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July 28, 2008 09:00 AM
How to Use your Air Rifle for Deer Hunting Success by Marty Prokop
If you would like to listen to this Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com blog post as a podcast click the play button…
You know the more you practice with your deer rifle the more comfortable you are when you are out deer hunting.
It would be great if you could be out at the rifle range at least once every week practicing for deer hunting season. But, not all of us have the opportunity or luxury to have a full fledged rifle range in our back yards.
The solution? The modern air rifle.
Today, modern air rifles sport the look, feel and weight of many deer rifles. Many are surprisingly accurate at close ranges. Modern air rifles are a perfect choice for deer hunters, who do not have the ability to shoot a deer rifle at home, to get plenty of shooting practice.
Better air rifles are spring piston operated and will have a consistent 600 to 1200 feet per second (fps) muzzle velocity. Higher end air rifles will cock with a single motion (break barrel action) filling the air chamber. Some brands to consider are Gamo, Crossman and Sheridan.
If you use a scope on your deer rifle make sure to mount a similar style scope, designed specifically for air rifles, to your air rifle. This will give you the look and feel of your deer gun.
Practice with a good air rifle that has the look, feel and weight of your deer rifle. You will be conditioning your muscles, training your eyes and coordinating your body for a good shot at a deer in the woods.
Consult local rules and regulations to make sure you can discharge an air rifle in the area before you purchase your air rifle and set up your shooting area.
Make sure you set up a good back stop to capture all pellets. If you prefer, you can even buy a pellet trap and use it as a back stop. Always make sure the location you practice has nothing in or beyond the line of fire.
If you don’t have the luxury of a rifle range in your backyard and still want to practice your shooting skills get a modern air rifle and set up your own target range. Who knows, the perfect practice you put forth could have you shooting a big buck come deer season.
To subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog post delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog at www.marty-prokop.com .
Good Luck and Great Hunting!
Deer Hunting and Deer Processing Expert at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
****************************
Find Deer Games, Pictures and Hunting Fun at: http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
=========================
*** More Free Stuff ***
Get Your Own Free Audio Deer Hunting Tips, listen to the Deer Hunting Podcast, subscribe to our RSS Feed, see Big Buck Pictures and read the Deer Hunting Secrets Blog at: http://www.marty-prokop.com
=========================
*** Newsletter and RSS Feed ***
If you want to keep up on new deer hunting secrets subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog posts delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog.
=========================
*** Help Your Deer Hunting Buddies ***
Help your deer hunting buddies and support deer hunting…it’s free to do… Go ahead and email this Free-Deer-Hunting--Tips.com blog URL to your deer hunting buddies or use our Tell A Friend form at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com/ .
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Posted by Marty Prokop at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 25, 2008 09:00 AM
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect Deer Hunting! By Marty Prokop
If you would like to listen to this Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com blog post as a podcast click the play button…
Knowing how to really handle your deer hunting rifle … fast and safely … is paramount to your deer hunting success.
Think about it. Most good shots at deer happen in only seconds.
Seconds are all you need, if you know how your deer hunting rifle handles.
Perfect practice makes perfect deer hunting. Notice I said PERFECT PRACTICE, not just practice.
At least once a week, all year long, take your deer gun off the rack. Always make sure your deer rifle is empty.
Pick a spot on the wall (make sure there is nothing or no one on the other side of the wall, even though the gun is empty).
Pretend the spot on the wall is a deer that just came into range and is giving you a clear shot.
Start with your deer rifle at your side. Raise your rifle and take aim at the spot you picked. Take off the safety mechanism but Do NOT dry fire your deer gun. Simply raise your rifle from your side to your shoulder to aim for a perfect shot. Put the safety mechanism back on and try again.
Do this two to three times as if you were taking a shot at a deer.
It is important that you are able to do this smoothly when you are under pressure or fighting buck fever.
Perfect practice makes perfect deer hunting.
By going through the motions of bringing up your deer rifle and aiming, it will become more natural with each repetition.
After many repetitions, you will find your cheek is naturally sliding to the right spot on your rifle stock and your hand is flawlessly finding and operating the safety mechanism.
When you are completed with your weekly practice make sure your deer rifle is stored unloaded with the safety on. Make sure to wipe off any fingerprints or smudges on the barrel or gun finish also. This will keep your gun in tip top shape when deer season arrives.
