Blind Planter - This is a name for the person that places the bird or the bumper at a designated spot for the purpose of a blind retrieve.

Blink - This describes the situation when the dog locates the bumper or the bird during the retrieve but does not actually fetch it.

Bloodlines - This describes the family history and traits of the hunting dog. Dogs can come from hunting and working bloodlines, or from show bloodlines. It is important that you choose a hunting dog that is going to have the desired traits that you are looking for.

Blunt - This is a type of arrow tip that does not have a point on it. It is usually used in order to stump shoot or when hunting smaller game.

Bolt - This describes when a dog runs because of a perceived pressure that is too great for them to face.

Bolus - This is a mass of food that has been re-chewed.

Bottom – When a dog has a lot of bottom, this means that they are perceived to be tough, or that they are perceived to be capable of handling a lot of pressure.

Bovid - This word describes animals that possess hooves as well as permanent horns.

Bow Press - This is a device that is designed to hold a bow into a bent position so that you will be able to work on the bow or to remove its string. Today, buying a pocket bow press is relatively portable and inexpensive.

Bow Square – This is used for the purpose of measuring the brace height, or aligning nocking points.

Breaking - This involves the dog leaving the line before it is sent, or leaving the line in a trial or a test when the dog leaves the line before his number has been called by the judge.

Broadheads - These are arrow tips that are specifically designed for the purpose of hunting game. They are typically going to feature at least an inch worth of cutting diameter, and they may either have fixed blades or they may be mechanical.

Brooming - This involves a bighorn sheep breaking the tip off of its horns in order to restore the peripheral vision that is impeded when the horns begin to curl.

Browsing - This describes the way that a deer normally ears. Most deer eat very quickly, only chewing enough that they can swallow. The purpose of this behavior is to limit how much exposure they have to predators.

Browtine - This is the first fork on a deer antler.

Brush Button - This is a rubber round item that is placed on a bowstring in order to keep any brush from catching between the bow and the bowstring.

Photo Credits: jfeuchter

Originally posted 2009-11-02 03:11:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Abomasum - This is the fourth chamber within the stomach of a deer. Along with the omasum, this is considered to be the true stomach of the deer. It helps to aid in digestion through the production of acids that break down food particles making it easier for nutrients to be absorbed by the animal.

Action - When it comes to firearms, this is the combination of the frame or the receiver and the breech bolt with other mechanism parts that contribute to the loading, the unloading and the firing of said firearm.

Adapt – This relates to animals that instinctively or biologically change in order to become more accustomed to the environment that they are in as needed.

AFC - This stands for Amateur Field Champion and is a designation that AKC dogs can earn during field trials.

Aggregation - This is the act of deer grouping together because of the low amount of food that is available for them.

Air - This is a word that describes allowing a hunting dog to empty his bladder and his bowels.

Amateur – An amateur is someone that trains hunting dogs as a hobby and fore pleasure rather than to earn any kind of income.

American Kennel Club - Also known as the AKC, this is a purebred registry for dogs that was established in the year 1884. There are currently 150 breeds that are considered to be AKC registration breeds.

Amish Training - This is the art of dog training without the assistance that is provided by using an E collar.

Anchor – In bow hunting, you are meant to draw the string to the same point every time, holding the string in that same location every time that you shoot. This position is known as the anchor, or anchoring the string of the bow.

Antler - This is a growth that forms on the top of the head of many animals. It begins at about 11 months of age in deer, and is formed completely out of bone. There are a number of reasons why animals have antlers including for dominance and the purpose of attracting a mate.

Archers Paradox – This describes the arrow’s movement as it flexes and bends upon release around a riser.

Armguard - This protects the arms from getting a raspberry or a bruise when the string of a bow hits it upon letting go of the bow swing. Some people rely on armguards to help to keep baggy clothing out of their way while they are shooting.

Arrow Nock - This is describes as being the notch at the very end of an arrow that is designed to fit along or around your bowstring for shooting.

Automatic - In firearms, an automatic firearm is a design that feeds, fires and then ejects cartridges automatically as long as its trigger is currently being fully depressed and as long as there are still cartridges that are available within the feed system.

