Hunting Safely

The thrill of chasing down a twelve-point buck or bagging a prize-winning turkey sends millions of hunters into the woods every year in search of that prize kill. Hunting is exciting, but it can also be dangerous and even deadly if hunters are not educated and religiously exercise good hunting safety techniques.

The Basics

Before leaving on your hunting trip, prepare yourself well. Never go to an unplanned location or take off on a spontaneous hunting trip. Let others know where you are planning to hunt and when you will be returning. If necessary, leave detailed directions to your hunting grounds with friends or family that will be staying home in case an emergency arises and they need to direct medical personnel to your location. Try to return home as close to your planned time as possible. If you are late checking in, your contact person can then know to set out using your directions to see if you need assistance.

Take the time to prepare your weapon. If using a rifle or shotgun, clean and inspect the weapon after every use and after any time the weapon has spent in storage. Prepare a small first aid kit to carry with you while you are hunting. Consider bringing your cell phone. You can always keep it turned off while you are hunting, and a phone can be the difference between life and death in a medical emergency. Always be prepared to give detailed directions to your exact location as you move through the woods.

In The Woods

Once arriving at your chosen hunting spot, be sure to don your safety gear along with orange-colored clothing on your head and/or chest to help other hunters in the area determine you from the game. While camouflaged gear is great to help you remain undetected by the animals, it can also confuse other hunters if they see movement from a distance without recognizing the orange color. If you are hunting in a group, try to keep the location of those around you in your mind as you change positions to help avoid accidents.

If you are using a decoy such as a doe decoy, be sure to use orange safety tape around the perimeter of the area you will be in, to help other hunters recognize your decoy. You can also observe the area from an elevated position to further protect yourself from any stray shots directed at your decoy.

During The Hunt

If you are hunting deer and find yourself tracking a wounded animal, always use extreme caution. Other animals in the area may become panicked at the smell of one of their own running wounded near them. An injured animal is very unpredictable and may likely be desperate to get away if it senses that you are pursuing. Never approach a wounded animal head-on. Never allow yourself to be corned between a solid object and a wounded animal. Always have a way of escape in mind should the animal attack. If attacked, try to protect your head and chest as much as possible to limit damage to your vital organs and increase your chance of survival.

It is also important to be aware of and on the lookout for other animals like bears and snakes that may be encountered while hunting. Being aware of your surroundings is an important step in staying safe while hunting. Use some caution and common sense to ensure many more years of happy hunting yet to come.

Elk Hunting: Heed The Call

Elk are very big in size and this is the reason why elk hunting is considering very special kind of hunting by hunters.

These large sized animals have different type of life style and the mating customs of these animals are also different. These animals can be deliberately violent or coward.

The hunters who participate in elk hunting activity regularly get very less chances to come near this royal creature. They can tell very less stories regarding their experience with these large creatures. The weight of a male elk can easily reach to eight hundred pounds. The elk are very shrewd and it is really a complex task to kill elk. The hunting of elk requires a great skill on part of hunter.

The success of elk hunting practice depends on many elements. Time is the major element for hunting elk. An experienced elk hunter can easily understand that how much time is required for elk hunting.

They can also tell about effect of temperature on elk hunting. Those who wish to hunt an elk for first time require hiring the services of a guide. Elk can be found in many areas. A guide can help in making a successful attempt of elk hunting by offering value able tips to the hunter. Thus can guide can be very helpful for you for elk hunting.

Bugling or announcing is the second important element for elk hunting. This is the activity, which is performed by the male elk for challenging other males and for attracting females during the mating season. Hunter also does this practice but it can be dangerous if it is used excessively.

The effective use of this type of practice is possible only if hunters have vast experience to have information about the places for use of this method. In this way an experienced hunter can use this technique more effectively.

You can find many manuals and books in the market, which can give information regarding use of bugling while hunting.

You can also find calls, which can imitate female elk or cows. Some hunters make use of these devices to attract a bull closer during hunting. After sending the bull at a beneficial place one can make a move for final attempt. You can make a successful shot after attracting the bull.

The excessive use of bugling can prevent the male elk from coming near to advantageous area during hunting. The good quality of instrument ensures the good quality of results. Elk have inherent quality to foresee dangers.

You can hunt an Elk only by creating a natural environment. Thus it is necessary to make the elk hunting practice more and more realistic.

