Monthly Archives: February 2011

deer hunting

What to Know About Whitetail Deer Hunting

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You’ve probably heard a lot about whitetail deer hunting and are curious as to what is so popular about it. For the most part, it is simply one of the most common species of deer, especially in the United States, making it a popular target for deer hunters. However, before you can go whitetail deer hunting, you should know a little about them and their habitat so that you can target them correctly.

The first thing you’ll notice when whitetail deer hunting is the reason these deer are referred to by such a name. They have a relatively long, broad tail for deer that is white on the underside (which is usually visible, due to the fact that the tail sticks up in the air). These deer are relatively small and generally have short ears. Females do not have antlers, and the antlers on bucks have all major points coming off the main beam. On average, males weigh between 30 and 70 kilograms when full grown (60-160 pounds), with females being slightly smaller.

It is most important in whitetail deer hunting to know where to find your target. You’ll do best searching hardwood areas in the south, with Texas being one of the major home states of this breed. In southeastern Texas, this is slightly adjusted due to the more mixed vegetation including or almost exclusively pines, in which whitetail can also make their homes. If you trek over to the Chisos Mountains of Texas, you’ll find that, while mule deer inhabit much of the lower foothills and bases of the mountains, whitetail deer hunting is best within the upper mountains themselves. However, in most other places, such as the Guadalupe Mountains, this is completely vice versa, with whitetails preferring the foothills.

You’ll notice in whitetail deer hunting that these animals are dainty eaters and can be quite choosey in their meal tickets. In the Chisos Mountains, you would do best to target them in areas where they can feed extensively on mountain mahogany and low shrubs, while specimens in the Edwards Plateau area are more likely to graze on forbs and grass. You’ll also find that whitetail deer hunting can occur in a very concentrated area, since these deer have a small home range and won’t stray far from it, especially where food is abundant. In fact, some marked whitetails have been noted to spend at least three years inhabiting less 600 acres.

Once you’ve determined what you are looking for and where you are going to be able to find it, you can make a success of your whitetail deer hunting trip with ease. Following these guidelines will make your trip enjoyable and fruitful.

hunting land

Finding Hunting Land For Lease

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If you’re starting a hunting club, you’re likely looking for hunting land for lease. Hunt clubs typically lease a parcel of land from a private land owner and sell memberships to hunters. The membership fees go toward the year’s lease payments and give the hunters the right to access the land for hunting, and sometimes for other activities.

Leasing hunting land is the most convenient way for hunters to create a club, unless a founding member already owns land outright that he can lease to the club. One of the best ways to find hunting land for lease is to start by simply scoping out the location of land you’d like to use for hunting. The land owner may not be planning to offer his land for lease; in fact, he may never have heard of hunt clubs or the practice of leasing land for such a purpose. So, once you’ve located land you’d like to use, simply approach the land owner with a plan for your hunt club and the land lease. Once he understands your plan, he may be quite happy to lease the land to you, though he had no such plan originally. For most land owners, using their hunting land for lease to a hunt club is a great way to make easy income on land that has been sitting unused.

Before you agree on hunting land for lease with the land owner, be certain that you know how much you can afford to pay for the lease. It’s wise to find your minimum number of hunting club members before locating the land. Sit down with the members and agree on a yearly membership fee that each member is willing to commit to for at least one year. By multiplying this amount by the number of members, you know how much you can pay a landowner for the year’s lease. If the amount you can pay isn’t enough to lease a good piece of property for a year, then you need more members or you need to agree on a higher membership fee from each participant before you secure a hunting land for lease.

Once you know what you can pay, you can approach a landowner with a proposal that includes the lease payment he’ll receive from your club. Most clubs charge each member their yearly fee on January 1, but may pay the land owner monthly. If new members join the club later in the year, after the amount needed to pay the landowner for the year has been collected, their fees are used to fund any repairs or maintenance that the club may have to take care of on the property, as described in the lease agreement.

goose hunting

The Right Goose Hunting Blind

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With all the various types of blinds, choosing the right goose hunting blind for your needs is very important. Since every hunter has different hunting styles and techniques, finding the correct goose hunting blind is critical both for comfort in hunting as well as success in getting your limit.

The right goose hunting blind will be different for each individual. The major differences in goose hunting blinds include:

1. Type of fabric

There is some controversy with hunters whether man-made or natural fabrics are the best for a goose hunting blind. With the new types of camouflage and patterning on fabric, both work well, depending on the conditions that you will be hunting in. Man-made fabrics tend to be more water resistant, thinner and more lightweight, but also lighter and more likely to be damaged beyond repair. Natural fabrics are easier to repair, more durable, but also heavier and require drying to prevent mold and mildew.

