Share your hunting tips

Well here were are again... Hunting season... Since I'm moving I didn't put in for an elk tag this year so I'm reduced to sitting around the fire and telling tales of bygone days... So without really needing an excuse I thought we needed a thread to share hunting tips....

Now to kick things off I'll share one... ever since I was a kid I was taught not to hunt rabbits or squirrels until after the second snow fall... the why is here in the southwest you can get very sick maybe even die from the flea's and ticks they carry... after the second snow fall those wee beasties die and fall off and its now safe to handle the game...

So who wants to go next... maybe some one wants to talk about the effect of salt left on select trails? how about the best way to hunt turkey what with thanksgiving coming up?

[edit on 19-11-2009 by DaddyBare]

i have never had a problem with ticks or fleas getting on me from any animal- rabbits tho i was always taught to wait until after the 1st heavy frost and always check the liver. if it is spotted don't eat them.
deer carry ticks too- archery in pa opens start of october so sometimes it might be over 80 degrees out so what difference does it make when it comes to different species for fleas and ticks?
best bet always check yourself well after handling game and don't do it in your home and leave your clothes outside and/or wash them well
best bet for turkeys- full camo- never move and when you bring the gun up do it when it can't see you and always shoot for the head(with a shotgun of course)
any hunting requires alot of knowledge about an animals habits, food source, movement patterns,etc
you just need to learn those things and be willing to spend time in the field and hopefully luck will be with you

I believe the wee beasties you spoke of on squirrels would be bot fly larvae, they're gross but not dangerous. It's just sorta disgusting to watch fat larvae wriggling out of your dinner.
Seriously though, for any animal the trick is to know what they are eating at that time of year and where to find it. Aside from that you know that every animal has to drink so look for water sources, at some point they will be there.
Learning to track will give you the most help if trying to hunt in a survival situation. Odds are you get most of your meat from small game, both hunted and trapped. Killing anything from a deer in size upwards requires immediate processing of the meat to avoid spoilage. Be sure to open the ribcage of an animal after killing it and allowing the meat to cool. Place netting over it or build a smoky fire to deter flies. Drying the meat in thin strips is your best bet for preservation.
Small game is best taken using still hunting techniques while deer, elk and turkey will require you to take a stand, up in a tree if possible.
Usually your best hours for hunting are right around both dawn and dusk. Avoid anyting that will make you smell )like tobacco or cologne) but woodsmoke is a natural smell and animals aren't alarmed by it.
Patience and good observation skills are your best assets for hunting.

I wanted to add that you should check the liver of any animal you kill, especially rabbits as any blotches or discoloration could indicate tularemia (rabbit fever) which can kill you.

[edit on 19-11-2009 by Asktheanimals]

reply to post by Asktheanimals


ty ask- that was the disease i couldn't think of the name of- it shows as white spots on the liver
alot of animals can get it but rabbits are notorious for it. sucks to shoot an animal you can't eat but rabbit hunting is just so much fun anyway!!!
and i agree with you on the tree- i have had deer just stand and stare at me while i draw my bow back because i assume they don't think of danger from above- either that or they just think i am a big tree rat lmao.
best way to cool them off too if possible is either pack them with snow or drag them to a stream as fast as possible
and i'm decent at tracking animals but please anyone who reads this DO NOT attempt to stalk turkeys- it is the main reason why turkey hunters are shot

and not to derail your thread daddy bear but since it seems more of a survival thread why don't we expand it to fishing also??
pretty much same rules apply to fishing as they do hunting.
and trapping also.
just a suggestion-your thread so up to you

I have gotten bot fly larvae in my rabbits when I lived in Colorado.

Here is one tip for rabbit hunters. Look ahead and you can often spot rabbits under trees and brush.

Here is my other rabbit tip. When you jump a rabbit, do not run after him. Sit down and take a break. He will be back.

I gots a tip. If you are hunting grouse, and they duck behind a rock, don't be fooled... they are still there! Em is some smart birds!

Lol. I couldn't resist... if you are starving these are an easy catch in a survival situation. If you are on a hunting trip, they also make a really good meal after an otherwise fruitless afternoon. We'd always get the additional bird license just for these... and go for pheasant later

Interesting thread, I like it.

Not sure about imedate processing of the big game though, guess it depends on the weather, but when we get deer, elk or moose, we skin it and hang it in a cool place for 3 or 4 days just as many butchers do.
Then drop it and take it to the kitchen to cut up.

One trick for grouse, not sure how many hunt grouse, if you dont, or havent, let me tell ya they are some good eating, a lot like chicken. *lol* yea i know.. but not near as dry. Very yummy to eat.

