Hunting Tips

When you think of incredible Mallard hunting, only one place comes to mind; Stuttgart, Arkansas. Stuttgart is known as the Rice and Duck Capital of the World.? Hunting waterfowl in Southeast Arkansas is not considered a pastime, but rather a way of life. Anyone who enjoys wing shooting at its finest must make this trip to the Mecca? of duck hunting at least once in their lifetime.

Below you will find some interesting questions and answers about duck hunting in Arkansas.

Question:  When is the best time to come and hunt in Arkansas?

Answer:  Depends on the season. Weather, water, and food sources all play a role in your hunting success. By planting food supplies you put the odds in your favor for having 60 days of quality hunting. While it doesn’t guarantee anything, it always helps to put the odds in your favor.

Question:  Do I need waders?

Answer:  Yes, waders will cover any hunting situation you face while also providing extra insulation to keep you warm and dry.

Question:  What kind of ducks are hunted?

Answer:  Generally the Mallard duck is the most popular duck among hunters. Early in the season you will have a very mixed bag wherever you are hunting.  By mid December the rice fields and timber will produce mostly Mallards. Reservoir hunting and bayou hunting will always produce a mixed bag for the entire season. It all depends on the hunting area.

Question:  Should I bring my dog?

Answer:  Dogs are welcome but must be controllable. Often times the hunting is fast and furious for the first hour of the hunt. If one person in your group is trying to train a new dog during that time, the success rate could be greatly diminished.

Question:  When should I book my hunt?

Answer:  Arkansas sets its duck season at the end of August. As soon as you can get your party together it is a very good idea to send your deposit and book. That way you get the days you want. I realize it’s often a hassle to try and get four or five guys together to book a December hunt in August. Plan ahead because booking is usually on a first come first serve basis.

Question:  Will my group be mixed with another group?

Answer:  Guides usually do not like to mix groups when they are taking hunters. It all depends on the size of your group. If you bring at least four hunters, you will be guaranteed to be hunting only with your group. If you bring eight hunters, they will most likely split your group down and take two groups of four.  It isn’t feasible to pay a guide to take one guy hunting and burn down a hole. Anyone who tells you they are willing to do that is probably not being honest.

Question:  What type of shotgun and shot size should I use?

Answer:  Most adult male hunters prefer a 12 gauge shotgun for duck hunting. They typically shoot a modified choke and shoot number 2, 3, or 4 steel shot depending on where they are hunting. Some hunters who are experienced marksman prefer to shoot a full choke and increase their range. It depends strictly on the preference of the hunter.

Where to lodge: Retriever Lodge is a duck guiding operation that specializes in small groups. We hunt exclusively on private ground and offer some of the finest rice field and flooded timber hunting known to the area. We provide the atmosphere of a buddy hunt? rather than that of a commercial operation. This helps to guarantee an enjoyable hunt, and gives you a true experience of an Arkansas duck hunt.

Retriever Lodge hunts exclusively on privately owned ground. We own several thousand acres of prime duck hunting habitat in the heart of Arkansas County. We have rice fields, soybean fields, dead timber reservoirs, bayou hunting, and green timber hunting.  All of our hunting areas are managed to provide optimal hunting.  The key to good duck hunting is food. We plant many of our areas exclusively for the ducks. Most of these crops are left standing and periodically flooded throughout the season. We plant rice, milo, and millet in all of our reservoirs and green timber holes. We do not hunt any of our hunting areas over twice a week, and try to let the ducks rest in these areas as much as possible. During the season we check each of our hunting areas to prepare for the next days hunt. Last year Retriever Lodge killed 2505 ducks on our privately owned ground. Two of our groups killed over 225 ducks in a 3 day period. We manage year-round for the ducks. My family owns a fertilizer plant and farms, and we use our labor to work on our hunting areas in our spare time. Two of my employees are basically working on hunting areas full time. I also fly my airplane to scout hunting areas so we don’t disturb the ducks. We take the time and dedicate ourselves to provide exceptional hunting. I personally do not like to go on a bad duck hunt and I really don’t like taking people on a poor hunt. While we can’t guarantee success, we do everything possible to put the odds in our favor.

