Since ancient history wild hogs, also referred to as wild boars, have been hunted both out of necessity and for pleasure. Today the hunting process is very different than it was when hogs were first hunted in ancient Greece and Rome, but the customs and traditions associated with sport have remained remarkably unchanged. Today the modern hog hunter is just as enthusiastic about their sport as were their ancient counterparts. Hunting hogs is an exceptionally exciting form of hunting, but anyone choosing to participate in hog hunts needs to understand that the risks of injury and other dangerous incidents are considerably higher in this variety hunting. The fundamental rule for the hog hunter is to remember is that wild hogs are dangerous animals. The mixture of razor sharp tusks, extraordinary strength, two razor sharp tusks, and a mean nature create a hazards that can turn a wild hog hunt in to a trip to the hospital in a minute. A hog hunter must have a understanding of the specific situations that have the potential to pose serious threats to the hunter's personal safety. So a wild hog must never be approached in a manner that puts the hunter's safety at risk. This means avoiding sows with piglets or trapping any hog in a dead end.  |
Tips for Hog Hunting
Gun Safety And Hunting
While hunting is a fairly safe activity, there are many ways to be injured if you don't follow safety precautions. Injuries are becoming more common, and fatalities are a real risk. Many people are not concerned about these incidents, however, a smart hunter takes safety seriously.
The leading cause of hunting injuries is improper handling of a firearm. Too many hunters don't care for their weapon properly. Good hunters must learn the basics of gun safety. First, one must always treat the gun as though it is loaded. This applies to all activities that use guns, not just hunting, and not just the guns used for hunting. Never assume that a weapon is unloaded!
Don't be careless with a gun; never point it at other people. Don't wave it around or treat it like a toy. There is always a chance that, even if you believe the gun is unloaded, that an accident could occur. Gun powder residue can cause an empty gun to fire, or many other problem could occur. There are many tales of people being injured by guns they thought were unloaded. Always treat the gun as if it is loaded. It is better to be too cautious than get hurt!
Even when you are treating the gun like it is loaded, make sure to keep it unloaded until you are ready to use it on the hunting grounds. There is a chance that a gun can go off if it has been improperly stored. There are many tales about guns firing in truck compartments because they were not stored appropriately, and they were loaded.
Once you arrive at the hunting field, it is safe to load the gun. But, make sure to keep your fingers off of the trigger, in an indexed position. If your finger is on the trigger, you can accidentally fire the gun, causing a major injury. One false move can result in an accidental firing, if your finger is near the trigger. Keep your finger folded and away from the trigger, or folded and away from any notches, until your prey is within range.
A gun is not a toy. Never point it at another person, even in jest. A gun can accidentally go off, and there are many stories of friends joking around with guns and injuring or killing someone. Keep all guns pointed in a safe direction away from people and yourself. As stated before, always treat a gun like it is loaded, so even if you believe a gun is unloaded you need to keep the gun pointed away from people. Always expect the unexpected when it comes to firearms.
Never look down the barrel of a gun. If you are uncertain whether it is loaded or not, use a safer way to find out. There are no circumstances under which it is appropriate to look down the barrel of a gun, or have your face anywhere near it.
Keep from dropping the firearm. Dropping it can cause the gun to fire, sending a bullet into the world in an unpredictable direction. Hold the gun with two hands and make sure to treat it with care.
While alcohol is often considered an acceptable part of hunting, never allow an intoxicated person (even yourself) to use a firearm. Alcohol slows your reasoning and your reaction time, and can cause a lapse in good judgement and reason. Alcohol can cause you to forget the rules listed above and do something to harm yourself or those around you.
Make sure all members of your hunting party follow the gun safety rules listed above, and you will have a safe and successful deer hunting trip. If you do not pay attention to safety, the risk of injury more than doubles. Make sure you stay safe when hunting and handling firearms.
10 Deer Hunting Tips
So you want to show proudly to your friends the antlers or stuffed head on the wall, and tell them about your last hunting trip with all it’s glory. If this describes you, then the following 10 tips are worth considering.
1. Get up early or hunt late: "The early bird gets the worm" is a great old adage, and with deer hunting this saying certainly carries weight. Deer are often up, grazing for food, at dawn which gives you a great opportunity to put your crosshairs on one first thing in the morning. But, as the day goes on, it gets more difficult to spot a target. By midday, your odds of bagging a buck will have dwindled down to 10% or less. However, at dusk, the deer tend to resume their activity levels and you have another great opportunity to get a night kill. So the lesson here is to hunt in the early morning or at night, but never in the middle of the day.
2. Your clothes: Okay, you’re a sure shot with your compound bow and muzzleloader, but were you wearing a t-shirt and shorts when you practiced that sure shot, back at home? With winter clothes your movements will not be as easy. A little jerk here, and your camo jacket gets in way of a good aim and spoils a good shot opportunity. May be you will sweat a little back home while you practice with your winter clothes on, but that sweat is well paid in the woods with a firm hand to get a trophy buck.
