# Predator Quest the show



## badlander (Dec 15, 2006)

Has anyone else seen this show? I was in Minot for the class B Basketball Games. Friday after the games I got back to the Motel and it was on. I watched Les Johnson shot a Coyote with his Bolt up. There were 3 differant Camera angles on the same Coyote. One of the angles was the Camera in front of him,then one in front and off his left shoulder and the other one was behind him and off his Right shoulder all as the Coyote is coming in. The Coyote was coming in and he put his Shotgun to the side and pulled up his Rifle on a Bipod and and watched it in the Scope. They showed the Coyote go down at 125 yds and when they swiched back to him he said " I got him" and his bolt was in the up postion. I noticed the bolt up when he brought the Rifle up to take the shot.

I know putting a show together is tough. But they should try to make thing alittle more real. And not try to pull the wool over peoples eyes. I havnt seen many show like this. Are all Predator shows flimed in this manor? They never really show much of the calling. He was using a Foxpro 532 with a Jack Rabbit distress for about 5 secs.

I don't think if had the chance again if I would ever watch the show again.


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## Bloodyblinddoors (Oct 25, 2006)

badlander said:


> I don't think if had the chance again if I would ever watch the show again.


Why not? I think it would be fun to sit and rip on all the fake made up stuff. But I'm a sick and twisted indevidual. It would be like Jerry Springer for the predator caller :lol:


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

I haven't seen the show Predator Quest but I have "Best of the Quest" which is a video of episodes of the show. I agree with you.

I was disappointed in the video. It has good footage, and is pretty to look at with the scenary but they did too hard of a job editing.

Like you said they have a camera angle in front of Les and then behind, yet you never, ever see another camera in the background. One of the dumbest parts is when there is a coyote dang near running up on them and Jeff Johnson is standing up going "Right there! Shoot him!" and he's laughing while he's saying it. It reminded me of the Saturday Night Live skits when the actors can't keep a straight face and start laughing during the skit.

I would much rather watch Rick Paillet or Randy Anderson where maybe the footage is a little shakier and they aren't as zoomed in as far but at least you know they didn't go shoot a coyote, then 10 minutes later re-film themselves setting up and everything.

I am going to have to go back and watch that video to see if I can see where his bolt is up.

P.S. I by no means disrespect Les. He is a great caller and I would love to meet him someday. I just think his older video (Quest for Coyotes) is much much better.


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

I also like Les's first video first but that one was made for Predator Callers mainly and not main stream TV. But i have a tough time really being hard on any of the guys that take the time to put a video together because it takes ALOT of work!!!


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## ND Five O (Dec 30, 2003)

Did anybody cath what channel the show was on so I can check it out????


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## fingerz42 (Aug 13, 2006)

Dont know what episode thye are talking about but you can see a bunch of his episodes right from his site..
https://secure.predatorquest.com/episodes.php


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## AutumnFalls (Mar 2, 2007)

badlander said:


> Has anyone else seen this show? I was in Minot for the class B Basketball Games. Friday after the games I got back to the Motel and it was on. I watched Les Johnson shot a Coyote with his Bolt up. There were 3 differant Camera angles on the same Coyote. One of the angles was the Camera in front of him,then one in front and off his left shoulder and the other one was behind him and off his Right shoulder all as the Coyote is coming in. The Coyote was coming in and he put his Shotgun to the side and pulled up his Rifle on a Bipod and and watched it in the Scope. They showed the Coyote go down at 125 yds and when they swiched back to him he said " I got him" and his bolt was in the up postion. I noticed the bolt up when he brought the Rifle up to take the shot.
> 
> I know putting a show together is tough. But they should try to make thing alittle more real. And not try to pull the wool over peoples eyes. I havnt seen many show like this. Are all Predator shows flimed in this manor? They never really show much of the calling. He was using a Foxpro 532 with a Jack Rabbit distress for about 5 secs.
> 
> I don't think if had the chance again if I would ever watch the show again.


