Hunting Blog

There’s plenty of planning that goes into any hunting trek - but if you’re going to hunt across the border, there are more and more regulations you’ll need to keep up-to-date with to avoid trouble. Be sure you apply for the permits you’ll need well in advance - experts recommend you start this process three months in advance.

Permits range from those you need to carry firearms across the border to those you’ll need to bring your trophies home - and that’s in addition to the tags you have to apply for to hunt in the first place. Thankfully, most of us don’t have much to worry about when it comes to actually crossing the border - you’ll do well to carry your passport and it’s imperative that you’ve applied for and received the requisite permits and tags before you travel.

Coming home, you’ll need to ensure you’ve followed the regulations for packing meat, trophies and other hunt proceeds or your hard-won goods may be confiscated by officials at the border. Bear in mind rules apply on both sides of the border, and it is important to understand them all. So do your research, apply for permits early and abide by the regulations - and enjoy your hunt!

The purpose of a decoy is to draw your chosen prey a little closer, allowing you a better chance at the best possible shot. Decoys can be used to attract most kinds of birds, as well as deer and even elk.

The effective deployment of your decoy is the biggest contributor to its success. Placing it in the wrong place could mean it is overlooked or serves as a clue to birds and other animals that something is a little off. So position your decoy wisely.

Having said that, putting the wrong decoy in the right place is just a different recipe for disaster. You should try and keep your decoys in top shape - retouching paint and repairing damaged areas whenever possible. Also, to enhance the effect of your decoy, consider adding motion for a more life-like appearance. Or, do a little research and see if it’s worth adding a scent lure to the decoy.

You put a lot of thought into the weapon you choose to hunt with, and take care not to forget anything you might need at camp. An area many hunters overlook is the most important of all - their survival kit. Of course, a survival kit isn’t the first thing most hunters think they need for their trek into the wilderness. But most of us don’t set off for a hunt planning to get lost or injured along the way.

A survival kit should be compact - no larger than a fanny pack. The smaller it is, the more likely you are to keep it with you all the time. Your survival kit should include the following items:
- a space blanket, two if you can manage to fit them in
- at least one day’s supply of food
- a pack of waterproof matches
- 20ft of nylon rope or parachute cord
- a suitable knife and sharpening stone
- two 8oz juice boxes
- a packet of water purification tablets
- a compact first aid kit including a gauze roll, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes and aspirin

This is the bare minimum when considering your survival needs. With these items, odds are you can make it for a couple of days in the outdoors with little worry.

Just as choosing the right weapon, ammunition and hunting plot make a huge difference to your success in the field, picking the right hunting companions is also key. We’re not saying you should only hunt with seasoned woodsmen, but considering the survival skills of the rest of your party is important.

Establish your camp with hunters who have similar interests - that way you’ve got something to talk about when you’re resting or in the advent of weather forcing you to stay at camp rather than pursue game for a day. Similarly, don’t hunt with friends that can’t get along with one another - if your brother and your best workmate don’t see eye to eye, consider leaving one of them behind or taking two separate trips or you might find yourself refereeing the week away.

Finally, hunt with people who can make a positive contribution to your camp. Choose your camp mates wisely - make sure there’s more than one person who can start a fire, perform first aid and offer physical support to others in the group if required.

With a topographical map and a compass, you can make the most of your time in the woods. Knowing the terrain your chosen prey inhabits is just as important as packing the right gear - after all, knowledge is power.

If you’re hunting an animal you’re unfamiliar with, be sure to get acquainted with their habits. Learn all you can about the type of cover they like to sleep in, their favorite meals and how far they’re likely to roam in a day. Then, take that knowledge and layer it over the information you can gather about the area you’re going to be hunting.

Study a topographical map of the area, identify any low-lying areas that the animals might use for bedding or loafing cover. If at all possible, scout the land in person so you can gain an appreciation of the cover and food on offer - as well as the terrain itself.

Combining all this information will give you a true leg up on the competition when the hunt pressure is on during the season. Plus, in the event of a mishap, it may help you save vital time getting out of the wilderness and back to safety.

