PRACTICE RIFLE SHOOTING

         I was out shooting my rifle, in anticipation of the upcoming deer season, the other day and realized just how enjoyable time spent at the range can be. This is something I have always had a hard time getting my mind around; Why hunters are reluctant or find it a drudgery to spend time shooting their hunting rifle.

(one type of deer rifle in 30-06 cal. that is a pleasure to shoot)

  Certainly, in today’s economy, the price of ammunition has risen sharply. Even if you reload, you have felt the crunch of the dollar at the bench. But I think many riflemen have found the secret that bow hunters have known for a long time. That is, it is better to shoot a few arrows each day than try shooting dozens of arrows all at one time. So it is with rifle shooting. I know that for many this means extra work, and travel to and from the range, but it is better to shoot a few shots more often than try to shoot a box or two of shells all at once. As one TV outdoor show host ends his segment with the admonition “… shoot more often!” This is excellent advice for each of us.
I believe this was brought home to me at a very early age. I grew up in the home of a gunsmith, who was also the son of a gunsmith. There was always a flurry of activity, just before deer hunting season opened, where many of the local hunters would bring their firearms to my father and want them sighted in for the upcoming season. During a particularly active year you would often hear Dad say something like, “I really don’t know why all these guys don’t shoot their own rifles! That is part of the fun of getting ready for season.” But he would pack up three or four of the rifles and we would head for the shooting range.
Once we reached the shooting range, which was a large gravel pit on our neighbors farm, where my Dad was the only one with permission to shoot and thus build a shooting bench on the property, he would set me up with one of the rifles and say, “Get that one on paper and then I’ll be over to fine tune it.” I got introduced to some very fine rifles and scopes during my teen years. Rugers, Remingtons, Winchesters, Savages, and custom made rifles, all kinds came through his shop and most were of that pre-64 vintage. I often wondered what the customer would say if he knew that, at least partially, a young teenager sighted in their expensive rifle.
Out of that I learned to enjoy the time spent at the shooting bench. There is a sense of purpose but also a sense of otherworldliness. In a reverse type of way, you are connecting with something that is 50, 100 or 200 yards distance. Shooting sports have always held a certain mystique for some. The ability to control the projectile that connects with a distant object or target has a certain headiness to it. To date, I believe my longest shot has been just over 800 yards at a two quart milk jug. I hit it, slightly off-center, on my fourth shot shooting a customized bench gun. Obviously, I would never condone the shooting at game at such distance, it is strictly for the target experience.
Even though deer season has already started here in my part of the state, I will be heading back to the shooting range during season just to check on scope alignment and my own form from time to time. Besides it is so much fun!

TEN THINGS NOT TO DO WHILE ON DEER STAND

Many claim they have been on stand all day and not seen a thing and yet they know that there are deer in the area. Remember that deer have far superior hearing and eyesight than either you or me. Especially me! I have the average eyesight of a guy closing in on sixty years of age, in other words, not as good as it once was. My hearing, however, is even worse. I have about 50 % hearing of what any average person has. I therefore find that I do not hear deer until they are almost on top of me. I therefore have to be especially careful on stand. Here are a few tips I have learned over time and by trial and error.
1. Don’t fidget! Even the slightest movement can alert deer if they are in the area. Constantly moving your hand or boots is a sure way to warn deer off your location.
2. Don’t fall asleep! This should be obvious but I often find myself in danger of this. If you snore, you obviously don’t want to be caught sleeping.
3. Don’t rattle candy wrappers! If you absolutely need candy while on stand, take it out of the crinkling wrapper before you head into the woods. You will be surprised how far this strange sound travels.
4. Don’t sit in an uncomfortable stand! If you aren’t comfortable on stand you won’t sit still. Make sure you can sit relatively comfortably for long periods in your stand.
5. Don’t get so involved in your book that you forget to look up once in awhile! If you must read, take a book that is less exciting than your favorite spellbinder.
6. Don’t forget to turn off your radio, cell phone or any other electronic device! These modern conveniences often have the annoying habit of going off just at the wrong time.
7. Don’t drink excessive amounts of coffee, tea or caffeine laced soda! This is only going to create bathroom calls. This will translate to excess motion.
8. Don’t eat supper in stand! If you really must have a snack, make it a quiet, non-aromatic food that will satisfy the urge and yet won’t alert the deer to your presence. Again, package it in soft wrappers.
9. Don’t clink and clunk around while on stand! Avoid letting your binoculars bounce against your gunstock and any other type of unnatural noise occurring. Metal on metal, plastic on metal, etc. are all going to tell deer that something just isn’t quite right.
10. Don’t forget to shower before going on stand! Use scent free soap and try to wear fresh scent free clothing. Forget the aftershave and cologne, although I had one hunting friend that insisted it was his aftershave that attracted so many deer.
Noise and scent are the two biggest enemies of the deer hunter. You must take precautions to deal with each of these. You can not totally eliminate them, but you can minimize them. Even a carbon suit is not going to eliminate all odors. Just because you think you are real quiet, don’t believe you are fooling the game. While coyote hunting we find that these animals can hear a mouse squeak at a couple hundred yards. That is far superior to our hearing. Cut down on the visual, audio and scent you bring into your hunting area and you should see dramatic effects.

