Category: Hunting Tips

Posted on by

First-Time Deer Hunting Guide for Beginners

Are you a first-time hunter? If you are new to deer hunting, there’s a lot you need to learn.

It is not wise to start hunting for a deer if you do not know the “ABCs” of first-time deer hunting. Going into the forest without any prior training is a threat to not only you, but to others as well. Trust us, you do not want to take that chance. It’s pertinent you follow the tips in this first-time deer hunting guide to have a successful first-time deer hunting experience:

Rule 1: Never Go Deer Hunting without Informing Someone First

Have you seen the movie 127 hours? If you have, you know what can happen if you do not inform anyone of your whereabouts. If you are going to hunt deer on your own, you need to inform a friend, family member, or even your neighbor. If a hunting-related fatality occurs or you get lost in the woods, you will have someone who will notice your absence and send for help.

Rule 2: Choose Your Hunting Ground

You can either go deer hunting on public land or private land. Even though other deer hunters may tell you otherwise about hunting on public land, saying that it’s a bad choice, do not cross it off your list, as it is just a myth. If the public land allows deer hunters to come and hunt for deer, you should go, unless your personal preference is private land.

Rule 3: Select Your Hunting Weapon

In this first-time deer hunting guide, this rule is important to follow. You should select your weapon recommended by an experienced deer hunter. If you have prior knowledge about the best deer hunting weapons to use, refer to it to select your weapon. Some hunting weapons that are highly recommended for beginners to use include:

  • .270 Winchester
  • .30-06 Springfield
  • .30-30 Winchester
  • .308 Winchester
  • 7mm Remington Magnum
  • Remington Model 700
  • Ruger American Rifle
  • Savage Trophy Hunter XP
  • Weatherby Vanguard
  • Winchester Model 70

Rule 4: Educate Yourself on Deer Hunting Regulations and Laws

Before you go deer hunting, you need to review the regulations and laws related to the activity. Review both the local and state laws and regulations. To find the most up-to-date information on deer hunting laws, visit your state’s website.

Note down important rules and regulations to follow as well as the repercussions of breaking one of them. For instance, your state might even require you to complete and pass a hunter safety course before you can go deer hunting.

Rule 5: Obtain Your Hunting License

You need to obtain your hunting license. If you do not have one already, you need to buy it. Along with buying your deer hunting license, you need to pay for the hunting weapon and ammo. Once you obtain the hunting license, you will receive the legal status to hunt on either private land or public land.

Rule 6: Dress Accordingly

Another important rule in this first-time deer hunting guide includes the way you dress for the activity. You need to wear and have the following items of clothes to have a safe deer hunting experience:

  • Blaze orange vest and hat
  • Gloves, jacket, and hat
  • Tall and long rubber gloves (field dressing)
  • Flashlight (tracking deer)
  • Zip tie, Ziploc bag, and pen (tagging deer, depends on your state’s laws)
  • High quality sharp knife (field dressing)
  • Extra ammunition (just in case)
  • Permits (should always be on you)
  • Gun (but you knew that already)

Rule 7: Look for Signs to Scout Out Deer

You need to scout out the area for signs of deer activity. You need to learn the type of food deer eat during hunting season. The like acorns that fall from the white oak, but every year, they eat something different. Look for these signs to scout out the deer:

  • Shrubs
  • Clipped grasses
  • Tender shoots of plants
  • Rubs
  • Tracks
  • Deer droppings
  • Wind direction

Rule 8: Take a Deer Hunting Survival Kit

A deer hunting survival kit is a must-have for first-time hunters. This first-time deer hunting guide would be incomplete without this rule, as it can save your life. The deer hunting survival kit needs to include:

  • Tweezers
  • Safety pins
  • Pain killers
  • Antibiotic gel or cream
  • Water tablets
  • Painter’s cloth
  • Light sticks
  • Cloth strips to make bandages
  • Athletic tape for blisters
  • Band aids of different sizes
  • Fire starter
  • Poncho
  • Medical gloves
  • Emergency blanket
  • Paracord

 

Follow all these rules mentioned in the first-time deer hunting guide to have a fun, enjoyable, and exciting first-time deer hunting experience.

 

Posted on by

Bow Hunting Tips and Tactics

The first few weeks in the month of October are always some of the best days when it comes to bow hunting or they can be the toughest hunting experience you can have.

Whether you are out there hunting your best stands immediately or you are saving up the best so that you do not burn through them early in the year, you should really put some thought into what the perfect tactics should be to get the best out of your bow hunting experience early in the season. Hunting in October is about focusing on all the opportunities that you get and capitalizing on them whenever you can. Be very patient in your approach to bow hunting and follow these bow hunting tips and tactics for your early season hunting excursion.

