In the Crosshairs and the Camera

by Chad Belding
Edited by M.D.Johnson
24 June 2008

Chad Belding remembers the first time he filmed a goose hunt with Team Zink. The young competitive goose caller and avid outdoorsman kept thinking how much more work was involved in filming as opposed to simply hunting. The digging, hammering, raking, covering, hiding – and that was l-o-n-g before anything associated with the decoys and blinds! Still, exceptional video footage is, without question, the result of attention to detail; that’s what Team Zink is all about. That was October of 2004, and ever since that cold morning in Canada, the young man has been addicted to filming he and his companion’s hunting exploits.

Upon his return to his home in Nevada, Belding spoke with his brother, Clay, about the possibility of filming coyote hunts. With Clay’s enthusiastic support, Belding then talked with Zink Calls owner, Fred Zink, about a new opportunity for Zink’s Ohio-based company – predator calls and DVDs. He explained that he and Clay had available ample hunting property and plenty of coyotes. "I told him, too," said Belding, "that we were determined to not only accomplish our goal, but to get the job done right.- Intrigued, Zink made arrangements to send the brothers the necessary tools, including cameras, tripods, and sound equipment.

The brothers’ first video experience took place 20 miles east of Reno, Nevada. The two set up below a line of railroad tracks adjacent to a small river. Power and sound cords, lighting balance, camera concealment were all checked and given the thumbs up. When Clay gave the high sign, Belding started into my first sequence of calls - GAME ON!

With dozens of magpies circling the set-up, the pair put the Nevada landscape under the microscope. Beside him, Belding heard his brother softly squeak his lips, the team’s pre-arranged signal that something had been seen. There – a single dog coming out of the river bottom and headed right toward them. He stopped, nose high and working; but, it was too late. With the go-ahead from Clay, Belding tweaked the trigger and their first video-dog hit the turf.

Without moving and with the camera still rolling, the gunner blew hard on the call hoping for a second ‘yote. They’d have to settle for one. Regardless, it was a fantastic first attempt, despite the post-hunt interview footage being – well – less-the-ideal in terms of lighting; still, the hunt itself had been captured and documented well.

Since that Fall day in 2004, the duo have been hard at it. They’ve made mistakes, yes, but they’ve also captured some amazing outdoor experiences on video; things that few folks believe or understand until we show them. "Filming coyotes," said Belding, "is truly one of the most difficult things we’ve done in our hunting careers. But it’s just not coyotes that make this experience so memorable. We’ve filmed mule deer and antelope at less than 10 feet. Footage of coyotes chasing rabbits and then coming to the call. Nine - NINE! - dogs coming at once."

"From the worst examples of marksmanship to hunts throughout the American West, Mexico, and Canada," he continued, "we’ve captured things we’ll never forget."

Filming coyote hunts for Team Zink, Belding explains, is more than simply hitting the RECORD button and having the critters cooperate. "It’s much more than that," he said. "We’ll spend hours scouting and looking at maps. It’s a continual process, that of talking to ranchers, checking and re-checking equipment. And we’re constantly training and educating ourselves when it comes the cameras, our interview techniques, audio and electronics – even down to always making sure the lens cover is off! You can’t simply go through the motions," he continued, "and hope for the best."

Belding’s first project, Devil Dogs, continues as a work-in-progress. "We’ve been fortunate," he said, "to be able to travel this great country in pursuit of that incredible predator known as the coyote. And there are plenty of people to thank for making this DVD and these opportunities possible. Our late father, Orville, brother Clint, and Uncle Mel, a great deal of thanks. And to outdoorsmen like Fred Zink, Field and Clay Hudnall, Chad Thomas, Kris Verness, Ted Zimmerman, Grant Kuypers, Brandon Schreiber, Alex Langbell, and Vance DeMars – a very heartfelt Thank You."

"Throughout the filming," said Belding, "we’ve run into bobcats, ‘coon, badgers, and skunks, but it’s always been the coyote that had made our blood boil. To have seen Grant Kuypers down a triple and three doubles on dogs, all on film and in the course of one week, is simply an experience unmatched. To see our late father on some of his last outings – these are things we’ll always have, and experiences which we’re proud to share with the hunting and shooting community."

But there is no rest for the predator men. Already, Chad, Clay and Team Zink are in the field plotting and scheming for what they’ll only tell us is Part II. "We anticipate a very successful 2008-09 season," said Belding. "Not an easy one, but a successful one."

Keep checking the Zink Calls website, www.zinkcalls.com, for updates from the field, and on the status and availability of Devil Dogs 24/7, "Smoke ‘m if you got ‘m!"