This post gets away from deer manipulation a little and explores hunting technology. I just want to say that although it would be awesome, I am not sponsored by anyone. The technology I want to strongly suggest is a weapon mounted camera. I have experience with two separate cameras one of which is out dated. Before selecting my current camera I did my research and spoke with many that owned various makes and models. I do want to highlight some key factors that I feel are important when selecting a camera.
When I bought my first camera which was a Midland XTC there were not many on the market to choose from. I didn't want to spend the extra dough to get the necessary mount to screw in a stabilizer so I just had one machined. It was a great camera at the time and was a wonderful starting point. Let's just say it was enough to hook me into never hunting without one. I hunted with it a few years until one particular hunt where I had a trophy within bow range but had no shot. I thought at least I would have camera footage of the buck but soon found out the low light of the early morning didn't allow me to see much of any antlers on the video. Being frustrated I set out on a quest which took almost a year to find the right camera. I did learn something on that particular hunt that would define the key features I was looking for. It had to be a camera that was designed for hunting. The Midland XTC was a camera made for action situations not necessarily detail.
In my quest I looked at different options including all of the popular makes and models like GoPro and Ion. All were great cameras but they didn't hit the nail on the head for what I wanted. The Ion was small enough and the GoPro had excellent quality. However, as I researched I found out more things I didn't like for the purpose of hunting and less things that sold me on those cameras. I wanted something that would only take a second to start recording and didn't require me to navigate a menu or press more than one button. I needed something that wasnt going to distort an image the further from the camera it got. I also wanted something designed to mount to my bow and would record a good image in low light situations.. When I found the Tactacam I found all of that and then some. I am not saying the others are not excellent products, anything is better than nothing. All I will say is it definitely is designed for hunting and you can't go wrong with the price. It can also mount to a gun or crossbow without adhesive.
I did say earlier that it took me almost a year to find the camera for me. So if this camera is so awesome why did it take so long? It was mostly because I wanted to go the mainstream route and didn't want to take a chance on a newer brand or product. But after I put the pro's and con's on paper I soon realized the paper had little written in favor of the mainstream cameras. I did however come up with a few things I didn't like about the Tactacam. I wish they would work on a better audio record feature as I feel it isn't as good as other cameras out there. I also wish there was a way to turn the blinking light off when it is recording. I have yet to have a deer even notice it but it would be nice nonetheless. Whatever your needs are just be sure to weigh your options and be true to yourself as to what you want to do with the camera.
Besides simply being awesome, what practical purpose does having a camera on your weapon pose? I have found mine useful for various reasons. Number one is I always wanted to film my hunts but I can't expect someone to sit in a tree with me for days on end for that one particular moment. I also find it impractical to have a camera strapped to a tree only to have to point it in the direction before I shoot without managing to scare a deer away. Now from a recovery aspect, by timing your shot you are able to to see shot placement on the animal and figure out which vitals if any you hit. A camera also allows you to follow the wounded animal until the last visible moment. That way you can review the video and figure out where to search for blood if you are having a hard time picking up the trail. And finally, if you simply can't get a shot off on a trophy at least you will have footage. We hope it doesn't happen that way but it has to me.
Again I am not a sponsor but I just thought I should relay how excellent of a product Tactacam has for the hunting world. Definitely worth the price. Whatever you use to film your hunt send me a link of your hunt, I love watching them.
Below is a video shot from my Tactacam of my 2014 bow kill
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