Sporting Shooter

Hunting Tips And Tricks

General tips

1. If walking in flat to rolling terrain, before you start, work out the prevailing wind direction and plan your hunt walking into it, taking in likely spots for game on the way.2. In hills in sunny weather, the prevailing wind will eddy around ridges and gullies, meaning you must change direction often. When you suddenly feel the wind on the back3. In less windy weather, air currents will rise up hills in the morning and start to descend in the cool of the afternoon.4. Walk slowly and pause every 50 metres or less to observe, glass and check the wind.5. Hide vehicles in shade under trees or in dips, so animals don’t spook.6. If you spot game and they haven’t seen you, stop dead still and wait a few seconds, then slowly crouch and evaluate.7. Wear mitts to conceal pale, moving hands and don’t wave hands around.8. Light rain is really good to do close-in stalks has the rain conceals your footfall and softens brittle leaves and twigs.9. Still hunting and glassing can be a very effective, particularly from a high position at dawn.9a. Following from 9, while it is dark, cold air will be pushing downhill, so climb up to a spot to get above game into the wind. Once on top, wait for sunrise, glassing and the air will change towards you at most places on the tops, facilitating a stalk down onto game.10. Do not silhouette yourself by walking ridgetops - select one side and contour around just below the ridgetop.11. Riflescope and binocular lenses produce shine. If you look towards the sun, animals will pick up sparkly reflections, so it pays to shade the objective lenses with your gloved hands.12. Although dawn and dusk are known as the magic hours, many good animals are shot in full daylight, so persist and go gently all day.13. Animals will stay out longer after a frosty night or after rain. Hunt sunny spots in the morning.14. If you are drawing a blank, think food, water and shelter and let that guide your approach.15. If your sling swivels squeak or rattle, tape them up with electrician’s tape.16. In rain, close your bolt on an empty chamber and carry muzzle down. Put some glad wrap over your scope ocular and rubber band secure it Electrician’s tape over the muzzle keeps water and crap out of the bore.17. Never close a de-cocked bolt on a live round, as the firing pin is in hard contact with the primer. Carry it bolt closed on an empty chamber or bolt open until in the final stages of your stalk.

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