Picking the Best Rifle

Picking the right rifle for the big hunt is vitally important because it can make or break the hunt itself. You never know what problems may arise from having the wrong rifle at the hunt, so ensure that you have taken the time to pick the best rifle for the job. There are a number of criteria points that should be explored as you determine the best rifle for hunting, too. As you grow as a hunter and learn more, you will be able to make your own decisions in terms of picking a rifle for the hunt. For now, however, it is likely best that you consider a bit of expert opinion.

There are many types of hunting rifles. Bolt-action, lever-action, semi-automatic and pump-action rifles are just a few of the different types of guns that hunters utilize in the big hunt. Within these types, there is also a selection of different caliber types. Solving the great mystery of picking the best rifle, then, means answering a few questions about the type of hunt you will be on.

You will first need to consider your location. If you will be hunting in thick brush, you will probably need a faster-loading gun that you can operate rather quickly in tight spaces. With limited visibility on your hunt, you will likely want a light gun that you can work with rather quickly. If you have a longer distance to cover, you will probably want a rifle that offers you a great deal of more control. Bolt-action rifles can give you that control, but they are hard to work with in small quarters of space because of the mechanics of operation. While some hunters may say that they have done so, it can be extremely complicated to load a gun with a bolt-action loading mechanism while crouching behind a bush. The movement alone could lose the prey.

You will also need to consider your type of prey. Most rifles are suitable for killing deer of any kind. Again, the discussion ventures back to the location distinction on this account. If you are killing smaller animals, however, you may want a rifle that you can hold at a more “still” pace. This means that you do not want to spend your time controlling the gun when you are trying to control the shot. For this reason, many recommend going with a smaller semi-automatic for hunting animals like rabbits or badgers. The skittish nature of the animal can be offset by squeezing off a quick shot from a semi-automatic.

After you have determined your prey and your location, it may be time to pick a rifle. Of course, there are many popular brand names within each subset of gun type, but the reality is that you will need to find a gun that you find to be most comfortable. You will look for strength and accuracy out of a bolt-action gun, for example, which may lead you around to several gun stores before you find the right one. You should also look for little extras on the gun, such as adjustable triggers and thumb safety switches. Features like these will make your gun a lot safer and a lot more user friendly.

After you have purchased your gun, you should get to know your gun. Take it apart and put it back together again. Learn the ins and outs of your gun so that you can be as safe as possible with it. You will need to know what ammunition it is that your gun shoots. Find out the best way to maintain and store your gun, too. Gun safety is of utter importance, so ensure that your new rifle is locked away and stored in a safe place away from children or other family members that may be curious about it. Always keep it unloaded when you are not using it and never point it at another person.

Deer Hunting: Alabama Deer Hunting

If you are dreaming about hunting a white tail deer, then Alabama is the best place to be looked into. It does not matter, if you are an aspiring hunter or a well-experienced hunting champ. Alabama offers the best ambience for catching your prey. Here, you can easily hunt in well-managed properties specially designed for hunting purposes. It offers you to choose between bow and a gun for your hunting adventure.

No matter you are amateur or well experienced; you’ll surely have great time hunting in Alabama farms. This place provides you a wonderful opportunity of hunting white tail deer, which is the most familiar species of deer, found in south. Alabama offers you an area of more than 5000 acres of land for hunting purpose, where you can easily found a good number of deer population.

Recent developments:
It is quite rewarding to know that the amount of money generated and quantity of hunting activity, both have tremendously increased in Alabama. Alabama has increasing prospects of deer hunting today. Also some of well-established farms provide deer hunting classes in winters in wooded areas. This sounds amazing and fascinating, right?

In Alabama, you can choose amongst the wide variety of pastures or hunting lands according to your suitability and desirability. You also have an option of choosing from guided hunts or from your self- assessed hunting understanding.

Time factor:
This may sound as a shortcoming as deer hunting in Alabama is seasonal in nature. You just can’t walk into woods seeking for your trophy deer at any moment of time. It is very important to take the timing factor in notice, before packing bags for hunting adventure in Alabama. You also need to check with relevant authorities regarding the same.

Favorable months:
Mid October is the best time for bow hunting in Alabama. For gun hunting, you need to wait until November ends. Even the dates are not fixed; you need to contact the concerned authorities and should go through schedules of hunting season from Alabama wildlife department.

Alabama deer hunting is getting quite popular. Many enthusiastic and passionate white tail deer hunters have started residing in nearby places in Alabama. Deer hunting in proper season gives one rewarding results as they can have an eye on number of prey target.
As Alabama provides number of hunting opportunities with minimal restrictions, it proves to be a very profitable business option for state.