Watch for Robby Rohm's camera work on Bowhunter Magazine TV the week of December 18. We were hunting with Rob Nye at Camp Grayling (1-866-455-4488 or campgrayling.ca).

When things go wrong on a video hunt, I've heard some people say, "It's always the cameraman's fault." That's kind of a joke around the Bowhunter Magazine TV crew. It's easy to place blame on the other guy, but I know better.

Fitting the many pieces together that make up the jigsaw puzzle that is a successful TV hunt is always time-consuming and more often than not exceedingly demanding. When things don't go as planned, especially when that dark cloud seems to follow you from one hunt to another, it's easy to get frustrated. And it's human nature to lash out at someone else. But the truth is, our cameramen are the unsung heroes of our TV show.

Here are 10 reasons why you can't blame the cameraman if things don't go quite right:

10. Good cameramen are hard to find.
We have a couple of full-time cameramen on staff, but we rely on the services of a number of freelance cameramen. These guys are busy people. They're either running their own video production operations or are working at something outside the industry that pays real money. Their time is extremely valuable, and often they have to take vacation from their real work -- not to mention family and friends -- to fit into our schedule and follow us with a camera. To a one they're enthusiastic, accomplished outdoorsmen with an innate appreciation for nature and a desire to tell stories with video equipment. They're hard workers, happy to be behind the camera and not in front of it, and sticklers for detail, dedicated to capturing the minutia of any given hunt. The best ones develop a rapport with their hunter(s), have an easy going nature, and are able to dispel the fears of those who aren't comfortable in front of a camera lens -- and coach those who are. Best of all, these guys are team players who recognize that even if they've shot hunting video for other producers before, we have a Bowhunter Way of doing things.

9. The bulk of pre-hunt preparation and planning falls on their shoulders.
Let's face it. Being a cameraman isn't easy. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work. And the demands of any video assignment can be rigorous. First, you've got all sorts of planning meetings and phone calls...with hunters, with editors (from both the TV show and the magazine), and with outfitters. And then there are the lists...gear lists, shot lists, sometimes even grocery lists. Just coordinating travel plans and equipment needs can make for a migraine headache. I know one stout cameraman who even built a box to carry his hunter's Summit treestand on the plane to Canada for a spring bear hunt.

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