We are blessed by the hunting spirits this week to have an interview with Robin Parks of Aim’n Low Productions.
I first ran into Robin on Archery Talk a number of years ago when he tried to sell me some high quality bib overalls and most recently as the pro staff manager for Hot Shot Manufacturing. Robin was a nice guy back then and he continues to be a great guy now. Unlike many of the folks we deal with these days if you contact Robin he takes the time to communicate with you, reliably and with straight-forward honesty.
dvMA: How did Aim’n Low start? Why make videos of your adventures?
RP: Several years ago one of my best friends, Keith Riehn, bought a video camera and asked me if there were any decent bowfishing videos out there. At the time, there were some videos but none I considered very good, including a couple I had been involved with. He point blank asked me why we couldn’t make the best one ever produced and my answer was, “We can, let’s do it.” Soon after we formed Aim Low Productions as co-owners.
dvMA : How long has Aim’n Low been around?
RP: We officially formed our company in 2004 and released our first DVD in early 2005.
dvMA: So, you started with just bowfishing videos and transitioned to big game? Why did that happen?
RP: Like I said earlier, our first goal was just to make a good bowfishing DVD. What we found out was how cool it was to get good video, be able to watch it and share it with other people. It was just natural for us to want to try to video our hunts as well.
dvMA: As I understand it you are focused on the internet vice TV as a media distribution method. Webisodes I think they are called? How did you arrive at that decision?
RP: The idea was originally brought to us by one of our sponsors’ marketing people. They felt that outdoors TV just wasn’t bringing the return it once did. At that time, everyone and their brother were picking up video cameras and making a “show” because new outdoor networks were popping up left and right. Keith and I were unsure of leaving television, but we went with it and it has been a great decision. Lots of people have followed in our footsteps with webcasts, but we try to separate ourselves by keeping our quality of footage on par to what it would take to make it to television.
dvMA: Who is your target market now as opposed to when you were focused on television?
RP: Our target audience has always been the everyday hunters and bowfishermen. But, with TV, it was always hard to relate to our audience, or even know who was really tuning in. Now, we can keep our video “real”, and produce it how we want it to look, with us setting the limits on number of minutes, impact shots, etc. We know our viewers because they know they can email us, or pm us on the forums, or hit us up an Facebook. Our target audience really is people just like us, people that love to do what we do. If one of our webcasts gets 20,000 views in a month, we can be sure it was people that actually had an interest in watching. Guess what? That also means our sponsors know our viewers are interested in their products!
dvMA: I remember a post on a bowfishing forum a number of years ago where you were about to sell the boat and throw in the towel due to no sponsors. What was the tipping point back in the other direction?
RP: The biggest boost to our recognition had to be in 2005 when we shot the Bowfishing Association of America world record alligator gar and also the state record buffalo on the same trip. When you shoot a fish that is nearly twice your own size, people tend to take notice! But the real trick for us keeping it going was getting involved with some great companies that believed in us and allowed us to make a difference in their company. Dave White from Cajun Archery (and now Hot Shot Manufacturing) is one of those people. He has made a huge impact to Aim Low and I believe we have to his companies as well.
dvMA: I know you also have a full-time job outside the hunting industry. How do you manage to hold that down, pull off Aim’n Low and spend time with your family? What tips do you have for dvMA readers on this subject?
RP: I am very fortunate to have the job I have. I began working for the US Army Corps of Engineers while still in college and have been with them for 20 years now. A great benefit of my job is plenty of vacation time. My family is what is most important to me. They understand that certain times of the year mean I am going to be gone. When people ask me when I plan to be off for the whitetail rut, I jokingly answer, “November.” But the reality is that I try to get home for a day or two each week, no matter what season it is. Archery season for deer is a full quarter of every year, so pace yourself throughout to keep from burning yourself and your family out.
dvMA: Since joining the Hot Shot pro staff I’ve asked you a bunch of questions and you’ve patiently answered them all. I’m guessing I’m not the only one you take time out for. How are you so responsive when it is hard to get anything out of companies who are trying to sell us products?
