How to Legally Hunt Deer
Deer season officially opens in most areas during the first three to six weeks of October. This is the only time in which it is considered to legal to hunt deer and failure to adhere to your state specified time period will result in a citation, which often results in a heavy fine. In certain areas where deer are over populated, deer season may sometimes be opened earlier or later depending on your state laws.
However, it is important to know that even during deer season, you must be licensed in order to hunt deer or you will still face a citation if you are caught. In order to obtain a deer-hunting license, you will have to visit your local Department of Wildlife office and request a permit which you will be issued upon verification of your identity.
After you pay for your deer-hunting license, you will either be given an area where you can hunt, or the ability to choose your hunting area. This is dependent on your state hunting bylaws. Typically, in most states, you are allowed only one deer per season but, depending on the local deer population, you may be allowed to hunt several.
Lawn Mowing around deer stands can clear a shooting path.
The rules in each state differ for the exercise you must take after you kill a deer. In some states, each time you successfully shoot and kill a deer, you must take your game to the Department of Wildlife or a local ranger station who will verify that the deer was killed legally and that you were properly licensed. In other states, you simply tag the deer with a state-issued deer tag. As long you follow your rules and regulations, you will never experience legal difficulties during deer hunting season.
Choosing The Right Hunting Boots
When you're hunting deep in the woods, a good pair of boots is the only real protection your feet are going to have. If you make the mistake of wearing low-quality boots, chances are you'll feel it in your feet. They may wear fine at first, but as you hike farther out, you may experience pain and discomfort, which is something no hunter wants. The bottom line is that you have to take the time to choose a pair of boots that are right for hunting. Only then can you rest assured knowing your feet will be safe and comfortable during those long hikes to and from your hunting blind.
Light or Heavy?
Some hunters automatically go with heavy boots simply for the extra layer of protection and warmth they give. While these are usually a good choice for the cold winter months, lighter boots may work better in warmer conditions. The fact is that light boots can work just as well as heavy ones, but they don't weight you down as much. Without placing all that unnecessary weight on your feet, you can move around more freely. Just beware of not only the time of year when you're hunting, but also the weather conditions. As you may already know, mother nature can throw a curve ball your wall at any time, so always be on the lookout for changing weather.
Insulation
Whether you decide to go with light or heavy boots, they need to be insulated to keep your feet warm. A good pair of hunting boots should have thermal lining inside of them designed to trap the heat produced by your body; therefore, keeping your feet warm. This is extremely important when you're out hunting in weather that's near or even below freezing, as you don't want to experience frostbite. Just make sure you tie the laces tight to help lock in the heat and prevent it from escaping.
Rubber Sole
Studies have shown rubber is the best material for walking around without leaving much of a scent behind. There's no foil-proof way to cover all of your scent, but wearing a high-quality pair of boots with rubber soles will certainly help. The rubber acts as a barrier and makes it difficult for your scent to rub off on the ground. The key to choosing a pair of hunting boots is to look for a pair with a thick rubber sole, as these will help block your scent.
When you're hunting deep in the woods, a good pair of boots is the only real protection your feet are going to have. If you make the mistake of wearing low-quality boots, chances are you'll feel it in your feet. They may wear fine at first, but as you hike farther out, you may experience pain and discomfort, which is something no hunter wants. The bottom line is that you have to take the time to choose a pair of boots that are right for hunting. Only then can you rest assured knowing your feet will be safe and comfortable during those long hikes to and from your hunting blind.
Light or Heavy?
Some hunters automatically go with heavy boots simply for the extra layer of protection and warmth they give. While these are usually a good choice for the cold winter months, lighter boots may work better in warmer conditions. The fact is that light boots can work just as well as heavy ones, but they don't weight you down as much. Without placing all that unnecessary weight on your feet, you can move around more freely. Just beware of not only the time of year when you're hunting, but also the weather conditions. As you may already know, mother nature can throw a curve ball your wall at any time, so always be on the lookout for changing weather.
Insulation
Whether you decide to go with light or heavy boots, they need to be insulated to keep your feet warm. A good pair of hunting boots should have thermal lining inside of them designed to trap the heat produced by your body; therefore, keeping your feet warm. This is extremely important when you're out hunting in weather that's near or even below freezing, as you don't want to experience frostbite. Just make sure you tie the laces tight to help lock in the heat and prevent it from escaping.
Rubber Sole
Studies have shown rubber is the best material for walking around without leaving much of a scent behind. There's no foil-proof way to cover all of your scent, but wearing a high-quality pair of boots with rubber soles will certainly help. The rubber acts as a barrier and makes it difficult for your scent to rub off on the ground. The key to choosing a pair of hunting boots is to look for a pair with a thick rubber sole, as these will help block your scent.
Make that Shot
What are those? asked another shooter at the range. Targets I replied, not looking up. I was in a (more or less) classic sitting position, peering through my scope. They don’t look like targets. They look like squirrels. He probably wasn’t a squirrel hunter, but at least he wasn’t completely blind. They WERE squirrels. At least they were squirrel-size and shaped; hand painted with spray paint onto the back of Christmas wrapping paper. My new shooting buddy was sitting at a concrete shooting bench, with a match grade .22 rifle, locked into a gun vise. It had a scope as big as my left forearm.
I can hit a half-dollar at 200 yards with this, he proudly announced. My rifles are sighted in at 75 yards. In a sitting position, or with a shooting stick while standing, I can put 6 of 10 shots into a painted squirrel at 100 yards with iron sights. I didn’t tell him that. In fact, I also didn’t tell that even if I could shoot a squirrel at 200 yards, Id never be able to find it later.