If this is your first time hunting, it is good to know a little about hunting supplies you will need. Hunting supplies vary with the type of hunting. Hunting is a practice that dates back into historical times. Since the prehistoric period, hunting is a skill that is important to homo sapiens survival – our ancestors hunted for their survival. Today, hunting is a sport that many take on as recreation or as an alternative meat source. For many, hunting is a way to enjoy the wilderness and for that to be an enjoyable experience, it needs preparation and good hunting supplies. Because your hunting supplies are such an important part of your trip, you will want to keep in mind that once in the wilderness, you will not be able to buy extra food or forgotten equipment.

Depending on what you are on a hunt for, hunting supplies varies and your needs may differ with what you are hunting for. Also, depending on where you are from hunting different animals require different license and season as well. So pack your hunting license, tickets and permits with you whenever you go on hunting trip. Nothing spoils the fun more than being apprehended by officials and your hunting trip is shortened. However, hunting supplies is the gist in this article and this is a step by step guide to your basic hunting needs.

Whether you are hunting fowls, deer or moose there are some hunting supplies that you will need to have, which is the basic. Animals have a keen sense of smell and it is likely that they could sense your presence even before you spot them. The first thing on your hunting supplies’ list should be Scent Control. You will need the basic wear hunters use to limit their scent like balaclava hunting headwear, base layer hunting pants, out camouflage pants, camouflage shirt, boot socks, hunting radar hat, and gloves. Of course, they even have camouflage wear for colder seasons as well. With this as your first items on your list, it is time to move to hunting equipments.

Basic equipments that you should have in your hunting bag:

1. A map

2. A compass

3. Rifle with at least 10 cartridges

4. A good standard binoculars

5. A Swiss Army knife

6. A large skinning knife

7. A saw (optional: for sawing off antlers, horns, legs and ribs)

8. A good cotton game bag

9. A good nylon string to hang your game meat

10. Garbage bags

11. A good backpack to carry all your hunting equipments

Last but not least, if you decide to hunt for more than a day, which is likely because some hunts and traps requires more than a day to take effect, you might want to include food and shelter as part of your hunting supplies.

A qualified professional hunting guide may be the choice option for the urban hunter with little time to scout and investigate hunting prospects. When attempting to hunt unfamiliar territory, a guide can make the difference between a good and a bad hunt. Unless you have thorough knowledge of the land you wish to hunt, you might spend unfruitful days in the bush without the help of a guide. Another name for a guide might be a “scout.”

A guide can keep you out of trouble. He can limit frustrations and save you time. A guide can help with retrieving, gutting, and caping trophies. The guide can accurately predict the packing and preparation needs of the hunter, thereby eliminating the need to purchase or pack certain items. He will tell you what you should bring and what will be furnished, what is available locally and what is not.

Most hunters balk at the thought of “pay hunting” and feel no need for someone else to help them with a hunt. These hunters generally think that such setups are for “tin horns” or the corporate executive class. The price of a guide service may appear large at first, but after examining the whole spectrum of things you may find that a guide will even save you money in the long run. It is often the case that a hunter would have come out better if he had hired a guide.

Personal recommendations from other hunters who have used the guide or guide service are the most often used leads.

It is a good idea to do a thorough job of investigating a game ranch or guide service located through a magazine ad before making the leap of employing them. Ask for references, preferably from your area. Get several of them and check each one. The time spent here is worthwhile. In writing to request references, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and be courteous. If telephoning for a reference, then do so at an appropriate time of day. References should be current. They should be references to hunts the year before and not several years ago. The clients which you locate might pass on pertinent information to you concerning your guide such as that you should pack a can opener because the excellent guide always forgets his.

Any guide worth his oats will guarantee a shot. Other guide services and game ranches charge a set fee to hunt and extra for a kill.

A few phone calls or e-mails prior to the hunting scheduled with a guide could get you in with a hunting partner, not just a guide. It helps to break the ice and form a friendship before the hunt.

