Huntin(g)

Hunting is one of America’s favorite past times. The number people hunting is steadily declining. It is important to know how to properly prepare yourself before going out into the woods. Hunting is something that should not be taken lightly. It takes skill, commitment and patience. If not done properly it is possible to be hurt yourself when hunting. A firearm is needed to hunt with. Proper training is needed before handling a firearm without supervision. Hunting safety aside, preparing you for hunting is the most important key.
Clothing is important factor with hunting. In the North Country, hunting season is during late fall and early winter. It can get pretty cold out in the woods. Layering is very important. Layering helps keep body warmth inside your clothes. When I hunt I put on long johns, long sleeved shirt, T-shirt, sweat shirt, and finally I put on my hunting jacket. That is an example of layering. This will definitely keep you warm when you are outdoors.
Cleaning and sighting in your firearm is very important. This will help you become more comfortable in making good shots. Cleaning your rifle is very important because it won’t shoot correctly. Rust and other build up can affect the bullet coming out of the barrel of the gun. I usually clean my rifle every week. It depends what your gun has been through. Maybe it has been in the rain or it had been shot a lot. When that big deer in the woods appears, it is important to be confidant with your scope. Sighting in your gun is crucial. The scope can be off, which means that the cross hairs that you see in the scope can be off center. What you think is a perfect shot can be a complete miss. So take carte of your rifle and it will take care of you. It will reward you with that feeling someone gets when they shoot that big buck. Luring that big buck is another story.
Covering yourself with a cover scent is a good way to fool the deer into thinking there is another deer in the area. I know it sounds gross, but I use doe urine, which is a female deer. This lures male deer in the rut. The rut is the mating season of the deer, and deer have a very good sense of smell. The urine has pheromones which attract the bucks who want to mate. Hopefully a big buck comes your way. Other scents are available like an apple scent. Apples are one of the deer’s favorite foods. Sprays are available that just cover your normal scent. Deer can smell somebody from hundreds of yards away if the wind is just right. That is why sitting in the woods you should be sitting so that the wind is blowing straight in your face. Finding a place to sit is important as well.
While trying to find somewhere to sit you must do some scouting. You must know the deer’s habits. Deer trails are all over the woods. These are where the deer usually walk to different areas. I like to sit somewhere where many trails come together. This is an area where a lot of deer come around. A tree stand is great to sit in. It allows the hunter to be up in the air away from the deer’s vision. It also allows for an easier shot at the deer.
These are just the basics of hunting. The rest mjust be learned by the hunter. Mistakes need to be made in order to learn, like being loud and fidgety. Sooner or later a deer will be shot with this information. Hunting may be cruel to some people but they do not understand that deer need to be controlled so that there isn’t a shortage of food during the winter. Hunting has been done for hundreds of years. It is fun and it allows someone to relax and just take in the scenery. Hopefully the information I told you is passed on to others and hunting again becomes a popular sport.