You guys would be amazed to know how much outdoors TV is filmed out of sequence, or in different locations all together. In a previous life not long ago I did a lot of video work including TV commercials, corporate blah blah etc... I became very interested in doing outdoors work and met with the video production team for a very large camo company who's garments do not stink. Not only did I learn during that lunch meeting that a high percentage of b-roll footage was not shot during the actual animal encounter, it may have been shot in a complete different location. Since then i've watched hunting shows very differently and have seen some crazy stuff.. Like guys dressed in similar, but different closthing from scene to scene. One piece coveralls one minute, jacket and pants the next... Baseball cap in once scene, headnet in another... etc. This particular company would take a picture of the hunters on the first day of the shoot so they knew how to dress them when they shot B-roll footage at a later date.

To this day I still love video work. I love the outdoors and I will be archiving a number of my hunts once I have the skills to actually call something in  Tonight when I watched the "verminators" DVD I wanted to cry. Horrible quality, horrible editing, horrible camera work etc.... I also had some issues with a few of the kills but I wont go down that slippery slope


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

AutumnFalls

What didn't you like about Verminators? You sound like you know a lot about making films. Just curious what you didn't like. Was it the quality aspect? Or editing putting different parts in like you mentioned in your post? What I'm tyring to say is...is the Verminators edited beyond belief or is that actual footage of someone calling and the animal coming in? What do you think?


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## LeviM (Dec 3, 2006)

I got a huge amount of respect for Les Johnson. He is an excellent tournament hunter, and an unbelievable coyote hunter. I believe he won nationals again this year with 22 coyotes in 2 days. I bet putting together any kind of video or television shows is really hard, especially coyote hunting videos. You got to think how timid coyotes are to start with, now you got a television crew out there with you when you trying to call them in. I have a hard enough time with 2 people.

I believe you have to do more listening then watching when comes to hunting videos. There are alot of helpful points you can pick up on if you pay attention close enough


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## AutumnFalls (Mar 2, 2007)

Fallguy said:


> AutumnFalls
> 
> What didn't you like about Verminators? You sound like you know a lot about making films. Just curious what you didn't like. Was it the quality aspect? Or editing putting different parts in like you mentioned in your post? What I'm tyring to say is...is the Verminators edited beyond belief or is that actual footage of someone calling and the animal coming in? What do you think?


Good Morning Fall!

First and foremost the video quality was poor and the the editing was bad as well. Editing is a tool that can be used to make up for some bad camera work and they just didn't do that. For example, there are times during that video where the camera is pointing at nothing to advance the story. Random camera movements where the viewer is forced to look at out of focus trees, shrubs etc. These are not attempts to view game, these are just random camera movements. Take that garbage out. If for some reason you need to fill those 6 seconds, edit in something else like nice scenery, a finger on the trigger, breath vapors on a cold morning. Those were my biggest technical issues with the video. It just could have been done a lot better, with not a lot of additional effort required.

I also understand that these guys are passionate about predator hunting and not video work. They also made the decision to save the money and not have it produced for them. Don't get me wrong, I give them credit for doing it themselve's as they are keeping their margins higher (profit) and are selling a boat load of DVD's. That's solid business.

There is also the fine line in producing a hunting video that needs to be addressed. Do you cater to the guy who want's to see violent kills or the guy who want's to see the process of successfully calling in and harvesting of an animial? Truth be told, i'm in the later group and really struggled seeing these guys blow the front leg of a Coyote off and then kneel over it and say it was a great shot... Even though they had to chase it through the brush to finish it off. Not only do they show the graphic kill, they will often times replay it in slow motion. Yea. let me see that bobcat's head explode one more time. I have a huge amount of respect for the animals that I decided hunt, be it Whitetail or Coyote. To me the biggest thrill is the chase, the game of "you didn't see me, hear me or smell me.. I win!" I think that is my biggest attraction to Coyote, it's a hell of a chase with a steep learning curve.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Levi

I agree with you. I did pick up some things from Les's video that I was talking about. But we all know that you need to be a critic sometimes. I believe that is how things get better. You get people who make comments, and whether they be good or bad, products are going to improve because of those comments.