Photo Credits: Paul Keleher

Originally posted 2009-10-29 03:06:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Here are some important considerations to make when it comes to hunting safety:

• First and foremost, you should always assume that every gun that you come in contact with is loaded.
• Second, you are always going to want to control the muzzle. The way that you can achieve this is by pointing your gun in a direction that is safe.
• Now, you are going to want to keep your finger completely away from the trigger until the point where you are ready to actually fire the gun.
• You are always going to want to be sure of your intended target and everything that is around your target.
• Wearing hunter orange makes you a lot safer than wearing any other color. You will not stand out to the deer that you are hunting as they cannot perceive the color the way that we do. However, the bright orange color can be spotted from far away and you will never be mistaken for a target.

Deer are lacking the red-sensitive cone cells that are required in their eyes for them to determine the differences between red and orange and green and brown. Having this type of blindness mean that deer will not be able to pick you out in the trees, but other hunters certainly will be able to. Using fluorescent types of colors like hunter orange is going to look brighter to a human with a gun, while deer will have difficulty seeing the colors and will mistake you for the foliage in the woods. This means that you are safe when you wear hunter orange, and yet it will have no negative impact on your ability to go hunting successfully.

Simply put, wearing the hunter orange color is capable of saving lives. Fluorescent orange varieties of safety clothing are quite effectiveness. Big game hunters that wear hunter orange can go hunting without having to worry about being mistakenly shot by a hunter that is also out in the woods enjoying the deer season. So if you are serious about going hunting and you want to be safe and protected without hampering your ability to sneak up on a good target, wearing hunter orange is a great way to go.

In the past, wearing camouflage colors was the way to enjoy a good day of hunting because the deer could not see you in the brush. Unfortunately, hunters cannot see you either, and they will sooner perceive you to be a deer or other animal than a person when you are running around in the colors of the trees. This is why wearing hunter orange is so vitally important – It may even save your life someday.

Photo Credits: J. Kraemer

Originally posted 2009-10-26 03:57:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Here are a wide variety of little things that you need to avoid in order to turkey hunt successfully. Most turkey hunters learned these things through decades of turkey hunting, but now you do not have to.

1 – Limit movement.

When turkeys see movement, they immediately know that danger is afoot. Period. There is no way to move that will convince a turkey that you are not a threat so do not even bother trying to move when turkeys are afoot.

2 – Do not over call.

If you turkey call too many times, you are going to build up the ego of the bird to much to the point that he may stop coming, and may sit dead still waiting for you. You should have fun calling, but not too much fun.

3 – Sleeping in is another no-no.

Turkeys can see when it is light out, so you need to get into your position before it gets light in the morning, end of story.

4 – Prepare.

Poor preparation is not going to do you any factors. If you wait until the last moment to get all of your things together, then something important is going to be missed. Make sure that you have a list of things that you need, and make sure that everything on that list is within reach all the time so that you are properly prepared for the trek.

5 – Steer away from calling it quits far too early.

You can kill as many turkeys in the afternoon as you can in the early hours of the morning. They may make less noise, but they are certainly still out there, and potentially more vulnerable than they were before. If you can stick it out, do so, and your patience will pay off, especially when the other hunters give up and go in early.

6 – Do not stick with tactics if they are not producing.

By definition alone, this is an insane thing to do. If you keep doing one specific thing, and it is consistently not bringing you the results, stop doing it. Change your approach, change your strategy, try a different decoy, try a different location, switch your calls, or whatever else you have to do in order to get some variety. A change in your tactics may be exactly what was needed to land the kill. You are never going to know unless you manage to go the extra mile and actually make it happen.

Above all else, you are really going to have to want it in order for you to become a successful hunter of turkeys. You need to live and you need to hunt by that particular mantra if you want a wall of trophies and a mind that is full of some of the most exciting memories imaginable.

Photo Credits: Noma’s American Water…

Originally posted 2009-06-26 16:40:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Hunting is a fun and enjoyable sport, but it is also considered to be one of the most dangerous. It is absolutely imperative that you take safety precautions to make sure that you and those around you are kept safe during this exciting endeavor. Your life and the lives of your companions absolutely must be protected when doing hunting of any kind. There are safety precautions to take regarding hunting equipment, safety courses, gun safety and seasonal hunting safety. When planning a hunting trip, consider the following hunting and gun safety tips.

