African Hunting Videos! |
| Africa's Perfectly Shot Dangerous and Plains Game 1 hour 50 minutes | ||
By Hope Kalteis
All in one motion he sprints to his right, shoulders his double rifle, pulls the trigger and erases a record book cape buffalo from the South African bush. It`s not the typical way most buffalo are taken, but then Marc Watts is not your typical hunter.
The cape buffalo kill is one of twenty hunts featured in his latest video release, "Africa`s Perfectly Shot Dangerous and Plainsgame, Volume II." It`s a sequel even better than his debut, "Africa`s Perfectly Shot Plainsgame," released in December 2002.
In his latest video, Watts transports viewers to South Africa; they almost feel like they`re riding along with him in the Land Cruiser on safari. The reason? Watts shoots his videos in real time. You see the action as it unfolds. As a correspondent for CNN, Watts wasn`t allowed to do re-creations for the nightly news, so he doesn`t do them now in his hunting videos either.
"All the fake stuff takes away from the realism and credibility of the hunt," says Watts. "If you want to make hunting movies go to Hollywood."
Fortunately for Watts, he rarely misses with his rifle. But when he does he`s admirably honest. No matter what happens, Watts tells it like it is after each trophy kill. He squats next to the animal and in play-by-play detail relives the exciting hunt to the camera.
"It`s my way of giving the animal its due respect. And I also want to provide a video journal of what I was thinking or what the viewer didn`t see before I pulled the trigger. Too many times you see the hunter rushing off to the next hunt. And anyone who has hunted knows it`s really not like that," says Watts.
On this latest video Watts also predicts to the camera where he`s going to place the shot then delivers with pinpoint accuracy. And we`re not talking about chip shots either.
From 250 yards away across a dry riverbed he takes aim at a waterbuck, and shouts out to the cameraman, "Kappie, I`m aiming for his shoulder. He`ll probably run but not far." BAM! Dead waterbuck.
Later on a burchell`s zebra, quartering towards him from 225 yards, Watts steadies his gun on the shooting sticks before yelling out, "Kappie, I`m aiming just to the left of his left front shoulder. He should drop in his tracks. Standby." BAM! Flattened zebra.
An eland from 240 yards! A warthog from 375 yards! BAM! BAM! And many more, including two cape buffalo and a rhino. The rhino hunt is particularly exciting. Watts ran, jumped, and crawled through miles of bush for two days before bringing the old bull down.
On "Africa`s Perfectly Shot Dangerous and Plainsgame, Volume II," Watts teams up once again with award-winning South African cameraman Emmanuel "Kappie" Kapp.
Also back for the second time is professional hunter, Marius Kotze, of Rhinoland Safaris in Ellisras, South Africa. This 50-thousand acre concession in Limpopo Province holds nearly all of the 37 species of native plainsgame in South Africa, and all of the Big Five except lion.
The hunting sequences unfold one day at a time and everything is presented in chronological order of how it actually happened. In between each day Watts provides shooting tips and video flashbacks from previous videos. Commercial spots have even been edited in for sponsors. Add it all up and it makes for a blockbuster 2 hour safari like none you`ve ever seen before. A first-timer or veteran safari hunter should find this offering entertaining and informational.
Direct purchases can be made by calling Sable Trail Productions at (312) 226- 4047. Prices are the standard $29.95 for VHS and $39.95 for DVD. Online orders can be placed at www.SableTrailProductions.com. You can also purchase Watts` real-time line of videos at Cabela`s. They were so impressed with his first video that the hunting line has now added it to their catalogs and stores. Visit www.cabelas.com.
If you purchase all 5 DVD titles in the Sable Trail series, you will receive FREE SHIPPING ($15.00 value), a FREE SABLE TRAIL HAT ($15.00 value) and we'll knock another $14.75 off the total price of your order. That's a total savings of $44.75! All this for a total purchase price of $180.00!