3. Select your hunting area before season opens: The rookie that dashes into the woods unprepared, on the beginning day of the hunting season, rarely bags his buck. Most of the bucks and does, prowl more for food to store energy to use in the hard part of the winter. So the idea is to find a good food source in the woods, late in the season, and locate the trails leading to that food source and set up your tree stand in a suitable place where you will have good cover, but a clear shot at your target. Always remember “Preparation is the key to victory”.
4. Fuel is important to your body: Carry enough water and high energy snacks with you during your hunt as when it gets late in the season, you need to consume more food to keep up your energy.
5. Are you with the changing times: If you are using the traditional black powder instead of the modern primers of black powder substitutes? Then please remember to keep your muzzleloader in a place not inside the house, but outside safely and secured. Taking out your gun from the cozy warmth of your house to the moisture atmosphere, it is likely to build up condensation. You really want that shot at the right time don’t you? Then take care of your weapon and make sure it's ready.
6. Remember the coach’s words: What does your coach says during your school and college days? “practice, practice and practice”. Same goes in deer hunting as well. Use your weekends to keep your muscle toned and eyes sharp by sending more and more arrows and shots, and make sure you can place your shots within a few inches of each other. For best realism, practice on a 3-D deer target and keep it in your backyard. This training will ensure that when you're in the woods, you can repeat your shot, when it is needed the most.
7. Get hooked: I mean equip yourself with enough hooks to help you to secure your belongings, be it your bow, quiver, binoculars, food and other belongings into your stand. You don’t want a falling water canteen to frighten away that buck, do you?
8. Prepare your battle field: With a good pair of shears cut out the low lying branches and outgrowths during your scouting of the area. Same goes with cutting out any dried up branches and twigs lying nearby. During your walk to the woods and approach to the stand you can be as quiet as possible. After all you don’t want that trophy buck to be warned about your approach.
9. Paint your horns: If you want to rattle in a buck with antlers, be sure to paint it with a good fluorescent orange. This will make your fellow hunters; think before aiming that they are not sighting the real buck. And it is better to avoid the area frequented by other hunters. Getting a 12 pronged souvenir is important, but more important is your safety.
10. Pay attention to wind and weather conditions: Before you head out, get the weather report of the area from the local newspaper or, if it's available in the area, call the weather hotline for updated reports. The direction of the wind will likely be the most important condition that can affect your hunt. It's futile to try and hunt in a tailwind, as the deer will pick up your scent before you can even see them. But if there's a gentle headwind toward where you placed your tree stand, it's game on, get out and hunt!
+Bonus Tip: If you've tried the above tips, but are still unable to find that trophy buck, you may want to look into booking a hunt with whitetail outfitters, as they are experienced in finding worthy trophies and provide great hunting trips for their clients.
1. Get up early or hunt late: "The early bird gets the worm" is a great old adage, and with deer hunting this saying certainly carries weight. Deer are often up, grazing for food, at dawn which gives you a great opportunity to put your crosshairs on one first thing in the morning. But, as the day goes on, it gets more difficult to spot a target. By midday, your odds of bagging a buck will have dwindled down to 10% or less. However, at dusk, the deer tend to resume their activity levels and you have another great opportunity to get a night kill. So the lesson here is to hunt in the early morning or at night, but never in the middle of the day.
2. Your clothes: Okay, you’re a sure shot with your compound bow and muzzleloader, but were you wearing a t-shirt and shorts when you practiced that sure shot, back at home? With winter clothes your movements will not be as easy. A little jerk here, and your camo jacket gets in way of a good aim and spoils a good shot opportunity. May be you will sweat a little back home while you practice with your winter clothes on, but that sweat is well paid in the woods with a firm hand to get a trophy buck.
3. Select your hunting area before season opens: The rookie that dashes into the woods unprepared, on the beginning day of the hunting season, rarely bags his buck. Most of the bucks and does, prowl more for food to store energy to use in the hard part of the winter. So the idea is to find a good food source in the woods, late in the season, and locate the trails leading to that food source and set up your tree stand in a suitable place where you will have good cover, but a clear shot at your target. Always remember “Preparation is the key to victory”.
4. Fuel is important to your body: Carry enough water and high energy snacks with you during your hunt as when it gets late in the season, you need to consume more food to keep up your energy.
5. Are you with the changing times: If you are using the traditional black powder instead of the modern primers of black powder substitutes? Then please remember to keep your muzzleloader in a place not inside the house, but outside safely and secured. Taking out your gun from the cozy warmth of your house to the moisture atmosphere, it is likely to build up condensation. You really want that shot at the right time don’t you? Then take care of your weapon and make sure it's ready.