By the time deer hunting season rolls around you will enter the woods with new confidence and experience more successful deer hunting.
To subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog post delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog at www.marty-prokop.com .
Good Luck and Great Hunting!
Deer Hunting and Deer Processing Expert at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
****************************
Find Deer Games, Pictures and Hunting Fun at: http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
=========================
*** More Free Stuff ***
Get Your Own Free Audio Deer Hunting Tips, listen to the Deer Hunting Podcast, subscribe to our RSS Feed, see Big Buck Pictures and read the Deer Hunting Secrets Blog at: http://www.marty-prokop.com
=========================
*** Newsletter and RSS Feed ***
If you want to keep up on new deer hunting secrets subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog posts delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog.
=========================
*** Help Your Deer Hunting Buddies ***
Help your deer hunting buddies and support deer hunting…it’s free to do… Go ahead and email this Free-Deer-Hunting--Tips.com blog URL to your deer hunting buddies or use our Tell A Friend form at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com/ .
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Posted by Marty Prokop at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2008 09:00 AM
Waterproof Your Deer Hunting Rifle by Marty Prokop
If you would like to listen to this Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com blog post as a podcast click the play button…
You clean and oil your deer hunting rifle; spray it with one of those silicone gun waterproofing sprays.
But what happens if you are deer hunting in a steady, all day rain?
The waterproofing washes off.
That’s right.
Even the silicone based waterproofing spray can wash off in a steady, all day rain.
So how can you protect your gun from the rain?
Car wax!
Yes you read that correctly, car wax.
Car wax lasts longer than gun oils and silicone spray lubricants.
After you have applied a safe car wax to your rifle, let it rain! The water will bead up on the fresh coat of wax.
But be careful as to which car wax you use. Make sure the car wax does not have any buffing compounds that would remove the bluing or gun stock finish.
If the forecast calls for rain during your next deer hunt, try a good coat of safe car wax on your deer hunting rifle before you head into the woods.
To subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog post delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog at www.marty-prokop.com .
Good Luck and Great Hunting!
Deer Hunting and Deer Processing Expert at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
****************************
Find Deer Games, Pictures and Hunting Fun at: http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
=========================
*** More Free Stuff ***
Get Your Own Free Audio Deer Hunting Tips, listen to the Deer Hunting Podcast, subscribe to our RSS Feed, see Big Buck Pictures and read the Deer Hunting Secrets Blog at: http://www.marty-prokop.com
=========================
*** Newsletter and RSS Feed ***
If you want to keep up on new deer hunting secrets subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog posts delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog.
=========================
*** Help Your Deer Hunting Buddies ***
Help your deer hunting buddies and support deer hunting…it’s free to do… Go ahead and email this Free-Deer-Hunting--Tips.com blog URL to your deer hunting buddies or use our Tell A Friend form at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com/ .
=========================
Posted by Marty Prokop at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 18, 2008 09:00 AM
4 Steps for Successful Deer Scouting by Marty Prokop
If you would like to listen to this Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com blog post as a podcast click the play button…
One of the very best ways to increase the odds of you seeing and shooting more deer is by scouting.
Think of deer scouting as having four main steps.
1.) Choose good deer hunting property.
It sounds pretty basic, but many deer hunters take whatever deer hunting area they can get.
Learn about the land you consider hunting.
Ask some of the locals about a certain piece of property before you buy or lease it. Talk to people at the feed mill or even the local postal employees.
I did this. The mail carrier, barber, farmer down the road and feed mill guy all told me about the big bucks running across the road out of the property that I hunt.
So ask around.
Check with the local DNR and ask them about deer populations on or near the land you consider hunting.
2.) Learn the contours of the deer hunting land you are considering.
Purchase a good topographic map of your deer hunting area.
Look at the map and make notes where you might find food sources, watering holes, natural funnels and potential bedding grounds once you are out scouting.
3.) Head into the woods searching for deer sign.
After studying your topographic map and three to four weeks prior to your deer season opener, head into the woods.
Usually by this time of the year the deer have switched to their fall patterns. What you see in the woods will be current information.
First go to the areas you pin-pointed on your topographic map as potential hot spots.
If you have the financial resources to do so, place a trail camera on a potential hot spot. Check your camera(s) at least once per week.