But when hunting them, if you can stop for a little while and watch them, there will be a mother hen that will be the leader, figure out which one is the leader, and kill it first, the others will stay around and you can pick them off, if you dont , when you shoot one, the leader will flee and fly away and the rest will follow.
I've gotten 3 grouse from one group before by wating and finding the leader.
The other trick is to use a .22 instead of the favored shot gun, sure you have to be a better shot, but you dont have to eat lead pellets. shot to the head and easy cleaning and no chipped teeth.

for fish, study ahead of time. Find out if the lakes etc in your area are stocked, pay a visit to the hatchery, see what they feed them.
You stand a much better chance of catching them if it is food they are use to eating.
Around here, the trout are fed at the hachery corn a lot of time, so the corn power bait works wonders in the lakes.

[edit on 20-11-2009 by severdsoul]

Originally posted by bigfoot1212
and not to derail your thread daddy bear but since it seems more of a survival thread why don't we expand it to fishing also??
pretty much same rules apply to fishing as they do hunting.
and trapping also.
just a suggestion-your thread so up to you

Good point... I have several places I like to go and the all have one thing in common. they are all just up stream from a small waterfall... the fish are hesitant to go down the fall and bunch up at the head-water...

Some people move way too fast when hunting, and they are way too loud. They already know you are there. No point in helping them pinpoint your exact location with every step you take. Enter a treeline quietly and sit down for about a half hour or so. Let things settle down.

I can, and have, walked up to squirrels out in the open, within 10' or so, without me even seeing them. Go slow and you can do this. And you need to check the same tree(s) from different angles because squirrels will hide from you on the opposite side of the tree.

You need to observe, not just see. It amazes me that I could be this close to game and not even know it until I get that close.

Rabbits are more likely to flush when you walk slow and stop. They evidently lose track of where you are and they panic.

It can have its drawbacks though. Being as quiet as the proverbial church mouse and surprising an owl can make you jump out of your skin while giving you a heart attack.


[edit on 20/11/09 by PSUSA]

When hunting Rabbit and squirrel ware full camo from head to toe. If walking on dry leaves in the fall or crunchy snow in the winter never take more then three steps, and make them shuffling steps. Ever hear a squirrel move threw the forest. they will generally hop in sets of three. if you cant be silent then at least sound like the game you are hunting.

When shooting at a squirrel rush into the area after you shot keeping eyes and ears open. most of the time ware there is one squirrel there is more. if you shoot and sit they will sit. if you shoot and rush in it makes them move and you can more often then not get a second squirrel. They panic and will often run to the end of branches leaving themselves temporally open. of course with all the noise you just made gather up your game and leave the area.

When treeing a squirrel just wate and watch. squirrels will run to the opposite side of the tree but will come back around to try to see ware you went.

If using a game call find somebody who already knows how to teach you. don't try to learn from youtube or the stupid dvd's that come with most game calls theses days.

grouse are my fave wild bird to eat. they are tough to hit flying but if you are a decent shot and can keeps your wits about you after they flush and it sounds like the wrath of god coming down on you you can get them. when walking always stop next to brush piles for 30 seconds or so- they will get nervous and flush.when snow is on the ground is the best time to use the 22-look for stands of evergreens where the snow isn't as deep.
grouse will also bury themselves in deeper snow for warmth.
and rabbits always watch directly where you step. rabbits will stay still before they run. i have gotten rabbits already without having to fire a shot.as was already said the most important thing is to be quiet. don't run just slowly walk and sit down every few 100 yards for 15 minutes or so. you never know what might come out for you to bag.
and a good trick for squirrels because they circle the tree as you walk around it is to take a piece of string tie it to some brush walk back to the other side of the tree and yank on the string. they will runback around to you

Okay here's a Your not suppose to do this and can get in trouble if your caught doing it trick...

You can lure game into the open with salt... don't put out licks as the forest service takes a dim view of that...but I know a few who instead take rock salt out and stir it into the ground where they want the animals to come... go away for a few days then come back and wait... they will show up. usually at dawn or dusk...

Yes I've done this to attract large game so I could get good photos of them... lot of people, me for one, see it as cheating... but if your starving you do what ya gotta do right...


[edit on 20-11-2009 by DaddyBare]

Originally posted by DaddyBare
Well here were are again... Hunting season... Since I'm moving I didn't put in for an elk tag this year so I'm reduced to sitting around the fire and telling tales of bygone days... So without really needing an excuse I thought we needed a thread to share hunting tips....

Now to kick things off I'll share one... ever since I was a kid I was taught not to hunt rabbits or squirrels until after the second snow fall... the why is here in the southwest you can get very sick maybe even die from the flea's and ticks they carry... after the second snow fall those wee beasties die and fall off and its now safe to handle the game...

So who wants to go next... maybe some one wants to talk about the effect of salt left on select trails? how about the best way to hunt turkey what with thanksgiving coming up?

