Daniel Gilbert has no shortage of hunting stories. Heir to a passion passed down by his father, he recounts his beginnings in the world of hunting and what a name like Sportchief means to him.
“My passion for hunting started very young because my father was passionate about hunting and fishing,” explains Daniel Gilbert. “I clearly remember my father enthusiastically telling us his hunting and fishing stories, but above all with passion. I found it mysterious. We had a small hunting and fishing cabin, and it was from that moment that I got hooked. It started very early in my adolescence.”
“More than 20 years of partnership with Sportchief Canada means we have been able to test the products to their maximum and in every imaginable situation, whether hunting or fishing, neither rain nor snow will stop you from fully enjoying your excursions.”
Daniel Gilbert still remembers the moment he witnessed his first moose harvest: “I was with my brother. I wasn’t the one who shot, but I was so proud. We came back home and my father was waiting for us outside. When he saw the bull… it’s an unforgettable memory.” It was on this occasion that he developed an interest in this game, which still excites him more than 40 years later: “Every fall, I still have that same passion gnawing at me to go hunting.”
He adds: “All those little anecdotes, whether when I went fishing or hunting, with my father, my brother, my cousin, make it a family story.”
The passion for hunting filming
The passion for hunting led to a new hobby for Daniel Gilbert: filming hunting movies. When he started filming 30 years ago, VHS cameras were still in use. That didn’t stop him from starting, as he primarily wanted to share his passion with other enthusiasts: “It was bad, but I wanted to connect with other enthusiasts. It was from that moment that my passion grew. I have made it my profession for nearly 20 years and I am really proud of it.”
Obviously, over time, technologies have evolved a lot, making filming easier: “When I started in the business, there were cameras that weighed 25 pounds. Now, cameras are ultra-efficient, very professional, and weigh barely 3 or 4 pounds. We use the quietest equipment possible, which is essential, it’s the most important thing on our side. Usually, people hunt alone or in pairs, but during filming, there are always 3 to 4 people, so that’s a lot of people.”
Sportchief’s expertise, a significant asset
To help keep quiet during filming, nothing beats the silent suit resulting from the collaboration between Sportchief and Jason Tremblay Morneau, who is a hunting guide in the films organized by Daniel Gilbert. He explains that Sportchief’s silent suits are popular among guides, who don’t hesitate to bring several to change participants during filming if needed: “In recent years, I’ve worked a lot with guides because I’m as much behind the camera as in front of it. When I’m behind the camera, I see the guides working extremely hard, and they want people to have Sportchief products for the silent aspect, because it’s super important for us. It often happens that we approach a moose and say ‘I’m lucky to have my silent suit.’ Luckily we have that, because it helps a lot.”
For Daniel Gilbert, the success of Sportchief products is based on the company’s ability to listen, which does not hesitate to ask enthusiasts for their opinions: “Sportchief really listens to amateurs and their needs. When they launch a product, they give us samples to evaluate, and I think that results in really top-notch products.”
Sportchief, a long-time partner
Daniel Gilbert is no stranger to his association with Sportchief. He noticed the company early on as a hunter. “I remember my first Sportchief suit. I was starting out in 1993, and Sportchief had made a model especially for archers. When you’re an archer, it’s important that the bowstring doesn’t hit your arm, so the suit had attachments, [pensées] to prevent your arrow from deflecting. Sportchief was the only one who thought of that. I fell in love.”
Eventually, Sportchief became a sponsor for the films organized by Daniel Gilbert, a relationship that deepened over time into a friendship that has lasted for many years.
“I have always been with Sportchief, and now they are friends. It’s important, because someone who would make this without having people on the ground wouldn’t make it work. Sportchief really takes the opinions of amateurs who are on the ground, or rather on the floor of the deer and moose,” he adds laughing.
Daniel Gilbert recalls that Sportchief represents several decades of expertise: “I’m 58 years old, and when we talk about the 80s, Sportchief was there. When you wear a Sportchief product, you have so much experience, so many competent people behind that product, people who listen. These are quality products, but affordable. Quebec and Sportchief, we talk about it so much, it’s a love story that has lasted for decades.”
