Video: ‘25 Horse’ Celebrates Flooded Timber Duck Hunters
OutdoorHub Reporters 12.12.16
Waterfowl hunting is steeped in tradition in many parts of the south. There is excitement, competition, plump ducks, fast boats and flooded timber. Getting to the best spot is often a race, and if you’ve never looked up YouTube videos of the famous Bayou Meto boat races, you need to check them out.
Sitka recently released a short video story called “25 Horse,” which was actually the second title they decided to give the film. The Bayou Meto video, showing hundreds of boats jockeying for position to get to the honey-hole before anyone else inspired the Sitka project, which was originally going to be called “Boat Race.” However, the races didn’t always turn out well. A few months before the duck season kicked off, Arkansas’ officials announced all boat racing would be now illegal, and hefty fines would be issued to those who would participate in the activity.
Ben Potter, from Cana Outdoors, said, “For me, it started while shooting “Dr. Duck” in 2014 when one of the crew showed me the video of the Bayou Meto famous boat races. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Hundreds of boats stacked in a slough ready to do anything to get the hole. I was amazed and knew there was a story there to tell.”
A year later, the story was confirmed when Sitka marketing brought up the idea and started planning for the coming season’s film. Shifting away from the actual racing of boats on opening day, the film crew stayed to capture the timber and the epic ride it gives every hunter who gets after it.
“25 Horse” pays tribute to those hunters willing to get after the rugged timber in hopes of a stack of greenheads by the end of the morning. There is lots of passion in Arkansas duck hunting, and the video shares a glimpse of what fuels hunters each and every season.
Watch and enjoy!
25 Horse – Full Film from SITKA Gear on Vimeo.
