How to Hunt Deer: Spotting Deer and Taking the Shot
Spotting deer is the goal of any hunter so that they can set their ground blind placements and get ready to take the all-important fatal shot. The first thing any hunter must understand is that he or she must be able to see or hear the deer before the deer can see or hear the hunter. If the hunter can accomplish this task, then staking the shot is the easy part of the process. Look for signs that deer frequent the area such as hoof tracks, half-eaten vegetation, and so on. If there is snow on the ground, it is even easier to spot deer tracks.
Bottleneck Hunting: Veteran hunters suggest a bottleneck meaning, for example, that you should position yourself somewhere in which the deer funnel though, and you have a good shot because the deer do not expect it – this is also a great idea if you are bow hunting. For example, at the end of a large wooden expanse that is in between parallel fields.
Hunt Saddle areas: Hunt saddles are a dip in between two higher levels. For example, a low-lying creek in between two ridges, or any low point in between two higher points. Deer habitually travel in the low points to attempt and remain hidden, or at least inconspicuous.
Streams and Creeks: Another place in which deer love to roam and travel is in a small creek or stream. Much like the Hunt Saddle situation, these places allow deer a comfortable place to roam, eat and drink while feeling as if they are inconspicuous.
Listen: Many great hunters will tell you that they hear deer before they see them, especially when it comes to getting the big ones. If you are silent enough, you can usually hear them break a twig, rustle leaves, or in the colder months when the water is frozen, you can hear their hooves breaking the ice.
Taking the Shot
If you spot a doe, then do not shoot. If you are patient enough – you may have to wait for an hour or two -you will eventually see a buck worth the shot. When you see a buck, gauge its antler size and make sure he is legal, and then concentrate on where to aim. Do not panic and do not move. The more you concentrate on where to aim the less likely the adrenaline will take over and make you sick or miss the shot. Wait until it stops or, if it does not stop, make a natural noise, such as whistle or baa like a sheep to shock it.
Making sure the safety is not on, aim and shoot accurately so you do not just wound it, scaring it away. Keep in mind that once you shoot, other deer in the area will run, and likely never come back to the same spot, so make the shot count. Note where the deer was standing and which was it was headed before shooting so you can find it. Wait a half hour and then go to that spot. If the deer dropped where it stood, make sure it died by touching it with the end of the gun for a stick, being very careful upon approach. If it ran, then you must follow the blood trail, or track it. Either way, after shooting be very careful the animal ahs died before touching it so that you can get home safe with your prize.
Debby Upchurch, owner of Mountain Creek Ranches Hunting Club offers the best hunting and fishing available in beautiful Hill Country of Texas at an affordable price without trophy or kill fees on game.
Bowhunting, the Old Way
Hunting can be a great sport. It provides meat for the entire year, saves money in the process, and provides a way for families to unite in a fun and educational environment.
Hunting is a widely celebrated sport, especially in wooded areas, and the skill involved with hunting can take years to perfect. Once you have the hang of things, though, there is nothing quite as thrilling as sitting down to a meal made from fresh meat that you yourself killed.
Back in the olden days before guns, Indian and European warriors alike used bows and arrows to stalk and kill their prey. The pull of the instrument, the soft zing as the arrow flies through the air, and the satisfying drop of the animal as the arrow meets its mark are all experiences that cannot be matched. Experiencing this using a bow and arrow that you spent hours carving, shaping, and molding only enhances the satisfaction that you feel after killing your prey.
Making your own bow and arrows will take time and careful attention, but in the end, you will be left with a weapon far superior to what you can purchase in stores. The quality and unique fit to you personally will enable you to use this weapon to the utmost of its potential.
To begin, you will want to start with the best wood possible. For the bow, this means using one of the following: Osage orange, yew, ash, or hickory. When harvesting the wood for the bow, you will want to choose either a tree or a sapling that is very, very straight, and free of blemishes and knots. Either way, it should be at least 5 and 1/2 feet long.
Keeping the wood you harvested in a wood shed all winter and then moving the wood indoors for an entire year will ensure that the wood is properly seasoned, after which time, it is ready for the bark to be removed. Removing the bark from the tree is not like peeling a vegetable. You will need to hold your knife at a 90 degree angle to the wood and gently scrape off the bark, careful to not cut into the wood itself.
