Hunting is a fun hobby and a strategy to control the populations of some animals, especially the game animals without predators. Also, when carried out in an environmentally suitable manner, hunting provides a super-healthy source of meat. However, to succeed in hunting, you need to learn what it entails.
Here are top reasons some hunters excel and others do not;
Table of Contents
#1: Determining What Game to Hunt
One of the great steps towards successful hunting is to decide or determine the game you prefer to hunt. Successful hunters take time to choose their preferred game, which in turn influences the techniques they engage while hunting. Knowing what type of game to hunt also helps a hunter to choose the right weapon and hunting gears.
And, when it comes to what games to choose, some great ideas include the following;
- Small Game – e.g. squirrel, hare, crow, rabbit, waterfowl, and pheasant
- Big Game – e.g. mountain goat, antelope, moose, sheep, deer, bighorn sheep, and bear.
#2: Researching the Most Relevant Hunting Tools
Successful hunters do not just dabble into hunting with just any tool. They take time to research the most effective hunting tools. For instance, if you take an elephant gun with you to hunt a pheasant, you may likely have some difficulties hunting. On the other hand, a few guns are paired with birdshot and can also be effective for pheasant hunting.
The message is simple, you need to research the most suitable and effective weapon for your preferred game. When it comes to hunting generally, some of the weapons that would fit in would include;
- Bow and arrow
- Shotguns
- Rim-fire rifle
- Black powder rifle
- High powered rifle such as a center-fire rifle
Hunting with Bows and Arrows
This section is dedicated to bow hunting and how it works. This is because it is becoming trendy to hunt with bows. In essence, the use of archery to kill wild animals is fast becoming the in-thing. Just like hunting with a gun, you need to find out the hunting rules and regulations in your state or area before picking your bow to go hunting.
The first step is to choose a bow. Generally, it’s always a good idea to start with a compound bow. This is because compound bows are much easier to hunt with compared to the traditional bows, especially for beginners. The best crossbows promote more accurate target and shooting can be mastered with a little practice, and are easy to maintain.
Tip #3: Learning from Experienced Hunters
Tagging along with experienced hunters is a smart move towards becoming a successful hunter, especially if you are just getting started with hunting. So, from the onset, get hunting tips, tricks, techniques and ideas from experienced hunters. This will help shorten your learning rope and help you shoot the wild games like a pro in a short time.
You can ask your family members and friends if they know someone with great hunting skills that you can tag along with and learn good hunting techniques. Also, people who work at the local sporting gears store may know someone who can point you in the right direction in hunting.
Tip #4: Researching the Hunting Tactics for a Preferred Game
Learning the hunting tactics that work best for your preferred game (e.g. deer hunting) would increase your chances of shooting like a pro and ultimately succeed in hunting. You will catch more fun hunting when you know and employ the right techniques for hunting a particular game.
Take a look at some well-known hunting tactics for different games;
- Small Games – If you prefer to hunt small games such as squirrels and rabbits, some of the best tactics you can employ include the use of dogs. For instance, you can use beagles for rabbit hunting.
- Deer Hunting – If you want to increase your chances of success with deer hunting, you should employ techniques such as ground blinds, stalking, tree stands, or try driving preys towards their way.
- Upland Birds – Hunt upland birds with dogs such as setters or pointers. These dogs can trail the scent of these birds. Subsequently, they will lead the hunters to target and shoot the bird games.
Tip #5: Practice and Practice
Success does not happen by chance, you have to plan and make the right efforts for it to happen. This is also true about hunting. You need to practice your hunting tactics and also practice with your preferred hunting weapons.
If you decide to hunt from a tree stand, you need to practice how to carry and hunt with before the actual hunting. This is also the case with other tactics such as stalking a game or fashioning a blind.
Also, familiarize yourself with the weapon you have chosen for your hunting adventure. Keep practicing until you master usage and build self-confidence in using the weapon. If you are just getting started, you need someone to guide you in using weapons such as guns and bows.
Another smart endeavor when it comes to practicing and mastering your hunting tools is to walk into a shooting facility such as a rifle or bow range. Indeed, if you want to succeed in hunting, you need to be serious with practicing and mastering how to shoot.
Additional Tips
Getting to know your hunting terrain will also increase your chances of succeeding while hunting. Embark on a walkabout of your hunting areas. This will help you figure out where the game is likely to bed down. This tactic also makes tracking the game you hunt down easier.
In mastering your hunting terrain also, you should take note of obstacles such as loose rocks, fallen trees and similar hindrances that could make it difficult to access your hunting location.
Finally, It is also helpful to take note of the tracks that appear to have been created by animals. Such tracks may be a helpful lead way to where the game may be.
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