4.) Put all the pieces together.
This is where you bring all of the information you have gathered together and use it to pattern deer on your deer hunting land.
The added bonus of trail camera photos is to show you deer size, as well as times and dates of when and how often deer are moving.
Together, this information will make deer hunting tree stand site placement much easier.
Remember these 4 Steps for Successful Deer Scouting, and you could pattern a big buck each time you head into the deer hunting woods.
To subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog post delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog at www.marty-prokop.com .
Good Luck and Great Hunting!
Deer Hunting and Deer Processing Expert at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
****************************
Find Deer Games, Pictures and Hunting Fun at: http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
=========================
*** More Free Stuff ***
Get Your Own Free Audio Deer Hunting Tips, listen to the Deer Hunting Podcast, subscribe to our RSS Feed, see Big Buck Pictures and read the Deer Hunting Secrets Blog at: http://www.marty-prokop.com
=========================
*** Newsletter and RSS Feed ***
If you want to keep up on new deer hunting secrets subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog posts delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog.
=========================
*** Help Your Deer Hunting Buddies ***
Help your deer hunting buddies and support deer hunting…it’s free to do… Go ahead and email this Free-Deer-Hunting--Tips.com blog URL to your deer hunting buddies or use our Tell A Friend form at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com/ .
=========================
Posted by Marty Prokop at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 14, 2008 09:00 AM
Following Deer Tracks that Seem to Disappear
If you would like to listen to this Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com blog post as a podcast click the play button…
You found a huge set of fresh deer tracks and decide to start following them to see if you can catch up to the deer that made them. All is going well, until the tracks seem to disappear.
Did the deer vanish into thin air?
Did it magically sprout wings and fly through the forest?
No. It walked firmly on the ground, but maybe the light hitting the deer tracks is playing tricks on you.
Disappearing tracks have been tricking deer hunters since the earliest times when man started to first track animals.
Here is a solution if this happens to you.
Without stepping on the actual tracks and ruining the trail, Indian trackers used to step from side to side to allow the most favorable light to shine onto the trails.
With favorable amounts of light cast at the right angles onto the trail, hoof impressions or the upturned leaves seem to pop out because of the shadows they cast.
Try this Native American tracking trick the next time you seem to lose a set of fresh deer tracks in the woods. It could have you walking up on a big buck in his bed.
To subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog post delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog at www.marty-prokop.com .
Good Luck and Great Hunting!
Deer Hunting and Deer Processing Expert at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
****************************
Find Deer Games, Pictures and Hunting Fun at: http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
=========================
*** More Free Stuff ***
Get Your Own Free Audio Deer Hunting Tips, listen to the Deer Hunting Podcast, subscribe to our RSS Feed, see Big Buck Pictures and read the Deer Hunting Secrets Blog at: http://www.marty-prokop.com
=========================
*** Newsletter and RSS Feed ***
If you want to keep up on new deer hunting secrets subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog posts delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog.
=========================
*** Help Your Deer Hunting Buddies ***
Help your deer hunting buddies and support deer hunting…it’s free to do… Go ahead and email this Free-Deer-Hunting--Tips.com blog URL to your deer hunting buddies or use our Tell A Friend form at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com/ .
=========================
Posted by Marty Prokop at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2008 09:00 AM
Deer Tracks: Are You Following a Buck or Doe? By Marty Prokop
If you would like to listen to this Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com blog post as a podcast click the play button…
A while back I wrote a Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter and blog post about following deer tracks.
A Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com reader asked me how a deer hunter could tell he was on the trail of a buck or a doe.
It is my experience that even if you are following big tracks, obviously made by a big deer, that deer could be either a big doe or a big buck. Yes, I have seen some very large doe deer especially offspring of big bucks.
I have followed more deer tracks since I wrote that newsletter just to see if additional experience would show me something different. Here is what I found.
Following Deer Tracks
After following many sets of fresh deer tracks on my deer hunting land this past fall I have made some interesting conclusions.
I still believe if you follow one solid set of big tracks pressed deeply into the dirt, you could be following a big buck or doe.
Here is where I saw some variances:
If you are following a set of big deer tracks that are meandering through the woods, chances are high that you are following a doe. As you are following these meandering tracks and you notice urine in one spot, you will be following a doe. Doe deer squat to pee in one spot.