6. Remember the coach’s words: What does your coach says during your school and college days? “practice, practice and practice”. Same goes in deer hunting as well. Use your weekends to keep your muscle toned and eyes sharp by sending more and more arrows and shots, and make sure you can place your shots within a few inches of each other. For best realism, practice on a 3-D deer target and keep it in your backyard. This training will ensure that when you're in the woods, you can repeat your shot, when it is needed the most.
7. Get hooked: I mean equip yourself with enough hooks to help you to secure your belongings, be it your bow, quiver, binoculars, food and other belongings into your stand. You don’t want a falling water canteen to frighten away that buck, do you?
8. Prepare your battle field: With a good pair of shears cut out the low lying branches and outgrowths during your scouting of the area. Same goes with cutting out any dried up branches and twigs lying nearby. During your walk to the woods and approach to the stand you can be as quiet as possible. After all you don’t want that trophy buck to be warned about your approach.
9. Paint your horns: If you want to rattle in a buck with antlers, be sure to paint it with a good fluorescent orange. This will make your fellow hunters; think before aiming that they are not sighting the real buck. And it is better to avoid the area frequented by other hunters. Getting a 12 pronged souvenir is important, but more important is your safety.
10. Pay attention to wind and weather conditions: Before you head out, get the weather report of the area from the local newspaper or, if it's available in the area, call the weather hotline for updated reports. The direction of the wind will likely be the most important condition that can affect your hunt. It's futile to try and hunt in a tailwind, as the deer will pick up your scent before you can even see them. But if there's a gentle headwind toward where you placed your tree stand, it's game on, get out and hunt!
+Bonus Tip: If you've tried the above tips, but are still unable to find that trophy buck, you may want to look into booking a hunt with whitetail outfitters, as they are experienced in finding worthy trophies and provide great hunting trips for their clients.
Whitetail Outfitters
Whenever you are planning a deer hunting trip, choosing the right whitetail outfitters can prove to be an uphill task. This is especially true when you carry out a search for outfitters online. You will come across several guides and outfitters, each promising to offer the best services. They make many promises, trying to lure you into hiring them.
The majority of whitetail outfitters out there are reputable, however there are a few bad apples out to spoil the name of others. In order to ensure that your experience will not turn into a nightmare, there are a couple of things that you need to consider before hiring a guide or outfitter.
When carrying out your search for whitetail outfitters online, it is advisable to ignore those who provide information that “guarantee” you a kill. Any reputable outfitter knows there are simply too many variables involved in hunting to make such a claim. Also, if they cannot provide references, then it is advisable to search elsewhere. The importance of getting references is the fact that it gives you sound grounding to decide whether or not the services been offered measure up to your expectations.
Next, you have to consider their familiarity with the hunting grounds. The best whitetail outfitters are those well acquainted with different hunting grounds. Take time to ask them questions before committing to use their services. Ask questions like the duration they have served as guides and what they know about deer hunting.
Also ask them what kind of approach they use when deer hunting. This will give you a clearer picture of what you ought to expect from them. If the guides or outfitters are as reputable as they claim to be, they should be able to answer every question truthful and without any kind of hesitation. In addition to this, they will also ensure that all questions are answered thoroughly.
The guides or outfitters should also provide a clear outline of the management practices they uphold in order to give you the chance to decide whether or not to use their services. After hunting, you will need to have your meat processed and stored until you get ready to leave. It is important to find out from the deer hunting guides this information in order to ensure that your meat does not spoil.
Whitetail outfitters should be prepared for any situation, and for this reason, it is important to take your time and find out what the guide or outfitter has in mind for your trip. You have to be specific about what you want from the experience. This means talking to the guide or outfitter upfront until you find one who meets or exceeds your expectations. Also, before settling on any of the whitetail outfitters, it may be wise to have a background search carried out on them.
By asking the whitetail outfitters probing questions like the duration they have been guiding the hunting grounds, the size of the deer on the property, the number of successful hunting tours under their watch, and asking for references, you are sure to find the guide that will be a solid performer for your upcoming hunt.
The majority of whitetail outfitters out there are reputable, however there are a few bad apples out to spoil the name of others. In order to ensure that your experience will not turn into a nightmare, there are a couple of things that you need to consider before hiring a guide or outfitter.
When carrying out your search for whitetail outfitters online, it is advisable to ignore those who provide information that “guarantee” you a kill. Any reputable outfitter knows there are simply too many variables involved in hunting to make such a claim. Also, if they cannot provide references, then it is advisable to search elsewhere. The importance of getting references is the fact that it gives you sound grounding to decide whether or not the services been offered measure up to your expectations.
Next, you have to consider their familiarity with the hunting grounds. The best whitetail outfitters are those well acquainted with different hunting grounds. Take time to ask them questions before committing to use their services. Ask questions like the duration they have served as guides and what they know about deer hunting.