So I said the obligatory and continued with my practice. Let me back up a little Every year, in January, stores sell off Christmas wrapping paper for cheap. I buy a lot. It has lines on the back which help you cut it to the appropriate size; it is shiny on the front so spray paint doesn’t leak through from the back; and even though it’s rolled up when you buy it, it lays flat when you want to paint it.
And, oh yeah, did I mention that it was cheap? I spray paint all of my targets. I have full-size silhouettes for pistol practice, and squirrel-size and shaped targets for rifle practice. I use templates which I have cut out of heavy cardboard, and spray paint from the dollar store. For the squirrels, I sometimes use gray paint. Gray is hard to pick up through the scope on my 10/22, and even more difficult when I’m using the iron sights on my Henry lever action .22, but it simulates the sight picture I’ll get in the woods. The whole purpose of practice is to increase skill. Train like you fight like you train; that sort of thing. There are no round black spots with scoring numbers in the woods.
There are gray squirrels on oak trees. They are hard to spot and harder to hit. I want to be ready. And there are no shooting benches with bench vises out there either. So I use the sitting position or standing with either a shooting stick or a small tree for support. (No, there are no trees on our range. I use a 4 inch garden post screwed securely to a base to simulate it.)In fact, there is no 75 yard line on the range either. There is 25 yards, 100 yards, and 200 yards. No problem.
I go on a day when the range is empty, and sit on the grass, even with the 25 yard line, shooting at the 100 yard line. 75 yards. I keep my rifles sighted in at 75 yards. Since I can’t accurately gauge the distance of a shot, I use the short/medium/long range method. A short shot would be anything from 25 to 50 yards. The point of impact will be about 1¾ to 1½ of an inch high at that range. I hold accordingly.
A medium shot would be from about 50 yards to 75 yards. The point of impact will be nearly the point of aim. A long shot would be 75 yards to 100 yards. The point of impact will be about 1 to 2 inches low. I hold up a little. Any shot over 100 yards is for someone else to take. So you want to be a squirrel hunter? You want to make that shot? You’ll have to practice. Simulate the sight picture using squirrel shaped targets. And use a shooting position which you might use in the woods. Finally, zero your rifle in appropriately, so that you’ll know where to hold when the time comes. With practice, you can make that shot.
Deer Scent when does deer season start
What are those? asked another shooter at the range. Targets I replied, not looking up. I was in a (more or less) classic sitting position, peering through my scope. They don’t look like targets. They look like squirrels. He probably wasn’t a squirrel hunter, but at least he wasn’t completely blind. They WERE squirrels. At least they were squirrel-size and shaped; hand painted with spray paint onto the back of Christmas wrapping paper. My new shooting buddy was sitting at a concrete shooting bench, with a match grade .22 rifle, locked into a gun vise. It had a scope as big as my left forearm.
I can hit a half-dollar at 200 yards with this, he proudly announced. My rifles are sighted in at 75 yards. In a sitting position, or with a shooting stick while standing, I can put 6 of 10 shots into a painted squirrel at 100 yards with iron sights. I didn’t tell him that. In fact, I also didn’t tell that even if I could shoot a squirrel at 200 yards, Id never be able to find it later.
So I said the obligatory and continued with my practice. Let me back up a little Every year, in January, stores sell off Christmas wrapping paper for cheap. I buy a lot. It has lines on the back which help you cut it to the appropriate size; it is shiny on the front so spray paint doesn’t leak through from the back; and even though it’s rolled up when you buy it, it lays flat when you want to paint it.
And, oh yeah, did I mention that it was cheap? I spray paint all of my targets. I have full-size silhouettes for pistol practice, and squirrel-size and shaped targets for rifle practice. I use templates which I have cut out of heavy cardboard, and spray paint from the dollar store. For the squirrels, I sometimes use gray paint. Gray is hard to pick up through the scope on my 10/22, and even more difficult when I’m using the iron sights on my Henry lever action .22, but it simulates the sight picture I’ll get in the woods. The whole purpose of practice is to increase skill. Train like you fight like you train; that sort of thing. There are no round black spots with scoring numbers in the woods.
There are gray squirrels on oak trees. They are hard to spot and harder to hit. I want to be ready. And there are no shooting benches with bench vises out there either. So I use the sitting position or standing with either a shooting stick or a small tree for support. (No, there are no trees on our range. I use a 4 inch garden post screwed securely to a base to simulate it.)In fact, there is no 75 yard line on the range either. There is 25 yards, 100 yards, and 200 yards. No problem.
I go on a day when the range is empty, and sit on the grass, even with the 25 yard line, shooting at the 100 yard line. 75 yards. I keep my rifles sighted in at 75 yards. Since I can’t accurately gauge the distance of a shot, I use the short/medium/long range method. A short shot would be anything from 25 to 50 yards. The point of impact will be about 1¾ to 1½ of an inch high at that range. I hold accordingly.
A medium shot would be from about 50 yards to 75 yards. The point of impact will be nearly the point of aim. A long shot would be 75 yards to 100 yards. The point of impact will be about 1 to 2 inches low. I hold up a little. Any shot over 100 yards is for someone else to take. So you want to be a squirrel hunter? You want to make that shot? You’ll have to practice. Simulate the sight picture using squirrel shaped targets. And use a shooting position which you might use in the woods. Finally, zero your rifle in appropriately, so that you’ll know where to hold when the time comes. With practice, you can make that shot.
Deer Scent when does deer season start