Utilize Mock Scrapes

The first of the bow hunting tips and tactics is the utility of mock scrapes. They are not just limited to usage for the rut. Bucks make use of them all year round. These are the territorial signs that let other bucks in the area know that a particular area is taken and it is its home. Using mock scrapes are a good tactic in the sense that it gets the buck whose territory you’ve marked with the mock scrape agitated. They will start to patrol the area and look for the intruding buck in their neighborhood. When it comes to mock scrapes, location is the most important aspect of it. Look for edges, travel corridors. They are the ideal places to install mock scrapes.

Once you’ve found the perfect spot to install a mock scrape and your hunting set up, you should start off by becoming as scent free as possible when going in to set up the scrape. Make sure you wear rubber gloves when setting up the scrape as the deer have a particularly active sense of smell.

Use a small hand shovel to remove leaf cover, twigs, etc and form an approximately 2 feet oval underneath a tree with low hanging branches. In the clear area, add a small amount of buck urine which you can get from your hunting supply store to the exposed soil. Revisit the scrape every few days and keep it fresh. It is an effective element in the bow hunting tips and tactics because it is sure to lure the game into your domain.

Trail Cameras

These should be in place months in advance so that by the time October comes, you have an extensive collection of pictures indicating where the prime hunting grounds are. Placement of these cameras is important. As far as bow hunting tips and tactics go, this can be one of the most beneficial steps you can take in your approach to prepare for the bow hunting season. Make sure you keep your scent off the cameras when setting them up. Otherwise it would be a waste if your scent on the camera drives away a mature buck which is almost impossible to stumble upon.

Acorns

Food is one of the most important factors on which to capitalize on in your bow hunting tips and tactics. Acorns are the most special food sources because if oak trees are dropping acorns in your hunting area, deer are not too far away. Bucks are particularly looking to build up their fat content for the rut and the coming winter season so they resort to acorns for their staple diet. They offer a lot of protein and fats necessary for them heading into the winter season where there will be a scarcity of food for them. Even though does and fawns are the first deer you will see going in for the dropping acorns, just practice more patience and you will encounter the real prize – mature bucks. They are very cautious in their approach and that is why you should plan your hunting setups early on and wait for the big boys patiently in the areas where the oaks start dropping acorns.

Early Season Bow Hunting

Early season pre-rut bow hunting is the last of the bow hunting tips and tactics you will need heading into deer season. The majority of does are still weeks away from coming into heat and you can use that to your advantage. Bucks are starting to build up their testosterone and the receptive does are in a smaller number. Bucks are in severe competition to find does in heat. Pack a couple of calls with you. Start up a blind calling sequence with four doe bleats and follow them up with multiple grunts of different lengths and speeds. That will surely lure them out in droves when used in combination with deer scents and you will have all the time in the world to take your pick and hunt the prime bucks early on in the season.

Posted on by

How to Deer Hunt

Whether you manage to bag one or not, deer hunting is always a great experience.

Indeed there is nothing as rewarding and uplifting as shooting your target with a humane and quick kill. However, deer hunting also can be a bit intimidating, especially if it’s your first time aiming for a deer. There are various things you need to consider to have a good experience. If you are unsure how to deer hunt, the following essential pointers can help you out:

Identifying the Hunting Property

Firstly you need to determine the hunting property you want to hunt in. There are basically two options – public land and private land. There is a vast land available in both options and have plenty of deer roaming around. Whichever land you opt for, ensure you have the latest topographic maps of that land. The best source to find and study the updated topography is through Bing Maps or Google Maps. You can also visit state houses to obtain the latest maps of the land. Ensure you are aware of the areas where hunting is allowed and which areas would classify as trespassing.

Getting Permission from Landowner

Majority of the landowners are rather generous to hunters, but be considerate enough to get their permission beforehand and not last minute. Try to make efforts in helping the owner maintain the land – there are crops to harvest, fences that need mending, gates to restore or built. Offer to work in exchange to get permission to hunt on their land. If you are planning to hunt with a partner, make sure the landowner knows.

Getting Familiar with Hunting Regulations and Laws

Remember that hunting regulations and laws vary from state to state. Make sure you have the updated information on the rules and regulations. Go to the state’s website to familiarize yourself with the latest hunting laws and any changes that you should be aware of. You should also thoroughly understand the hunter education requirement of the state. There are a few states that require a new hunter to go through a hunter safety course first.

Having Hunting License and Tags

You have to pay in order to play. Make sure you have a deer hunting license with you whenever you go out to hunt. Obtaining hunting tags and license is essential as it supports the wildlife conservation.