[edit on 19-11-2009 by DaddyBare]

What about where there is no snowfall, just curious?

reply to post by ldyserenity

that was just a general rule of thumb to follow...
checking the liver as mentioned is damn good advice but sick animals tend to be crawling with vermin... Sick animals will act listless move awkwardly show no fear when you approach... that's your warning to look elsewhere... it's never that easy.

Dont do like one or two idiots will inevitably do every year and haul your loaded and cocked rifle up to your stand by a rope.

So many things wrong with that yet every year without fail a couple of idiots do it.

This year a young/dumb twenty something got it in the face by doing this and a seasoned sixty something year old took one in the chest.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


Too funny, star for you...
and on that subject don't forget to add... never leave a loaded gun where your overly happy to see you dog, can paw the trigger...

reply to post by bigfoot1212


I believe the sickness in question is Tuleremia....sp?

I have two tips, I'll keep-em short.

1) Your hunting clothes/ing including undergarments, socks, and shoes/boots.
Should never come into society, I keep mine in a back pack with a handfull of cedar chips and some dirt...yes dirt...
I change at the edge of the area I'm entering, and vice-versa on the way out.
If you soil them, get sweaty in them, wash them in a creek "NO SOAP" and leave them outside to dry, I leave mine outside hung-up in the rain and leave them there until a few days before use.

2) Not everyone will understand this one, its hard to put into words.
Do experiments with animals, deer, elk, moose and such.
I have found that deer, in my case....I can walk out into my yard, get in my car, open and slam the doors, go in & out my house, cook on the grill...etc...etc
As long as I don't stop and deliberatly look at the deer, and go on with my actions in a normal fashion, they never spook, and its amazing how close I can get to them!
Before anyone says they are pets, NO.. I do not feed them and live way out in the woods.
This works in the woods also, I found that as long as there is no sneakyness/eye contact and a few other variables, that you can get within 10-20 yards of animals...depending on intent...."thats the part thats hard to put into words" is the intent...needs a better word..its teatering on animal psychy..
I have slapped deer on the rear end, out in the woods, after a little work its not hard at all to get very very close.

This also works on humans, oops I'm tellin too much...
Its the practice of fitting in so well your invisable..sp?
Just learning what makes you stand out, in all life situations, I practice by going into a bar and seeing friends there, they tell me later about how good a time they had and say I should have been there.
All I say is sorry I missed it.

[edit on 20-11-2009 by Doc Holiday]

[edit on 20-11-2009 by Doc Holiday]

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


yep that is great advice- it is a rule in gun safety.
also unload your gun before climbing over/under a fence and always keep your fingers covering the trigger gaurd not on the trigger. and never point a gun at something you don't intend to kill.
i also can't figure out how people can shoot themselves in the hip while cleaning a rifle lmao happens every year here.
every year here in pa some moron shoots an elk and argues it is a whitetail deer because it has a white rump.
if you can't tell the difference between an elk and a deer please let me know where you are hunting so i can hunt 200 miles away lol
and doc i always keep my hunting clothes in a bag with dirt and leaves best cover scent there is

My son asked me his first time hunting rabbits, "Where's the best place to shoot them?"

"Anywhere in the eye is OK," I said.

For rabbits I like hunting at night. Maybe 1/2 to 1 hour after sunset. I go out with a spotlight and start checking the treelines/brush around my property. Like most game, their eyes twinkle brightly in the artificial light and are easy to spot. Aim for the twinkley part.

Turkeys are tough birds. Always aim for the head. If you've never used your shotgun for turkey, test the pattern out first to know what your effective range is. Draw a rough shape of a turkey head & neck on a piece of paper (or buy paper turkey targets) and fire at it from several distances, 15yds, 25yds, 35yds, etc. You need to get 5-6 pellets in the head/neck area for a fatal shot. Your maximum range can vary greatly depending on the type of ammo you use, barrel length, type of choke, etc. I usually use #5 nickel-plated lead shot in my 10ga Winchester 1887. #4 or #5 in 3" 12ga or 20ga works well too. I wouldn't use anything smaller than #5 shot on turkey.

My best advice is to know your target AND WHAT IS BEYOND IT. Never take a shot at an animal uphill from you with a high-powered rifle, where that bullet will go sailing up into the air after it exists your target or if you miss. Be aware of your surroundings, know where the roads are, houses, and how far away they are, and don't fire in that direction.

Take care of the land you hunt on. Leave with EVERYTHING you took in with you, including spent shell casings, water bottles, etc. If a farmer was kind enough to let you hunt on his land it is customary to offer him part of your kill, if you were successful. If you see a piece of broken fence or a downed feeder fix it if you can, or at least let him know about it.