If you are striving to be an elk hunter, you will need to put in a lot of study and practice hours. Elk are herd animals and they can be found in the Rocky Mountains and hilly areas of North America and Europe. Another herd animal that frequents these areas is deer. It is quite common to mistake elk for deer, so be sure to watch closely. You don’t want to be shooting a deer when you only have tags for elk.
The reason elks are hunted is because they have some very tasty meat. The velvet from their antlers is also valuable. Of course, there are also people who hunt just for the fun of it. To become an experienced hunter, you need to know everything about the particular animal you are hunting. This includes behavior, feeding grounds, and appearance. Experienced hunters also know that hunting alone is not a good idea.
It is advised by http://outdooradventuresguide.com/ that you are accompanied by a quality elk hunting guide or at least a buddy. Never hunt alone. Since elk hunting requires a ton of effort and patience, you need to be well prepared. Make sure you bring plenty of water since you don’t know how long you could be out there stalking that trophy elk you see in the distance. Camouflage clothing is also advised since, of course, you do not want to be seen by your prey. Some sturdy boots and a camo cap is also a good idea. However, the one big mistake that a lot of newbie hunters make is they forget to mask their scent.
Elk have a strong sense of smell, so a good scent eliminator is a very good idea. Hunters have the choice of using a bow and arrow or a rifle for hunting elk. Muzzle-loaders offer accurate placement of shots and are generally regarded as the weapon of choice. However, I have seen a really nice elk that was shot down with a bow and arrow, so that method is definitely doable for the experienced hunter.
Of course, you also need to be a good shot if you hope to bring home your trophy. I would advise practicing before you hit the hunting grounds. Experts are able to nail a neck shot which instantly kills the animal and doesn’t damage any valuable meat. This is what you should strive to achieve. Other good places to aim for are the chest and shoulders. Try to avoid head shots, because it is too small and even an expert marksmen has a chance of missing. Also, never shoot at the elk when it is moving. Hunting is about patience. If you get hasty, you have a chance of glancing the elk and letting it escape.
Once you have nailed your trophy, it is time to retrieve your kill. It is advised that you keep your distance for a few hours and follow the blood trail. This gives the animal plenty of time to die. Happy hunting!
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So to help everyone out there that might not have killed and cleaned a squirrel I found this video below. The gentleman in the video is quite entertaining and has one of the fastest and best ways of cleaning squirrels that I have seen. So grab your best hunting knives play this video, and start cleaning those squirrels like a professional!
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This is a great idea. I would have never thought of making a fish hook out of a soda can pull tab.
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I know there are a lot of people out there that have no idea of how to field dress an animal. It is too easy these days to just go to the grocery store and buy our meat already processed. We let someone else do our dirty work for us, but what if you find yourself in a situation where the grocery store wasn’t open any more. Like during a natural disaster (Katrina), economic collapse, or just being lost out in the woods. Would you know what to do?
Rabbits are a great readily available source of meat during emergency situations. Even in the suburbs of large cities like Chicago small animals like ducks, geese, rabbits, and squirrels are everywhere. Granted if times get tough everyone and their brother are going to be hunting these critters, but a couple of these critters might just be enough extra food to help get you through your situation.
The video below will take you through the steps of properly field dressing a rabbit. Whenever you field dress any type of animal make sure you wash the meat thoroughly with clean water and cook the meat thoroughly.
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