Choosing the right weapon for firearms hunting is essential to success in your pursuit. Arguably the most popular weapon used in firearms hunts is the rifle. And there are plenty of variables to consider when hunting with a rifle. As you check out the hunting rifles on offer, consider it’s fit, sight, weight and action, as well as it’s caliber.

Judge the rifle’s fit by holding the gun tight to you shoulder, and pressing your cheek against the stock. The stock should slide easily in and out of your armpit area, and the scope shouldn’t bite into your eyebrow. With your cheek pressed against the stock, your shooting eye should be in line with the sight - if you need a shorter or longer stock, a gunsmith can adjust this for you.

The average hunting rifle weighs between six and ten pounds - lighter guns are easier to pack around, but heavier guns dole out less abuse when fired. The action of your rifle should be chosen by assessing your own skill and deciding what you need most. Bolt-action rifles are generally more reliable, particularly in cold climates or rough terrain.

Getting the calibre of your hunting rifle right relies on you having a sound knowledge of the game you’re going after. While a .270 is fine for deer hunting, it’s simply not enough for running down a brown bear.

The number of scares because of contamination in the food chain in recent years has increased steadily. As a result, many hunters are harvesting more from the animals they take than ever before. Often, you’ll cook up a great spread of venison, elk or even goose and your dinner guests will greet your delicious offering with a simple question: is it healthy?

Breathe a sigh of relief, because in virtually every case, the answer is a resounding yes. Game meats are lower in saturated fat, as well as total fat content, when compared to their domestic counterparts. For example, a 3.5 ounce serving of beef has, on average, six grams of fat - a 3.5 ounce serving of venison has half that. When it comes to providing nutrient-dense meals, you can’t beat a rabbit - they pack an astonishing amount of vitamin B12. And, game meats are among the best sources of lean protein nature has to offer.

One of the best ways to improve your chances of success on the hunt is to identify areas where your chosen quarry eats and sleeps. The best hunting ground of the two is the area where the animals eat. Hunters recommend lying low in an abandoned orchard or another area with plenty of good browse crops to get a great deer with good reason.

For a start, most animals are a little distracted while they’re eating. Though the exquisite senses of animals are on alert most of the time, eating seems to dull them slightly. So get familiar with the animal’s eating habits - figure out what they like, and how hard they’ll work to get a favorite crop.

Then, scout the area you’re going to hunt and look for suitable crop land within the hunting zone. While you’re at it, look for tell-tale signs that the game you’re hunting is enjoying the menu on offer - trails, scrapes and rubs might surround the area and with a little practice, you can identify partially-eaten fruits and even the damage to foliage your chosen animal eats.

Though hunters tend to think bigger is better - when it comes to scopes, this isn’t always the case. Choosing a scope with the right magnification is key to making the best possible shot. Plenty of veteran hunters out there will tell you that choosing a good variable scope with a low end that’s truly low will give you the best results.

Find a variable scope that is 1.5×6 or 2×7 for the best view - and when you’re using it, keep it set to the lower magnification. Everyone knows at least one hunter who’s his chance at a great trophy he spotted across the field. The guy checks his scope and can’t find the deer again to line up his shot. Why? Because his scope was set too high to spot anything at even nearly close range.

Learn from his mistake - keep your scope set under 5x unless you’re glassing further afield. Also, bear in mind that perpetually looking through an over-magnified scope can lead to serious eye strain, or worse.

Plenty of hunters succeed each season and get home to find the meat they’ve harvested in the field is no good. There are plenty of reasons for this, ranging from high temperatures to contamination. And, for every reason your meat is ruined, there’s a way the spoilage could’ve been prevented.

Cool your kill - in warm weather, it’s exceptionally important that you get the carcass cooled as quickly as possible. Traditional field dressing is the best option, but if you’ve got access to a one-ton packed with ice, more power to you. Do bear in mind that meat spoils from inside as well.

Keep it clean - you can protect your meat from bugs and debris by placing it in suitable sacks. Many veteran hunters recommend a dash of black pepper on the carcass to keep insects at bay while you’re working.

Avoid contamination - when dressing your carcass, take care not to puncture the innards as the contents of the animal’s digestive tract can ruin all your hard work. Many hunters recommend tying off the rectum before you remove it to avoid accidental spills.