The Saturday gun opener for deer is at hand. This change from a Monday opener was implemented to promote hunting and the harvesting of more deer. Opening day, the first Saturday, and Thanksgiving have produced most of the deer-take numbers over the years. Combining the opening day with a Saturday should be interesting.
The technology of new rifled shotgun slug barrels with sabot bullets produces some significantly more accurate flatter-shooting hunting tools. Along with the increased capability comes increased responsibility to be sure of your target and what's beyond it. If you dropped a rock and fired your gun level from your shoulder at the same time, the rock and the slug would hit the ground at very close to the same instant.
However the new faster modern slug would be a quarter-mile away.
That's why using a tree stand when gun hunting adds to the safety factor. You have a better chance to get ready for a careful shot because of better visibility, and you are shooting down angle more into the ground.
An option that should be mandated is a magazine plug that limits you to three shells when deer hunting. Just like duck hunting, there is no practical reason to have more than three shells in your gun and it just promotes slinging those last two shots carelessly.
Many hunters only use their black powder equipment with a single shot for all gun seasons.
One well-placed shot at even out to 200 yards is not unreasonable with this type modern equipment. Using a scope on any of these guns makes your hunt easier, too. When you are ready to shoot it makes you look closely at your intended target and pinpoint the most effective shot placement.
It would be even more productive if everyone also took a doe or two and held out for a buck with some age. Young bucks are good eating, but yearling bucks are about the dumbest deer in the woods, if a doe is available that should be a more healthy and a more sporting choice. Evening up the ratio of male and female deer is better for the herd future.
The rut is still going on in our area - bucks are still cruising around in the daylight while chasing or looking for doe.
It would seem like even if it might be a little chilly it should be good opportunity to tag a deer or two. If you are trying to pick out an antlerless animal, look to pick a larger one out of a group, then there is less chance of it being a small deer of the year. It is sort of easy to take a small button buck when there's no other deer to compare it with.
Every small buck we let pass by has the potential to become a better trophy and be more competitive the following years to making rattling and calls more of an opportunity.
There is little more exciting in big game hunting that to work a nice buck in close because you can talk their language. The science and knowledge of deer hunting makes it one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors in the outdoors.
Another really great tool for enjoying the hunt is two-way radios.
They are relatively inexpensive and you can have very reliable long-range communication. Many hunters just use cell phones, too.
Remember to wear some blaze orange, load only three shells, be sure of your target and beyond, shoot only bucks with horns extending outside their ears, pack a good lunch and have fun out there.
Kozlowski, a local sportsman who is the president of the Owasco
Watershed Lake Association, is
The Citizen's outdoors columnist.
He can be reached at
alkoz@baldcom.net
However the new faster modern slug would be a quarter-mile away.
That's why using a tree stand when gun hunting adds to the safety factor. You have a better chance to get ready for a careful shot because of better visibility, and you are shooting down angle more into the ground.
An option that should be mandated is a magazine plug that limits you to three shells when deer hunting. Just like duck hunting, there is no practical reason to have more than three shells in your gun and it just promotes slinging those last two shots carelessly.
Many hunters only use their black powder equipment with a single shot for all gun seasons.
One well-placed shot at even out to 200 yards is not unreasonable with this type modern equipment. Using a scope on any of these guns makes your hunt easier, too. When you are ready to shoot it makes you look closely at your intended target and pinpoint the most effective shot placement.
It would be even more productive if everyone also took a doe or two and held out for a buck with some age. Young bucks are good eating, but yearling bucks are about the dumbest deer in the woods, if a doe is available that should be a more healthy and a more sporting choice. Evening up the ratio of male and female deer is better for the herd future.
The rut is still going on in our area - bucks are still cruising around in the daylight while chasing or looking for doe.
It would seem like even if it might be a little chilly it should be good opportunity to tag a deer or two. If you are trying to pick out an antlerless animal, look to pick a larger one out of a group, then there is less chance of it being a small deer of the year. It is sort of easy to take a small button buck when there's no other deer to compare it with.
Every small buck we let pass by has the potential to become a better trophy and be more competitive the following years to making rattling and calls more of an opportunity.
There is little more exciting in big game hunting that to work a nice buck in close because you can talk their language. The science and knowledge of deer hunting makes it one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors in the outdoors.
Another really great tool for enjoying the hunt is two-way radios.
They are relatively inexpensive and you can have very reliable long-range communication. Many hunters just use cell phones, too.
Remember to wear some blaze orange, load only three shells, be sure of your target and beyond, shoot only bucks with horns extending outside their ears, pack a good lunch and have fun out there.
Kozlowski, a local sportsman who is the president of the Owasco
Watershed Lake Association, is
The Citizen's outdoors columnist.
He can be reached at
alkoz@baldcom.net
The Citizens' Say
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