no matter the angle. There are many choices when it comes to fluid heads, just keep in mind the performance and price point, and its ability to be attached to camera arms, and tripods.

Tripod

A tripod is not necessarily needed for filming whitetail hunts, unless you plan on filing a lot of B-roll on the ground or plan on using a ground blind or box blind during the season. A good tripod for those instances is one that is strong and durable and can support and balance the weight of your fluid head and the camera.

Backpack

This is not often mentioned when it comes to filming hunts, but anyone that does try filming their own deer hunts knows this is a critical piece of the equation. Buying a good backpack that is large enough to haul all your film gear is absolutely essential! Beyond that, comfort, enough pockets for all the camera accessories, and durability to stay intact season after season.

Hunting Safety Harnesses and Lines

It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of filming. Trying set up all the gear, the hunting camera arm, run the camera, get good quality footage, and trying to potentially harvest the deer you are filming makes it very easy to forget about the most important thing when up in a tree stand…safety!

Hunting Camera Arms

By far the most important part of filming a whitetail hunt is getting the right camera arms. The hunting camera arm is the base of which your hunt is built on. It is the first and last piece of equipment in the tree and is the platform from which your footage is dependent on. This choice can make filming your own deer hunts extremely enjoyable or awfully hard and frustrating. This is the piece of equipment that could make or break your footage and hunt.

Now when it comes to choosing a camera arms for filming deer hunts, you have three considerations.

• Camera Arm Consideration 1: Setup

While some camera arms may seem and look good on paper or online, your real consideration is how easy it will be to set up. Put yourself in the November morning hunt situation. Its early morning, an hour before the sun rises, its cold, and its dead silent and crisp. You will need to be stealthy and quick, but efficient at getting in the stand and ready for the hunt. You will have bulky clothes on, and most likely just a red or green light that is dim, just barely enough light for you to see while you are climbing up in the tree stand, hoisting your camera gear up, and setting up your camera arm. Setting up the arm needs to be simple. In part this comes down to nothing being able to fall off of the camera arm, especially little parts that are easy to loose. An ideal camera arm will be solid, and extremely simple that will allow a hunter to set it up fast, and with little effort.

• Camera Arm Consideration 2: Noise

Again imagine yourself in the November woods. 3 things describe morning hunts in November. Crisp hard frost that glimmers in our headlamps, the crunch of leaves in a dead silent woods, and a cold sunrise ahead that could be ruined with just one clank. We have all done it before, when you hunt enough you eventually mess up while climbing in the stand or hanging your gear. Adding filming gear adds to the list of things that could go bump in the night and ruin your hunt. Having a camera arm that is designed for the hunter and keeps the aspect of stealth and noise dampening in mind is best.

• Camera Arm Consideration 3: Function

Finally, the last consideration that is one of the most important when deciding what hunting camera arm to but is function. Not how it sets up, how quiet and ideal it is to take up in the stand, but overall how it functions at its intended purpose…being a solid camera arm. This means being stable, holding weight, becoming level in situations, and staying smooth for quality footage.

Main Camera Arms

An ideal camera arm that takes all the above into consideration, and has a proven track record is the Outfitter camera arm.

The Outfitter has extremely quiet joints and pivots, is easy to pack and sets up in seconds. It has a bubble level and has a range of adjustments to get the camera arm perfectly adjusted.

• SIZE: 4” Wide x 14” Tall x 40” Long (with full arm extension)
• WEIGHT: 4.5 Lbs.
• WEIGHT RATING: 10 Lbs.
• USE: Easy Leveling + Quick Release Lever + 360 Degree Extendable Arm Gives you the Perfect Camera Angle!

Secondary Camera Arms

The next piece of equipment you will want to take up in the stand with you is a secondary angle arm. The Muddy Micro Mount Camera Holder supplies a camera holder and a secondary camera arm.

Together this package not only supplies a holder and head to place your GoPro on, but supplies a bow or gun holder. Minimizing what you take to the stand, especially when filming your own deer hunts is always ideal.

Conclusion

If you are looking to take up filming your own deer hunts this season, start with purchasing a good beginner camera, then work your way down the checklist with the appropriate camera gear and camera arms. Take into this information into consideration and it will create an opportunity for you to be effective and enjoy the sport of filming your own deer hunt.