Online Hunting Tips

posted by admin on Jun 5

Hunting can provide opportunities for many types of injuries. Being prepared is your best defense against disabling injuries or even life-threatening accidents. Knowing some basic first aid and using common sense when in the wild can save both life and limb.

CPR

If you don’t know CPR, learn it.  Call your local hospital, EMS, or fire department to find out when and where you can attend a community CPR class.  You never know when you may need to perform CPR on a friend, family member, or even a stranger.  A few hours of your time could save a life someday.

Many CPR classes offer basic first aid classes as well.  Check with your local provider to see if this option is available before registering for a class.

Safety Rules during A Crisis

The first rule of safety during a crisis may sound selfish but it is important.  Take care of yourself first.  Check the scene of an accident for unsafe conditions.  Make the area safe for yourself and bystanders before beginning first aid.  The reasoning behind this rule is that if you become injured or incapacitated, you can’t help anyone else.  If you become injured,  rescue workers arriving on the scene will then have you as an added victim to care for.  Seconds make a difference in a crisis, but take a few beforehand to ensure that you will be able to provide the help that is needed.

Basic First Aid

Healthcare personnel are taught the ABC’s of first aid:  Airway,  Breathing, and Circulation.  Your first concern is whether the accident victim has a clear airway.  If the mouth or throat is blocked by blood, water, or objects, tend to this matter first. Next, see if the victim is breathing or is in danger of ceasing to breathe.  The brain and vital organs cannot last long without oxygen. Provide rescue breathing if necessary.

Then, check for a heart beat and any injuries that may be seeping blood.  Apply pressure to any areas that are bleeding with a clean cloth if possible.  Don’t be afraid to press hard!  If there are others present who are able to assist you, ask for their help in applying pressure to a wound.  If the bleeding is profuse and the wound in located on an arm or leg, you can use your belt or a section of rope to wrap around the limb and secure tightly to restrict blood flow to the injured area and slow the bleeding.  This is called a tourniquet.

Call for help!  After you have controlled breathing and provided an initial round of CPR, call for help and then continue CPR until rescue workers arrive.  Performing CPR can be exhausting.  If others are available to help, perform two-person CPR or trade off tasks frequently to prevent rescuer exhaustion.

If you or another hunter falls from a tree stand or other elevated area, do NOT move until you are sure there have been no spinal injuries.  Moving a person who has spinal injuries can cause shattered bone to cut through the spinal cord and result in paralysis.  Ask the fall victim to move their fingers and toes only.  If they are unable to, they have injured their spinal column and need special care in moving.  If they are breathing and not bleeding profusely, leave them in the position they are in and get help. 

If they are able to move fingers and toes, gently turn them over onto their back if they are not already positioned so.  Try to turn them as if they were a log; keep the head, legs and torso aligned and stiff as you roll them. This will prevent any compression on the spinal cord should the vertebra protecting the cord be compromised.

Some falls and spinal injuries that affect the neck area can result in a person not being able to breathe on their own.  If this happens, you must provide rescue breathing for them until help arrives.

Using firearm safety and common sense like avoiding aggressive animals can go a long way to prevent hunting accidents.  Educate yourself, hunt with others, and always tell someone where you will be hunting and when you will return.  Keeping safe in the woods is everyone’s responsibility. Be sure to do your part.

posted by admin on Jun 5

Every year, hundreds of hunting accidents occur across America; just ask Vice President Cheyney.  Many of these accidents could have been avoided by practicing a few basic gun safety techniques.

Know your weapon

If your weapon came with an owner’s manual, read it from cover to cover.  Practice taking apart your weapon and inspecting it thoroughly.  If you know what your weapon looks like normally, you will be quick to recognize any abnormalities of the weapon in the field.  If you drop your weapon or fall while carrying it, take it apart and inspect it for damage.  Make sure that the slide operates smoothly.  If you are in doubt about the integrity of your rifle, don’t fire it.

Educate yourself about the ammunition that you choose to use.  A .22 caliber bullet fired from a rifle can travel over two and a half miles.  This knowledge is necessary to line up a safe shot.

Transporting the weapon

Always keep your weapon unloaded until you are ready to fire.  If you are going to hike to a new location, unload  before starting out.  Store the rifle and ammunition separately and, if possible, keep the storage container locked.  Never carry a loaded rifle in your vehicle or on an ATV.

Sighting your prey

When sighting up your intended shot, there are many things to consider before pulling the trigger.   Never shoot at a partially obscured target.  Identify your prey fully before even raising your weapon to take a shot.  If you are in doubt about what is moving, control your excitement and wait until the target can be fully visualized.  Never hunt after dusk or before daybreak.

Know what is in front of and behind your target before shooting.  Do not shoot animals that appear on hilltops and near the tops of ridges as you cannot identify what may be behind your target. If your game is near water, rocks, or buildings, keep in mind that bullets can ricochet off hard surfaces.  Do not use the gun’s scope to sight your game. Use your binoculars first, and then if the shot is clear, switch to the scope.

Treat your weapon as if it is loaded at all times

Never look down the barrel of a weapon for any reason.  Keep your muzzle pointed away from yourself and others at all times.  Learn and use various safe carrying positions for transporting your rifle in the field.

Keep a clear head

Never go hunting or handle a weapon if you have had any alcohol or medication that may impair your judgment.  Even a sleeping pill the night before can affect your reflexes during the day.
Get plenty of rest the night before your trip and go home early if you find yourself becoming drowsy.