If contracting the services of a professional guide service or game ranch is not in the cards for you yet you need the help such an outfit would provide, then you have other options.

Ask a successful hunter of your acquaintance for his assistance in guiding you. Most hunters will enthusiastically help you get your first deer. They remember their first deer and really want to enjoy the experience again through you. Offer to pay for the hunt if they are willing to take you along, and at the very least, split the cost of the gasoline.

Some backwoods types would consider it the opportunity of a lifetime to receive a hundred dollars for leading you to a deer they are familiar with. Paying someone to help locate a nice deer for you does not mean that they will bring it to you on a leash. There will still be plenty of sport involved matching wits with the wily whitetail.

PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS

Deer hunting is a sport open to the young, the old, and the handicapped. There is a way for almost every person who desires to hunt deer to do so. Deer hunting is one of the most widely accessible sports.

The blind can participate to a remarkable degree by going with a companion to a hunt and experiencing all but the actual shooting. Many blind people become adept shooters by learning to compensate for their sight loss by increasing their hearing perception. Their marksmanship is usually limited to gun ranges where little bells are attached to targets and pulled by strings. Some blind hunters, with the aid of an assistant with eyesight for obvious safety reasons, may actually take deer.

The wheelchair-bound hunter has an advantage over most hunters in that he will not be able to yield to the itch to get up and walk around when his patience runs thin. Although wheelchairs are not practical for the roughest terrains, the majority of hunting areas are to some degree accessible to them. One of my acquaintances who is without the use of his legs manages to take his deer each season from an adapted ATV.

Determined individuals often overcome physical limitations through improvisation. Their hunting techniques may be creative and grandly satisfying responses to their handicaps. Such hunters are granted special privileges by law-enforcement agencies to allow for their differences and encourage their participation in the sport. Physical limitations might suggest that a person should hunt close to a roadway and not attempt to track or retrieve a deer without assistance. Taking part in drives and risking becoming lost by walking deep into the woods should be avoided.

Hunting with an able-bodied companion may be a must. The companion should be aware of specific physical limitations and of any first aid he might be required to administer.

It is important to consider physical limitations in planning the hunt. Access to the hunting area, the type of stand, the selection of a companion, weapon type, and other matters should be scrutinized in advance.

There are far too many instances of heart attacks in the deer woods.

If you are under medical supervision and using a prescription medicine, be sure not to forget it in the excitement. Not only could forgetting it cause medical problems, but having to go home to get it could foil your hunt.

Where there is a will there is a way for the handicapped who wish to hunt whitetail deer. Disadvantaged hunters derive greater satisfaction from their efforts.

marcelnad asked:

–English — The diet of the golden eagles consists mainly of small mammals, occasionally capture goat mountains, lambs, fawns, etc. generally these specimens are usually ill or weaknesses. The conservation of these eagles contributes to sustaining a high quality of the alpine habitat.
–Català — La dieta de les àguiles daurades es compon principalment de petits mamífers, ocasionalment capturen cabra muntanyes, bens, cervatells, etc., generalment aquests exemplars solen estar malalts o debilitats. La conservació d’aquestes àguiles contribueix a mantenir una alta qualitat de l’hàbitat alpí.
– Spanish — La dieta de las águilas doradas se compone principalmente de pequeños mamíferos, ocasionalmente capturan cabra montes, corderos, cervatillos, etc., generalmente estos ejemplares suelen estar enfermos ó debilitados. La conservación de estas águilas contribuye a mantener una alta calidad del hábitat alpino.

Aulii

failblog asked:

For more, visit http://failblog.org

Azriel

defendersofwildlife asked:

A short film on aerial hunting of wolves in Alaska.

Artus

nutopia asked:

Do Not Adjust Your Set

Cecil

SteweMetal asked:

The original Hunting High and Low video from Stratovarius

Bartolomeo

youaresogutted asked:

Live on Later with Jools Holland

Dino

Apexpredator11 asked:

An intelligent technique Humpback Whales use when hunting Herring.

Amil