Turn your pooch into a hunting dog

You don’t need a dog breed that knows how to retrieve well just to get the best canine companion when you hunt. Even your simple family pet can be turned into an excellent hunting dog just in time for the season. The solution is simple. Give your dog proper training prior to the hunting opportunity.

More often than not, these hunting dog trainings start with the basic obedience exercises since this is the key to have an efficient hunting dog eventually.

By the time your dog passed the obedience training, then the training at the field starts. Usually, they start with birds or small game animals. The location may be different from one hunting dog training school to another but the exercises are basically the same.

This would work best if you would start teaching puppies rather than old dogs. The saying that “old dogs can’t learn new tricks” is actually true. Moreover, puppies are fast learners compared to the old canines.

Deer, your body language says it all

Oh great! You finally shot a deer after a long day of waiting. But with the distance that is between you and your prey, how would you actually keep track of the deer and get its body afterwards? Simple, just read between the lines. In this case, read the body language of the animal.

Analyze if the deer already pants for breath after a clear shot. This means that you hit a sensitive organ like the lungs. If this is the case then your prey could no longer run far. Better let your trusty dog do his job and start following him to avoid losing the deer.

When the deer humps upon your bullet or bow hits, then you probably targeted the guts. With this, you should wait at least 4 hours or so before you start tracking the blood trails of the deer.

If you aimed for the heart, don’t expect that the deer would drop dead easily. Surprisingly, unless you have hit the right spot, the deer would be still back on its feet in a matter of minutes.

The trick in tracking the deer is to use paper or a tissue on the pinkish blood to check if it is still fresh. In that way, you will know where is the animal has gone.

Taking proper care of your hunter dog

Whether you have Labrador Retriever or a simple pooch as your hunter dog, it is important that you pay attention to the health of your canine hunting companion just like the way you maintain your bow or your rifle.

Always keep your dog’s health in shape. Like humans, they too feel the excruciating pain when walking with an njured leg. Other than their sense of smell, the dog’s legs are vital in hunting so that they could be an efficient animal companion.

The dog’s eye is susceptible to foreign materials especially during the game. If you think your dog’s eye is irritated, simply open the lid and flush it using a saline. Use cotton to doff the irritant.

Dogs too can experience heat stress. Check from time to time if your dog is panting too much or shows signs of exhaustion. Keep your pet cool by giving him enough water and let the animal rest for a few minutes or so.

Sharpening your hunter knife while hunting

It is inevitable that your knife will become dull during the whole course of your hunting trip. Of course, being in the wild, you should know how to sharpen the edges of your survival knife in order to make use of it effectively. Surely, you would not bring an electric knife sharpener with you.

Sharpening your knife is really easy. The only thing that you need is a smooth stone where you would rub the edge of the blade. But if you think that it is unlikely that you would find a smooth stone along the way, then simply include a sharpening stone along with your hunting and survival kit.

The blade does not really have to be as sharp as a shark’s teeth. As long as it can last for a day’s activity then your sharpening technique can do the trick.

Golden rules when using a hunting knife

You need different tools when hunting because your knife cannot actually various tasks while you are lost in the wild. If you want to make your hunting knife last longer, then experts suggest that you follow these simple yet golden rules.

- Knives should be not used as a lever

- Always maintain a sharp knife. Sharpen it after each use.

- See to it that you put your knife back at its sheath if you are not using it.

- Fit a cord to the knife’s lanyard hole to prevent losing it.

- Do not use your knife as a skewer. Never heat the knife unless you want to weaken the blades.

- In case blood, salt, or any material touched your knife, immediately wash it to prevent your knife from being dull.

With these hunting knife maintenance tips, you can rest assure that you will be using your trusty blade for more hunting seasons to come.

Hunting in Arizona

Rocky mountains and picturesque views are just some of the reasons why tourists go to Arizona. But for some people, there’s more to the state than picture taking, brown-orange sceneries, and top pick destinations. They also go there to hunt for different kinds of animals as well.