Planning the Hunt

Once you have understood all the regulations, have the license and know where you would be hunting, you need to start planning the hunt. Go through your deer hunting gear and make sure you have all the tools and supplies. Note if there is anything missing that you need to buy or borrow from a fellow hunter. If you intend to borrow, make sure you ask in advance.

Pack up all your gear including appropriate weather attire, thermos, game scents and calls, first aid kit, gloves, caps, socks, boots, compass, maps, GPS, binoculars and any other tools you would need. You would of course need the right guns and ammo.

Map out which areas you would cover and how long you would want to stay out. Mark the areas in the map so that you know where to go once you reach the hunting land.

Setting Trail Cameras

You would need ‘eyes’ on the hunting area to witness what is happening when you are not in that particular area. This helps in making a successful deer hunting season. You would need time to locate the areas you want to set up the trail cameras, determine the position of the camera, mount it and test the recordings. Remember one trail camera may not be sufficient in a location. You can set multiple cameras on certain spots.

Inspecting Your Treestand

A treestand is an effective tool to harvest a deer. There are a wide range of treestands available – tripods, ladder stands, climbers, and hang-ons. It is not recommended to use someone else’s treestand set up without their permission. Ensure you have the latest treestand and it has TMA (Treestand Manufacturers Association) approval.

You must make sure that you are wearing a full body harness whenever you use a treestand; utilize a haul line for bringing up your unloaded firearm and maintaining three contact points when you climb up or down. Make sure you practice using the treestand at home to get used to it.

Understanding Your Rifle

Before you go hunting, you need to make sure you know your rifle and have practiced using it. If it was perfectly on target the previous year, doesn’t mean it would be properly sighted for this season when you take it out from storage. Ensure you practice well in a shooting range to get a hang of it, especially if it is a new rifle. If you are a new hunter, make sure you take the hunter safety course first.

Make sure you follow the major firearm safety rule – ACTT.

Assume each gun is loaded

Control the muzzle and ensure that it’s pointed in a safe direction

Trigger should be a fingers-off part until you are ready to make the shot.

Target – ensure you have eyes on target.

Always be aware of your surrounds, follow the rules and regulations and you would have a great experience hunting deer. It is best to go with a partner, an experienced one who knows well how to deer hunt, if it is your first experience.

Posted on by

Tips and Gear for Duck Hunting

Duck hunting is a favorite sport for many people across the country.

Here we have prepared a list of tips and gear for duck hunting that should be helpful for both newcomers and serious campaigners in the sport.

Scout the Area

Scouting the grounds can make or break the hunt. Scouting lets you know the spots the birds are using for feeding and resting.

Many people scout the hunting ground one day before the actual hunt. This helps pick a good spot close to the feeding area.

Experienced hunters usually set up at high ground. This allows a good coverage of the ground and a chance to observe the ducks. Familiarize yourself with their flying pattern before taking a shot.

Conceal Yourself Properly

Ducks are very alert to danger with a keen sense of detection to movement on the ground. The slightest bit of movement and the birds will stir and fly, making it extremely difficult to aim or shoot.

Using layout or pit blinds lets you become mostly invisible to the ducks. Most hunters also use a camouflaged layout to hide and blend in with their environment.

Another important thing is to make sure you don’t make any sudden movements, noise or anything that can alert the birds to your presence.

Smart Use of Decoys Where Possible

Setting up proper decoys is very important in duck hunting. Good decoys are placed in small groups with each group well spread out from the next, randomly placed and facing in different directions.

If you are hunting in a big, open area, then you can use more decoys. In a smaller, tightly packed area, use fewer decoys. Birds should be given enough space to land and move around freely. When setting up decoys, be smart and creative.

Take Your Time Shooting

Unlike most other hunting sports, duck hunting is all about patience and timing. You can spend hours watching the birds moving, before even raising your gun to take aim. More than any other sport, duck hunting requires you to make every shot count.

This is because if you shoot and miss, the birds will become aware of danger in the area. It could be hours before they settle back, if at all. It is far more difficult to hunt wary birds than unsuspecting ones.

If you are hunting alone, you might be able to take a shot sooner. In group hunting however, it becomes tricky as some people might not be ready. Use a proper way to communicate when calling out the shot.

Gear for Duck Hunting

Some of the must-have gear you will need for duck hunting is listed here.

Duck Hunting Blind

The first thing you need for duck hunting is a good blind that conceals your presence to the birds.

A good blind is one that blends in naturally with the hunting ground and doesn’t look out of place. It matches your outfit and should be big enough to give cover and moving space while not so big that it becomes conspicuous for the birds.

A Semi-Automatic Shotgun

A semi-automatic is a good weapon of choice for duck hunting. This type of gun has lower recoil than a shotgun and can be set on burst mode for a good spread which should get you a kill even if your aim is not perfect.

