Hunting Fun

Ground Blinds have become increasingly popular over the last several years for all types of hunting. Versatile, light, inexpensive and mobile are all reasons for the increase of their popularity. Perhaps the biggest reason for the rise in popularity of ground blinds is the fact that they provide an unmatched level of comfort while deer hunting and any other game animal as you can stay warm and dry and sit in a comfortable seat.

Why are ground blinds so effective for deer hunting?

Blinds have a lot to offer deer hunters besides comfort. Here is a list of the reasons why ground blinds are so effective for deer hunting

Concealment: When sitting in a blind, deer and other animals do not realize there is a person sitting inside the blind, so they will approach a ground blind as if it were just another tree in the forest; especially if the ground blind has been in place for some time so that the deer can become accustomed to it. This gives a deer hunter the advantage and if patient enough, the opportunity to get a shot at a deer from close range.
Scent Retention: Being inside of a ground blind while deer hunting keeps a large part of your scent from leaving the blind. The sense of smell is the number one sense deer have to protect themselves from predators. Humans are the stinkiest smelling predators a deer has to deal with, and is just one molecule of human scent is detected, any deer will be on high alert. The smartest bucks typically smell hunters before they are ever seen and are gone before the hunter ever knew they were there. That is why it is so important to keep your smell to a minimum, and blinds can help.
Mobility: Ground blinds offer a deer hunter the ability to set up wherever and whenever they want enabling them to move at a moments notice to get in a better spot. It seems like when you set up or build a tree stand you wish you would have set it up 100 yards away where you keep seeing the deer. With a good blind, you can move it and be hunting there right away. Of course there is a lot to be said about keeping a ground blind in the same spot so deer can get use to it, but in some cases you have to be aggressive and go to the deer.
Comfort: I must stress the comfort level that a ground blind for deer hunting can provide again. The fact that you can sit for increased periods of time regardless of weather conditions is a huge benefit that blinds can give a deer hunter. The more time spent hunting the better the chances of a buck of a lifetime will show up.

How to Maximize the Use of a Ground Blind for Deer Hunting

There are many things you can do to improve your effectiveness of your deer hunting out of a ground blind. Here are a few tips that you can use to help seal the deal on a deer this hunting season.

Location

The number one variable you need to address when ground blind hunting for deer is location. You want to place that blind in an area that is frequently visited by deer, and more importantly big mature bucks (if that is what you are after).

There are several ways to predict if there are deer in the area. The easiest was to tell is to view the area in the mornings and evenings. If there are a lot of deer in the area, then you will at least see a few.

Another good way is to look for sign. Deer tracks and droppings can tell you a lot about how many deer are in the area. More importantly, deer sign can give you a good idea of the size of the deer and the directions they are heading.

Perhaps the most effective way to scout the location is to set up trail cameras. That way you know exactly what type of deer are in the area and allow you to know when they are moving. This way you can select the exact buck you plan to hold out for.

Set Your Ground Blind Up Early

It is best to get your scouting done and set your blind up before the season so by the time the actual season opens, you will be ready and the deer will have become accustomed to the blind.

Hunt Often and Patiently

The more time you are in your blind the better the chance is of you being there when the deer you are after comes by. This might not take long if you are only after a young buck or a doe, but to get the big mature bucks, you may have to be patient and be able to pass up lesser deer in hopes that the buck of a life time will come along.

An Easier Way to Hunt

While there is a lot to the processes listed above, once you are in a good spot that you know the deer you are after frequent often and you have the blind set up, then all you have to do is show up and hunt in comfort. The more time spent in the blind, the better chance that big buck will walk be within range.



By: Chris N Jackson

About the Author:

Outdoorvideomaster asked:

This is a kick-butt green timber duck hunt filmed at Harvey’s Duck Club in Arkansas. These boys do things ******** when it comes to duck hunting. Cherokee Sports new Fusion series decoy are spotlighted in their spreads. Rusty Creasey takes you on one kick **** duck hunt and thats for sure.

