Fishing provides that connection with the whole living world. It gives you the opportunity of being totally immersed, turning back into yourself in a good way. A form of meditation, some form of communion with levels of yourself that are deeper than the ordinary self.


"Ted Hughes"

Tuesday 19 August 2014

The Fine Art of Bow Hunting


Bow hunting is often seen as one of those “manly” sports, but there is a small contingent of women that partake in bow hunting and take the sport to new levels. With bow hunting, people are getting in touch with the control of the hunt and are learning all sorts of new things about getting in tune with themselves and using their own bodily power to get in touch with the hunting aspect. Without the use of a firearm, people find that there is less to hide behind with a bow and find that the psychological aspect of bow hunting can be somewhat intimidating.

With bow hunting quickly becoming a new favorite in those seeking old-fashioned adventure, there are many new additions to the sport that people interested in it should get to know. One important aspect about bow hunting is the breaking of the “safety zone”. This must be done to get a clean shot at the prey. While traditional firearms hunters can stay at a relatively safe distance from their prey, a bow hunter must creep up on the prey and get inside a danger zone with the animal. This means that the animal could charge or attack at any moment within the danger zone. The hunter should be aware at all times because of this.

With some of the new additions in bow hunting, however, some of the guesswork from the hunt is being removed. While many bow hunting traditionalists may be against such new additions as GPS sensors and nigh-vision, others welcome any ally that they can muster in this fight for survival and adventure. There tends to be two different schools of hunters, but all hunters have the same goal in mind whether they are traditionalists or “new school” hunters. The ultimate goal of bow hunting is, of course, to bring down the ultimate prey.

There are several types of hunts that people go on. Big game hunts are popular and include elk, wolves, mountain goats, caribou and mountain lions. Other more dangerous hunters tend to go bow hunting after bears. There is a lot of demand for bear hunting these days, especially archery related hunts. This is because the danger involved with bear hunting delivers more of a rush than elk or caribou hunting. Like running with the bulls, bear hunting brings a sort of insane glee to the hunter and delivers certain thrills that they are not likely to get anywhere else.

Many people book bow hunting trips or excursions with a variety of trip-leading companies. These companies typically take a group of hunters into a particular area that is noted for having a great deal of the animals they are seeking. The hunting company trips come equipped with a guide that monitors the action from a position of expertise and offers tips to the hunters in the party. Hunting trips are often very reliant on the seasonal aspect of hunting, so those seeking a bow hunting excursion should make sure they are paying attention to the top seasons of hunting.

Much of bow hunting is reliant on the baiting or trapping aspect. The aforementioned hunting trips typically supply bait to the hunting party. This includes a knowledge from the hunting guide of placing the bait and finding a spot to wait for the prey. As hunting guides are professionals, their advice should always be heeded. 

Typically, a hunting guide will take his or her party to a location in which the density of the hunted animal is known to be highest. They will then set up a camp or “base” and begin to look for baiting locations. Once the bait has been placed in a variety of locations, a hunting area will be designated for the bow hunters. As the hunters set up shop, the guide will typically go through a few of the ground rules and safety techniques. After a short period of time, the animals tend to appear and the hunt is on.

bowhunting

There are thousands of reasons why hunters indulge in bowhunting. Many hunters prefer using bows due to their stealthier quality. Additionally, many consider it a way to connect to a more primal form of hunting that modern guns simply can't provide. Others consider bowhunting when hunting with dogs, children, or fellow hunters who, for one reason or another, dislike the sound of gunfire. Some hunters simply consider it a more humane method of hunting. Regardless of the reason, hunting with bows is considered a satisfying form of hunting for thousands across the country. Here are a few things to consider when purchasing bowhunting supplies.

Ideally, your bowhunting equipment should be sturdy, reliable, and most importantly: quiet. Fortunately, there are thousands of different bows and crossbows to choose from. As the rules and regulations for bows vary according to the state you live in, it's also important to research these matters thoroughly before making any decisions. Various types of bows include long bows, recurve bows, and compound bows. These vary in shape, size, and design as well as the number of strings. As your arms grow stronger, you may wish to switch to a more advanced bow over time.

