One of the smartest tips that you can take with you when going deer hunting is that you should absolutely know where a deer is hit once you’ve shot it before you begin to track it. If you’re wrong about where the deer was hit, you may be in for a not so nice surprise when you stalk after a deer that isn’t injured in the way that you thought it was. What you can do for this is to note the body language of the deer when it is hit in order to help you determine where the deer was hit.

The ultimate hit when it comes to any animal is the hit that puts the animal down right away, as this way you do not have to make any estimations of where the deer was hurt or whether you should track it now or once it’s had some time to calm down. If the deer that you shoot does not drop and die within sight, then you are going to need to make a guess about where the deer was shot so that you can determine what to do next. A deer that is poorly hit can easily run for miles if you push it too hard while tracking it, and you may lose it if you are not careful.

A deer that is shot in the gut will typically arch its back, trotting with stiff legs. In this case, the deer will not last long, but you may need to shoot him a second time because gut shots are not often immediately fatal.

A deer that is hit in the legs will often kick out as if it were a mule. While a deer like this will not be able to run as far or as fast, a deer bent on recovering can give you quite a chase if you are not careful. It might be best to drop back and give him some time to slow or stop before you pursue him.

A deer that is shot in the lung will not always kick out its leg, but it will probably flag up or try to run away before it dies. They do not usually travel very far at all because a lung shot deer is one that will die quickly, so this is a deer that you should not be afraid to pursue immediately.

When a hit deer runs without any bucking or jumping, it will likely run in whatever direction was being faced when you shot it, even if that means running in a counterintuitive direction such as up hill. While this is not always the case, it is a rule of thumb that you can rely on in many situations.

The ideal way to land a deer is to shoot it in the heart, but the heart is small and it is a relatively low target to hit. If you do hit a deer in the heart, it will drop relatively quickly, so tracking is not typically necessary.

Photo Credits: Emery_Way

Originally posted 2009-08-06 05:03:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Mule deer hunts are less well known than things like deer hunts and elk hunts. Mule deer seem less desirable to some people who hunt but they’re a challenging animal to hunt and many people enjoy the meet as much as venison or elk. Mule deer aren’t as plentiful as deer and they’re not as easy to find but that adds to the challenge of mule deer hunts.

Their name is a bit unfortunate because if you’re not familiar with how they look you might picture a mule. And they do look rather like a cross between a mule and a deer, but they are a much more attractive animal then you may be picturing. They have dark, thick fur and they’re fairly small and compact animals. Their ear tips are quite and their tail tips are typically black. Mule deer are also distinctive in the way they move. People who are used to hunting deer know how deer jump and run. Mule deer do something called stotting. Their legs remains stiff and they jump almost like on a powerful spring.

Mule deer hunts are challenging because the animals are also very quiet. A moose call is a popular way people attract moose. There is no such thing for mule deer because they don’t make any such noises. They also have a keen sense of hearing, even more so than their relatives the deer, elk and moose. It’s very difficult to hide from the mule deer. If you thought being quiet when a whitetailed deer approached was difficult, be aware that a mule deer’s hearing is even better than that.

They have an excellent sense of smell and can catch your scent just like a deer, causing them to bolt. You’ll want to follow the same general rules you follow when deer hunting as far as avoiding scented soaps, detergents, colognes and after shaves. You don’t want to smell like a groomed human or they are sure to catch your scent, so be sure to eliminate your scent.

They also have another advantage over other animals in that they are adept at seeing motion. Even if you manage to stay perfectly still, a mule deer that sees the slightest twitch from you can bolt. If you’ve lain in wait and a mule deer has approached, don’t try to make the shot unless it’s clearly concentrating on something else. If it’s just standing there and you make a move no matter how slight to raise your weapon, it will see you. Combine that with their keen sense of hearing, and you can see the challenge of mule deer hunts.

It also may be a change of pace for the deer hunter because you don’t need a tree stand when you’re hunting mule deer. They don’t stay in the cover and around the trees as much as white tailed deer do. They like flatter areas and rockier areas. If you’re not used to hunting in that type of area, then be sure to take someone with you who’s used to hunting mule deer and can help you learn the ropes.