EARLY BLACK POWDER SEASON ENDS

Here in the Northeastern part of New York, the early black powder deer hunting season ended with some mixed reviews. Many reported they were not seeing all that many deer, while others saw quite a few. I saw groups of 4 to 7 while hunting. This year, especially, I think you must find the right food source. We have had such a growing year that there is food anywhere deer want to look. The wild apple trees have been loaded with fruit and the fields remain green. In our immediate area we don’t have a lot of oak trees but we do have some beech trees.
Even though there is an abundance of food, deer will still have their favorite spots to browse. Whether it is because the food tastes better at that spot or because it is just an easier or safer place for the deer to access, there always seems to be some magnet that attracts them. Find that area and you should have greater success.
As I have already posted, my daughter got the first deer of her life on Monday of the muzzleloader season. I think I have another hunting partner. During the early seasons, although I won’t pass up shooting a buck, I am usually looking to fill my tag for the freezer. The rest of the time I can concentrate on filling out buck tags. Like many hunters today, I often end up hunting in at least two different states and many different areas. We have generous hunting seasons, with over two months of deer hunting by the time we get done with bow, muzzleloader and rifle season.
Thursday afternoon of the black powder season, I used my antlerless tag on a large doe. I then processed that for the freezer and am now looking to get back out for rifle season. Unfortunately the weather has turned against us and is so warm the past two days that deer are just not moving. I haven’t been out. I had been planning on changing scopes on my 30-06 and finally did so this year. I have a 3-9x50mm variable on the rifle and it is shooting well. We will see how it performs in the field.
One catastrophe during the black powder season was the dropping of my digital camera and ruining it. It slipped out of my jacket and landed hard on the sidewalk in front of our home. Can't even claim it fell from the tree stand! So before this season gets too old, I guess I will need to look for another point-n-shoot digital to carry. At least it wasn’t my most expensive outfit!

RAMONA TAKES HER FIRST DEER

The muzzleloader season for whitetail deer started this past Saturday. My daughter now lives in New Hampshire and has been putting much of her energy into raising a family over the past few years. It has been about six years since she has been able to hunt deer with me. This year she decided she was able to get back into hunting.

(A successful season with a first deer for Ramona)

We woke on Saturday morning to rainy weather and some windy conditions. We decided that getting soaked wasn’t the best way to start out the hunting season. So we waited until the afternoon to sit on stand the first day. We saw no deer, although there were squirrels plenty and I even heard a couple of turkeys and many Canada geese in flight overhead. We ended the day without a sighting.
We were out again on Monday, October 18th, fairly early in the morning. I put Ramona on stand and I circled around the property in hopes of quietly driving any deer toward her stand. She did not see any deer, although I did sight four deer. The first three were definitely does but the third looked very much like a small buck following them. No shots taken at that time.
We went in for lunch and to see my son, her brother, off. He was on his way back down to Pennsylvania. He had gone out with us on Saturday and did some photography while we hunted. Following his departure, we headed to another location for the afternoon hunt. My friend, Gary Bombard Jr., had a ground blind that we set up and waited for the afternoon feeding to start.