Game birds fanatics will surely love to bere here in Arizona especially during the hunting season. There are more than 5 different bird species that you can hunt including the grouse, duck, goose, merriam turkey, and pheasant.

But things can be even more exciting if you would go for small or big game animals instead. Prepare your bow or your rifle to hit on mule and whitetail deer, coyote, elk, bighorn sheep, bobcat, buffalo, and black bear.

There are so many hunting enthusiasts and amateur hunters visiting Arizona during the hunting season. If this is your first time to visit the state for the same purpose, make sure that you look for a great outfitter or a guide to make the experience worthwhile.

Things to consider when buying a hunting knife

When hunting, rifles and bows are not the only essential weapons that you must bring. Since you will be out in the wild, it is als vital that you bring a hunting knife or a survival blade at the same time. But an ordinary kitchen knife will not last especially if you need an all around spear while you are somewhere away from home. When shopping for a hunting knife, here are the things that you must take into consideration.

First of all, decide which material you want in your hunting knife. Choose between a stainless steel survival knife or a hunting knife made from carbon steel.

The handle is the next most important thing when looking for a dependable knife. It must have a comfortable grip and should not let your hands slide at the blade.

You may also consider getting a knife with metal handle. However, this is not advisable if you will be hunting in areas with low temperature. It has the tendency to freeze and it will be very difficult for you to make use of it.

Your dog must have a first-aid kit as well

Your dog will be one of the best companions that you could have during the whole course of your hunting session. If you think that you should bring along with you a set of first aid kit for you just in case an accident happen, you must also bring along a first aid kit for your canine pal as well. Here are a list of things that you should bring with you so you can treat your dog just in case anything happens while you are hunting.

  • Dispenser and Saline
  • Roll of gauze and adhesive tapes
  • Cotton balls and cotton swabs
  • Betadine ointment
  • Rectal Thermometer
  • antibiotic ointment

If you are not sure what to bring, ask your veterinarian instead.

More Tips when Stand Hunting

If you are trying to stand hunt in search of deer, moose, bear, or even bird, here are some more useful tips that could help you have a successful hunting during the hunting season.

  1. Other than wearing clothes that would help you blend with the environment, you must also camouflage your face at the same time.
  2. Stay in areas where there are dark shades or in place where you can be silhouetted.
  3. Before you start hunting, make sure that you prepare the shooting lane so it will be clear by the time you start your stand hunting.
  4. You must also clear the ground. Take the leaves and the twigs so you would avoid making unnecessary noise when hunting.
  5. As much as possible, stay on your stand for at least a day.
  6. If it is inevitable to stay on your stand for the whole day, don’t let the deer know your movement pattern.
  7. Do not stay in an elevated stand hunt unless you wear a full body safety harness that could carry your weight.

Hunting in Alaska

Alaska is not just known for its white-capped mountains, Eskimos, or freezing-cold temperature. The state is also popular because of the different wild animals that one can hunt whether it is or it is not a hunting season. This is considered as the hunting haven or hunting paradise of the enthusiasts since they are not limited in few species alone. Hardcore hunters usually go here in Alaska not only to get the best hunting experience but also to mingle with fellow hunters coming from different places around the globe.

When it comes to big game animals, Alaska is probably the state where these species flourish. Below are some of the big animals that you can hunt in Alaska.

  • · G rizzly and Mule Bear
  • · Whitetail and Black tail deer
  • · Black and Brown bear
  • · Mountain Goat
  • · Elk
  • · Caribou
  • · Buffalo

Meanwhile, if you are only looking for small animals to hunt, your choices include:

  • · Wolverine
  • · Lynx
  • · Coyote
  • · Fox
  • · Wolf

Now that choice is yours. Just make sure that before you head to Alaska, you are equipped properly to enjoy what the state has to offer for hunters like you.