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'Regular guys' DVD sales taking off across the state October 7, 2007 |
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Reality hunting remains the focus as producers of the DVD "Iowa Giants - Tails from Your Backyard," increase distribution of their first DVD and seek video-taped turkey and deer hunts for their next productions.
Steve Cannon of Des Moines, Brant "Toad" Fox of Colfax and Bill Jackson of Waukee - regular guys who like to bow hunt - are excited the DVD, which debuted in March, was recently picked up for distribution by Casey's General Stores. That places the product on the counter in more than 1,400 stores in nine states, Cannon said. Suddenly, the DVD has gone from a few thousand sold to a potential 15,000 copies in one outlet alone. "That's huge for us," Cannon said. "The people going into Casey's are in the market we want to reach." The DVD, which features hunting action submitted by regular Iowans including men, women and children, is also sold in most Scheels All Sports stores, as well as Theisen's Home Farm and Auto around Iowa and in individual bow shops and bars. DVD's are nothing new in the hunting world. What makes "Iowa Giants" different is the reality. Professional hunters who make videos shoot tons of footage and often end up using only the most successful hunts, the ones in which deer with the biggest antlers, or trophy turkeys are killed, Cannon said. Most of the time, the hunts go along smoothly and most of the shots taken hit the intended target. Real-life hunting isn't always about success and having a perfect experience. "Sure, we have hunts where there are nice animals, but we also show hunts where the hunters don't get any game," Cannon said. "We show hunts where we make mistakes. It's all part of hunting." Cannon believes he and his two partners have been successful in selling the DVD because it contains at least 40 hunts in Iowa by Iowans. Those stories include not only the classic big buck and big turkey hunts, but also a variety of other hunters and experiences. The balance of hunts on the DVD are shot by a number of hunters affiliated with a company called Real Hunting. Seventy-two of the DVDs have been sold since March at Central Iowa Archery in Des Moines, said shop owner Brady Bruning. He didn't know what to expect when he heard about the "Iowa Giants" DVD. Now, he recommends it as a good hunting DVD. "It doesn't show the most gigantic deer, but it is everyday people out hunting," he said. "I think people are getting kind of tired of all the commercial-type hunting DVDs." Plans for the next two DVDs are just as big and real, Cannon said. First, the men are taking hunting video submissions for a second "Iowa Giants" DVD. Hunters participating in the bow hunting deer seasons, along with others, will be able to send in videos from their current deer hunts. More than 100 submissions were sent in for the first DVD. People who submit videos deemed the best will receive hunting-related prize packages. The new DVD will include some youth deer hunts videotaped by the men with Real Hunting, as well as videos of turkey and deer hunting. But they aren't stopping there, with plans in the works for a nation-wide whitetail DVD, and a hunting DVD for youth 6-12 years old. Cannon recently video-taped a hunt with Halee Myers, 11, and her father, John Myers, of Ankeny, where Halee shot a large whitetail buck with a muzzleloader during youth deer season in September. "That will be on the next 'Iowa Giants,' and on the youth DVD," he said. "We will call the youth DVD 'Real Hunting Presents Real Kids,' " Cannon said. "We already have nine youth hunts video-taped for that. We're probably more excited about that project than anything." |