So you want to become part of the time-honored tradition of duck hunting? If you’re seeking to join the ranks of camouflage-clad sportsmen who awake in the middle of the night to go hide in waterside reeds waiting for the perfect shot, you’re going to need to learn a few things first. Remember, not everybody has what it takes to be a duck hunter.

First, do some research. Use all the tools at your fingertips. Look around on the Internet and read some magazines. Ultimately, you need to determine if duck hunting is something you really want to embrace. If the answer is yes, your next step is to get yourself educated. You don’t want to go out into the field with your shiny new shotgun, disrupting others sport and basically being a nuisance. You’re going to need to find a mentor.

A mentor can be the person that first got you interested in duck hunting, someone you meet through connections online, or a fellow hunter from a local hunters association. Your mentor needs to be someone who knows all the ins and outs of duck hunting. This person can show you around, point out some good hunting locations, give you tips, and hopefully take you on hunting trips. In the end, your mentor will be the one to point you in the right direction when it comes to getting started in the field.

After you acquire your basic knowledge of duck hunting, you’re going to need the proper equipment. Everyone will have their own ideas about what works best for them, of course, but to get started it is best that you listen to those in the know. Don’t rely on the clerk at your local sporting goods store; they will more than likely just try to sell you the highest priced equipment possible. Once again, your mentor or other duck hunters would be the best voices to listen to. Consider their recommendations and do some shopping around. After deciding what works best for you, the only way to truly learn is to try it. Your first hunting trip will no doubt involve you finding out what equipment you like and what you don’t.

As you take those first baby steps into duck hunting, you’re going to find out quickly what methods you prefer when it comes to bagging ducks. Some hunters rely heavily on duck calls, and swear by them. There are many different types of duck calls. Some are purchased at stores or through catalogs, some are carved by hand, and others are created by the hunters themselves-with only their vocal chords. Although it will ultimately be up to you to figure out what works best for you, the safest bet is to first start with a duck call purchased at a store or through a catalog. As always, consult with your mentor before making a purchase.

Another popular tool of the duck hunting trade is the duck decoy. Decoys are floating, plastic ducks painted to strongly resemble various species. Ducks, like all other birds, have very keen eyesight and are not easily fooled. It is for this reason that if you are going to use decoys, they need to be very accurate in their detail and need to be placed correctly. As a prey species, ducks will shy away from anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. Before making any decisions about decoys, talk to your mentor. You want to make sure you get the correct species and the most accurate-looking decoys you can. Your mentor can also advise you about placement and how to correctly use your decoys.

All in all, those looking to get into duck hunting are in for a wild ride. Most of us take hunting for granted. After all, how hard can it be to kill a stupid bird? It’s not so easy, as you will find. With a little patience and education, though, you’ll be a master duck hunter in no time. I wish you the best of luck on many duck hunting adventures to come!



By: Joshua McNiel

About the Author:

Texas Exotic Hunting is a popular sport in this state. Hog hunting in Texas and dove hunting in Texas are both considered exotic.

Have you ever tried to hunt a hog? These wild pigs can be fierce and furious. Can you imagine a wild hog charging you with thunderous speed, hooves slashing with a head the size of Texas swinging back and forth in the air. I can!

This grunting and squealing pig is an enormous beast! He came charging out of the brush right in front of me. Now being from up north this startled me, no it scared the……right out of me. I dropped my bow and took off as fast as I could, climbing a small tree. Now I know that hogs can not climb trees, but as I sat perched in the tree the only thing running through my mind was the old phase “when pigs fly” and believe you me I was waiting for this pig to fly!

No, they can’t fly can they? The nasty wild hog stomped around the base of this little tree waiting for m. As it stomped it rooted up the ground around the tree. I would image all the noise it was making was to let me that I was in his territory.

You are probably laughing at me as you read this. But I swear this was the largest meanest and wildest pig that was ever put on this planet!

Now not to far away was a party of hunters who had heard all the racket and noise from me yelling and the pig snorting. They came running down the trail to see what was going on. It must have been a sight! What with me in the tree, my bow scattered thirty feet away, and this hog stomping around the base of the tree, just waiting to devour me.

I am not sure how long I was stuck in this tree, but it seemed like a life time. My Texas exotic hunting adventure was getting off to a fine start.