(big smile for a successful hunt)

Ramona and I sat in the same blind for the afternoon. About 5:30 p.m. we saw a small deer about 100 yards out in front of us. Another, this years fawn, came out and the first one started bullying the small one around. It charged the little one and struck out at it with it’s front hoof. The small fawn ran away. Suddenly a large doe appeared. Ramona waited for a good shot and when the smoke cleared, she had harvested her first whitetail deer. Following the shot, we watched as five more deer rushed off. Ramona has hunted with me a total of 6 years before this, without taking a shot at deer. Her first shot was a good shot and she tagged a large, mature doe.
The greatest part of this is being able to be side by side with my daughter at such a moment as this. She loves the outdoors! It was exciting to see her excitement and pride at being successful during the hunt. Not only did it provide the excitement of the hunt, but this was a heavy doe that will provide her family with many meals in the months to come. I trust there will be many more hunts in the years ahead.  

TEN ESSENTIALS TO CARRY HUNTING

     Many of us only hunt close to home. We often do not give much thought to getting turned around and lost or having to spend an unexpected night outdoors. We go out, hunt and then turn around to head home for the night, usually before supper.
     There is something to be said, however, in carrying a form of a survival or bug out kit while going afield anytime. I have a number of friends who would not even think about going a half mile from home without their bug out bag. So the question is; what should be included in that bag?
    Here are ten essential items that you might want to carry:
1. A compass and a map. Know how to use them both. A GPS is fine, but you are literally betting your life on technology. I am more confident in a good compass and topographic map.
2. A knife. Pick a strong one, preferably a fixed blade with a good sheath.

(a sample of some good knives)

3. A whistle and one other signal device. A whistle is not a normal sound in the wilds. Also carry a mirror or some other type signal device.
4. Carry two forms of fire starter. This is up to you. But a word of advice. Two different cigarette lighters only counts as one form of fire starter. Try a lighter and some kind of steel striker.
5. A small flashlight. Carry extra batteries and a spare bulb.
6. A small first aid kit. Put it together yourself. The ones you might buy may not have the items necessary to your situation.
7. Sunscreen/lip balm/ insect repellent. This is self-explanatory.
8. Extra clothing to match the conditions you might face.
9. Extra food. Carry at least one days worth of food.
10. Sunglasses - winter or summer. Snow blindness is just as dangerous as overexposure during summer months.

(These cool shades should certainly do the job)

     So next time you plan on only hunting the "back forty" maybe you should consider carrying a bugout pack just in case. A bag of survival items does not weigh all that much, but it can be worth it's weight in gold if something is needed on one of your outings.

HUNTER SAFETY CONCERNS

        The hunting seasons are fast upon us for another year. We are approaching the time when we see many more sportsmen and women afield than during the rest of the year. The issue that should be foremost in all of our minds is that of safety when going into the outdoors. I believe this issue can be broken down into three areas; preparedness, visibility and state of mind.

(Successful hunt because of preparations made)

        Preparedness is that aspect of how knowledgeable and how fit you are to go into the woods in the first place. This is both cognitive and physical in nature. Cognitive or knowledge of what is stored in your mind and can be retrieved as needed. There is no one thing here, but it may include knowing the game laws so you don’t do anything questionable while afield. It may be knowing proper gun handling and hunting etiquette so that you do not endanger another or yourself.
A good example of this is in turkey hunting. Are you aware that since we hunt completely in camo that when you spot another hunter you should not try to alert them by waving your hand. Just speak aloud and they will hear and recognize you. Also you are recommended not to wear red, white or blue colors while turkey hunting. These are the colors of a gobbler during the spring mating.
The physical is self explanatory. You should be in relatively good shape physically because hunting does tax you physically. A simple daily walking program can help your aerobic health a great deal and make you fit for hunting.
Visibility is the second area of safety concern. For the most part, it is a no brainer, hunters should be wearing hunter orange while hunting most game. Deer hunting or small game hunting, anytime with the exclusion of waterfowl and turkey hunting I believe it is only sensible to wear a good amount of hunter orange. Notice I keep saying hunter orange. Hunter orange is the only color that has proven effective in low light or anytime hunting. It is seen and identified as not being natural to the outdoors. All states find that hunting related accidents decrease when hunter orange is worn. Other colors just don’t cut it!