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## AutumnFalls (Mar 2, 2007)

Fallguy said:


> AutumnFalls
> 
> What didn't you like about Verminators? You sound like you know a lot about making films. Just curious what you didn't like. Was it the quality aspect? Or editing putting different parts in like you mentioned in your post? What I'm tyring to say is...is the Verminators edited beyond belief or is that actual footage of someone calling and the animal coming in? What do you think?


Fall, I did not answer that last question in my previous post. I do think that they captured the events as they unfolded.

As for the other posts above stating that filming a hunting video is hard work. That is very true. A friend of mine spent a fall working on a prodcution team for the Outdoor Channel. He traveled the country as a member of the prodcution crew and his role was that of a camera operator. The days were ridiculously long and filled with fatigue. You'd be up well before dawn to get to the location and shoot all morning. You'd get a short break for lunch and then it was off to the next spot. Repeat, film until dark and then have dinner... go to bed... repeat. Even though they were filming in huge, enclosed habitats there were plenty of days where nothing would show.... After hearing that my desire to go work for an outdoor production company vanished.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Did I read that right? ENCLOSED HABITATS? Have I been living in a cave? Is this common practice? If I ever have to hunt in an enclosed habitat that will be the day I quit hunting.


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

Not to be a stickler but Les shot 20 coyotes in two days :wink: nine the first and eleven the second it was a new record for nationals. I couldn't believe it when he showed up with 11 the second day there was coyotes spilling out all over the sides of his box .

I myself won't buy an "entertainment" video if they blacken out the impact. There is things that can be learned and observed from the impact. I don't like all the added BS to any of the videos but i understand that is part of the industry now so they have to do it. Myself i would rather just buy the raw footage without the editing


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## LeviM (Dec 3, 2006)

Brad-

Good you bring up some good points! I wish I could show up to a tournament with coyotes over flowing my truck!!!


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Brad

Didnt' Les actually only hunt the morning of that second day, and was so confident that he would win, he went into town and ate lunch prior to checking in? (For those who dont' know your check in time breaks any ties).


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## neb_bo (Feb 3, 2007)

on the verminators videos, i agree with brad. i get very sick of watching the false backslaps, and yee haws, and all the "b footage". id rather see a regular joe out there doing the best he can with what hes got. and as for the kill shots, id much rather see a bad shot and learn something. i respect the fact that some might not like the kill shot, and some of the stuff they put on tv probably shouldnt be there. but when i go buy a video, it better have kill shots. even though they arent the whole hunt, they are the most important part, especialy if you respect the animal.


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

Yes he did Fallguy. The second day of nationals you have to check in by 3 Les and his partner were eating lunch with 11 coyotes for the morning by like 1 and then went and checked in. They ended up winning by two or three i believe


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

That's pretty bold.


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## AutumnFalls (Mar 2, 2007)

neb_bo said:


> on the verminators videos, i agree with brad. i get very sick of watching the false backslaps, and yee haws, and all the "b footage". id rather see a regular joe out there doing the best he can with what hes got. and as for the kill shots, id much rather see a bad shot and learn something. i respect the fact that some might not like the kill shot, and some of the stuff they put on tv probably shouldnt be there. but when i go buy a video, it better have kill shots. even though they arent the whole hunt, they are the most important part, especialy if you respect the animal.


I have no problem with a kill shot and agree that it's a must have for any hunting video. What I do have problems with are people showing coyotes getting their front leg blown off and to see it struggle to get away on 3 sticks. Some people prefer raunchy, dirty porn where the chicks have pimples on their ***. I however, like a more polished product where if the chicks do have pimples on their backside, they have a makeup artist onset to cover it up


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

I should clarrify that it wasn't really being cocky on Les's part but his partner this year was a little older guy and they had done a lot of long drags getting a triple on the first stand and a double on the second so it was more just because they were EXASUTED! The wind had also really came up so les figured that no one had a morning like them and with the wind no one was going to have a good afternoon to catch them


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Brad

That makes sense. Nothing wrong with a little confidence though!


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

Thats right! 8)


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