Choosing the right arrows is another important part of hunting with bows. Whether you're hunting deer, squirrel, wild hogs, varmints, or other species, the weight and length of your arrow can drastically affect your accuracy. Furthermore, using the wrong weight can even damage your bow over time.

Arrows also come in a wide variety of materials to consider. Hunters who use long bows tend to prefer arrows made from sturdy woods such as cedar or pine, while those who use automatic bows tend to prefer fiberglass, carbon fiber, or aluminum bows. Finally, the feathered area of the arrow, known as the fletching, should be bright and distinctive enough to be able to identify easily. The nock, which is located at the very back of the arrow, should be easy to grip in a hurry.

If you're concerned about sharing hunting space with rifle hunters, you can relax in the knowledge that most bowhunting seasons occur separately from rifle hunting seasons. Additionally, you can also attain a more private hunting setting by attaining private hunting leases with landowners or farmers. Another advantage to private hunting leases is that you aren't necessarily always limited to hunting only one species, allowing you to bag rabbits, squirrels, deer, and other species in one session. Learn more today about how bowhunting can benefit you!

Boar hunting

Whether you're an experienced professional hunter who is looking for something new or you're simply enthralled by the idea of hunting hogs, boar hunting is rapidly becoming one of the more popular methods today. Unlike many other types of hunting, which involve lying in wait and stalking your prey, boar hunting is different in that you approach the hog head on, resulting in a truly exhilarating hunt.

There are a variety of reasons boar hunting is so popular. Many engage in hunting for the meat. However, as pork spoils very quickly, it's typically a good idea to harvest and freeze your meat as soon as you possibly can. However, with multiple hunts, you will be able to stock up on enough pork to last you considerably. 

The only downside to boar hunting is that they are susceptible to disease. This is why you should always inspect the look of the animal before you hunt it. If your hog shows signs of disorientation, labored breathing, or slowness, it's a good idea to leave it alone. Similarly, look for signs of discoloration or parasites in the meat before deciding whether it's adequate to eat. Additionally, harvesting and drying the ears and hooves are also ideal as chew treats for your dogs.

Of course, there are more reasons to engage in boar hunting than just for their meat. Many hunters, particularly those who collect trophies or taxidermied animals, enjoy hunting them for their prized tusks. In cases such as these, many hunters may base their decision on the size and shape of the tusks as well as the overall appearance of the animal's hooves, coat, ears face shape, and more. Again, the health, intelligence, and age of the animal also play a significant role in choosing which boar to hunt. Some hunters who prefer a more long term satisfaction will actually watch herds over long periods of time, monitoring different litters of piglets to ensure they have desirable traits.

The most common form of boar hunting involves the use of dogs. Many purebred and mixed breed canines are prime for hunting hogs, including some of the larger, stronger animals such as mastiffs, pit bulls, and boxers. Sleeker, faster dogs such as foxhounds or blackmouth curs are used to distract and harass the hog, while the bigger animals latch on and hold the hog down, allowing you to shoot it cleanly. Learn more today about how boar hunting can benefit you!

Big Game Hunting

Big game hunting is one of the many variants of hunting (e.g. duck hunting, rabbit hunting). Big game hunting’s major objective (which is the game) can bring harm to the big game hunter. Big game hunting has lot of game types; a good example of big game hunting is bear hunting.

Bear hunting is very dangerous of the size and characteristic of the game (which of course is the bear). Bears have excellent hearing and smelling senses. Not to mention its five long, sharp, non retractable claws which can rip big game hunters flesh apart. An average sized bear can run up to fifty miles per hour. You can only imagine what it feels like when you suddenly see a bear charging towards you. However, like other types of big game hunting, bear hunting is strictly regulated and maintained by some State Law.
Another type of big game hunting is the big cat hunting. Big cat hunting refers to the hunting of large wild members of the Felidae family or the wild felines. Big cat hunting’s main targets are large felids, which can weigh up to several hundred pounds. Panthers, lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars are examples of big cats for hunting.

Another type of big game hunting is the elephant hunting. This kind of hunting is prohibited in almost all parts of the globe that have elephants. The elephant is now one of the endangered species because of the ivory trade. The tusks of the elephant are made up of hard, white, opaque substance known as ivory. Ivory is used as ornamentals or sometimes for medicine purposes.