- Having the right weapon and the right hunting supplies is the first consideration that you have to make when it comes to preparing for your hunting trip.

If you are planning to hunt deer, for example, then you need to have a gun or a bow that is intended for hunting dear. A standard pistol, for example, is not adequate for deer hunting, but a rifle or a crossbow certainly would be. If you want to be safe and get the most out of your hunting experience, having the right equipment is absolutely imperative.

- When you are hunting using a gun, there are a number of things that you really need to keep in mind.

The safety on the weapon should always be on, unless you are actually preparing to fire the gun. The gun should also always be pointed away from you and from other people, and you should never point the gun down at your feet. You should never point your gun at anything that you do not intend to shoot at. These are precautions that should be taken regardless of whether the safety is on or not. The safety on your gun is capable of failing, and it is much safer for the gun to misfire when not being pointed at anyone.

- You must make sure that you are taking proper care of your weapon.

Properly cared for weapons do not normally misfire, meaning they are much safer to work with. If you do not take care of your gun, it can misfire, the barrel could jam, or something even worse could possibly happen.

- Before you go out on a hunting trip, you should make sure that you find and participate in a hunting safety course in your local area.

These safety courses are designed to go over proper gun handling and proper gun safety. These hunting safety courses will also remind you of the basics of gun care and the precautions that you should take in order to be safe during your hunting trip.

- In some areas, you also need to consider seasonal hunting safety beyond traditional hunting safety.

Many hunters are out there in force during hunting seasons, so you need to make sure that you are prepared for this. You should be wearing bright and easily seen clothing, for example, so that hunters can identify you as a person rather than as a potential target. You should also always make sure that you have permission from the owners of the land to hunt on that property, so you can make sure that the area is safe and not being inhabited by children, individuals or animals that might be mistaken for targets.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-31 12:27:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Gun safety is absolutely critical when it comes to handling firearms and hunting. It is important that you learn how you can practice safety with your gun in order to prevent any injuries not only to you, but also to those that are around you as well.

It is vitally important that you practice gun safety while you are hunting. You should have protective gear, for example, even glasses or goggles and a pair of earplugs to make sure that you are protected.

The first step is to learn exactly how it is that your firearm operates. When you know how you should be correctly operating your weapon, then that is when you can truly prevent any injuries from occurring. When you become familiarized with the gun’s basic components, you will be safer when you are hunting. Learn basic gun safety and also you should be practicing how to load ammunition into the gun properly and safely.

Now you are going to want to keep your rifle, gun and any other weapons that you are using pointed away from yourself and any other person while you are hunting. There is no telling when a gun can go off – You don’t want to be pointing your gun at someone when it accidently misfires!

You should only ever make use of the right type of ammunition when you are hunting with your firearm. You should never simply experiment with different types of ammunition if they were not specifically designed to suit your firearm. If you use incorrect ammunition, you could end up misfiring and seriously hurting yourself or someone else.

You should absolutely never put your finger on the trigger of your gun unless you are actually ready to take a shot. You should make it a habit to rest your finger on the guard of the gun or the gun’s side rather than on the trigger for this very reason.

You are going to want to make sure that you know exactly what you are shooting at during any point in time. You should make sure that you are observing anything and everything around you. If there are people close by to your target, then no, it is not safe for you to shoot.

Make sure that you are wearing protection both for your eyes and your ears. You should always have a set of shooting goggles or a pair of glasses on hand when you are hunting so that debris does not enter into your eyes. You should wear earplugs when you are actually shooting so that your hearing does not sustain any damage.

Finally, you are going to want to avoid taking any medications or refrain from drinking any alcoholic beverages that can impair your judgment or cause drowsiness. These can cause problems with your judgment, which is the first step to experiencing or causing an injury while hunting.

