Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Group Gun Safety
When carrying guns in a group, never point the muzzle at someone. If there are 3 hunters walking beside each other, the one on the right points his or her gun to the right. The person on the left points their gun to the left, and the person in the middle points the muzzle behind them or at the ground in front of them. Keep this quick tip in mind when you are hunting in a group.
All About Tree Stands
A tree stand is a good way to get above the level of the game your after. Deer, coyote, bear can be hunted successfully with a tree stand. They've become very popular in the last few years because bow and firearm hunters can use them. They have some very clear advantages, but they also have some drawbacks too.
Advantages
Drawbacks
Hang-On stands
These are stands that you use if you want to keep a stand up in a tree for a while. It uses climbing steps or segmented ladders. It can still be moved but you would have to take it down and set it up all over again. They can be cheaper than most ladder stands when you combine the stand and climbing steps cost together.
Climbing Stands
If you want to go one place to another with a stand a climbing stand is what I'd recommend. You can take it up and down a tree with relative ease. You climb the tree by pulling the top part of the stand (the part you sit on) with your hands and the bottom part (where you put your feet) with your feet. It is recommended that you don't use this stand on crooked trees or trees that have ice or snow on them.
Ladder Stands
If you want a permanent stand somewhere, I recommend the ladder stand. This kind of stand can be bought for 1 person or for 2 people if you have someone with you.
Tree stand safety
If you get in a tree stand, always wear a full body harness to protect you if you fall. Good brands of those would be Tree Spider and Hunter Safety System. If you should fall with a harness on :
Haul your equipment up to you with a haul line. Never climb holding you equipment. And never haul up equipment that is loaded or has a knocked arrow. When you haul up a firearm, keep the muzzle or the barrel of the gun pointed down, and have the stock pointed at you.
It is important to always be safe when hunting, No matter what.
Advantages
- You can spot game sooner than you would on the ground
- A good back stop for arrows and bullets that miss due to shooting downward
- It positions the hunter above the animal's normal field of vision
- Makes the hunters scent less detectable and movement less noticeable
Drawbacks
- Risk of injury resulting from falling
- Difficult to carry, especially large portable stands
- No protection from cold or wind
- Little room for movement
- Not being able to move towards game while hunting
Hang-On stands
These are stands that you use if you want to keep a stand up in a tree for a while. It uses climbing steps or segmented ladders. It can still be moved but you would have to take it down and set it up all over again. They can be cheaper than most ladder stands when you combine the stand and climbing steps cost together.
Climbing Stands
If you want to go one place to another with a stand a climbing stand is what I'd recommend. You can take it up and down a tree with relative ease. You climb the tree by pulling the top part of the stand (the part you sit on) with your hands and the bottom part (where you put your feet) with your feet. It is recommended that you don't use this stand on crooked trees or trees that have ice or snow on them.
Ladder Stands
If you want a permanent stand somewhere, I recommend the ladder stand. This kind of stand can be bought for 1 person or for 2 people if you have someone with you.
Tree stand safety
If you get in a tree stand, always wear a full body harness to protect you if you fall. Good brands of those would be Tree Spider and Hunter Safety System. If you should fall with a harness on :
- Don't panic, your harness will hold you
- Signal for help
- Get back into you stand as soon as possible
- Take action to avoid suspension trauma (covered later) if you need to be rescued
Haul your equipment up to you with a haul line. Never climb holding you equipment. And never haul up equipment that is loaded or has a knocked arrow. When you haul up a firearm, keep the muzzle or the barrel of the gun pointed down, and have the stock pointed at you.
It is important to always be safe when hunting, No matter what.
Hunting Techniques
Hunting is my favorite sport. It is fun to track down, find, and call to the game you after is very cool. This will cover the 6 basic types of hunting .
There are 6 main types of hunting that basically every type of hunting will fit into. Still hunting, stalking, flushing, posting, ground blinds, and elevated stands, these will be described in further detail later. For deer hunting in Snow Camp in central North Carolina, you would usually use the last three techniques. For squirrel hunting, you could use still hunting, stalking, and posting. For rabbit hunting, you would probably use flushing. Every animal you hunt you will have to most likely use one of the six types of hunting to properly hunt the animal your after.