If you are using a sapling for your bow, split the wood down the middle. If you do not feel comfortable splitting the wood, you can always carve away at it until you get it to the desired thickness. If you are using a tree, you can split the wood in half once, and either split it in half again or carve away until it is the thickness you desire. After carving the bow to the desired thickness, it is vital that you never carve the wood again. You would not like to cross the grain, which would weaken your bow and make it prone to splitting.
When shaping the bow itself, it is important to take into consideration the grain, wood quality, and other characteristics of the wood before deciding what shape the bow will be. If using a soft wood, it would be advisable to make the bow wide and thin, so as to resist cracking. If using a harder wood, you can make the bow a little narrower and thicker, as they are more resistant to cracking. There is no need to over think it, however; a bow-backing made of sinew or flax can strengthen a bow more than you would be inclined to believe.
Finding the center of the bow, measure out three inches to both sides of that center. Using a file, taper the bow after this point, making it about 5/8 of an inch nearer to the center and down to 3/8 of an inch towards the end, keeping the sides as flat as possible. The center of the bow needs to be fitted to your hand, to be as comfortable as possible to you will hunting. This is a matter of personal preference, but be sure to leave room for an arrow guide, or small ledge on which the rest the arrow when hunting.
The last step is rubbing the wood down with fat or animal brains to keep the wood water-proof and supple. After this is done and dried, you can apply a beaver-tail handle wrap and perhaps some rabbit fir string silencers as final touches. After that, you are ready to use your bow and arrows to hunt down whichever prey interests you most.
Casey McNeil is the author of this article and you can find more information as well as many primitive bow-making supplies by visiting his website: Primitive Archery Supply
How To Turkey Hunt: Tips For A Successful Hunt
Learning how to turkey hunt is rewarding in many ways. Not only do you get to enjoy the outdoors, but your license fees go towards maintaining wildlife habitat and you may very well supply this year’s Thanksgiving guest of honor! The first step is to get the appropriate turkey hunting gear and a license. Each state has somewhat different seasons and laws that can be found online and at most gun shops. As with any other task worth doing, the preparation is half the battle. Collecting your equipment can be done from the convenience of home on your computer and should be done as soon as possible each year.
Turkey Hunting Gear
These magnificent birds are bagged with either a shotgun or a bow. These weapons need to be fitted to you by an expert. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with your gun patterns at several different distances before you go out in the field. Aside from your weapon, there are many items that will make your hunt more successful. Basic hunting equipment includes the following:
1. turkey loads
2. shotgun sling
3. choke tube (to direct the shot pattern)
4. box call and extra chalk
5. gun rest
6. compass
7. first aid kit
8. maps
9. knife
10. water bottle or Camelbak
11. insect repellant
12. flashlight
13. binoculars
Other equipment may include a camouflage blind, where legal, decoys, a cushioned seat or stool, camera, trail ribbon, and other types of calls, such as glass, tube, push-pin, wingbone, or diaphragm, just to name a few. It is a good idea to try out various calls to see which one works best for you and then practice to get the right sound and rhythm. There are online resources that can save hunters a significant amount of time and money. This is also true for apparel. To be warm, comfortable, and safe, hunters wear a camouflage shirt, pants, jacket, cap, and even socks. Boots that are both water and snake proof are a good idea, and a rain poncho can come in handy.
Location, Location, Location
Finding the right place to hunt requires scouting a region and then getting the landowner’s permission, if it is private property. Property rights are serious business and should never be ignored or violated. Most thoughtful hunters make a point of giving the landowner a gift of one kind or another in return for their generosity. Information on good wild turkey hunting tips and locations can be found online at the NWTF website.
Wild Turkey Hunting Tips
The hardest part about hunting is waiting. These birds feed on grasses and insects, making fields a likely place to find them. They also roost in trees, so that’s another place to look. Crowding any wild animal is the fastest way to make it disappear. Using your calls judiciously and waiting very, very patiently is often all it takes to bag that prize winning bird. Most are taken during the fall, when toms are chasing after hens. Listening carefully for wild flocks and moving in quietly will get you into position. Knowing your range and aiming ability will help determine just how close you have to get to get that bird!
With these wild turkey hunting tips, the right gear, and a little patience, you can successfully learn how to turkey hunt.
Chris Harmen writes for Adventurebidz.com, an online auction site specializing in turkey hunting gear and other outdoor hobby items. Adventurebidz.com shares these wild turkey hunting tips to help both amateurs and experts alike have a successful hunt.
History of the Buck Knife
The Buck Knife, a term mostly used to refer to folding locked-blade knives, is also the namesake of one of the most successful knife manufacturers in the country. Read on to learn more about the history of Buck Knives.