Photo Credits: Space Ritual

Originally posted 2009-10-22 03:54:19. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Most people think that scopes gather light, but the truth is that they transmit available light instead. Most people think that scopes gather light because the term “light gathering ability” is thrown around a lot. Instead, scopes transmit the light that is available through the lens and to your eye, but they always lose a little bit of light in this process. The best that a scope can ever hope to offer when it comes to light transmission is a theoretical 98% meaning that 2% of light is always lost. This is only generally achieved by the absolute finest in scopes, which means the most expensive scopes on the market in most cases. Anything that is above around 95% is considered to be really great. Most scopes on the other hand are going to be closer to around 90%, give or take just a little bit.

Generally, the more magnification that you have, the less light you are going to get for your eyepiece. The larger that your objective lens is, the more you are going to get through the eyepiece.

Aged eyes can dilate only to about 4 mm. Younger eyes may be able to open up to as much as 7 mm or more.

There will be a small circle of light appearing in the eye piece when you hold the scope at arms length, and this is known as the exit pupil. The circle of light that you see in the ocular lens is this exit pupil, and the diameter of this in millimeters is what is known as the pupil size. When you use the scope during a poor lighting condition, you should imagine how small and how dark the exit pupil is going to be when you are choosing a rifle scope. How well are you going to be able to see your target through that tiny little circle of light? Is the amount of light enough to let you take advantage of the scope?

There is a formula to consider for the exit pupil calculation, which is as follows: You should take the objective lens size, convert it into millimeters and divide it by the score magnification. This is the way to figure out how much available light you are going to have, and the difference may be really significant.

The larger that your exit pupil is, the less critical that the position will be for your head in relation to where the scope is. The distance that your eye needs to be to the ocular lens in order to get a clear and full picture is known as eye relief. Scopes with less power will have a larger distance range to obtain a full view, while higher power scopes are typically much more critical when it comes to the centering of the eye through the tube’s middle as well as the required distance from the scope’s ocular lens.

Photo Credits: SamJUK

Originally posted 2009-10-19 03:34:48. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The first step to good gun cleaning is to scrub out the bore of your gun using the correct Phosphor bronze brush size, and use a bore solvent like Bor-Solv Supreme for the greatest possible results. This will remove all powder fouling and residue from the bore of your gun if you use it vigorously. Occasionally you may want to use a bristle brush so that the bore can retain more solvent for a longer period of time, making it an improvement. This method is more commonly used in Europe than in North America.

After scrubbing out the gun using a Herringbone 4″ x 2″ patch in a split brass or a nylon jag, removing any of the contaminated solvent. The split jag is used by inserting a patch midway, rotating it in your hand in whatever direction you are going to tighten, twisting the rod in use. You always want to make sure to check the chamber when cleaning. Is there powder residue around the forcing cone? If so, then it may be advantageous to use a chamber brush handle with a chamber brush in order to remove the build up of this residue.

Next you should oil the gun boars using a clean wool mop and some Rangoon oil. Rangoon oil is a tenacious oil that evaporates slowly and therefore allows the gun bore to be stored away for a longer period of time without requiring as much maintenance. Occasionally you should make a point to wash the wool mop out with warm soapy water. If the mop is exceptionally dirty, it might be better to use some paraffin or turps first hand. When the mop is dry you should re soak it in clean Rangoon oil, keeping it in a polythene sleeve or a similar container to keep it fresh and in good shape.

When you store your gun, you should avoid forgetting to relieve the tension of the main springs. This can be done by inserting a suitable pair of snap caps before dry firing the gun. After you install a muzzle stuffer, it will keep the oil vapor inside of the barrel, and it will also keep dirt out and will keep the end of the barrel from getting damaged inside your gun cabinet or another similar storage device.

Before you fire the gun again it is vital that you remove any and all remaining traces of oil. Any oil that remains in the barrel could harm the barrel walls when you fire it for the first time. Use a patch and jag to remove any remaining oil, and check the chamber thoroughly before you fire to make sure that there is no powder residue around the forcing cone in the chamber before you fire the gun.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-01-20 05:59:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Deer, when they are in their natural habitat, do not actually eat the commercial “deer feed” that most feed stores will sell you as bait or as a lure. So when deer are out in the wild and they are left to their own devices, what do they eat? Unlike some of the animals you find in the wild while hunting, deer are herbivorous creatures which means that they only eat plants. While there are plenty of different plants out there in the woods, not all of them are going to provide the right amount of nutrition for the deer. Just like humans and other animals, many deer do have food preferences and will eat their certain favorite foods whenever they can find them, though they will move on to other foods when their favorites or the most nutritious options cannot be found.

