Passing on the Skills

Deer hunting may be considered a sport for some, like bass fishing, but for others, this is a perfect opportunity to bond with someone, especially if it's a youngster who is interested in deer hunting.

Of course, youth hunts are always organized depending on each State, but a family's own prerogative, especially with a trained hunter/dad available, can teach their son or daughter when it comes to deer hunting. Consider it as passing the skill to a new generation, and a perfect way to bond as well as to teach the importance of gun control and respect for nature.

Some of the things that can be done is good preparation. Regardless whether he's 8 or 18 years old, practice does make perfect. Teaching someone on the places where a kill is certain is a good way for any beginner to learn. It doesn't take too long to tag a buck on sight, but practice can be time consuming. It's important for the teacher to teach their student, or child that there's no such thing as an easy way.
Usually, there are certain accounts where the hunter and his child go into the woods unprepared. Of course no death or accidents are involved, but a child may lose interest in deer hunting all because it's a hit-or-miss thing that's happened. A little incentive can go along way for any child, like having to take them to their favorite fast-food restaurant. That way the child would be encouraged to practice even harder.

There are many stories about some kids who have managed to tag their first buck, and the excitement and pride that follows. Imagine the looks of his parents and how proud they are for having to tag his first buck.

Patience is the key for a priceless smile on any beginner. Children may take some time compared to young adults, but with a little encouragement and practice, it would be worth the effort. Of course this doesn't mean they can go out hunting on their own. It's best that they are kept supervised once they spot the buck in their sights. Guide them to the point they are ready to take aim and make sure they are wearing the proper safety gear and earplugs.

Deer hunting can be both a time honored sport and recreation, where both involved in the bonding between a hunter's family and nature for generations to come.

One-Line shooting

Deer, like any other animal, can somehow sense danger like Spider-man and his spider sense. Though the situation is nothing like the comics, sometimes it's good to know a deer's habitual pattern when it comes to hunting.

One tactic that seemed to be a favorite is where to find a funnel. Think of it like a path where most deer like to go from point A to point B, a funnel is usually invisible to the eye, but not so isolated that there are no visible tracks or rubbings on trees can be found. Since deer like to take the easiest path without compromising their security, there are a few things to consider.

A deer will take a walk in the forest on a path that they don't feel threatened, especially if it's more than just one deer. These little haven pockets can provide a sure hunt when it comes to waiting out that buck. Another thing to consider is the familiarity. A tent is a dead giveaway to any animal that will drive them away so it's best for a hunter to go on foot to take a look at possible highways. Having a map of the area is the best way to start since it will give a hunter a general idea of how large it is, and from there scribble down notes. Don't think that deer takes a similar path like ants on a trail, though would be interesting to see that in real life, they're best kept safe in more wooded areas. Uniformity when they feel they're at a safe place is something any deer would follow.

Once the funnel has been discovered, and knowing what sort of landscape a hunter has around him, it's time to pick a vantage point and wait. The best places for funnels to appear are those with less tree rubbings. Since deer are territorial creatures, they'll likely find a buck or two in the area as well as a few doe. Best if the deer is on the rut, so any doe that appears in the funnel will likely have a buck trailing behind it in the area.

There's a great deal of tactics and the knowledge of the surrounding area to begin a successful deer hunt. Simply speaking is to be like wolves in sheep's clothing, to be one with nature before sinking that trophy with a clean ethical shot.

One Bullet, One Kill

There are a couple States where a certain caliber, hunting rifle or shotgun is allowed for that perfect one hit, one kill. But even if you did have the necessary equipment, it's also important for a hunter to maintain it so as not to lose the rifle's accuracy.

The ethical way of hunting whitetail deer is not to go overboard in terms of caliber and grain. I mean, it would be too cruel to use armor-piercing rounds that may only go through the deer, but not have enough impact to knock it down. Sometimes it takes the proper bullet for most rifles and probably hundreds of rounds to experiment on before getting into the forest. One example is a Remington bullet may be different from a Federal even if the caliber and grain are the same. And check the barrel of the rifle itself to know what type of ammunition it requires.

At least bow hunters have it easy.

And not just the grain a hunter has to be concerned about when it comes to ammunition. The proper bullet must have a combination of both energy and impact that will deliver an ethical kill when deer hunting. Fragmenting types wouldn't be sufficient, but those with hollow point might since they deliver enough power to knock down the animal.

Of course, a rifle's performance is always dependent on how much the hunter cleans it. Make it a daily habit if necessary. Cleaning the barrel from any power residue will increase the spin on the grooves inside, to deliver that necessary accuracy needed for your target. Best if you clean the barrel every 15 or 20 shots fired. As for muzzleloaders, the same process is needed but more so since it's a bit more powerful than just the best rifle on the market.

And once all the preparations have been completed, it's time to see the results as hunter takes aim at the target. Depending on the position and what type of shot like broadside, the deer's anatomy will depend on the placement such as taking the deer out by shooting the lungs or heart, but never the head since it's too cruel. You have a 9-inch error margin to choose from but best if the hunter have some sort of tripod or the like to rest the rifle for a steady aim.

It's a lot of work, even if it a one shot, one kill motive to bag that trophy buck.

Now What? Approaching the Dead Animal

Even with today's modern technology when it comes to designing the most effective broadhead arrows, bows and shafts available, there's nothing that would compare the prey's frenzied animal panic after feeling the arrow piercing through it. Of course any bow hunter would think they made a mistake at some point so they have to go after the buck, but there are some misconceptions and rules before approaching the 'dead' animal.