Origin of the Buck Knife
In 1902, Hoyt Buck, a 13-year-old blacksmith apprentice in Kansas, was experimenting with ways to temper steel so it would keep an edge for longer. His solution–to heat treat the steel in hoes–would change the blade business dramatically for years to come.
However, the Buck knife, as it was soon be known, didn’t show up in the market for years after Buck’s discovery. Buck moved to the Northwest, where he eventually enlisted in the Navy. When Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941, Buck was no longer an enlisted man, but began hand making knives using worn field blades.
When Buck heard there was a scarcity of knives available for troops, he purchased an anvil, forge and grinder and set up a blacksmith shop in a church basement, where he began producing hand-made knives for the military.
Move to San Diego
After the war ended, Hoyt Buck moved to San Diego with his son Al. The two set up a shop called H.H. Buck & Son behind their home in 1947. The father and son duo continued to make high-quality hand made knives and their business soon thrived. In fact, Hoyt Buck made approximately 25 knives by hand each week until his death in 1949.
Incorporation and the Model 110 Folding Hunter
Alfred Buck took over where his father left off. In the early 50s, he expanded advertising of Buck knives to mail order catalogs. In 1961, Buck was incorporated and in 1964, the company introduced the Model 110 Folding Hunter knife, which was a huge seller and became one of the most popular knives ever made.
The 110 had a 3-3/4 inch blade. The handles were typically made of wood and the bolsters constructed of brass. Its staple features were its high-tension lock and low-pressure release. The 110 was so successful that it turned ‘Buck’ into a broad term for all folding locked-blade knives.
Other popular knives
Buck introduced the Buckmaster, a survival knife with a hollow storage handle and a 7.5 inch blade with a serrated spine, in 1984. The knife, which had prongs that allowed it to double as a grappling hook, was sold to the military and outdoor enthusiasts.
In 1992, Buck debuted the Nighthawk, which was a fixed-blade knife that was 6.5 inches tall and had a black handle made of Zytel for an ergonomic grip. This knife was submitted to the U.S. Navy for evaluation for use by Navy Seals.
Buck Today
Buck relocated to Post Falls, Idaho in 2005 and remains there today. It has annual revenues of approximately $80 million and retains approximately 200 employees. The current CEO is C.J. Buck, the great-grandson of founder Hoyt Buck.
John Moxly has spent more than 30 years working as a writer in various facets of the outdoors and survival industries. He is an avid knife collector and buys all of his Buck Knives from Knife Depot.
Kodiak Brown Bear Hunting Information
The Kodiak brown bear is one of the largest members of the bear family. The Kodiak brown bear is fast, smart, a big. Hunting these bears is not easy. You should have experience and the proper tools. If you do decide to hunt these bears, be sure that you are careful. There have been cases where the hunter has become the hunted. If these bears smell you they may start hunting you by circling back around on their trail and coming up behind and attacking you. The females are very protective of their young, like all Mom’s, they will defend their babies. Never approach a Mama bear if you can avoid it. These bears have an amazing sense of smell.
These bears are not easy to take down and you will need something big enough to do the job. When you hunt, you want to be sure to kill and not injure the bear. The Kodiak brown bears is powerful enough to come after you even if he’s injured.
The only state in the United States that you can hunt the Kodiak Brown bear is Alaska. You would need an Alaska hunting license, a big game tag, a brown bear locking tag, and a registration or drawing permit for the area you plan to hunt. If you are not an Alaska resident, you will also need proof that you will be guided by a registered guide.
Hunting these bears is not cheap, the license fees for non residents is 85.00. the bear tag is $500, and the guide fees are 10,000-22,000. There are two hunting seasons each year, a spring and a fall season. The spring hunting season goes from April 1st through May 15th and the fall season is from October 25th through November 30th. The limit is one animal.
No female accompanied by cubs may be touched. You may not use a dog to help you hunt and you may not use any bait.
During your hunt, pay attention, listen for any sounds around you, don’t take a shot unless you are pretty sure it’s going to do the job, be patient, these bears are very intelligent animals and they are not going to make hunting them easy. Dress warmly for the fall hunt, Alaska is a lot colder than a lot of places, so remember that when packing. Good luck and enjoy the experience, even if you don’t get anything, it’s an amazing experience that not everyone gets.
You can learn more about Kodiak bear hunting, and get more articles and information about these bears by visiting Kodiak bear