Photo Credits: schmuck-by-nature

Originally posted 2010-04-12 03:57:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

For many hunters, bowhunting white tailed deer is the best hunting experience. Getting the right compound bow, the right gear and then finding the right spot from which to hunt is all part of the fun of going after the trophy deer. Don’t overlook the kinds of arrows you choose, however. The arrow has a lot to do with whether or not you simply wound a deer or you bring home a kill and get to enjoy venison for a while.

You’ll need to decide two very important things about the arrows you use for bowhunting whitetail deer. The weight of the arrows is important as is the stiffness of the arrow shaft. You want to keep in mind the pull weight on your bow and the power that it has too. If you use bow with a lot of power and you regularly shoot very light arrows, you can actually damage the mechanism of the bow. Because of the arrow is so light it can’t absorb as much of the shock when the bow releases it, that shock ends up on the pulleys of the bow and can actually damage them over time.

You’ll need to calculate your bow’s draw weight and figure out the best weight arrow from there. Arrows are measured in grains and so you’ll want to calculate six grains for each pound of pull on your bow. If you prefer hunting with lighter arrows you can go as low as five grains for each pound of pull on your bow. But going less than that is almost sure to damage your bow over time. To follow the guidelines, a 50-pound bow would need a 300-grain arrow, taking 50×6 grains.

The stiffness of the arrow shaft is important to keep your bow in top shape also. You have to judge the weight of your bow and the way you hold and release arrows. Finger released arrows have to follow different guidelines than mechanical release arrows. If you release arrows with your fingers you need a very flexible shaft because the arrow will want to bend and flex more as it leaves the string. Mechanical release bows can handle stiffer arrows because of the way they release them. When you’re bowhunting whitetail deer, you want to calculate this carefully and get the right weight and stiffness so that the arrow flies where you want it to with the power that you need.

To get the right arrows for bowhunting whitetail deer you’ll also need to consider the point weight you’ll be hunting with. This is more important if you use a finger released method rather than a mechanical release. Practice with the arrows and weights that you’ll be using to deer hunt at about 20 to 25 yards from your target to get a feel for how the arrow leaves the bow and travels at that distance. For bowhunting whitetail deer, stick with medium weight or heavy weight arrows because of the way they move through the air and make less noise in doing so.

Photo Credits: fishpickdiver

Originally posted 2010-04-04 03:24:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A tree hunt is something that most deer hunters look forward to. Many happy hours can be spent looking at stands and deciding which one to purchase. The tree stand is a great place to hunt from because it conceals your location even more than if you were on the ground in camouflage. It minimizes the chance of the deer catching your scent, seeing you or hearing you.

Planning a tree hunt takes a little bit of time in the beginning. You have to prepare the tree with your stand and steps to make it safer. First of all, you have to consider how you’re going to get your weapon into the stand. Install a step with a pulley so that you can haul the weapon up to the stand before you climb.

Something you do not want to do is to climb your tree while holding the weapon. Even if your stand is a high and you’re very agile, that’s asking for an accident to happen. Holding your gun as you climb is simply reckless behavior. You need to make plans to get your weapon into the stand without having to do that and putting yourself in a position where you could accidentally fire the gun while climbing.

You also want to keep an eye on the weather. You don’t want to be in a tree stand if the weather drops incredibly cold or if a storm comes in. You are more exposed to the cold air and elements while in a tree stand than while on the ground. And if a fast storm whips up while you’re in a tree stand, especially if there is very much wind, it can be very dangerous.

Where you’ll put your tree hunt stand is important as well. You want to put it in an area where it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb on the side of the tree. But it also needs to be in a place where nothing is going to be hanging between you and your line of sight. You want to choose an area where there’s cover but not so much cover that it interferes. This is where an experienced deer hunter can help you. Get advice from someone you know who regularly uses a tree hunt stand about where to put it on how to set it up and it will make the whole process much easier for you.

Choosing an area with lots of cover doesn’t just help you camouflage yourself but it means they’re more likely is deer that will frequent the area. Look for deer tracks when you’re deciding where put your tree hunt stand and that will help. You may also want to look around for tracks and find a few spots to put tree stands out. If you only have one tree hunt stand prepared and the wind happens to be blowing from behind you, it’s going to be hard to get a deer with your scent blowing toward them. Having more than one stand set up will help prevent that.