2. Type of roof

There are several different types of options for a goose hunting blind roof. One of the most popular options is the spring-loaded roof. This roof is easy to immediately swing open to allow a 360-degree line of sight and firing. Another option is a zipper-closed roof, which can often be used as a deer or turkey blind as well. The roof is much slower to open, and there is often some obstruction. If you are hunting over the water or on fields where wing shots are not necessary they may be both practical and efficient.

3. Pit or above ground

A pit style blind is often a great idea especially if the landscape is not ideal for an above ground goose hunting blind. Even with a pit, a camouflaged cover will still be required. In very cold and wet weather a pit blind is often the least comfortable, but it can be very effectively hidden, even in a flat field. An above ground goose hunting blind is often used in places where there is some natural brush or treed areas along the waterway or the side of the field. Some of the very low blinds can be used in either situation.

Making the correct choice in buying a goose hunting blind is best completed by trying out a few different styles. Plan to attend hunting exhibitions, talk to other hunters or even contact a few guides to find out the pros and cons of the various styles of blinds. In addition online reviews and goose hunting forums can be a great place to get ideas and tips on the blind that will suit you the best.

bow hunting

Bow Arrow Hunting: Past to Present

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Bow arrow hunting is vastly different from that of the Native Americans of the past. It is a wonderful sport that has enthusiasts from all facets of life, from survivalists to those who embrace technology. No longer are bows made of wood and sinew, and no longer are arrows made of burned and sharpened wood or flint. Technology has made its way into bow arrow hunting, and the advancements are amazing.
From alloy arrow tips to composite bows and crossbows, to complex sights and scopes, bow arrow hunting has evolved in exciting and innovative ways. For example, I doubt even a vision quest could have envisioned the hell razor broad head or similar arrows. Made specifically for the modern super fast speed bows, today’s arrows are made of high quality materials to maintain sharpness and remain true in flight. This arrow is formed using a laser weld system called photon blade bonding. It creates an arrow with a ferrule and blade joined in such a way that it is one piece. Sharpened in such a way to have a razor like, flat beveled edge, this arrow is designed to be super sharp and remain that way.

Pin guards are another area in which the tried and true has given way to the marvels of modern technology and scientifically designed advancements. Many hunters use a round peep sight on their bow, and now use a round pin guard as well, making it easier to line up the inside the peep and increasing accuracy.

Though most bow arrow hunting enthusiasts who are not target archers do not use scopes, most of the target archers are also bow arrow hunters and use their target sights and scopes hunting as well. Though if you are not interested in target archery, you might not want to invest in such an expensive high end item, there is definitely a place for them in the sport of bow arrow hunting.

Target Archery Sights and Scopes are another thing bow arrow hunters will find advanced. Most target archers will choose fancier sights and scopes and use them for both purposes, though they are certainly more expensive and unnecessary for bow arrow hunting purposes. Most of the high end sights have second and third axis adjustment capability or gang adjustable pins. Many sights have fiber optics, with the typical red dot target sights, some even have magnification lenses.

Many target archers are also bow arrow hunting enthusiasts. They may choose a fancy hunting sight to use for both purposes. High end hunting sights have come along way. They have 2nd and 3rd axis adjustments, bubble levels, fiber optics and individually adjustable and/or gang adjustable pins. Some even have magnification lens that you can add. Just remember, when it comes to bow arrow hunting scopes, the lens is the most important part, and also the most expensive part. Scopes can be as inexpensive as $50 and as expensive as $250 and up. The quality is reflected in the cost, though, so for the best scopes, remember that technology is expensive!

pheasant hunting

Pheasant Hunting Lab Dogs

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Dog is main’s best friend and is always there for you, such as the pheasant hunting lab dogs, which have a lot to do with functional requirements and the hunting roots of their initial traits. Each breed is built to do a particular job and skill, but the dog needs to “want to do it” with proper socialization and adequate training. The breed, such as the pheasant hunting lab dogs, each have particular coats, gaits, substances, expressions, and overall looks of that specific breed in order to meet the breed’s standards.

The pheasant hunting lab dogs, or the Labrador Retriever, originated out of Newfoundland as an all-purpose water dog prior to the 1800s. Originally considered to be a Newfoundland instead of a Lab, it was called the St. John’s Newfoundland. They were bred to retrieve game and fish, bred as a medium-sized black dog with short and close hair. These dogs were also capable of pulling the Newfoundland small fishing boats through the icy water as an assistant to the sailors. But this amiable, gentle, and devoted hunting dog has evolved into one of the most popular dogs for not only as pheasant hunting lab dogs, but also as a pet for families or therapy dogs to assist the blind and disabled.