Also ask them what kind of approach they use when deer hunting. This will give you a clearer picture of what you ought to expect from them. If the guides or outfitters are as reputable as they claim to be, they should be able to answer every question truthful and without any kind of hesitation. In addition to this, they will also ensure that all questions are answered thoroughly.
The guides or outfitters should also provide a clear outline of the management practices they uphold in order to give you the chance to decide whether or not to use their services. After hunting, you will need to have your meat processed and stored until you get ready to leave. It is important to find out from the deer hunting guides this information in order to ensure that your meat does not spoil.
Whitetail outfitters should be prepared for any situation, and for this reason, it is important to take your time and find out what the guide or outfitter has in mind for your trip. You have to be specific about what you want from the experience. This means talking to the guide or outfitter upfront until you find one who meets or exceeds your expectations. Also, before settling on any of the whitetail outfitters, it may be wise to have a background search carried out on them.
By asking the whitetail outfitters probing questions like the duration they have been guiding the hunting grounds, the size of the deer on the property, the number of successful hunting tours under their watch, and asking for references, you are sure to find the guide that will be a solid performer for your upcoming hunt.
Should You Hire Hunting Outfitters?
If you’re an avid hunter, you want to get the best out of every hunting trip. By the time you've paid for license, tags, transportation, and equipment, it just doesn’t make sense to be standing for hours in the rain, hoping your desired game will come across you. It’s a waste of time and money. Hunting just doesn’t work like that. You have to be the one to go out and pursue the game – otherwise, things would be so much easier.
It’s always hard to plan, though. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been hunting a hundred times before, or if you’re a beginner wanting to learn the ropes, you’ll have so many things to think about. It only makes sense to lighten your load. Hiring hunting outfitters can make your life easier straight away. It doesn’t matter where you’re planning to hunt, you can do no better than to choose a local hunting outfitter that knows the area and has professional skills.
If you choose to work with a hunting outfitter for your next trip, you can be sure it’ll be as successful as possible. For a start, they’ll help you plan your visit, and they’ll make sure you remember all those important items that you might otherwise forget to pack. Then, once you’re out and hunting, your outfitter will become even more valuable.
You could spend your whole day wandering aimlessly. You could waste time and energy tracking your game in all the wrong places. Without local knowledge, and without insider information about an area and the animals that live within it, your chances of a truly successful hunting trip are sure to be low. Why settle for second best when you could be finding game in all the right places, using the knowledge of a hunting guide that knows the behavior and the movements of the local animals?
Hunting outfitters aren’t just there to help you find your choice of game – they offer the best safety you’re going to get in unknown land. Outfitters know the terrain, and they know where you can hunt safely and where you’ll be at risk. If you want a smooth, easy hunting trip and the security that you’ll get home safely, hiring an outfitter would be a wise decision.
It’s fine to be enthusiastic about your next hunting trip, and if you’re a regular hunter it’s also fine to think that you know enough information to get you by, but as a keen hunter you’ll also be aware that there are risks you’ll take for the success of the hunt. You’ll know that the best way to track an animal is to know where it likes to spend its time, and you’ll know that if you’re new to an area you’re not the best person for the job. Hunting outfitters can help you find all the right places, whatever species you’re hunting, and they’ll offer advice and tips to make things run smoothly, even if you’ve never been on a hunting trip before.
If you choose to hire a hunting outfitter, you should see them as your friend and mentor for the duration of your trip. Your outfitter won’t get in the way, and they won’t take over your trip, but they’ll point you in the right direction and they’ll help you get as much as possible out of the experience. You can’t learn about hunting without getting out and doing it, and you can’t learn about a specific area without walking its tracks and trails for a number of years.
Your chosen outfitter will know where to go to find your game of choice. They’ll know their territory, and they’ll have watched behaviors day after day to judge daily movements and seasonal migrations. The only way to stay ahead will be to use that knowledge to be where the animals are, whether you’re hunting in the summer or in the winter.
A professional hunting outfitter won’t affect your trip in a negative way. After all, they’ve spent years learning to be quiet and to use their experience to help you. In fact, they’ll be the best people to lead you to paths other people might not have noticed, so you can get up close to animals without fear of interference or distraction. The best people to show you all those hidden places are the ones who’ve explored them hundreds of times before.
When you think about your next hunting trip, you probably imagine the crunch of leaves underfoot, the sound of water at your side, and that moment of excitement when you’ve got the game in your sights. When you hire an outfitter, you’ll get that same thrill over and over again as you head to all the best spots to find your animals. You can find information about the best hunting outfitters easily, and you can get in touch to discuss your requirements and theirs. Remember that a hunting outfitter won’t take the fun from your trip – they’re there to keep your heart racing, your body safe, and your feet in the very best places at all times.
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