Photo Credits: laffy4k

Originally posted 2010-04-08 09:48:20. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Anyone who thinks that deer hunting is just about finding a deer in the woods and doing some deer shooting is missing some important points. Presumably if you’re deer shooting you’re trying to kill the deer so that you can eat it. That makes it important that the deer is killed in a certain way. Improper shooting and haphazard shooting can result in meat not being usable.

If the deer is shot in the wrong area of the body, the meat in that area may not be edible. And if you’re going to kill a deer, there’s no point in having any of it go to waste. It’s a matter of respect of yourself, the animal and the environment to eat what you kill. If an accident happens and some of the meat is wasted then it is simply an accident. You need to do what you can to get the animal in the right area to try to prevent those types of accidents.

It’s important to learn proper deer shooting so that you kill the animal as quickly as possible. Not only is that more merciful because the animal won’t suffer, it also is better for the meat. If the animal is just wounded enough to die slowly, then it becomes ill and that affects the quality of the meat. The worst case scenario for this is if you wound the deer and it gets away from you and you have to follow the trail of blood to find it hours later. This will happen from time to time no matter how experienced someone is but working hard to prevent it is a good goal for deer shooting.

The brain, heart and lungs are the fastest way to kill the animal. Few people try for brain shots because the head is a smaller target. But those shots are the fastest way to kill a deer and probably the most merciful. A shot in the lung will also kill the animal but not quitas quickly. Hitting a deer in the side and stomach area is probably going to kill it much more slowly and much of the meat in that area will be wasted especially if the animal suffers for long time.

Deer shooting in the heart will kill a deer faster than a shot to a lung in most cases. The problem with a heart shot is its location and how hard it is to get it. Shooting from the back of the shoulders can often destroy a lot of that meat, depending on how the bullet goes in. The goal is to rupture as little meat as possible and keep the flesh intact as much as possible. Field dressing is also important to preserve the meat. The blood needs to be drained from the animal quickly as well.

Field dressing a deer involves removing the organs to make the deer lighter and easier to drag. Then when you reach your destination the deer should be hung so that the blood can run out of the body cavities and keep from spoiling the meat.

Photo Credits: James Jordan

Originally posted 2010-04-02 09:03:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Guided elk hunts are good for both beginners and experienced hunters. Whether you’ve been hunting for years but have never hunted elk or whether you’ve never hunted anything, a guided hunt can help you get familiar with the sport. And for those who’ve been hunting elk for years, a guided hunt can simply teach a few new tricks and offer a new twist on hunting. Those who typically go alone or with just one or two people might enjoy guided hunts for a change because of the companionship and camaraderie you feel with the other hunters.

For those who are new to elk hunting, elk are huge animals and they’re also very smart. That’s why many hunters prefer elk because they feel like they’re being challenged by tracking the animal. Many people prefer to bow hunt elk because it feels like a more natural way of hunting that harkens back to our ancestors. It’s also more challenging than hunting with a rifle or shotgun.

If you’re an experienced bow hunter then you understand what goes into choosing the right type of arrow and what goes into proper technique of shooting your bow. If you’re new to bow hunting, you need a bow with enough weight behind the arrow to bring down a large animal like an elk. But if you’re new to bow hunting you can’t start out with bow like that. You typically have to start with a lighter weight bow and work your way up. Don’t expect to hit the target at first when you’re practicing. And once you master a lightweight bow, moving up to the next weight will affect your aim as well.

Bow hunting on guided elk hunts is challenging to because you need to make sure your arrows are capable of bringing down an elk. They need to be heavy enough with a heavy enough point to puncture the hide of the animal. Guided elk hunts can help you because there are people that are experienced and can tell you where to hit the animal to bring it down.

The guide will also help you learn about where to find elk and how to find their food sources and water sources to be able to find them. Elk behave differently during different times of the day as well as different times in the season. A good guide can help you understand that and make it more likely that you bring down an animal.

Guided elk hunts are also good for someone who’s never hunted in a tree stand before because many people hunt elk from a tree just as they would hunt deer. Having a guide show you how to set up a tree stand and how to get in and out of it safely can really help you feel more at ease elk hunting. Then you’ll be prepared to elk hunt on your own without a guide or with just a few friends who may not be experienced elk hunters either.

