|
| Tips & Tactics |
 |
| Big Game |
|
| Whitetail
Tips |
| One
of the most important factors in hunting whitetails is
the wind. Whitetails are creatures of habit and they should
always be hunted with caution. If you try to over pursue
them you’ll loose. You should always make sure the predominant
wind is in your face or from a crosswind direction from
you stand. The most powerful defense mechanism a whitetail
has is its nose. There are many scent cover up sprays
and clothing available today and when used in the right
wind conditions your chances of success are much better.
So remember, if you hunt a stand with the wrong wind,
after time you will educate them to where your location
is. Whenever it’s possible, try to hunt different stands
to try to break up your routine, again too much pressure
in one area can result in little to no success. |
| Probably the second most important factor of hunting whitetails
is mental. Hunting a mature whitetail deer is a very mental
game and being successful in the deer woods requires constant
concentration and focus. It is inevitable that the minute
you take your mind off the hunt, the deer of a life time
will present itself. It is very easy throughout the course
of a season to get frustrated or loose confidence and
these are the times when it takes the most concentration.
There will always be multiple variables to deal with in
the deer woods such as wind, weather, time of day and
all of these can take your mind off the hunt. Stay focused
and you will be successful. |
|
| Specialty |
|
| Hunting Doves Over Decoys |
• Decoys
can be very effective when hunting doves, especially
early seasons.
• Grouping
Dove decoys together on a setup shows a safe haven,
and a great place for feed.
• Dove
wires can be constructed to be placed on the middle
of fields to create a place for
 birds to land. When
using a dove wire, try to not crowd the wire with
decoys. Doves will
keep their distance if there is
no room.
•In
cut open fields placing decoys on the ground shows
another great feeding area.
•If
possible place decoys in or around dead trees. Visibility
is better for the doves to
spot decoys.
• Always
try to offset decoys to the left, or right of your
setup. This will make the birds pass
in front of you
for a cleaner shot. |
|
| Waterfowl |
|
| Waterfowl Tips |
| Remember
calling to ducks and geese can make or break your hunt.
When is the right time to call? It is important to always
start with soft and subtle calling, if birds respond then
it becomes evident what type of calling will be successful
for the day. If soft calling is not turning heads, a more
aggressive style calling may be needed. |
| Head
cover is a must when hunting from a blind. The aerial
view from a bird's perspective makes even the slightest
movement visible from above. When possible try not to
hunt fields in the evening near roosting waters. Giving
waterfowl a safe resting area near a food source will
make for many great hunts throughout the year. |
| When
hunting waterfowl, it's important to remember to position
yourself with the wind at your back or from a crosswind
position. Birds will always land with the wind in their
face. The wind gives waterfowl additional lift and makes
landing and taking off easier so you can always count
on them using the wind to their advantage. This setup
strategy will add to your success throughout the season. |
| Duck Hunting Over Decoys |
• Try
to string big groups of your decoys together with
one anchor. This will show small
groups moving together,
and not just individual decoys floating alone all
over the water.
• Never
leave your spread of decoys on the water when you
are not hunting. (#1 rule
never educate the birds,
especially when you're not even hunting).
• Mixing
species is great to add realism. Just make sure that
every species you have in
your spread are common to
your region.
• Using
larger decoys within your everyday spread improves
your chances of high flyers
coming in. |
| Field Goose Hunting |
Early Season is closing in fast, and we need to
start to brush up on are hunting skills.
• Always
try mix up your style of decoys. Try to use different
size shells, full bodies,
and remember different
head positions are key.
• When
watching fields before season, keep your distance.
Try to never disturb
the flocking/eating birds.
• Group
calling can only help with your group calling efforts,
providing a real-to-life sound
of more than one goose.
• Movement
is not always bad if done correctly. Flagging can
pursue birds to turn your way,
I recommend flagging
on gloomy days when visibility is not great.
• If
laying directly on the ground or in a blind, place
decoys around you to break up the
outline of your
blind. Birds will focus on the decoys over the blind. |
|