A buck walks through the forest moving from point A to point B following the path of least resistance. If a buck comes across something in the trail in front of him, such as a downed tree, he will walk around it and get back on to the main trail and continue walking. A doe, on the other hand, will often go under it.
A line of big deer tracks with urine dripping into multiple tracks is most often made by a buck as he will urinate as he walks.
Deer tracks splayed (a wide gap between the front of hooves in the shape of a “V”) tend to belong to a buck.
Deer tracks with drag marks behind them are usually made by big bucks.
The reason big bucks tend to drag their hooves is because bucks are structurally different in the hip region than does. This structural difference causes mature bucks to swagger from side to side and drag their feet when walking.
The longer and deeper the drag marks behind each track usually means the bigger and heavier the buck making the tracks.
I followed a number of deer tracks to see if a deer hunter could tell the size and sex of a deer solely by its tracks. I found, if you are on a fresh set of big deer tracks and focus on the size of the tracks only, you could be following a big buck or a big doe.
When I added drag marks and urination patterns in combination with the tracks, I could get a pretty good idea of size and sex of the deer being followed.
You be the judge. Try this for yourself and see what you find.
To subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog post delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog at www.marty-prokop.com .
Good Luck and Great Hunting!
Deer Hunting and Deer Processing Expert at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
****************************
Find Deer Games, Pictures and Hunting Fun at: http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
=========================
*** More Free Stuff ***
Get Your Own Free Audio Deer Hunting Tips, listen to the Deer Hunting Podcast, subscribe to our RSS Feed, see Big Buck Pictures and read the Deer Hunting Secrets Blog at: http://www.marty-prokop.com
=========================
*** Newsletter and RSS Feed ***
If you want to keep up on new deer hunting secrets subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog posts delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog.
=========================
*** Help Your Deer Hunting Buddies ***
Help your deer hunting buddies and support deer hunting…it’s free to do… Go ahead and email this Free-Deer-Hunting--Tips.com blog URL to your deer hunting buddies or use our Tell A Friend form at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com/ .
=========================
Posted by Marty Prokop at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 7, 2008 09:00 AM
Recovering Your Deer After the Shot
BANG!
Your shot was well placed. You expect to see the deer not far from where you took the shot.
After waiting 20 minutes, you climb out of your deer hunting tree stand and walk to where you took the shot.
You see a good blood trail. You start tracking being careful not to disturb the blood trail.
As you continue following the trail it seems to almost disappear. You look a few feet ahead and off to the left and right and still see no deer.
You are puzzled. Where could it have gone?
“It was a great hit,” you rationalize as you replay the shot through your mind.
This happened to me in a past deer hunting season. I shot a huge doe at less than 50 yards with my 12 gauge. Normally, at close range with a 12 gauge slug, deer have dropped in less than 50 yards.
So what did this doe do?
After the shot, the doe turned and ran straight away from me. I followed her blood trail nearly 100 yards. I noticed she turned back to where she had come out of the woods.
I found her another 30 yards up the trail towards the direction she came from. She was circling back around.
Deer are herd animals. I believe they feel safer in numbers. Perhaps this doe was heading back to the group she was with.
Next time you start following the trail of a deer you have shot and can’t find it immediately, try circling back to where you first took the shot. Chances are you will find the deer near that location.
To subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog post delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog at www.marty-prokop.com .
Good Luck and Great Hunting!
Deer Hunting Expert at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
****************************
Find Deer Games, Pictures and Hunting Fun at: http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
=========================
*** More Free Stuff ***
Get Your Own Free Audio Deer Hunting Tips, listen to the Deer Hunting Podcast, subscribe to our RSS Feed, see Big Buck Pictures and read the Deer Hunting Secrets Blog at: http://www.marty-prokop.com
=========================
*** Newsletter and RSS Feed ***
If you want to keep up on new deer hunting secrets subscribe to the weekly Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Newsletter or get blog posts delivered to you by subscribing to our RSS feed by clicking on one of the RSS feed buttons in the right hand column of this blog.
=========================
*** Help Your Deer Hunting Buddies ***
Help your deer hunting buddies and support deer hunting…it’s free to do… Go ahead and email this Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com blog URL to your deer hunting buddies or use our Tell A Friend form at http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com/ .
=========================
Posted by Marty Prokop at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