Photo Credits: Jared Smith

Originally posted 2010-03-27 03:02:48. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Buck hunting is one of the most popular types of hunting in the United States. If you decide to go buck hunting, you’ll be joining thousands of other hunters who enjoy the challenge and excitement of tracking and hunting deer. You want to make sure you have the proper equipment and gear, especially if you go alone. It should be stressed however, that if you’re in doubt about your ability to successfully buck hunt on your own, you should not go by yourself. Take a friend who’s experienced or go on a guided hunt until you’re familiar with the basics. Being unsure of your situation and going buck hunting can put you at risk as well as other people in the area.

The first step is deciding whether you’re going to hunt with a gun or compound bow. There may be laws in your area that forbid one or the other. Most areas, however, have two seasons for buck hunting. There’s a season for gun hunters and a season for those who use a bow. So you can actually choose both if you prefer, just be sure you only hunt with the type of weapon that’s in season at the time.

You also want to make sure you have the right ammunition or the right arrows. Choosing the right arrows for buck hunting is an important consideration because you want the arrow to be heavy enough to travel well and be able to kill with one shot. You’ll also want to make sure you have the proper hunting knives. When you get a buck you have to field dress it, which means you remove the internal organs and lower the weight of the animal to allow you to drag it from the woods. You’ll want to carry at least one knife to use for this. You won’t need a skinning knife while you’re in the woods, but rather a thick and sturdy one to allow you to cut into the animal and dress it. Know your local laws regarding hunting because they may have specific procedures you must follow when doing this.

The proper clothing is necessary for buck hunting. Your clothing needs to be camouflaged so that the deer won’t pick you out among the brush and trees. You’ll also want to consider the weather and choose appropriate clothing. Waterproof boots to keep your feet warm are essential. If you’re going to hunt in a tree stand as opposed to on the ground, you want to have extra warmth available and be very aware of the weather so that you’re not caught out in a bad storm.

Of course, you’ll need the proper hunting license and any gun or bow permit that you need in your area. A product designed to cover your scent can help. And you want to use tree stand or some sort of chair, if you’re staying on the ground, but sturdy and comfortable. Also, consider taking a bit of food and water as well as a small first aid kit with you when you go buck hunting just in case of an unforeseen accident.

Photo Credits: Charles & Clint

Originally posted 2010-03-31 09:46:15. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Your first moose hunt is bound to be exciting. This is true whether you’re experienced in hunting things like deer and elk or if you’ve never been hunting before. If you’re used to hunting things like deer, then hunting a moose is very similar except the sheer size of the animals is so impressive. Some deer can be quite large but they can’t compare to the size of a fully grown moose. The sense of moving up to that size game can feel like a step up after you’ve been hunting smaller animals. If you’ve never been hunting before, then you’re starting out with a really big game animal by choosing to moose hunt.

Moose have very good senses of hearing and smell. They’re smart animals and not easy to get. And just their size alone makes them very intimidating especially for new hunters. Being close enough to shoot one of them also means you’re close enough for it to charge at you. Fortunately, this is rare and not something to worry too much about. Just be aware that it’s a possibility.

A moose hunt can be very challenging because the animal is so large and smart. The best time to hunt this animal and when they are typically in season is during their rutting season. All animals are distracted during the rut. They’re so focused on their own scent-marking and the scent of the opposite sex that they just don’t have the mental resources available to be as alert for hunters as they normally are.

A moose hunt typically takes place early in the morning or late in the evening because that’s when the animals are most active. And during the rut, the males are so focused on challenging other males and finding suitable females that it’s much easier to get a shot. In fact, a bull moose might know that you’re there but be so focused on a scent that they disregard you for a short period of time.

A guided moose hunt is a good idea for your first hunt especially if you’re an inexperienced hunter in general. You also need to be prepared with the correct ammunition that can bring something as large as moose down, as well as a tarp and a sharp hunting knife so that you can field dress any moose that you get. It’s virtually impossible to drag an intact moose out of the woods so you need to remove the innards in the wild to make it possible.

You also can’t decide that it’s too much trouble and leave the carcass there. You must eat what you kill and you can even be fined or arrested in some areas for not doing so. It’s also a sign of respect of the animal to use as much of it as possible. Be prepared for these things before you go on a moose hunt and you’ll end up having a much better time. Even if you don’t choose a guided hunt, take someone experienced with you who can help you find the moose as well as properly field dress it.

