Monthly Archives: May 2012

deer hunting

Spotting mule deer

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There is a often-referred to acronym that successful mule deer hunters know – FERAL. It should serve as a reminder of the key parts of a muley you’re likely to spot when searching for that big buck. Let’s face it, odds are you’re not going to find a trophy buck just standing in the middle of a field.

F is for the face – train your eyes to pick out the bright white of a mule buck’s muzzle.
E is for the ears – mule deer ears are large, stand out at attention and often masquerade as broad leaves.
R is for the rump – a mule deer’s backside is distinctive, and the round white area with the black point just the bottom side of center is practically a target.
A is for antler – arguably, the mule deer is most often given away by the fact that their antlers rise up away from the rest of their well-disguised body.
L is for legs – though one might think that a deer’s legs were easily hidden, there are few straight objects in nature that form tight groups of four.

hunting

The Problem with Canned Hunting

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Canned hunting is effectively trophy hunting. A canned hunt is a type of hunt that involves the hunter being essentially promised a kill by a hunting agency or governing body. The activity basically takes place on the grounds that the host of the hunt, whether a hunting agency or private party, captures an animal and releases it in a generally enclosed area to be hunted by the hunter. The enclosed area tends to be a small fenced in area so that the kill comes rather easily to the hunter.

Naturally, there have been all sorts of ethical issues involving canned hunting. Through the years, the controversy and criticism of canned hunting has reached a fever pitch. Rightly so, as the issue with canned hunting is one more directed towards animal cruelty than any other type of hunt. The animal is captured and “canned”, giving it no original chance for survival. This type of simplistic approach to hunting is often polarizing to many within the hunting community, some of which appreciate the delicate balance of nature in its own right.

The United States actually has a set line of legislation regarding canned hunting because of the criticism. In the Sportsman Hunting Act of 2005, the United States proclaimed that anyone who transports an exotic animal for the purposes of canned hunting shall be fined or put in prison for no longer than one year. While the penalties are not all that tough, the sentiment is still resounding. The United States government does not particularly qualify what constitutes an “exotic animal”, however, and this has led to some confusion among canned hunters.

The critique involving canned hunting is rather obvious. Animal rights groups claim that is it cruelty to animals and, while they protest all types of hunting, their position is somewhat more compelling when it is amplified by other hunting groups. Certain hunting groups claim that canned hunting takes away from the element of the “fair chase” or the “fair catch”. In other words, hunting groups typically claim that part of the adventure of the hunt is, of course, the hunt. Without the hunt, hunting is left to barbaric slaughter. These hunting groups claim that canned hunting simply strips away any of the elements of survival in terms of hunting and brings it down to its most animalistic classification.

Naturally, another opponent of canned hunting is the North American Humane Society. They claim that canned hunting represents cruel activity towards animals and exists to promote brutality towards animals. The hunted animal, according to the Humane Society, has literally no chance to escape and is essentially a victim of terrorism by the hunter and the hunting party. The animal is captive and is nearly tortured by the psychological implications of being in captivity and then being hunted while in such captivity.

There are several incidents in current events which reflect canned hunting. The United States Vice President Dick Cheney is said to be a fan of canned hunting, once apparently bagging around seventy ringneck pheasants on a hunt in which the pheasants were captured and then released in a specific area upon Cheney’s request. Of course, the most famous Dick Cheney canned hunting incident likely involved the shooting of Harry Whittington. It is not known if Cheney has any objections to canned hunting on a moral level, however, as the Vice President tends to be known for a certain level of ambiguity.

Canned hunting represents a great deal of controversy and criticism in America. It is not looked at favorably at all and, instead, is rather shamed even within the hunting community. As the community of hunters tends to progress and allow for nature to operate on its own constraints within their boundaries, canned hunting tends to represent all that is wrong with human interference on its most brutal and basic level. Canned hunting is not hunting at all; it is simply a deadly game of capture and kill that gives the animal no chance to run.

bear hunting

Exploring the Dangers of Bear Hunting

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For some reason, people seem interested in the notion of tracking down a bear through the wilderness and killing it. While it may seem strange, there is a small cult of people that follow bear hunting considerably and make it an active part of their lives. These people tend to find generalized hunting a little too “tame” for their tastes and instead lurk after the lumbering bears of the forest. Often seen as an attempt to prove their manhood, bear hunting is a dangerous and largely unnecessary sport that typically challenges all notions of natural balance and order. Instead, most bear hunting aspects lead to dangerous outcomes or to the possibility of extinction.