Deer like to eat wild grasses, especially when the shoots are both tender and young, but wild grasses tend to be a last resort food in that they can help the deer survive when other food is not available, but they are not good for much more than that. Here is a look at some of the favorite foods that deer may like.

Woody Shrubs and Plants: Deer can feed on the leaves and other anatomy of tree and shrubs, eating the leaves, the twigs and the buds from plants like these all throughout the year. Some examples of this category of plants include greenbrier, honeysuckle, blackberry, black gum, sumac, sassafras, willow, rose, dewberry and grape.

Forbs: Forbs are herbaceous plants, which mean that they are perennial and non woody plants that produce new growth every single spring after dying off in the winter. Forbs generally include weeds and a number of other flower-producing plants. Forbs are a proffered food source for many deer, and examples of these plants include wild clover, sedges, bellflower, mushroom, dandelion, ragweed, beans, wild lettuce and sunflower.

Nuts: Nuts are extremely nutritious when it comes to deer, but the crops produced by these plants are often small, so fords and grasses tend to provide a much more reliable food source. Some examples of nuts that deer may enjoy are red and white acorns, hickory nuts and beech nuts.

Fruits: Fruits are preferred by deer because they are so very high in energy, but good fruit crops only tend to be made available during the summer and early fall months. Some examples of fruits that deer enjoy eating are sumac seed heads, persimmons, grapes, coralberry, dewberry, blackberry, dogwood and huckleberry.

Crops: Cultivated crops are crops that were planted by humans. Where food sources are limited, these can be an important part of a deer’s diet and may include plants like wheat, oats, alfalfa, clover, soybeans, vegetables and rye grass.

By knowing what deer actually like to eat, finding them in the wild will be a lot easier from now on.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-01-13 05:53:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

If you’re serious about hunting, you’re going to end up out in the woods before dawn more often that most people care to think about! And you’ll be out there scouting for deer in weather that would send most of us running into our dens with fuzzy slippers and hot cocoa, wishing for a roaring fire. You need to keep certain things in mind when hunting in cold weather, and you’ll want to be sure you have the right hunting equipment and hunting clothes to make it a more enjoyable experience, and to keep yourself safe from the elements.

Wear wool.

Wool hunting clothing provides excellent insulation against the cold. You won’t want to wear it against your skin, of course, but make one of your layers wool. And you should have at least 2 or 3 layers of clothing on, including long underwear. You won’t want to trek out into the woods wearing the clothing of 4 men, and getting your innermost layer wet with sweat—that defeats the purpose of trying to stay warm. But do take the heaviest layers of your hunting clothes with you. Then once you’re in the deer stand, you can put them on and stay warm. (Make sure your outermost layer is orange and reflective or whatever type of hunting clothing is required in your area.)

Cover your head.

Most of our body heat leaves us though the soles of our feet and the tops of our heads. Just wear a regular cap while you’re exerting yourself getting there and getting set up, then wear a thermal cap. If it’s really cold, you might want a thermal face mask to protect your nose and keep your skin from getting chapped. Be sure your ears are covered, and make sure you’ve got a decent seal around the neck opening of your hunting clothes (as well as at the wrists and ankles) to keep the cold air out as much as possible.

If it’s a wise choice in your particular area, get waterproof hunting gear like waterproof gloves and outerwear. And don’t scrimp on hunting boots. You might want to carry these, too, until you get in place rather than risk getting the insides wet where they will keep your feet cold, and you miserable. Rubber soled and rubber-outer-wear boots do an excellent job of keeping your feet dry. Be sure they’re insulated or the cold will seep right through your hunting boots and drive you to leave before you’ve spotted that trophy deer. Invest in the small heat producing packs that can go in mittens and boots as needed. These can make all the difference between an enjoyable day of winter-time hunting, and coming home stiff and frozen and wondering why you went hunting in the first place.

Finally, be sure your family or friends know where you’ll be, and carry a cell phone or other means of communication. While this is a good rule to follow all the time, it’s especially important when hunting in the winter.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-08 19:29:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter