Spring is in the air, and this is my favorite time of year. Not only
are the temperatures great, turkey season is kicking off in Louisiana!!! Tomorrow is Good Friday, and it will be good indeed, since I will be in the woods for opening morning, instead of working!!!

I am hunting alone, which means pulling double duty as hunter and cameraman. I will be using a two-camera set-up, with my Panasonic DVC30 filming all the hunt action, while my trusty little Sony DCR TRV19 will be locked down and rolling on me, as I work the calls. Hunting and filming alone is challenging enough, but hauling around two cameras and gear, plus my hunting gear is tough, but worth the effort. I’ll let you all know how the opening weekend goes, early next week.

doodaa

In 2004, I bought a 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500 4×4, Z71 edition. It’s fully loaded, and has served me well on and off the highway. But now that gas is fast approaching $4 a gallon, my wallet can’t take any more abuse. My truck averages about 16 miles per gallon, and that adds up quick during deer season. So, I am selling my trusty 4×4 to a friend, and am now driving a 2007 Jeep Patriot. My average gas mileage will now be in the mid 20’s per gallon, and my monthly note has even dropped by $100. It was a wise, but tough decision. I will miss my truck, but the Patriot is fun to drive, roomy and is four wheel drive. It’s not as capable as my truck, but that’s okay, since I am also going to give up my spot on the deer lease. The places I will concentrate my hunting don’t require the four wheel drive capabilities I needed on the deer lease, so the basic 4×4 of my Patriot should be more than enough.

So why am not going to stay on the deer lease? Well, the distance to drive to the lease is about the same as driving to hunt on family land in Leton and Ruston, Louisiana. So by not paying lease dues puts even more money back in my pocket each year. This is a tough time for many people, thanks in part to super high gas prices. I’m not a person who likes to waste money, and feel I can help my family more by tightening up, but without sacrificing my passion for hunting and fishing.

So, this blog entry is dedicated to my faithful Silverado, and the moments we shared at the deer lease. It was at that lease that I made one particular buck famous, with three errant shots. And it was my truck that hauled ol’ Three Strike out of the woods of that lease a year later. With change comes new beginnings, and I look forward to new outdoor moments with my new Jeep Patriot.

doodaa

Several weeks ago I posted up part one on a discussion of video camera formats, and which is the better choice. Here is part two…

MiniDV Format
A lot of people confuse MiniDV with the MiniDVD format cameras. They are completely opposite of each other, in that MiniDV is digital tape, and MiniDVD is the smaller version of a DVD. MiniDV camcorders have pretty much put an end to 8mm format cameras. As I mentioned in part one, you can still find a Sony model Digital8 camcorder in some electronics stores, but it’s price is in the same neighborhood (often higher) as the plethora of MiniDV cams on the market. MiniDV beats D8 in three areas: Price, Resolution and Size. MiniDV cams can be purchased for as little as $200; the tapes offer 530 lines of resolution, compared to 500 lines of resolution in D8 format; MiniDV cameras are half the size and smaller than D8 camcorders. Another benefit is that there are several HiDef MiniDV cam models on the market, and most record directly to MiniDV tapes (some record to drives only – more on that later), whereas D8 cameras cannot record high-definition video.

So which MiniDV camera is the best? That really depends on your shooting style, and just how you will use the camera. If you are simply going to record family vacations and birthday parties, then any camcorder you pick will serve you well, and I suggest spending as little as possible. If you plan to step outside the realms of family videography, and want to record your hunting/fishing excursions, then I suggest looking for a camera model that comes with a few extras. Look for camcorders that allow you to connect an external microphone. Also, make sure the camera allows you to override the automatic controls, such as focus, iris and white balance. Being able to manually adjust those three features can greatly improve the quality of your footage. Another feature to consider is a camcorder that has a port for connecting a device that attaches to your tripod, and allows you to control functions such as focus, iris, zoom and record remotely (LANC port on Sony cameras). Varizoom makes several models for the most popular cameras on the market, and while they are a bit pricey, you will be pleased with the end result of not having to touch your camera to make shot adjustments.

One more detail to consider when looking into MiniDV camcorders is how the tape loads. I have a Sony DCR-TRV19 that is a wonderful second camera, but it’s a bottom loader. That means that when I have to switch tapes, and the camera is on a tripod, I have to take it off the tripod head, remove the boot, and then swap tapes. It’s a hassle, to say the least, but now that it’s my second camera I don’t have to go through the swapping as much as before. If you plan to do a lot of shooting with your camera, a tripod or some sort of stabilizer is a must, and having a camera that loads tapes from the top will be a time saver.

Internal/Removable Hard Disk Drive Format
The new kid on the block are hard disk drive camcorders that record to internal and/or removable drives. These nifty cameras have come a long way in the last few years, and are a pretty good alternative to using tapes. The biggest pro is that you don’t have to buy new tapes everytime you turn around. MiniDV tapes cost $5-$6 each, depending on the brand and amount you purchase at one time. That can add up quick if you do a lot of shooting. The internal drive camcorders can usually hold about an hour’s worth of footage, which is comparable to the amount you can fit on a MiniDV tape. And unlike MiniDV tapes, you can dump the footage from the drive into your computer, and then record on a clean drive all over again. It’s not a good idea to reuse MiniDV tapes, since your second time around can result in video drop-outs and/or poor audio.

Of course, if you are in the field and you fill up the internal drive of your camcorder, you will likely not have a computer handy in which to dump your footage, to make room for new video. That’s a drawback that has to be considered when purchasing a new internal drive camcorder. The early models that JVC first introduced recorded to an internal, non-removable drive, but they quickly added a model that allowed you to swap out the drives. And the newer drive format camcorders that other companies have introduced have done the same. The only drawback is price. The swappable micro drives can be pretty pricey, especially if you want to keep a few extras in your pocket. And that’s combined with the fact that the drive-recordable camcorders are, on average, several hundred dollars higher in price than MiniDV cameras.

Drive-recordable camcorders are also smaller than the average MiniDV camera, which means it packs easy – a nice factor if you have to a walk a pretty good distance to your deer stand – but the diminuitive styling has it’s drawbacks. Since they can fit neatly into the palm of your hand, your footage can become the victim of camera shake more easily. Steady shot does help, if it’s an added feature on the camera, but shooter must remember that any sudden movement can be greatly exaggerated by a lightweight camcorder. Another con with the smaller size is that there’s simply not enough room for extras, such as ports for headphones or an external microphone, and some don’t offer the manual focus option. They are simply designed for convenient point and shoot recording. And speaking of point and shoot cameras, there are several very small, shirt pocket sized models on the market now that are very slim and easy to use. Most only record to an internal memory drive, but several have ample room for the on-the-go videographer – and they cost much less than hard disk drive camcorders that carry familiar names, and can multi-task as a video/digital still camera.

If you are in the market to add a new camcorder to the family, I hope the information provided here, and in part one will help keep you from getting overwhelmed by the many options on the market today. This is just a brief overview of the formats, and should help point you in the right direction. Once you decide on the format that is right for you, then you start researching the different brands and models, to determine which camera will fit your shooting style and needs. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask them. I will respond as quickly as possible. Thanks for reading…

doodaa

Well, I’m back from my vacation. We spent five days on a cruise ship down Mexico way, and it was a much needed break. I have more to look forward to, as well. Turkey season kicks off next Friday, and I am fired up and ready to take on the challenge of those wiley gobblers. Not only was the vacation a good time for rejuvination, but I was also working hard ahead of the cruise losing a few pounds and getting my body whipped into a semi-presentable beach form.

The added benefit of working out again will pay off during turkey season, since I am a run-and-gun hunter. I walk a lot during turkey season, covering as much ground as possible in pursuit of a receptive gobbler. The time I have been spending on the treadmill and working out will definitely give me more stamina in the turkey woods – especially compared to the last couple of seasons.

So, what do you guys and gals do to prepare for the challenges of turkey hunting? If you have a certain routine that helps keep you in shape for your type of outdoor activities, let me know. I look forward to the responses.

Happy Hunting,

doodaa