The Obsession Continues…

I was recently passed a copy of the new Predator Obsession 2, and since I had not gotten a chance to view the first installment of the Predator Obsession series, I was anxious to sit down and watch it. I had read the reviews of the first Predator Obsession on Predator Masters, and I quickly learned that Scott Ruff and Richard Thornburg had stayed with the style of the first video. The old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind.

Let me start by saying that the quality of the video is excellent. By this, I mean that the footage is in focus, and not shaky or jumping all of over the place. There is none of that low light footage that leaves you wondering what you are really looking at. The sound is also good, and when the voices are low, they add text at the bottom so you can follow what is happening. If you have seen those videos that are out of focus or make you feel sea sick from watching things jump all over the screen, and have you going “what did he say?” you will appreciate the detail to filming that these guys take.

The hunts mainly take place in Oklahoma, and Texas, and they include a short segment on prairie dog hunting and even bust a big hog on one of their South Texas hunts. But, probably most impressive is that there is a LOT of bobcat footage. In fact, this video has more bobcat footage than any other predator hunting video I have seen. If you live in an area that doesn’t have many cats, this video will be a real treat for you. Not only do they call in a lot of bobcats, they put them right in your face. One even puts his nose on the decoy!

Other aspects of the video that I enjoyed was the fact that they were not afraid to show their misses, or the stands where the coyotes didn’t come from where they thought they were going to. For those of us that have had those misses or stands where the coyote came from where we least expected it, we can find comfort in the fact that even the best make those same mistakes. Scott and Richard also insert diagrams of their stands to give you an idea of what they were thinking when they set up the way they did, which I have not seem in a lot of videos, and they also offer a tutorial segment on ‘calling a stand” to again give you insight on how they approach a stand and how they call it. Richard also gives an excellent bobcat skinning demonstration, and even gives away a little trick that I had not seen before, but will be using the next time I skin out that bobcat or coyote.

The downside of Predator Obsession 2 is minimal. The narration and presentation are not as smooth and slick as some, but you have to remember that these guys are predator hunters and not Hollywood actors.

I think that as they continue to add to their video work, they will become as comfortable in front of the camera as they are expert behind the camera. If you are an avid PM member, you may recognize a couple of names and faces of their hunting partners, but I wish they would have taken a little more time to introduce us to them, and given a summary of the stand results more often.

So, do I recommend this video? You bet I do. Did I say there is a LOT of bobcat footage? That alone sets this video apart. These guys are active members of PM, and they have paid attention to what predator hunters old and new want to see in a predator hunting video. You want to know how to set up? They show you. You want to know how to skin a cat? They show you. I think you get the picture. The next time you are out, pick up a copy of Predator Obsession 2, and I can’t wait to see Predator Obsession 3.