The most popular of all big game hunting is moose hunting (in North America) or elk hunting (in Europe). Moose hunting is very popular not only for its meat, but for its antlers as well. Moose hunting season usually begins during the fall season because it is the mating season for moose. Most moose hunters prefer to hunt male moose for their antlers. And also, male moose (or bulls) get easily swayed by moose calls made by moose hunters.

Big game hunting is very popular all over the world. From the rugged mountain ranges of North America to the jungles of Africa, there is always a game for big game hunters. The main aspects of big game hunting are its games, which usually are the large, big and dangerous kinds of animals in the wild. Some big game hunters prefer to hunt their game from a distance to reduce the risk of injuries and harm.

Becoming An Efficient Wild Duck Caller


There is no such thing as a born wild duck caller because it takes lots of practice in order to become an efficient caller. Fortunately, anybody from any location can become a good wild duck caller with the proper training and patience. Calling wild duck is a very important aspect for wild duck hunting because if properly done, it can greatly improve the overall hunting efficiency of the hunter. 


Of course, in order to become a good wild duck caller, every hunter needs to follow some basic wild duck hunting tips:



- Purchasing a high quality call – it doesn’t matter how well prepared is the hunter or how skillful he is regarding the procedure of calling wild ducks, without using a good call all the efforts are useless and the wild duck hunting experience won’t be fruitful at all. As far as wild duck calls is concerned the expression : “ you get what you pay for “ is entirely true. A high quality wild duck call will allow the hunter to produce the entire range of sounds that a hen mallard produces. These calls will also allow the hunter to make these sounds time after time and also year after year that is why experienced hunter recommend future wild duck hunters not to get cheap when it comes down to purchasing a call.



- Imitating the wild duck sound ( duck call operation ) – the next order of business is about the ability of the hunter to sound just like the wild duck which means that the hunter needs to learn how exactly he can operate a wild duck call so that he will sound just like one. The key elements in this step are practice and patience because without these two parts, nothing noticeable will be accomplished. The very first thing to do is to start with the basics and get the hang of them before moving to more complex operations. Speaking of the basics, the first things to learn are the quack and the feeder chuckle and these two are considered the foundation for the rest of the calls done with the wild duck caller. A very important advice that is brought by experienced hunters and wild duck callers is to practice the entire year, not just before the wild duck hunting season starts.



- Observing the birds and adapting the calling style – the last important step to becoming an efficient wild duck caller is to learn how to read the birds. The hunter will be chasing these animals in many different conditions which means that the hunting style needs to adapt to the hunting environment. After learning all the basics, what the hunter needs to do is to master call cadences and tempos. This will help the hunter to sound more like a wild duck ( instead of sounding like a person that is using a wild duck call ). 

Due to the fact that not all wild ducks sound exactly the same and they also don’t have the same tempo or volume, the goal is to sound like a lot of different wild ducks. This is possible only if the hunter masters cadence, volume variations and the tempo.

All things considered, learning how to be an efficient wild duck caller isn’t a very hard thing to do but it requires a lot of practice, patience and a good call. 

Besides all these, searching for some wild duck hunting tips will surely increase the chances of becoming an efficient wild duck hunter/caller.

Exploring the Dangers of Bear Hunting

For some reason, people seem interested in the notion of tracking down a bear through the wilderness and killing it. While it may seem strange, there is a small cult of people that follow bear hunting considerably and make it an active part of their lives. These people tend to find generalized hunting a little too “tame” for their tastes and instead lurk after the lumbering bears of the forest. Often seen as an attempt to prove their manhood, bear hunting is a dangerous and largely unnecessary sport that typically challenges all notions of natural balance and order. Instead, most bear hunting aspects lead to dangerous outcomes or to the possibility of extinction.

Bear hunting, while seemingly unnecessary to the average person, is actually a legal and monitored part of the hunting regulations in North America. Alaska is one of the largest places for hunting bears. Several times a year, Alaska can be found swarming with hunters trying to bag the big one and those just curious to watch the bear hunts. The danger and general excitement of the hunt is enough to draw on the very basic components of human nature and create a buzz around bear hunting. Unfortunately for the bears and for some innocent bystanders, bear hunting creates a chaotic and unfortunate scene.

