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.