Sighting a big buck or a fat bird can be exciting.  It’s important to keep a level head at all times and not let your emotions cloud your judgment.  Don’t allow yourself to act without thinking through the action to determine if it’s safe first.

Wear your safety gear

Bring along hearing and eye protection and wear them before shooting.  Include safety orange in your choice of head gear and upper body clothing.  This helps other hunters in the area distinguish you from the prey.

posted by admin on Jun 5

The thrill of chasing down a twelve-point buck or bagging a prize-winning turkey sends millions of hunters into the woods every year in search of that prize kill. Hunting is exciting, but it can also be dangerous and even deadly if hunters are not educated and religiously exercise good hunting safety techniques.

The Basics

Before leaving on your hunting trip, prepare yourself well.  Never go to an unplanned location or take off on  a spontaneous hunting trip.  Let others know where you are planning to hunt and when you will be returning.  If necessary, leave detailed directions to your hunting grounds with friends or family that will be staying home in case an emergency arises and they need to direct medical personnel to your location.  Try to return home as close to your planned time as possible.  If you are late checking in, your contact person can then know to set out using your directions to see if you need assistance.

Take the time to prepare your weapon.  If using a rifle or shotgun, clean and inspect the weapon after every use and after any time the weapon has spent in storage.  Prepare a small first aid kit to carry with you while you are hunting.   Consider bringing your cell phone. You can always keep it turned off while you are hunting, and a phone can be the difference between life and death in a medical emergency.  Always be prepared to give detailed directions to your exact location as you move through the woods.

In The Woods

Once arriving at your chosen hunting spot, be sure to don your safety gear along with orange-colored clothing on your head and/or chest to help other hunters in the area determine you from the game.  While camouflaged gear is great to help you remain undetected by the animals, it can also confuse other hunters if they see movement from a distance without recognizing the orange color.  If you are hunting in a group, try to keep the location of those around you in your mind as you change positions to help avoid accidents.

If you are using a decoy such as a doe decoy, be sure to use orange safety tape around the perimeter of the area you will be in, to help other hunters recognize your decoy.  You can also observe the area from an elevated position to further protect yourself from any stray shots directed at your decoy.

During The Hunt
If you are hunting deer and find yourself tracking a wounded animal, always use extreme caution.  Other animals in the area may become panicked at the smell of one of their own running wounded near them.  An injured animal is very unpredictable and may likely be desperate to get away if it senses that you are pursuing.  Never approach a wounded animal head-on.  Never allow yourself to be corned between a solid object and a wounded animal.  Always have a way of escape in mind should the animal attack.  If attacked, try to protect your head and chest as much as possible to limit damage to your vital organs and increase your chance of survival.

It is also important to be aware of and on the lookout for other animals like bears and snakes that may be encountered while hunting.  Being aware of your surroundings is an important step in staying safe while hunting.  Use some caution and common sense to ensure many more years of happy hunting yet to come.

posted by admin on Jun 5

Hunting has survived the modernization of civilization. In fact, it has flourished into one of the most popular pastimes and hobbies in the world. Unfortunately, one of the world’s favourite past times can also be one of its most dangerous. Every hunter should know some basic things before heading out into the fields.

The most important aspect of hunting concerns how to walk and carry a gun. It is important to make sure that the muzzle always points away from the hunter and any companions. There are many ways to do this. One option is the side carry, which is effectively carrying the gun with one hand and tucking the stock between the elbow and the body. It is not recommended to use the side carry when the hunter is walking through dense brush or with other companions walking in front, however.

Another option is the ready carry. With the ready carry, the gun is held with two hands and the muzzle is pointed upwards and towards the front of the hunter. The trigger finger should be rested on the proper guard.

The sling carry involves both hands of the hunter being free. A sling is used to carry the gun over the hunter’s shoulder, giving clear range for the hunter to move however he or she wants.

Others prefer the shoulder carry method of carrying a gun. Using this technique involves the muzzle of the gun resting skyward. It is probably not a good idea to use this technique of carrying a gun with companions behind.

Finally, the trail carry involves the gun held at a point between the action and the trigger. If someone is walking ahead of the hunter, it is not a good idea to use the trail carry because the muzzle is pointing down but forward.

Once the hunter has established a safe and comfortable way to carry his or her weapon, it is very important to plan next what to do when encountering the game. Before encountering the target, all hunters should establish a “zone of fire” where each will shoot and track when game appears. It is very important that one hunter never encroach on another’s zone.

When hunting from a boat, there are general safety precautions that should be considered. First, make sure the weapon to be used by the hunter who will be sitting in the bow of the boat is unloaded. His or her gun must be placed facing the bow. The next hunter places his or her unloaded gun in the stern with its muzzle pointing to the rear.  Hunters should always remember to anchor the boat before shooting and to fire in opposite directions.

To keep their skills sharp, hunters often practise on ranges. These controlled shooting areas also have a set of commands geared for the safe enjoyment of all the participants. If a hunter says, “the range is hot”, for example, it means that the range is open for shooting and that there are no live objects, such as people, on the range. If a hunter says, “cease fire”, it means to stop all firing immediately. Another command on the firing range is “ready”. This is the last precaution taken by shooters before the “range is hot” command. Each shooter repeats the phrase “ready” from right to left to ensure the firing line is clear and safe.