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August 18, 2008 09:00 AM
Top 5 Ways to Miss Your Deer 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…
There are five main reasons deer hunters miss deer when they are deer hunting.
1.) Not sighting in your deer rifle before you go hunting.
This sounds pretty basic, but year after year some deer hunters refuse to go to the rifle range to sight in their deer rifles.
They may figure, “Well, it shot straight last year when I put the rifle away.”
Regardless of how straight your deer rifle shot when you cased it up at the end of season, go to the range and sight it in again for the next season, preferably several times before deer season arrives.
Why?
Sights and scopes can get bumped while cleaning, handling or transferring from gun cabinet to deer hunting woods and back again.
2.) Using different ammunition than used to sight in with.
Different bullet weights and even various ammunition brands will shoot differently from the same rifle.
Make sure you stock up on the same brand and bullet weight of ammunition, the brand and weight you sighted in your rifle with, before you head to the deer hunting woods.
3.) Taking free hand shots.
Free hand shots are the least effective for deer hunting, because in many situations you are not rock solid when shooting.
If you don’t have a good rifle rest in your tree stand or blind when you are deer hunting, use your knee to steady your shot.
Another option is shooting from the prone position, but don’t try this from a tree stand.
Always try to use a solid rest before taking the shot.
4.) Not enough perfect practice.
There is more to shooting a rifle and becoming a good shot than just simply sighting in your rifle.
The more you can practice with different shooting scenarios, the better you will become at handling your deer rifle.
5.) Not knowing your shooting limitations.
This is really simple. If you don’t feel you can make a long range shot, don’t shoot.
At times, some deer hunters let their egos take over.
Only shoot the distance you have practiced for. This will keep you from wounding deer.
How can you avoid missing your deer the next time you go deer hunting?
• Sight in your deer rifle several times before deer season arrives.
• Remember to deer hunt use the same brand and bullet weight of ammo you used to sight in your deer rifle.
• Always use a solid rest when taking a shot.
• Perfect practice. Perfect practice. Perfect practice.
• Take shots only at distances you are comfortable shooting.
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)
August 15, 2008 09:00 AM
Is Day Dreaming Costing You Your Big Buck? 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…
Most deer hunters have the best success, and bag more deer, during the first two hours of each deer hunting day.
Why?
During the first two hours of a deer hunting day, the deer hunter is focused on getting a deer. He/she is constantly looking for, listening for, thinking about and concentrating solely on seeing deer.
As time moves forward, some deer hunters begin to let their minds wander from deer hunting. This results in the eyes and ears of the deer hunter missing crucial sights and sounds in the deer hunting woods.
When the mind wanders, a deer hunter must continually stop and re-focus on deer hunting to bring the mind back on track.
Looking and listening for deer becomes harder and harder as the mind wanders further from deer hunting.
Deer hunters can become caught up in the mind’s rambling on about work, the never ending honey-do list and countless other chores that should be done. The deer hunter is not paying attention to the woods for sights and sounds of deer.
If this trancelike state progresses, the deer hunter becomes oblivious to the external surroundings and is simply going through the motions of being in the deer woods.
If a deer hunter cannot break this trancelike spell, he/she may be better off taking a break from the woods as they would not see a deer if it were right in front of them.
The best way to tag a deer when you are out hunting is to think, smell, see and breathe deer hunting. Concentrate on looking for deer signs and listening for sounds that could be made by deer.
You will be a more successful deer hunter by increasing your awareness and concentrating on deer hunting when you are out in the field.
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)
August 11, 2008 09:00 AM
Good Deer Hunting Guns for Deer Hunting Thick Woods 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…
I have been asked by numerous Free-Deer-Hunting-Tips.com Members what the best gun is for deer hunting in thick woods.
If you deer hunt in an area that has thick undergrowth and lots of smaller saplings, you need a gun that is quick to shoulder and has enough power to bust through the brush.
Here is a list of guns and calibers I use:
• 30-30
• 12 gauge shotgun with rifled barrel
• 30-06
Let’s look at each one.
Winchester Model 94 30-30
I prefer the Winchester Model 94 30-30 for making deer drives through thick woods. The gun is short and quick to shoulder.
Since most shots are within 30 to 50 yards, I use iron sites with a hood or peep site on front.
The 30-30 cartridge is not super fast. But loaded with a 180 grain bullet, it will bust through brush fairly well without flying too far off target.
12 Gauge Shotgun with Rifled Barrel
A 12 gauge slug can barrel through some pretty thick brush and still stay on target.
I prefer using slide or pump action shotguns.
I like the Mossberg 500. I have used this gun since I was twelve. It has performed flawlessly for me. I purchased a rifled slug barrel and topped it with a red dot scope. The red dot is sighted in for a 50 yard shot.
30-06 Rifle
This caliber has been around for many years.
When loaded with lighter 150 grain bullets, it has proven to be a great varmint rifle, as well as a good long range deer rifle.
When loaded with a heavier 180 grain bullet, the 30-06 is a good choice for a brush gun.
Choose a carbine style rifle if you plan to hunt thick brush. The shorter length of the carbine will allow you to pull up the gun quickly in heavy brush for a faster shot.
Using Scopes in Thick Brush
You can use a scope when hunting thick brush as long as you are able to get quickly on target, because a shot in thick brush will happen rather fast.
