Category Archives: hunting supplies

hunting supplies

Outfitter hunting – advantages

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Particularly when you’re going after big game, like elk or caribou, booking your hunt with an outfitter can be easier than going it alone. There are a number of things to consider – from the equipment and physical effort required to understanding the lay of the land and knowing where the beasties like to hide.

An outfitter can provide a solid alternative to spending thousands on gear you’re unlikely to use for any other purpose or hunt in your lifetime. That isn’t to say hunting with an outfitter is cheap – it isn’t, but you’ve got to weigh the investment up against the savings. Additionally, an outfitter can provide you with some essential services once you’ve made that golden shot and bagged your trophy. Bear in mind an elk weighs at least four times what you do, and consider how readily you can pack that animal out of the hunt zone – with an outfitter, a lot of that hassle simply disappears.

The majority of good outfitters won’t guarantee you a kill- this is because to do so is impossible unless you’re hunting on a ranch or farm that breeds the animals for this purpose. However, an outfitter worth his salt will usually give you a fifty per cent chance of bagging a good mark. So do your homework and check the outfitters‘ references from the outset to avoid disappointment.

hunting supplies

Using scents wisely, part two

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In addition to using scent to hide yourself while you’re hunting, you can use scent as a tool to attract the sort of prey you’re stalking. There are a number of products on the market to help you cover your tracks – and just as many to help you gain a few extra seconds to line up that perfect shot.

Consider using scents to lure animals such as deer. You’ll have to carefully consider the wind when choosing where to place a scented lure, as you want the animals to smell the lure well before they could possibly catch a whiff of you. Ideally, apply the lure upwind of a trail you’ve noticed the animals using during a scouting jaunt. Locate your stand downwind of the trail and simply wait.

Scents are available in considerable variety – some designed to attract male and others to attract female animals. Consider which is most appropriate with care, for example, using skunk musk to cover your tracks might warn a deer off if you’ve used too much and the deer thinks a skunk is frightened or alarmed nearby. Using a “doe in heat” scent, on the other hand, can attract both males looking to increase their harem and females looking for company.

Bear in mind that you’ll need to watch any scented lures closely – letting the curious animal get too close will give the game away and cost you that perfect shot.

hunting supplies

Using scents wisely

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Plenty of veteran hunters will tell you the biggest mistake newbies make is soaping themselves generously in the shower, then slapping on some aftershave and hair products before setting out for the day. There’s little that gives you away in the field more than smelling like a drugstore.

There are a number of ways to disguise your scent – some are better than others. Plenty of hunt supply shops offer masking scents, designed to mimic everything from skunk musk or fox urine to the fresh scent of cedar. The important factor here is choosing a masking scent that will be familiar to the animal you’re after – don’t use the scent of oak to cover your tracks through a pine forest, for example.

Most advise that the best way to disguise your sent is not to develop one in the first place. Do this by washing yourself in unscented soap and using an unscented shampoo. Don’t use perfume or aftershave and avoid scented deodorants. Wash your hunting attire in unscented detergent and dry it in the fresh air outdoors if possible. Similarly, clean your equipment so it does not harbor unnatural odors. Also, while on the hunt, seal anything that is foreign to the environment in a zip-top bag.

hunting supplies

Outfitter hunting – disadvantages

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When you’re planning a hunting trip to an area you’re unfamiliar with or are going after big game, an outfitter can provide some much needed know-how and essential equipment. Which is great, for some of us. For the rest, we’d rather rely on our own skills and judgement, make the investment in hunt-specific equipment and put in the work to make the hunting experience our own.

The price of hunting with an outfitter is high – often reaching easily over the $5,000 mark. If the cost alone doesn’t put you off using a hunt outfitter, the lack of independence might. For some, the thrill of the hunt is exploring the terrain, self-reliance and pitting your wits against those of some of mother nature’s cleverest critters.

Some outfitters offer a sort of half-way house that many hunters find to be a fair compromise between the help they need and the freedom they crave – the drop camp. An outfitter offering this service will usually guide you and your party to an existing camp, leave you there to do as you like and stop back to check on you and top up your supplies as needed during the week. He’ll also haul away your gear and meat once the hunt is done.

hunting supplies

Important Bow Hunting Supplies

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Many people use guns to hunt now. Although this is a more than acceptable way to hunt, it can be less of a skill than hunting with a bow and arrow is. As an added bonus, hunting with a bow and arrow is also very retro and it gets back to what hunting used to be like before the invention of the gun. If you’d like to do this kind of hunting, there are some general supplies you should get. Luckily, bow hunting supplies are easy to acquire at almost any outdoor recreation and hunting store.

The most important bow hunting supplies are the actual bow and arrows. For the bow, you should get something a bit expensive. The cheaper bows will be at a much more diminished quality than the regularly priced ones. Since the bow is, in essence, your gun, you need to get a good one. As far as arrows, you should get many extra just in case you lose some during your hunt. It could be a bad move if you run out of arrows while shooting a deer. If the deer is still alive, but badly wounded, it can get violent fast. Always keep extra arrows with you at all times. These are the most important bow hunting supplies.