Bear hunting, while seemingly unnecessary to the average person, is actually a legal and monitored part of the hunting regulations in North America. Alaska is one of the largest places for hunting bears. Several times a year, Alaska can be found swarming with hunters trying to bag the big one and those just curious to watch the bear hunts. The danger and general excitement of the hunt is enough to draw on the very basic components of human nature and create a buzz around bear hunting. Unfortunately for the bears and for some innocent bystanders, bear hunting creates a chaotic and unfortunate scene.

It is argued by hunters that the bear population is quickly recharging and regenerating itself, leading to the moral validity of bear hunting. In other words, there are enough bears in the world and, furthermore, without bear hunting the population of bears in certain areas would be overwrought. While this notion may be partially true, it is also important to consider that bear hunters typically are not properly educated in the matter. Some bear hunters are not hunting for purposes of thinning out a particular species to maintain some sense of animal control in the area. This leads to many bear hunters callously shooting at anything that moves and taking down anything that looks like a bear, paying no mind to the species or importance of the bear.

For this reason, bear hunting is best left to the professionals. There are many within the wildlife community that are given the task of taking down the bear population by statistically represented and supported numerical values. These wildlife officials know what bears to look for and have identified the bears that are older and weaker, leaving the decision of hunting bears down to an actual representation of the bear community in a particular area and to actual natural law.

In that respect, bear hunting appears to be the domain of the testosterone-driven hunters. The hunters looking for the best possible kill are typically adrenaline junkies that are looking for danger and excitement. As many examples over time have proven, bear hunting can provide that danger and excitement in more than ample amounts. This leads to fatalities or injuries that are often results of people getting too close to bears or people getting too involved in the bear’s natural habitat. In short, people simply do not know when to leave well enough alone.

With all of this rhetoric around bear hunting, one would think that the very notion of how dangerous the sport is would be enough of a repellent. However, every season more hunters are flocking to alleged hunting sites and every season more needless waste is being done to the beautiful natural backdrop that bears and other animals call home. The amount of human-led damage to the forests and natural setting of Alaska because of bear hunting is staggering.

Regardless of any moral convictions, it is important to maintain a factual focus when discussing hunting of any kind. Whether we live in an age in which hunting is a necessity at all anymore is certainly up for dispute. Many argue for the sport aspect of it, but a more logical approach might suggest that the arguments for the sporting aspect of bear hunting are better left behind.

hunting

Hunting Safety

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Hunting has survived the modernization of civilization. In fact, it has flourished into one of the most popular pastimes and hobbies in the world. Unfortunately, one of the world’s favourite past times can also be one of its most dangerous. Every hunter should know some basic things before heading out into the fields.

The most important aspect of hunting concerns how to walk and carry a gun. It is important to make sure that the muzzle always points away from the hunter and any companions. There are many ways to do this. One option is the side carry, which is effectively carrying the gun with one hand and tucking the stock between the elbow and the body. It is not recommended to use the side carry when the hunter is walking through dense brush or with other companions walking in front, however.

Another option is the ready carry. With the ready carry, the gun is held with two hands and the muzzle is pointed upwards and towards the front of the hunter. The trigger finger should be rested on the proper guard.

The sling carry involves both hands of the hunter being free. A sling is used to carry the gun over the hunter’s shoulder, giving clear range for the hunter to move however he or she wants.

Others prefer the shoulder carry method of carrying a gun. Using this technique involves the muzzle of the gun resting skyward. It is probably not a good idea to use this technique of carrying a gun with companions behind.

Finally, the trail carry involves the gun held at a point between the action and the trigger. If someone is walking ahead of the hunter, it is not a good idea to use the trail carry because the muzzle is pointing down but forward.

Once the hunter has established a safe and comfortable way to carry his or her weapon, it is very important to plan next what to do when encountering the game. Before encountering the target, all hunters should establish a “zone of fire” where each will shoot and track when game appears. It is very important that one hunter never encroach on another’s zone.

When hunting from a boat, there are general safety precautions that should be considered. First, make sure the weapon to be used by the hunter who will be sitting in the bow of the boat is unloaded. His or her gun must be placed facing the bow. The next hunter places his or her unloaded gun in the stern with its muzzle pointing to the rear. Hunters should always remember to anchor the boat before shooting and to fire in opposite directions.

To keep their skills sharp, hunters often practise on ranges. These controlled shooting areas also have a set of commands geared for the safe enjoyment of all the participants. If a hunter says, “the range is hot”, for example, it means that the range is open for shooting and that there are no live objects, such as people, on the range. If a hunter says, “cease fire”, it means to stop all firing immediately. Another command on the firing range is “ready”. This is the last precaution taken by shooters before the “range is hot” command. Each shooter repeats the phrase “ready” from right to left to ensure the firing line is clear and safe.