With the sound of the other hunters coming down the trail, the mean old hog must have figured it was out numbered because it charged off into the bush.

My new found hunting friends told me that Texas exotic hunting required a guide, and that these hogs could be a handful for the hunters who had little or no experience, especially if you were hunting with a bow. I’m thinking now someone tells me this.

They said that bows were OK for white tail, but with the short range of the bow one should really have a better weapon. They also mentioned that one should have a good understanding of wild hogs.

Picking up my bow I peered into the brush looking to see if my little friend was still around. I figured that I was pretty safe as the other four hunter all had rifles.

Just as I thought, the wild snorting hog had run away to fight another day and torment someone else. I had already decided my next trip would be with a guide as I was not ready to go and get cornered by a wild hog again.

The guide that was with the hunters gave me a card which had directions to his lodge. I told him I’d be in contact real soon!

Finding my jeep was no easy task but I did manage. I headed off to the guides lodge where I was met by a very friendly lady at the office. She explained all the costs for a guided trip.

As I signed all the paper work, I looked forward to my next experience. The hunters who had came to my aid had just arrived back at camp and they were still howling about my Texas exotic hunting experience.

That evening around a roaring camp fire I told my story about my encounter with the largest wild hog on the planet. Every one got a good laugh and I made a few good friends over this little incident.

Oh by the way I got my hog with the help of my guide. But that first big one got away to torment its next victim



By: Sher Matsen

About the Author:

Getting cheap gun safes is the only option for some people. Safes are notoriously pricey, making buying a new one straight off the show room floor an impossibility for many. How can you buy gun safe without giving up an arm and a leg?

The truth is, if you buy a new safe, you can sometimes pay over five thousand dollars, in the most extreme instances. Even the cheapest often sell for over a thousand, just to give you an idea of the price range you can expect to be in with this market.

A cheap gun safe is most suited for your house, because it doesn’t need all the protective features that one stored at a business would. Remember, this might sound obvious, but it bears mentioning-not all the cheap gun safes on the market are of the same value.

Size affects the price, and certainly the smaller the safe, the less expensive it will be. If you are anything but an ardent gun owner, a small to medium size safe should suffice, unless you have an immense amount of guns you want to store. This will save you some money right there.

Additionally, buying a smaller safe might be better because you can often times take it on trips, and this is great if you are a hunter. You certainly can’t do this with larger safes. Also, smaller safes don’t need to be attached to the floor or wall of your home, since you can just hide them somewhere that nobody will find them.

However, remember not to buy a cheap gun safe that’s too confined, since you might buy more guns over time, particularly if you are a gun collector. Also, you might want to put your other high priced non gun related times in the safe as well.

Therefore, make sure you think ahead before you buy and determine what size is right for you. Get as small a safe as you safely can and this will help you save a lot of money.

Another way to save money is to get used gun safes. Sure it’s an obvious method, but why pay for new when you could easily get the same quality with a used one? Check your local paper, Craigslist, and other locations, and you very likely will pay a fraction of the new price tag for high quality cheap gun safes.



By: George Mitchell

About the Author:

goosebusters asked:

Great goose hunt, Canadas up close, Bonus ducks. Tons of geese in the decoys in Eastern North Dakota. 12-1-07.

A great scope can mean the difference between a hit or miss at any time of the day. At night however, a night vision rifle scope is the difference between seeing and shooting blind. Marksmen know that the quality of their tools is important, and when it comes to a night vision rifle scope, that adage could not ring more true.

Features to Consider

A scope is designed to ensure that you are firing at the right target and at the right angle. If there is a flaw in your scope, you can almost guarantee a miss – no matter how good of a marksman you are. When selecting a night vision rifle scope, you want to ensure that you choose one that meets all of your needs.

Most marksmen will want to a high quality optical configuration system. With a high level of quality you will find a significant decrease of the F-Stop factor. A night vision rifle scope with a low F-Stop factor provides a clear and more improved image quality, which ultimately means better use and a more accurate shot. Multi-coated glass optics is almost essential for night vision rifle scope users.