With an AKC ranking of number one, the pheasant hunting lab dogs have been placed in the family of gundog and retriever, with an original hunting function of water retrieving, even though it is easily trained for a wide variety of other functions. A powerful dog weighing about 65 to 80 pounds for the male and 55 to 70 pounds for the female, it stands about 22 inches at the withers, give or take depending on the sex. Considered as a moderate dog, the pheasant hunting lab dogs are not an extreme sort of dog—but rather mellow and easygoing. But like all dogs, they require exercise such as swimming and retrieving, which is where the dog’s heart is at. A rather sociable dog, it loves company and is excellent around other pets, strangers, with a high affectionate level.

The build of the Labrador is specific to carry game birds of all sizes and is considered a highly-qualified working retriever well deserving of the name pheasant hunting lab dogs. It has a broad head and strong jaws that are excellent for carrying pheasants and Canadian geese, and a heavy body and strong legs for swimming and running for retrieving. In natural colors of yellow, black or chestnut, this square compact moderately sized dog has an ease of training response that surpasses most other dogs.

hunting leases

Selling Hunting Leases in Louisiana

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If you are a landowner, you may be interested in selling hunting leases in Louisiana. This can be a fine way to earn some extra income and to keep your property free of species that you do not want or need. But before you jump into this take some time and learn the tricks that can help you make the most of this opportunity.

Selling hunting leases in Louisiana requires that you have ownership or control over the land that you wish to let out. That is a given. The next important step is to find those venues where you can advertise your offering to interested hunters.

Some of the best news about hunting leases in Louisiana is that it is easy to get the word out about them. You have some time-tested methods such as word of mouth and print advertising in the hunting magazines, but you can also put the Internet to work for you as well.

Word of mouth and print ads work fine but they do have some limitations. Word of mouth is fairly local and print ads can take a long time before they get into print and into the hands of those that you want to see them. There is also the cost of print ads that needs to be considered.

The Internet, on the other hand, will allow you to post your hunting leases in Louisiana in almost real time. There are plenty of online places that welcome these sorts of postings and they will often post your hunting leases in Louisiana for free or for a small fee.

There are different types of venues on the Internet as well. You can use the various websites that connect hunters to property owners or you use the forums that are a more direct link to the hunters. In a forum, you simply post your hunting leases in Louisiana, along with the pertinent information and those hunters who are interested can reply to you.

While some of the websites will charge a fee at time, the forums are almost always free. Another good thing about using forums to post your offerings of hunting leases in Louisiana is that they are busy. People are reading these things daily and that can result in better sales for you.

Of course, you can design your own website if you wish. In fact, many landowners use a combination of these methods, and perhaps that would work best for you as well.

You can learn more about forums, websites, and other helpful issues on posting your hunting leases in Louisiana by doing a simple online search. There is plenty of information out there and it is all just waiting for you.

duck hunting, hunting dogs

The Famous Walker Hunting Dogs

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When you look at the Walker hunting dogs, you will remember them the rest of your life. I had one here as part of our rescue unit, and to this day I hear his beautiful baying and the company of his gentle and sweet personality. Of course, he treed cats on the property—did not hurt them, mind you, but treed everything in sight because that is what they do best. Choosing Walker hunting dogs for hunting or an exercise companion is a joy in itself, as compared to other hunting dogs.

The Walker hunting dogs have quite a history, going clear back to the 1700 days of George Washington when his “Tennessee Lead” chased foxes across Virginia. The dog was carefully and meticulously bred by George Washington and his friend John W. Walker with the foxhound, continuing on for centuries. The Walker hunting dogs were the result of this careful breeding, with the goal of high quality hunting foxes. Today, they are popular with the deer hunters because of their lean bodies, and speed with quick movements. The origin of the English Foxhound is where the importance lies for the fastest and most agile of hunters.

One major requirement that is almost mandatory is top-notch quality training, something that is of the utmost need for this breed of hunting dog, the famous Walker hunting dogs–as when on the hunt they hear nothing but their own baying and the scent of the prey. Completely oblivious to the commands of the hunter, just like a basset or beagle, this dog cannot go to the field and hunt without the utmost training for basic commands and then on into high agility training. A few commands on sit or stay just won’t cut it, believe me. It would be almost impossible to stop them on your own, with their powerful shoulders, while weighing up to 70 pounds and over two feet high.

Several types of Walker hunting dogs have passed down into our hunting world, with the Treeing Walker the most popular for hunting rabbit, fox, raccoon, and sometimes large game such as bear or wild boar. As stated, their disposition is what has added to their popularity as a hunting dog. They love children and other dogs, and more than enjoy sleeping in the bottom of the bed during the night—a gentle giant with the heart of a cuddly bear. But be prepared for the multitude of bays that herald anything from someone at the door to the scent of a squirrel or cat outside, as each baying sound of the Walker hunting dogs sounds off to a different job.