Painted Arrow Outdoors Products
Have you ever missed an opportunity to shoot an animal because you were trying to self-film? Self-filming can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be. Painted Arrow Outdoors has created a fantastic product to simplify self-filming with your compound bow. If your heart yearns to pursue turkeys, whitetails, or other animals, Painted Arrow Outdoors has you covered.
MAG-PRO PLUS
The MAG-PRO PLUS was created to hold larger phones so hunters could self-film their hunts. A strong N50 magnet keeps your phone secure when paired with the provided steel plate. Using the provided foam dampener between the MAG-PRO PLUS and your stabilizer helps lessen video distortion on the shot. Painted Arrow Outdoors supplies a nylon washer that you use to reduce noise and vibration. This washer will go between the MAG-PRO PLUS and where you screw the stabilizer into your bow.
The standard MAG-PRO PLUS and the 8-Degree MAG-PRO PLUS weigh 4.2 ounces and fit the standard 5/16th stabilizer threads. Hunters that use a 10-degree quick disconnect should use the 8-degree MAG-PRO PLUS. Painted Arrow Outdoors is proud to produce all their products in the USA!
Does the MAG-PRO PLUS WORK?
In the past, I have videoed as many hunts as possible. I tried numerous products to help me accomplish this goal. I often lugged a camera arm and an HD video camera to the stand. This extra weight and equipment became a burden. Being left-handed, running a video camera alone took a lot of work. The viewfinder on the camera was on the wrong side, and I missed opportunities for the animals I was hunting.
Not happy with the camera arm and the HD camera, I decided to try a Tactacam camera. These cameras were average at best for my intentions. I liked the cameras' functionality and the Bluetooth availability, but I wanted something better. I knew there had to be a better option for self-filming my hunts.
In the spring of 2022, I saw an advertisement on Facebook from Painted Arrow Outdoors that showcased the MAG-PRO PLUS. I went to their website, watched a few videos about the product, and then emailed the company to ask some questions. The idea of using a magnet to mount the camera to a bow was brilliant. Since cameras on cell phones are better quality than most hand-held cameras. I considered ordering a MAG-PRO PLUS magnetic phone mount.
After researching and emailing the company several times, I finally purchased my first magnetic camera mount. The shipping was quick, and my product arrived in less than three days. To install the bow mount, I unscrewed my front stabilizer and put the bow mount on, then reattached my stabilizer. I placed the foam pad on the bottom of the bow mount, and it fits perfectly against my stabilizer. The last thing I had to do was put the magnet on the back of my phone case.
Once I set the MAG-PRO PLUS bow holder up, I tested the product. I was impressed with how well the camera stayed on the magnet. The foam pad on the stabilizer kept my phone from bouncing everywhere. The video was of better quality than other products I had previously tried. I was excited for the archery season to arrive so I could video my hunts.
I practiced shooting my bow with my MAG-PRO PLUS throughout the summer. This helped me practice shooting my bow and keeping the target in the frame after my shot. Keeping animals and targets in the frame is easy because the MAG-PRO is attached close to the bow grip. The more I used the MAG-PRO PLUS, the easier it became to self-film what I was shooting.
Archery season finally arrived, and I was pumped to video my hunts. The MAG-PRO PLUS made filming and following the deer easy as they fed on acorns and walked past my stand. I took my phone off the MAG-PRO PLUS and watched the video I had taken. The video quality was incredible!
Pennsylvania Success
On the evening of October 8th, I headed to my treestand hoping to self-film a doe harvest. Sitting in the stand, I watched multiple does emerge from the woodline to feed in the lush green clover. I grabbed my Darton Spectra E32 and pressed the record button on my phone. Because the MAG-PRO PLUS held my phone, I could video with one hand and range a doe with the other.
I heard a buck grunt while waiting for the mature doe to give me a broadside shot. I reached for my buck grunt tube and gave a few low grunts. The familiar sound of a deer walking in leaves filled my ears. Slowly I turned in my seat and waited for the deer to appear.