(Hunter orange really shows up)

Third, the state of mind, is extremely important. By this I am referring to the very basics as to why you hunt in the first place. Because of its nature, the hunt should be all that is on your mind at the time. Do not let your mind wander while you are hunting. That is one way that accidents happen. Also, do not try hunting while you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This is just plain foolish. We have encountered those in the woods that were very much under the influence of alcohol at times and immediately removed ourselves from their vicinity.

(It is nice for father and son to tag bucks on the same hunt, just don't compete)

Above all, do not let yourself be pulled into that whole competition scheme that some hunters have going. You know what I mean, “Joe got a nice buck last weekend and now the pressures on for me to get one or the rest will think less of me!” There is no place for that kind of competition in hunting. Chances are taken under those conditions that should never be taken. Remember one thing, once you pull the trigger on either shotgun or rifle, there is no calling back the shot. It is on it’s way!
I hope you have many excellent hunts this fall, but hunt smart and hunt safely.

DEER HUNTING PRIVATE OR PUBLIC LAND

The deer hunting seasons are fast approaching. One of the biggest issues for hunters today is finding properties to hunt. Some are fortunate enough to have their own acreage to hunt or to have access to certain private acres. Others have a mixture of private lands and public lands to hunt and still others may only have public lands to hunt.
I fall in that second category. I hunt both private lands and public lands. I also hunt in at least two different states each year. I find that my success doesn’t really depend a lot on whether it is public or private land I am on at the time of the hunt. You still have to scout the area and have a strategy ready to hunt any particular property.

(This buck was taken on public hunting land)

No matter if you hunt public or private land, you will often find yourself hunting the hunters. By that, you will set up and hunt an area according to the hunting pressure around you. Often on public lands, there is heavy traffic and hunting pressure and your best opportunity is to hunt a funnel area and sit tight most of the day. Allow the deer to be pushed toward your stand. If you move around very much you stand a good chance of driving deer to other hunters.
On private land it is much the same, with a slight twist. You often know the other hunters around you and you often know their individual hunting patterns. You know how long this one or that one can stay on stand and when they head out for lunch. You again can set up a stand in a funnel area or a travel area, watching for the deer bumped by other hunters.

(This buck was taken just a few miles away on private land)

The one thing to remember is that no matter what, unless you own the land yourself, you are a guest on that property and should at all times be courteous and thoughtful of others around you. Once land owners find that you are an ethical and careful hunter, you are often given other opportunities. This can be quite valuable in finding areas to hunt. I often hunt private lands that are not open to other hunters because of previous bad experiences for the land owner with slob hunters of the past. Many times, with courteous respect toward the landowner, I have seen those properties opened up to me for hunting purposes.
Never forget that our hunting is a privilege, not necessarily a right. We need to earn that privilege over and over again. That goes for use of public lands as well. More and more of these acres could be made into wildlife preserves if we, as hunters, abuse our privileges while hunting.

LATEST LAKE CHAMPLAIN WEEKLY ARTICLE

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BACK AGAIN AND LOOKING FOR MUZZLELOADER SEASON OPENER

It has been a little while since I have been able to write. As it says in my bio, I am a rural pastor of a small church here in Northern New York and the demands of that position have kept me busy the past couple of weeks.

(young deer taken with a .45 cal. percussion longrifle)

This next week, my daughter is coming for the opening of Blackpowder deer season here in the Adirondacks. It is the first Ramona has been able to hunt with me in about eight years. She had four children, three boys and a little girl, and now is able to get back to hunting.
Have been working on a rifle for her and setting up a few stands for us to use during the week of muzzleloader hunting. Hopefully the opener will bring some good weather.

(One of a number of flintlock deer over the years)

I picked up a new break action 209 primer 50 caliber for my own rifle this year. So that means that my old 50 cal. in-line goes to Ramona. Since I harvested a number of deer with it, it should not be a handicap for her. The only improvement I made was to mount a scope on the rifle for easier shooting for my daughter. She is more familiar with a scope than open sights. Camo clothing is no problem since I have plenty  for her at home.
We have a number of woodlots to hunt during the week and some public land as well. Since the early muzzleloader season is to gather meat for the freezer, I am looking forward to a successful hunt and will report back later as to how we do. Hopefully, Ramona can tag her first deer.