Some of the better ones include Remington’s Versa Max, Beretta’s A400, Browning’s A5 and Benelli’s Super Black Eagle II.

Duck Hunting Waders and Boots

Duck hunting is a sport of patience and you will probably be spending hours sitting and twisting in wet, muddy and messy terrain before getting success. This makes a great pair of waders a must-have for duck hunting.

You will also need a thick pair of hunting boots to retrieve the birds from water after a successful shot.

Duck Calling Whistle

You will not be very successful on a hunt without a duck call. You should carry a good, clean wooden duck call around your neck for attracting the birds near your hiding spot.

Duck and Goose Hunting Decoys

Nothing beats properly placed decoys in attracting ducks and geese. You can use different combinations for the best result. Having a variety of decoys gives you a better chance of success compared to using decoys that are all the same type.

Motorized Decoys

Motorized decoys are considerably better than stationary ones. They give a more realistic look and feel, easy to set up and usually similar in price to regular decoys.

Camouflage Backpack

A backpack will let you fit the necessary equipment like blinds, decoys and ammo inside while keeping your gear easily accessible.

Net and Cordage

Carrying a string of rope and strong netting can always come in handy during a hunt. You can set up a net trap in tree branches or use it as a net blind to give you cover from an angle.

Posted on by

Safety Tips to Create Better a Hunting Experience for Everyone

With hunting season around the corner, hundreds of hunters are now ready to step into the woods.

But then not everyone can have a good hunting experience because most of them either don’t know or don’t follow the safety tips to help create a better hunting experience for everyone.

Since, hunting comes with a few obvious dangers, participation is this adventurous, exciting and thrilling sport requires a range of safety precautions. These precautions are not just for the hunter’s safety but for nearby hunters as well. May it be deer, coon, fowl or moose hunting, an attitude of precaution and safety can save many lives.

So, if you want to follow some safety tips to help create a better hunting experience for everyone, then consider the safety tips discussed below as a strong starting point to have the safest and thrilling hunting experience this season.

Gun Safety

When you are hunting with a gun, you must keep some fundamental safety measures in mind. To begin, weapon safety must be prioritized at all times and until you are absolutely ready to fire at the quarry. Keep your gun pointed in the direction of the quarry and away from others as well as yourself. Remember to adhere to this precaution at all times. Moreover, always ensure adequate care of weapons to avoid the possibility of misfire and its consequences.

After all, it goes without saying that beginner hunters should always attend a gun safety class to know and learn more about safety tips to help create better a hunting experience for everyone, along with some additional valuable information which would help in saving someone’s life.

Bow Safety

Bow skill requires a lot of energy and skills, and it comes with just as many safety tips as we consider for gun hunting. To start, make sure you have checked the bow thoroughly before heading into woods. If the wire or string looks frayed, simply replace it prior to using your bow. An improper or snapped bowstring might not only make you miss your important target but if it hits on the face, this can be really painful as well. Similarly, don’t forget to wear adequate arm guards to prevent yourself from numerous injuries that might come from string rebound or snapped strings.

Another bow safety aspect is to have a bow which would fit the strength of the shooter. While many hunters consider pulling a heavier bow as a badge of honor, this may result in serious and painful injuries. So, take your time and slowly work up to use a heavier bow as you must not neglect the safety tips to help create a better hunting experience for everyone.

Safety Courses for Hunting

As briefly mentioned earlier, hunters who are new or going for the first time must always opt for a hunting safety course. This is also important for those who have not been hunting for some time and need to refresh the hunting fundamentals and benefit from the valuable information offered in these courses. These hunting safety courses are not just about gun safety or its proper handling but they also teach hunting basics and other important information that might be forgotten if not used.

With that, these courses also cover specific hunting laws in a particular area. Additionally, these courses are also best for all those individuals who are not hunters by themselves but they reside in heavily hunted areas.

Proper Equipment

When you prepare for a hunting trip, keeping right supplies and weapons serves as the basic step and starting point. For instance, if you are planning a deer hunt, you cannot keep a standard pistol as the primary hunting weapon. This is an inappropriate type of gun. Instead, you need to be equipped with a rifle or a crossbow as the right weapon for the job. Similarly, keeping a rifle used for moose or deer hunting is also an inappropriate choice as these guns are way too powerful to be used for deer hunting.

Therefore, before leaving for your thrilling experience, take time and make sure to properly research the equipment and also learn its proper usage in terms of your hunting requirements.

Nevertheless, there is no harm in acquiring experts’ insight and taking their assistance in making your hunting experience memorable. You might learn some safety tips to help create a better hunting experience for everyone. While there are a lot of aspects attached to hunting safety, above-discussed provide a general idea about how to have a safe and enjoyable hunting experience.