Another thing you should pick up is extra bow wire. The bow wire can sometimes break when you pull it back, so you should have extras on hand in case this happens. One of the overlooked bow hunting supplies is the leather glove. Pulling back on the bow can really hurt and chap your hands after a while of use. To prevent bad hand chafing, pick up some leather gloves to wear when you hunt. This will also improve your grip on the bow and arrow, improving your shot. Many hunters have deep blisters on their hands after their first time bow hunting. This is because they didn’t realize what a toll this kind of hunting puts on your hands. Unfortunately, the use of gloves isn’t obvious; so many hunters go through this pain. Get gloves, important bow hunting supplies, in order to prevent this kind of painful mistake. You’ll definitely be grateful that you did.

Bow hunting can definitely be an adventure. It brings you right back to nature, using a natural way to hunt your game. If you’d like to partake in this activity, then pick up these bow hunting supplies. They will improve your next hunting trip and take care of the snafus that novices make their first time around.

hunting supplies

The Best Duck Hunting Supplies

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If you enjoy duck hunting, then you know that there is more to the sport than just going out to a pond with a gun. If you do it that way, there is very little chance that you will have a successful hunting trip. Since ducks are so hard to catch, there are a few duck hunting supplies that prove very useful during the hunt. These supplies help lure ducks to you so you can hunt them. Be sure to bring these duck hunting supplies with you on your next hunt.

One of the best duck hunting supplies is the duck call. Duck calls are a little device that you blow in to make the mating call of the duck. It sounds uncannily realistic when compared to how ducks actually sound. If you use this, it can attract the ducks that are in the area. You should crouch in a spot that keeps you hidden, such as in a bush or tall undergrowth. Use the duck call to lure the ducks into your area while also keeping your gun at the ready. When you see them and you have a good shot, take aim and fire. These duck hunting supplies are really good at luring ducks to your area. They are also very small and easily stowed away in a pocket or on a chain around your neck.

Duck hunting supplies that are a little bit more cumbersome than duck calls are still helpful. For example, the duck decoy is a popular item that hunters use to lure ducks. The decoy is a wooden or plastic version of a duck and is very realistic. You can use the decoy to make the duck think that there is another of its kind. Ducks are a very social creature and they like to hang out around other ducks. Using a duck decoy can bring ducks by that are looking for companionship. By using a duck decoy to lure in your prey, you will have a better chance of successfully hunting a duck. For this reason, these duck hunting supplies are very useful and practical. The only problem with duck decoys is that they tend to be too large to carry around comfortably. You’ll need to be good at packing in order to utilize it. As an added bonus, a duck call and duck decoy work very well together. The prey will think that the sound you made came from your decoy. If you use these duck hunting supplies, you are sure to have a lot of success on your next hunting trip.

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Helpful Hunting Dog Supplies

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All hunters have supplies. They have guns, jackets, and waders that they use while they hunt. An often overlooked member of your hunting party needs supplies as well. The hunting dog, a great help to any hunt, will always benefit from certain helpful supplies. Whether they help you see or locate your dog, or whether it adds comfort to the experience for the dog, hunting dog supplies are very important. The next time you go to the outdoor recreation store, be sure to pick these items up.

When you are out in the woods, it can be fairly hard to see things that are brown or green. Because of this, you may have a hard time seeing your dog. Even more trouble, you could mistake your dog for the animal you’re hunting. To help you look for and identify your hunting pup, there are little jackets that they can wear to help them stand out. They are often bright orange, much like the jackets that human hunters wear. As far as hunting dog supplies go, this is one of the most important. Another important item in the realm of hunting dog supplies is the bell or beeper. If your dog runs off, you can use the beeper to locate him. Although bells are cheaper, they will always ring when your dog moves. This can scare prey. The beeper is more expensive but it beeps only when you want it to, making it much more useful. Although hunting dogs are trained to be helpful and obedient, they can still run off. You should use these two hunting dog supplies so that you can see and locate your dog.

Other hunting dog supplies are a little less obvious. When you as the hunter want something to drink, you can just swig out of a bottle or can. It’s not that easy for a dog. They need to drink water out of something shallow. At stores that sell hunting dog supplies, there is a collapsible bowl that is perfect for this kind of situation. Simply open up the bowl, place it on the ground, and pour water in it. This will let your dog drink during a hectic day of hunting. When he’s done, drain out the rest of the water and tuck it back away. When it’s folded, it takes up very little space.

With the help of these hunting dog supplies, you will be able to provide your dog with some great ways to be helpful to you. They’ll be able to be seen with their orange jacket and be heard with a bell or beeper. They also be kept hydrated with a collapsible bowl.