Antlers materialized first, and then I saw the rest of the deer. I was already at full draw, and the eight-point stood twelve yards away. My heart raced as I waited to release my Black Eagle Rampage arrow. The buck took one more step and gave me the shot I needed. I watched the red Halo Nock fly like a laser beam and disappear behind the buck's shoulder.
The mortally hit buck bolted down the hill and crashed. Did I get the hunt on film? I reached for my phone and pulled it off the MAG-PRO PLUS. I switched the camera to see myself on the screen and then talked about the hunt. I pressed the record button to stop the recording. It was time for the moment of truth!
I went to the gallery on my camera and located the video. Anticipation made me scroll through the video of the doe. On my camera, I could see the buck in the center of the frame. The MAG-PRO PLUS did its job! The video footage was perfect and captured the critical moment of impact without much distortion. I couldn't wait to show my children the video when I got home.
Ohio Success
After shooting my Pennsylvania buck, I decided to hunt Ohio. On the morning of October 30th, I headed to Ohio for some rut action. The weather was perfect for a pre-rut hunt with cool temps and a high-pressure system.
In the dark, my headlamp reflected off the frost that coated the leaves. Quietly, I made my way to the swamp stand. When I reached the logging road near the swamp, I stopped to put some Smokey's Doe Interdigital Plus on my boots. I knew the time was right to use this secret weapon and hoped a cruising buck would find the trail.
Walking on the frosty leaves, I tried to mimic the sound of a deer walking. After weaving my way through downed treetops, I arrived at my stand. Taking my time, I climbed up the ladder stand and tethered my safety harness to the tree. After pulling up my bow, I hung it on my bow hanger and put my camera on the MAG-PRO PLUS.
The first orange bursts of light peaked through the trees in the eastern sky while Venus was still shining bright. I watched the woods come alive, and the sky became a bright blue canopy. Movement near the swamp made me grab my bow and press the record button on my phone.
A deer walked briskly toward my stand and closed the distance fast. The young spike smelled the trail I left and was coming to investigate. I kept recording as the buck passed directly beneath my stand. Before hanging my bow back on the hanger, I pressed pause on my phone. A sixth sense told me there was something else near the swamp.
Everything was calm, and I could hear a deer splashing through the swamp. Once again, I picked up my bow, hoping the deer would find the trail of Smokey's Interdigital Plus I made. Antlers! Are those antlers? Another buck had emerged from the swamp, and he had his nose to the ground. I pressed pause on my phone and began filming the deer.
Like a bloodhound, the buck methodically followed my trail. I reached for my rangefinder and ranged the deer. The love-sick buck stopped forty yards away and began making a rub. After taking out some aggression on a maple tree, he continued to close the distance. The rut-crazed buck stopped again to scrape and rub another tree.
My rangefinder told me the buck was now at thirty yards. I waited patiently for the deer to turn broadside and offer me a shot. Instead of giving me a shot, the deer began walking towards my stand. When the buck reached twenty yards, he turned right and came directly to my stand.
As the buck passed behind a few trees, I drew my Darton Spectra E32. I floated the green pin of my HHA Tetra RYZ on the buck's vitals and waited until I had a clear shot. Tipped with a Thorn Rift 2.2 broadhead, my Black Eagle Rampage crushed the unsuspecting eight-point. The buck tried to jump some treetops and began his death run towards the swamp.
The buck crashed before reaching the swamp, and I began to celebrate. I pulled my phone off the MAG-PRO PLUS and finished talking about the hunt before pressing pause and climbing out of the stand. Once my feet were on the ground, I started recording again. The blood trail from the Thorn Rift 2.2 was easy to follow and led me to my Ohio trophy.
Thanks to the MAG-PRO PLUS, I self-filmed two phenomenal hunts with my cell phone. Because I set my phone on UHD, the video quality was exceptional. After editing the footage, I downloaded the video to my Youtube channel. The MAG-PRO PLUS is essential for bowhunters who want to self-film.
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