Photo Credits: Aske Holst

Originally posted 2010-03-29 03:06:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Whitetail deer hunting tips are available everywhere from hunting DVDs to websites to television programs. The best tips that you can find, however, are tips from local hunters. Because every area is slightly different, the people who hunt in your local area are familiar with the way the deer move and react in that region. So find an old deer hunter who’s been at it for years and learn what you can. This is one of the reasons so many people enjoy things like deer camp or deer hunting lodges. You can learn a great deal from listening to people’s hunting stories over the years.

General whitetail deer hunting tips include things like actually using scent properly during the rutting season. The general wisdom is that when you go deer hunting you want to mask your own natural scent. Many people do this by using unscented soaps and shampoos, as well as unscented laundry detergent and fabric softener. They avoid smoking or getting near campfire smoke and try to stay as scent-neutral as possible. They may also use products to mask the human scent.

During the rutting season, there are some commercial scents available designed to attract deer. Some of these work very well while others seem to do very little. You might experiment with the scents to see how they work by placing the scent around the area where you are. Some whitetail deer hunting tips say never to use such a product, but you really need to experiment for yourself.

Calling deer is also another tactic that’s often used that can backfire during the rutting season. This is one of those things that you simply gain through experience. It’s not necessary to ever use a call, but if you do be aware that during the rutting season there are certain times when calling may do more harm than good.

Another one of the top whitetail deer hunting tips is to consider your footwear carefully. Whether it’s during the rut or at any other time, be sure you wear boots that you only wear during deer hunting. If you wear boots throughout the day and then wear them on the hunt, you’re carrying a ton of scent with you. The deer is going to smell you.

It’s best to wear boots that hold very little scent, even if they’re boots you only wear for deer hunting. Rubber boots don’t hold scent but can be very cold. Look for lined boots to keep your feet warm and dry if you’re in a cold weather area. You’ll also want to consider the clothes you wear and avoid blue jeans. It’s alright to wear bright orange so that other hunters can see that you’re not a deer, but a deer will spot blue before almost anything else.

And before you set your stand up, be aware of what direction the wind is blowing in. This is one of the most important white-tailed deer hunting tips for people who use tree stands. You might want to set several stands up so you have one available regardless of the wind direction.

Photo Credits: jonner

Originally posted 2010-03-25 03:30:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

If you’re considering going on hog hunts, you’re in for an exciting adventure. While this type of hunting is less well known in many areas where most people hunt for things like deer and ducks, hog hunts are becoming increasingly popular. Because hogs are small and fast, finding them and getting them is a real challenge. And it can even be exciting in a slightly dangerous way if you’re charged by a boar. This is not an uncommon occurrence and is something that you have to consider as part of the excitement of hog hunts. It’s necessary to be prepared and feel confident that you can react quickly to prevent injury.

There are many hog hunt outfitters out there that can help you get started. Probably if you look around your local area you’ll find several people who hog hunt, and there may even be associations for it. It’s one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. Many areas don’t have what’s known as a hog hunting season like they have deer season or duck season. So hog hunts can go on all throughout the year.

If you think hog hunts are something you’d like to enjoy, consider your personality. Even though it’s a very fast-paced and exciting sport when you spot a hog, it requires a lot of patience to get there. If you don’t have that patience that makes you able to wait until you get the right shot, you’re going to be frustrated a lot because you’re going to miss the mark. While some people can shoot a deer that’s running away and make a killing shot, a running hog is a very difficult target to hit. It’s necessary to be very patient for just the right moment when the hog is still.

It’s also a sport that you’ll be spending a lot of time doing in the evening. Hogs are very active usually just before the sun goes down so consider what you do during that time of day and whether or not you’re willing to rearrange it in order to go on hog hunts.

It’s also necessary for you to have the patience to make the right shot. That doesn’t just mean waiting to make it at the right time, but aiming at the right spot on the hog. Too many people aim for the head and end up seriously wounding the hog and causing it to suffer. You need to learn where to shoot the body of the hog to kill it quickly, preserve the meat and cause minimal suffering with a merciful kill. A guide or an experienced hog hunter can help you learn the kill zones, or the places to hit a hog that kill it quickly.

You also may end up walking a great distance tracking a hog that you’ve hit during hog hunts. Too many animals die after hog hunts because the hunter thinks they missed them and simply let them run away without following. That causes unnecessary suffering to the hogs and is an incredible waste. Be prepared to follow a great distance.

Photo Credits: Charles & Clint

Originally posted 2010-03-25 09:43:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter