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I have been hunting big game, mostly deer, for over forty years and I am still surprised by the lack of preparation most hunters take before the season starts. Most of my buddies simply throw some gear in the back of a truck on opening day and head for the woods. By the way, most of my friends are not very successful hunters either, because they don't do their homework or fieldwork. See, some serious planning is needed to insure your hunting efforts pay off and you get that big buck you've been after. Well, I suggest we prepare for our big game hunt both at home and in the field, and perhaps months in advance.
For me, the time before the hunt at home is as important as the time in the field, and maybe even more so. Now, keep in mind, not all the time before the hunt is spent at home, because some fieldwork is required if you want to be successful. I have discovered, mostly through trial and error, ten steps that usually make my hunt productive and safe.
1. Determine where you will be hunting and who you will be hunting with.
Both of these considerations are important and we will look at them individually.
Where you hunt, has a lot to do with the gear you take along for the trip, because
a short afternoon hunting trip close to home will require less gear than extended
treks into remote backpacking sites.
- Additionally, for those hunting for two or three day trips near the house
you may be able to load up your car or truck with gear and not be worried
about weight or what to take. On the other hand, if you have to walk to your
hunting site, select your gear with a critical eye, because unused gear is
just additional weight you don't need to pack on your back.
- Now, who you hunt with is important because, as most of us know, not all
hunters are created equal. I have found experienced hunters will usually require
less gear than a hunter with limited awareness of the sport, so it is important
for you to plan your whole hunting trip around the weakest member of your
hunting party. By weak, I am speaking of outdoor experience and overall knowledge
of hunting, not necessarily a physical condition, but that should be a consideration
as well.
- Make sure you always tell someone where you'll be hunting, who is going
with you, how long you will be gone, when to expect you back, and what to
do if you do not return on time. Carry a cellular phone if you have one, but
for emergency use only. In addition, I suggest you never ever hunt alone because
it is simply unsafe to do so.
2. Decide if special permission is required where you will be hunting.
If the area is on private property or posted you should get permission before
you hunt. Many good hunting trips have gone sour because folks were hunting
on land clearly posted "no hunting". Besides being illegal, it is plain common
courtesy to ask permission before you enter someone else's property. Keep in
mind, some special state hunts may require you to submit a request form (for
controlled hunting areas) prior to the season starting, so check on your states
regulations early in the year. Some selected spots are hard to get into because
they are quality-hunting areas and the competition to gain access is high. Additionally,
check with your state and determine if any special permits are needed for your
trip.
3. Home preparation is the easiest task to accomplish, but often done
incorrectly. Besides checking your guns and ammo (bow and arrows), also check
all of your gear. I check each piece of equipment closely to make sure it is
still in good condition and works as it should. Nothing is more frustrating
than getting in the field and finding you have a piece of gear that no longer
works. It means you have to do without the gear or perhaps find an alternated
method of doing something. Remember to check out your new gear, so you understand
how it is used and are capable of using it safely and properly. I once went
on a hunting trip with a man that brought along an unopened (new) tent, only
to discover it was a pink child's play tent. Some other considerations are:
- Foods can be a real problem, depending on how you travel to your hunting
site. If you take a vehicle then the transportation of heavy foods may not
be much of a problem, and you can even bring an ice chest. However, if you're
backpacking weight is always a serious consideration. If you will be carrying
your meals on your back, take most of the foods out of boxes and place them
in zip-locked bags (label the contents with a permanent marker). Carry dehydrated
foods as much as possible, though fresh foods can be used for a few days if
they are kept cool. I do not recommend canned goods (heavy and hard) or rigid
containers (hard) because they both have the tendency to dig into your back
if packed for very long. I suggest military Meals Ready to Eat (MRE's) which
are military surplus and available at most surplus stores or they can be ordered
online. Then again, there are many commercial dehydrated foods on the market
that are available in most sporting goods stores. The food you take is an
individual preference, but remember weight if you will be backpacking.
- If you are under a doctor's care and taking prescription medication make
sure you bring them along with you. It is very important that you stay on
any prescription medication, even when in the field. Additionally, it would
be a good idea to discuss your hunting trip with your medical professional
to see if you are in sound enough condition to do the outing. I once had to
cut a caribou trip short because my hunting partner had left his medication
at home, so ask your friends before the trip about their medication.
- Make sure you have a survival kit and first aid kit along with you at all
times. You can buy commercial survival and first aid kits in most large sporting
goods stores, but I would suggest you avoid military surplus kits, unless
you know what you're looking for. Often these surplus kits may have outdated
components in them and may even have items you don't need. I once bought a
surplus survival kit that had outdated water purification tablets in it and
a first aid kit that had a snakebite kit. Neither one of those items would
have done me any good (cutting and sucking a snakebite as part of treatment
is no longer a suggested procedure). If you would like more information about
what should be in a survival kit visit my site at http://www.simplesurvival.net.
4. Item four is very important, though often forgotten, and it is getting
your hands on a map of the area you'll be hunting in. Your local Geological
Survey should have maps of any areas you'll need, if not contact your fish and
game department for suggested locations to purchase topographical maps. A good
map is needed not only for navigation, but also for you to take a long look
at to determine where the deer or other game may be. Large game will need food,
water, shelter, and a good detailed topographical map will should you where
all three areas may be located. The map should be used only as a guide to let
you learn about the area without ever leaving your kitchen table. I once discovered
a prime hunting spot by studying a detailed map that indicated a small river,
a heavy wooded area, and a farm (which I discovered later was planted with alfalfa)
in the area. After scouting the area, I simply moved in, put up a tree stand
between the water and food source (above a heavily used deer trail), and had
my buck by midmorning. I did have to scout the area first to determine what
trails were being used most frequently, but animals will usually move between
food, water, and shelter, so know where they're moving.
5. Another important consideration is thoroughly knowing the area you'll
be hunting. If there are homes, domestic animals, or roads nearby you need to
know this prior to shooting at your big game for safety reasons. I have seen
arrows go right through a deer and of course, bullets will do the same, so make
sure the area behind your target is clear and not endangering property or life.
Also, spend as much time as possible scouting your hunting area prior to the
actual hunt. I often start months before season starts looking for sign of deer
movement, both coming and going. I will regularly track the movement to see
where the animal was coming from or going to. Deer don't usually travel very
far from their home turf, so this is not as time consuming as you might think.
They will bed down in good cover and then leave to drink or eat. At the same
time, remember to take your map and mark it with trails, water and food sources,
as well as any building or other obstacles not on the map. Once you've looked
the area over, spend a few early morning and late evenings in a tree stand checking
for time of movement. Many times, I've spent an exciting dawn watching a big
buck moving down a tail toward food and once the season started I had this valuable
information available to me and it greatly increased my success rate.
6. Once you have done your work at home and in the field, you can decide
what type of hunting technique you want to use. Some folks like to sit and wait,
others prefer to stalk, and many more prefer a tree stand. Me, I prefer a tree
stand for a number of reasons.
- I rarely sit very still and I suspect most hunters are the same way, so
sitting at ground level is not a good option for me. I have discovered that
I make too much noise as I stretch my tired (and old) limbs or move to get
comfortable on hard, wet, or rocky ground. I imagine I am often heard by a
deer way before I see them. Furthermore, there is something about being at
ground level, when the bullets and arrows start to fly from other hunters,
that makes me very uncomfortable.
- Now, stalking is very difficult for all but the most experienced hunters
under most circumstances. Often a stalker will jump big game and then have
only a running shot at it, which is difficult to make and yet kill the animal
cleanly and quickly. I suspect many "Texas Heart Shots" (in or up the rear
side of the deer) are made by inexperienced stalkers. While stalking can be
done, it takes a good eye, perfect timing (you must move forward when the
animals head is down or turned away from you), and you should be prepared
to freeze in position at any moment. Nope, this type of hunting is too much
work for me, so I don't use it often. Nonetheless, I do keep my gun or bow
ready at all times when I move on the ground.
- In a good quality tree stand, I can relax and do what I am there to do,
watch the area for movement. I strongly suggest the use of a safety strap
and harness at all times to avoid injury, because more than one hunter has
gone to sleep and fallen from a tree, not to mention those who have just fallen
for one reason or the other. My stand is very comfortable and I have found
I move around less sitting in it than when I am on the ground. Another key
consideration is that your scent and small noises are often masked, or carried
overhead by the wind, which makes it harder for the animal to determine where
you are. And, like most animals, deer will rarely look up because fewer threats
are found there (in most states). Finally, make sure the area around you is
clear enough to fire your weapon of choice and hit your target cleanly. I
once missed a huge buck because my arrow struck a small branch on a bush and
was deflected away from my intended target. From that point on, I made sure
my "field of fire" was clear. Small limbs or brush can deflect even rifle
bullets.
7. Agree with your hunting partners to meet back at your base camp at
certain times of the day (lunch or dinner for example) for safety reasons mainly,
though it can also be used as a time to discuss what has been seen or heard
during the hunt. I have had many lunches were the movement of deer was discussed
and it was always good information to know. Now, I usually hunt with a partner
fairly close by and we always agree to climb from our tree stands at noon on
the dot for lunch. We agree to this to avoid scaring game that may be near and
as an added safety factor. If I expect the person at a certain time, then I
am prepared for their arrival. I once had a nice buck sighted in when my hunting
partner neared my stand at midmorning and scared the animal away, but I won't
tell you what I said to him. Your partners still might scare game away if they
arrive at a given time, but at least you'll know they're coming.
8. One area most hunters never consider is the campsite. Often we just
find a good spot, put up a tent, build a fire, and then forget about it. I used
to do exactly that, but not any longer. By doing both my homework and fieldwork,
I now place my base camp away from where most of the deer travel (trails). I
always will find a spot away from the animal's food, water, and shelter sources
to make my camp. I have found it to my advantage not to stress the deer in the
area by making my camp to close to where they move and bed down. Besides the
normal camp, make sure you have a nice spot picked out well in advance where
you will hang your big buck to do the skinning and bagging. Keep in mind you
want a shaded area (warm or hot meat will turn bad quickly due to bacterial
growth) and I prefer a big oak limb that I can throw a rope over to hoist my
game up to make skinning easier. Then again, some folks prefer to wait and skin
when they get home, so that choice is yours. I suggest you skin in the field
to cool the meat quickly, but use a game bag in either case.
9. Once your animal is down for good, as soon as possible follow your
states requirements for tagging. Some states require the tag on the horns, some
on a leg, and the there may be others in different states, so know what your
state requires. Failure to tag or mark your tag per your states game laws can
cause you big legal problems, and I'm not even going to bring up what it might
end up costing you in the long run. As quickly as I discover my animal is dead,
I tag it before I do anything else. Tag and then start to work.
10. After you have got your animal back at camp and dressed, you need
to discuss the situation with your hunting partners. If all were successful,
then the trip home will be almost immediate, but if some have not done well
so you may have to stay in camp a bit longer. Make sure you keep your animal
completely covered with a game bag, hang it up and off the ground, and watch
the temperature. If you have a vehicle parked near your hunting camp, then leaving
will not be a problem, but if you backpacked in you might have some serious
talking to do in order to get some assistance in getting your game home from
the field. I have seen plastic sleds, portable carts with wheels, and other
devices made for transporting game from the field and all may work, but unless
I am on a fly-in hunting trip I usually hunt where my car is within a mile or
so. The way you get your game from the field to waiting transportation is the
individual hunter's choice, but I always put some international orange on the
deer's horns and on the game bag for safety reasons (as well as wear it). Oh,
and if required by your state do not forget to check your animal in.
As you can see, there are many things you can do before the hunt that can assist in making your trip a successful one. Rare is there a hunter who goes to a new area, climbs just any tree and bags a huge buck on the first day, though I have seen it done. Most good deer hunters start to work well before the season starts and they stay busy up until they down the big one. Remember to do both your homework and your fieldwork, and I am confident I'll meet you at the check-in station on opening day.
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