Still Hunting
Still hunting, as it is name implies, involves being still and listening most of the time. You need to be stealthy while walking in that animals territory. Stop frequently to scan and listen for game. You should be still 10 times as much as walking or moving. Keep low, because the figure of a human will frighten most animals. Keep some binoculars with you to scan for game in open terrain to spot movement of game. When you hunt this way effectively, animals won't know your there, that's good! But hunters won't know your there either, that's bad. So always wear fluorescent orange.
Stalking
When stalking, you follow the game your after by using signs that lead to that animal or animals. Or close the distance to the animal already spotted. You can follow tracks and if in the morning, a "dew" trail trough brush or leaves. Or you can follow the sounds of the animal. Or you could get closer to an animal for a better shot. This type of hunting requires you to stay very focused on what you are doing, you have to stay downwind, stay silent, stay alert, and stay patient.
Flushing
This type of hunting requires making noise, movement, or dogs to cause game to becomes nervous and run or fly from cover. Pause often while trying to flush game. Varying your pace will make the animals think that they have been detected and more likely to leave cover.
Posting
This involves sitting or standing in one spot. The place could offer a vantage point or along the animal's trails.
This type of hunting is effective when you know where the animal's travel every day and where a blind or tree stand isn't available. A good posting site is a place where you can swing your firearm freely or draw your bow back.
Ground Blinds
These are makeshift or temporary ground structures that offer concealment for the hunter. You should put them: downwind based on wind patterns at a certain time of day, away from the sun, and where foreground and background are safest.
Elevated Stands
Elevated stands (elevated blinds or tree stands) conceal and put the hunter above the game animals the hunter is after. Elevated blinds of tower stands are usually big boxes that conceal the hunter above ground level. Tree stands are stands that are placed against or on trees. In these always wear a full body harness to catch you if you are to fall.
There are 6 main types of hunting that basically every type of hunting will fit into. Still hunting, stalking, flushing, posting, ground blinds, and elevated stands, these will be described in further detail later. For deer hunting in Snow Camp in central North Carolina, you would usually use the last three techniques. For squirrel hunting, you could use still hunting, stalking, and posting. For rabbit hunting, you would probably use flushing. Every animal you hunt you will have to most likely use one of the six types of hunting to properly hunt the animal your after.
Still Hunting
Still hunting, as it is name implies, involves being still and listening most of the time. You need to be stealthy while walking in that animals territory. Stop frequently to scan and listen for game. You should be still 10 times as much as walking or moving. Keep low, because the figure of a human will frighten most animals. Keep some binoculars with you to scan for game in open terrain to spot movement of game. When you hunt this way effectively, animals won't know your there, that's good! But hunters won't know your there either, that's bad. So always wear fluorescent orange.
Stalking
When stalking, you follow the game your after by using signs that lead to that animal or animals. Or close the distance to the animal already spotted. You can follow tracks and if in the morning, a "dew" trail trough brush or leaves. Or you can follow the sounds of the animal. Or you could get closer to an animal for a better shot. This type of hunting requires you to stay very focused on what you are doing, you have to stay downwind, stay silent, stay alert, and stay patient.
Flushing
This type of hunting requires making noise, movement, or dogs to cause game to becomes nervous and run or fly from cover. Pause often while trying to flush game. Varying your pace will make the animals think that they have been detected and more likely to leave cover.
Posting
This involves sitting or standing in one spot. The place could offer a vantage point or along the animal's trails.
This type of hunting is effective when you know where the animal's travel every day and where a blind or tree stand isn't available. A good posting site is a place where you can swing your firearm freely or draw your bow back.
Ground Blinds
These are makeshift or temporary ground structures that offer concealment for the hunter. You should put them: downwind based on wind patterns at a certain time of day, away from the sun, and where foreground and background are safest.
Elevated Stands
Elevated stands (elevated blinds or tree stands) conceal and put the hunter above the game animals the hunter is after. Elevated blinds of tower stands are usually big boxes that conceal the hunter above ground level. Tree stands are stands that are placed against or on trees. In these always wear a full body harness to catch you if you are to fall.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Welcome to Snow Camp Outdoors
Hi!
I would like to welcome you to Snow Camp Outdoors! This is the first post of many to come and just a beginning to the blog with information about the outdoors.
I would like to welcome you to Snow Camp Outdoors! This is the first post of many to come and just a beginning to the blog with information about the outdoors.
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