Make sure the scope you choose is a fixed power scope, not a variable scope. This will allow quicker target alignment. Usually a four power scope is sufficient.
Hunting thick brush is a great way to put deer in front of you when deer activity seems to be low due to hunting pressure. Carrying the right gun with the right ammunition is vital to your success.
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)
August 8, 2008 09:00 AM
Is Your Deer Hunting Rifle Shooting Straight? 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 are at the rifle range sighting in your deer hunting gun. You take a three shot group. You notice the first shot is a bit off from the other two shots.
You take three more shots and find the grouping of bullets very acceptable. You pack up, head home, clean your deer rifle and wait for deer season to open.
Opening morning of deer hunting season arrives. You take a shot at a big buck at the distance you practiced at the range.
At the range you were holding a two-inch group.
Today somehow you miss.
Was it deer hunter’s error or buck fever perhaps? Or was your gun shooting off target?
Let’s look at this.
Remember back at the range when you fired the first bullet from your well cleaned gun?
You noticed it was the only bullet that was out of sync with the other rounds you shot. All of the bullets after that first shot hit perfectly.
Very few deer hunters clean rifle barrels between shots when at the rifle range. This means we are actually judging how well our guns shoot through “dirty” barrels.
In the scenario above shots fired after the very first shot seemed most accurate.
Test the shooting accuracy of your gun by shooting two 3 shot groups.
For one 3 shot group clean the barrel after each shot.
For the second group shoot three consecutive shots without cleaning in between rounds.
Pay close attention to the very first shot out of the clean barrel. Notice if it strikes the target differently than subsequent shots.
If it does, your rifle may perform better after a shot has been fired.
Remember, the first shot at a deer is usually the most important one and often times the only one you get.
If your gun performs better after a shot has been fired through the barrel, consider safely firing one shot through your barrel before you head out deer hunting.
Clean your gun after shooting, but remember the first shot out of your clean gun will be the least accurate.
Why clean your gun if it shoots poorly when clean?
A dirty barrel will shorten the life of your deer hunting rifle, perhaps causing rust and deterioration. If left extremely dirty, your gun may become dangerous to shoot.
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)
August 4, 2008 09:00 AM
Fun and Easy Way to Test Your Long Range Shooting! 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 have been diligent in practicing your long range shooting skills at the rifle range. You are able to consistently shoot a 3-inch group at 250 yards. This is great shooting and is an important step towards deer hunting accuracy, but this shooting is under a semi-controlled environment.
Think of this.
How many times have you had that big buck in front of you while your deer hunting rifle was in a gun vise or propped up on shooting bags on a shooting bench? Never happens.
Here is a fun and easy way to test your long range shooting skills out in the field.
Your targets will be one-gallon plastic milk jugs filled with water. Add food coloring to the water so you can see a difference in color from the water to the background.
One gallon plastic milk jugs are the perfect target at long ranges as they will be comparable in size to the vital heart/lung area of a deer. So save milk jugs.
Next, find a safe field or area to set up your targets. Make sure there are no buildings, people or animals in your line of fire or beyond the milk jugs.
If you hunt from a tree stand, and you are able to, you could even set up your tree stand to simulate actual shooting from that angle.
If you shoot from a ground deer blind, consider setting up your deer blind to shoot from it.
The goal is to create the closest conditions to your actual deer hunting situation.
Pace off 200 to 300 yards from your shooting location or whatever distance you feel confident shooting.
After placing your milk jug targets, walk back to your shooting area. Take aim and see how well you shoot.
A direct hit will have the milk jugs exploding. An off center hit will still have the jugs emptying on the ground. You can actually see the liquid leaving the container.
If you find your original distance of 200 to 300 yards has you missing the target or hitting off center, move closer in 20 yard increments until you can hit center consistently.
Once you find you are hitting center consistently, you have found your true long range shooting ability under quasi hunting conditions.
This may be a bit humbling at first, but it is far better to know exactly what your long range shooting abilities are before you head out deer hunting. This knowledge will help ensure you don’t wound an animal.
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)
August 1, 2008 09:00 AM
Can Wind Affect Deer Rifle Accuracy? 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…
There he is, Mr. Big, the big buck of a lifetime, out 200 yards in front of you.
You have practiced at this range and are quite comfortable you will make a good, solid hit.
You take aim, BANG!
The buck runs off.
You walk up to where the big buck was standing and find nothing. You search the area for hours looking for any sign of a hit and still nothing.
You wonder, “How could I have missed that shot?”
The wind!
According to the “Sierra Bullet Reloading Manual,” a 180-grain 30-06 pointed bullet leaving the muzzle at 2700 feet per second with a 20 mile per hour crosswind will blow 6 inches off course at 200 yards. That same bullet with the same 20 mile per hour crosswind will blow 14 inches off course at 300 yards.
Regardless of wind speed, bullet drift can occur if the wind is hitting your gun barrel at certain angles.
On the other hand, if you are shooting into the wind or the wind is directly behind you, wind will have little effect on your bullet’s path.
Study ballistic charts to see how your bullet will fly and how wind speed can affect your bullet trajectory. Learn the bullet drop of your load at different distances.
Before you head out to the deer hunting woods, make sure you listen to the local weather report, specifically wind speed and direction.
With a little research and some perfect practice, you could be zeroed in on a big buck at any range under any circumstances.
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)