It is argued by hunters that the bear population is quickly recharging and regenerating itself, leading to the moral validity of bear hunting. In other words, there are enough bears in the world and, furthermore, without bear hunting the population of bears in certain areas would be overwrought. While this notion may be partially true, it is also important to consider that bear hunters typically are not properly educated in the matter. Some bear hunters are not hunting for purposes of thinning out a particular species to maintain some sense of animal control in the area. This leads to many bear hunters callously shooting at anything that moves and taking down anything that looks like a bear, paying no mind to the species or importance of the bear.

For this reason, bear hunting is best left to the professionals. There are many within the wildlife community that are given the task of taking down the bear population by statistically represented and supported numerical values. These wildlife officials know what bears to look for and have identified the bears that are older and weaker, leaving the decision of hunting bears down to an actual representation of the bear community in a particular area and to actual natural law.

In that respect, bear hunting appears to be the domain of the testosterone-driven hunters. The hunters looking for the best possible kill are typically adrenaline junkies that are looking for danger and excitement. As many examples over time have proven, bear hunting can provide that danger and excitement in more than ample amounts. This leads to fatalities or injuries that are often results of people getting too close to bears or people getting too involved in the bear's natural habitat. In short, people simply do not know when to leave well enough alone.

With all of this rhetoric around bear hunting, one would think that the very notion of how dangerous the sport is would be enough of a repellent. However, every season more hunters are flocking to alleged hunting sites and every season more needless waste is being done to the beautiful natural backdrop that bears and other animals call home. The amount of human-led damage to the forests and natural setting of Alaska because of bear hunting is staggering. 

Regardless of any moral convictions, it is important to maintain a factual focus when discussing hunting of any kind. Whether we live in an age in which hunting is a necessity at all anymore is certainly up for dispute. Many argue for the sport aspect of it, but a more logical approach might suggest that the arguments for the sporting aspect of bear hunting are better left behind.

Black Bear Hunting

Summary: Black bear hunting is a favorite game for hunters especially on areas that swell with their numberslike New Jersey and Canada

Long considered a predator, black bears were shot sporadically as vermin, for food, and for trophies. In some areas black bears are being seen as either a vicious beast or an endless commodity. This was because their behavior has been little understood until recently.

Today, the specie is fast becoming a favorite game for most hunters especially on areas that swell with their numbers like New Jersey and Canada, especially when it comes to the fact that the emerging breed of black bears are adapting to the life in the suburbs. Consequence is that the households sometimes awaken to the sound of rummaging bears in their property (black bears are strongly attracted to the scent of decay). Worst cases these black bears invade homes and proceed to rummage around in search for food and attacks could happen if humans are in the way.

Because of their swift growth especially on areas that are populated by humans, the ban on black bear hunting had been lifted. Since black bears reproduces slowly so black bear hunting should be carefully controlled. Several states allowing bear hunting have guidelines to follow. Carefully study hunting regulations and know the things you can and can’t do. Baiting the Black Bear

The most common method for black bear hunting is baiting. Baiting is basic. It is placing bait on a location and waiting for the black bear to show. Though it sounds easy on pen and paper, the actual process is rather difficult; often it is frustrating. Black bears have relatively poor eyesight, but outstanding olfactory and auditory senses. When they get a whiff on a scent of your boot or sweat, no matter the stink of your bait may be enticing to him, he would usually run away.

While some would argue that baiting is the worst form of black bear hunting, it is the safest and it allows you to check your game if it isn’t a sow. And it is far from easy too, because bears have outstanding sense of smell and the slightest hint of your smell will make the bear disappear.

Getting the Black Bear to Settle

Bait should be placed attentively. It should be along the bear’s movement path; proper anticipation should be made. Bears frequent those areas where he always likely to spot a meal. Some hunters prepare before the season by regularly putting baits in a location until a bear marks the spot.

While hunting for these spot, look for telltale signs of black bear activity, like claw marks and bear droppings. Also, disturbed vegetation always signifies presence, bear or not. Check beneath brushes and foliage for signs of feeding activity, as black bears tend to feed underneath brushes. 

Last piece of advice: remember these animals are dangerous, especially when provoked. So don’t ignore your safety while black bear hunting just because you’re carrying a gun. These creatures are considerably strong and can take a few hits while closing in on you.