If you are looking for reliable access to private hunting land, you may be asking what is a hunting lease and what you actually receive when you pay for one. A hunting lease is generally an agreement between a landowner and a hunter or group of hunters that grants defined hunting or recreational access to … Read more
If you are comparing equipment for deer hunting, you may be wondering what is a hang on stand and how it differs from a ladder stand, climbing stand, or tree saddle. A hang-on stand is a compact elevated hunting platform with a seat that attaches directly to a suitable tree. It is also commonly called … Read more
If you are getting interested in bird hunting, waterfowl hunting, or working dogs, you may wonder what is a gun dog and what separates one from other hunting dogs. A gun dog, also written as “gundog,” is a hunting dog developed and trained to work cooperatively with a hunter, especially when locating, pointing, flushing, or … Read more
If you are new to hunting, you may hear hunters talk about sitting in a blind, setting up a pop-up blind, or building a natural blind. These terms describe methods of concealing a hunter at ground level so wildlife is less likely to detect the hunter’s outline and movement. Understanding what is a ground blind … Read more
If you are learning to hunt deer, you may hear experienced hunters talk about funnels, pinch points, bottlenecks, and travel corridors. These terms describe landscape features that can influence how deer move from one part of their habitat to another. Understanding what is a funnel in hunting is mainly about learning to read terrain and … Read more
A flushing dog is a gun dog trained to search cover close to a hunter, locate hidden game, and deliberately make it leave that cover. In upland bird hunting, the flush usually puts a pheasant, grouse, woodcock, quail, or other legal game bird into flight. The hunter must then positively identify the bird, confirm a … Read more
A European mount is one of the simplest ways to preserve the physical memory of a harvested deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, or other legally possessed animal. Instead of recreating the animal’s head and shoulders with its hide, a European mount displays the cleaned skull, usually with the natural antlers or horns attached. The finished piece … Read more
If someone tells you to “set the spread” before a waterfowl hunt, they mean more than putting plastic ducks on the water. A duck decoy spread is the complete arrangement of decoys around a hunting position. Its shape, spacing, species mix, visibility, motion, and relationship to the wind are intended to resemble resting, feeding, or … Read more
If you have seen a regulation booklet say that a deer, elk, turkey, waterfowl, or public-land hunt is available “by draw,” you may wonder whether that means buying a raffle ticket. A draw hunt is a regulated hunting opportunity for which demand may exceed the number of permits available. Hunters apply before a deadline, and … Read more
A deer travel corridor is a route or band of habitat that deer commonly use to move between places they need, such as bedding cover, food, water, seasonal range, and secure escape cover. It may be a distinct trail through brush, but it can also be a broader strip of timber, creek drainage, saddle, field … Read more