Magnification is one feature with which marksmen can be very picky. You need to choose the most optimal magnification for your purposes. If you select too low of a magnification, then you will not be able to properly sight your target. However, too high of a magnification and you’ll be aiming at too small of a piece of your target. With a night vision rifle scope you will likely want to consider something in the 3-5x range.

You should also consider the quality of the precision aiming system. The most popular choice is a precision red on green aiming system. Remembering that the purpose of this system to best communicate the target location to the brain for the most precise aim, it is easy to understand why the red on green system is so highly favoured.

Although not essential, most marksmen will appreciate a night vision rifle scope that features a push button operation system. This can greatly improve the scope’s usability and enhances your experience. By reducing the complications associated with using the scope, you will have more time and energy to spend on your experience and focusing on your rifle skills.

Of course, a detachable infrared illuminator is always a plus when it comes to selecting the right night vision rifle scope.

Finally, you need to consider the functionality of the night vision rifle scope and how it will perform in your average environment. Depending on where and when you intend to use it, you may appreciate a scope that has reliable and durable water and fog resistance. Or, if you need your scope to function in extreme environments you may require one that can be completely submersed in water.

Why ATN?

ATN is one of the top names when it comes to quality and high performance. They are the top choice for military personnel and law enforcement officials. ATN is also extremely popular with outdoor enthusiasts around the world.

ATN is an industry leader for Night Vision Weapon-Mountable Solutions. Their scopes include the best components and construction, as well as provide an array of accessories and options.

ATN is respected for providing value, choice, and selection. They use the highest quality materials and processes in the creation of their night vision rifle scopes. This includes the purest grades of glass that come from optical grade sands from the shores of the Caspian Seas.

Choices

ATN provides a wide range of options, each perfectly suited to a specific type of marksman. The high performance Aries MK series includes high quality, but highly affordable scopes. These scopes offer an array of choices for Image Intensifier Tubes, MIL-Dot reticle, standard target turrets, positive 1/8 MOA per click windage and elevation adjustments, rails for add-on lights, lasers, back up iron sights, and titanium mounting systems.

These are all Generation 1 scopes. The 1st generation is the most popular type of night vision in the world. It amplifies existing light by several thousand times and provides a bright and sharp image at a low cost.

This series includes the MK350 Guardian. This rifle scope features expert an optical configuration system, precision red on green aiming system, detachable infrared illuminator and 2.5 x magnifications. This scope uses two Lithium batteries.

Another popular night vision rifle scope in the Aries MK series is the MK390 Paladin. With a stronger magnification of 4 x, the Paladin still features many of the same advantages of the MK350 Guardian. For example, this night vision rifle scope provides a precision red on green aiming system, expert optical configuration system, and detachable infrared illuminator. This scope uses two Lithium batteries.

For even stronger magnification, the ATN MK410 Spartan provides 5x magnification as well as all of the same great features found in the MK350 Guardian and the MK390 Paladin. This scope uses two Lithium batteries.

Additional Accessories

Each of these night vision rifle scopes can be outfitted with additional accessories to enhance your performance.

The Long Rail Adaptor is a quick detachable, multiple eye relief mounting base. This item attaches to a weaver type rail and flat-top receivers, allowing you to have optimal flexibility when positing your riflescope.

A camera Adaptor, such as the ATN Camera Adapter CA6, allows you to attach your night vision device to the front of almost any 33mm camera or camcorder. This means that with just one scope you will have the functional tool of both a rifle scope and a camera scope. Great value. The Final Word

All ATN Night Vision Rifle Scopes purchased from BLJ’s Self Defense come with a 2 year warranty. As a distributer of high quality scopes, BLJ’s Self Defense offers a range of scopes for from the ATN Aries series. Our unbeatable prices and expert customer service make BLJ’s Self Defense a great place to purchase your next Night Vision Rifle Scope.



By: Barry L Jenkins

About the Author:

CountryPancake asked:

Goose Hunting

andrewsphillips asked:

Illinois Deer Hunting

juchongher asked:

With limited hunting time, the first storm of the season came and John drops the hammer on two bucks. He’s done for the season. Second guy to tag out this year. No inquiry on zone or location please.