Haste makes waste as they say. In bow hunting, a hasty aim and release of the arrow may not always work, as the result the arrow's flight may land somewhere far from the intended area of fatality. One point to consider is that animals have the drive to go insane at one point once it's in mortal danger and may run away. If it does, it would be a perfect opportunity to reflect and see what might go wrong. Usually, once the deer or any other animal have been mortally wounded, it will bed somewhere within a 250 yard radius so it's better not to go after it once it's on the run. Just wait it out for a few hours.

Humans aren't perfect, more so with a weapon at hand when it comes to hunting. There's nothing wrong with the notion of thinking back on what might have gone wrong. Unless the hunter has managed to hit the buck through the lungs or the heart, at least it would be a short trip to where it's bedding. Patience is the key when making sure the animal has expired.

Though there are a few things to worry about when it comes to misplaced shots, the only thing that may arise are the presence of coyotes that might take over before the bow hunter reaches it. Instead it may be a perfect opportunity to know where the animal might be if you follow the coyotes, then scare them away once found.

The real challenge when it comes to bow hunting is the fact that patience is the key, aside from whatever equipment a bow hunter has in his possession. There are a few things that may happen, like shooting while the animal is on the run, but mistakes like these is all art of the learning process. It doesn't make for a bad bow hunter to reflect on his shortcomings from being hasty, but at least a lesson can be learned every time he takes aim and allow the arrow to pierce through the animal with a clean kill.

Night Hunting Lights

Some hunters prefer hunting during the night, and there's nothing more thrilling than having the feel of being the hunter catching its prey on sight. Of course best advised not to watch the Blair Witch Project or they'll see those stick figures hanging around. So instead of scaring the hunters after mentioning that movie, there are a few night hunting lights on the market that are capable of showing the way to that unsuspecting deer.

The most common lighting for most hunters is to use red light, since animals have a certain amount of color blindness, thus making night illumination possible. However, it does lack a certain amount of detail since it's important to know and determine the target is indeed a deer, or some fool wearing a hat with antlers. Red lights are used for hunters who know and live in the terrain so it's all about lighting towards their targeted buck.

The Fenix LOP (1 AAA) is the most commonly used penlight that gives of a significant amount of light without alarming the animal of the hunter's presence. Mainly just to pinpoint the path and the target, the Fenix is a must have tool, although it does lack a belt clip. Another penlight is the ARC AAA, which is small enough to be held by the mouth.

Belt lights are sturdy and give off more lumens for a more detailed search like the Surefire 9P. Although there are powerful ones, a hunter wouldn't choose one type of belt light that gives off too much focus since it will attract attention. Make sure the area of coverage is dispersed evenly and gives of a good detail to find your path and the buck. The Surefire L-4 Luxeon V is the best example for a belt light with a decent amount of lumens (about 65) that doesn't compromise the hunter's position.

Though night hunting is more for the professional and hardened hunters, it's important to know and understand that flooding the forest with light would scare any animal away, especially the whitetail deer. It would be impractical to carry a large amount of gear dedicated for lights alone that you'll be long tired before the hunt even begins. For night hunting lights, the smaller, with decent amount of lumens, the better it is to carry rather than the pinpoint lights that offer too much brightness. Unless if the hunter has natural night vision, they are better off with at least one penlight.

Muzzleloaders, the Other Gun

With modern rifles that keep coming out on a yearly basis, the concept of muzzleloaders has been a dormant subject of interest for most hunters, but given to the initial design of flintlock rifles in the past, they can be very unpredictable if not handled properly.

Nowadays, the number of muzzleloader gun users has been increasing, somewhat in a way the old west and their six shooter as they had to make every shot count. Of course the pressure is always there, trying to get ahead of those who use rifles that have no problems when it comes to ease of using a weapon to win their prize. The initial design of today's muzzleloader has changed dramatically, even though the concept is the same. Safe, better ease when firing and can be fitted with a scope to narrow down the margin of error once the ball zips through, this could mean a whole new level for muzzleloader hunters.

Muzzleloaders work with a variety of tools, being the ramrod T-handle is the most important since it helps in assisting the ball or sabot into the barrel once the propellant has been loaded. Aside from that are the powder flask, powder measurer, cappers and speed loaders. Sure it's a lot of gear to take, but in essence of a traditional hunt like the pioneering days, muzzleloader rifles take on a whole different level. When it come to cleaning, it's more than just swabbing the barrel with a wire brush. Nowadays, cleaning chemicals are available to make cleaning as easy as it should be without the hassle.

Several States also noticed the trend of muzzleloaders and though they do know the imitations of such a weapon, they offer new seasons for those who hunt with muzzleloaders, allowing a better opportunity. It's not that having a muzzleloader is considered a handicap, but it's more of keeping the game as fair as possible without the risk of high-tension competition involved. As for tactics, there's not much difference, especially when the deer is on a rut and decoys and grunt calls can be used in order to bring the animal in range of a muzzleloader.

When taking up an interest in muzzleloader rifles, a few things need to come to mind. Carrying around a powder flask is no joke, but if practiced common sense, there shouldn't be any danger. Today, there are a few firing ranges that offer muzzleloaders, and he people using them are the friendly types. So if the hunter wants to try out muzzleloaders, it will definitely be a blast.