RP: Kind of a long story to that, but it is very true and worth telling. Back in my college days while working part time at a pizza place a hunting “pro” often came into our store. I recognized him from video tapes I had watched and eventually talked to him. The guy gave me his card one time and told me to call him anytime. Coincidently my wife (then girlfriend) bought me a shotgun just like this guy used in his videos and I was having trouble with mine. I decided to call him and ask him about it and left him a detailed voice mail. After no response, I called again a week later and again left a message. Finally I got a return call and he told me that he was out hunting most days and “way too busy to mess with stuff like this” and not to call him back and bother him. I’ve never forgotten that phone call, and now to me, not being responsive is just not an option. I treat people the way I would want to be treated, at least the best I can. I take the same approach whether I am acting as a representative of Aim Low, Cajun Archery, Hot Shot Manfacturing, or any of our other sponsors.
dvMA: You defined for me a difference between “Professional Staff” and “Promotional Staff”. Are there many Promotional Staff opportunities out there for bowhunters who aren’t all about shooting 300x’s? How does a bowhunter best take advantage of those opportunities?
RP: Sure there are. I can’t say that every manufacturer has the same approach as I do, but I think mine is a good one and it has certainly worked well for Cajun Archery and Hot Shot, the companies whose staffs I have developed. A “pro-staff” doesn’t have to be full of top end shooters or wildly successful hunters. Of course there needs to be some success, however that is defined, but I look at other things as well. How the person presents themselves, what they show me they can do to promote the company and product, verbal and written communication skills, and (a big one for me) ability to take quality photographs for the company’s use. You don’t have to kill a record whitetail to impress me, but you do have to be able to share your successes with great photographs. You do have to be able to talk about our product intelligently. You might be surprised at what a well thought out, well written inquiry to companies that show them how you can benefit them might turn up for you. Just be sure you are at least familiar with the product and better yet, using it. The two worst kinds of sponsor requests I get are “Hey man, how can I get sponcerd by your campany?” and “Hi, I have never used your product before, but I would be willing to check it out if you would sponsor me.” Yes, those quotes are real requests I have received!
dvMA: What is your favorite non-archery piece of hunting gear? And your favorite animal to pursue?
RP: Both are tough questions…for the gear, I would have to say Cranford EZY tree steps. No, they are not a sponsor, but they are simply amazing screw in tree steps that are so easy to install. Anyone that hates screw in steps hasn’t tried these. Favorite animal…wow, even tougher! I can’t decide between bowfishing and bowhunting, so I will name one for each. Bowfishing has to be giant buffalo, fish over 60 lbs. Hunting is not so easy to answer. The last two years I have came to a renewed love of turkey hunting by using archery only and of course it’s hard to beat a whitetail under your stand. But just because of the sheer fun of it, I’d have to say my current favorite is wild hogs, stalked with a bow, no fences.
dvMA: Tell us about the oddest thing that ever happened to you in the woods?
RP: It didn’t happen to me directly but has to be a hunt long ago in south Texas for hogs. We were night hunting under a full moon. After being out most of the night, we stopped to pick up a buddy at the designated spot. As we pulled up he jumped out of the brush with a wild look on his face, like he was scared out of his mind. “Aliens! Freakin’ Aliens!” is all he would say at first and I am thinking to myself that he really thinks he saw a UFO or something. Finally he settles down enough to tell us about a chain of border jumping Mexicans that walked under his tripod that scared the life out of him when the last one looked up at him. He fully expected them to pull out their guns and start blasting, laughing. No one had warned us that we may see Mexicans walking thru the brush!
dvMA: Say something to dvMA readers (all three of them).
RP: Have fun hunting but be safe. Be proud to be a hunter but respectful to those that may not be against us but don’t hunt themselves. Check out Aim N Low TV and tell a friend about the dvMA blog so we can get the readership up to at least 4!
happy hunting, dv
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