When walking around your permission/hunting ground you should always look closely at everything around you, the grass, trees, fencing, tree-stands, and streams. All of them require management or simple maintenance. Part of our job is to look after not just the infrastructure which we put in, but also to make sure that the rest of the ground is in the best possible state it can be; by doing so we actually encourage the wildlife to grow and thrive.
About the Author
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The right equipment to go hunting in the wilderness
Let’s talk a bit about stalking or hunting equipment in general. I am not talking about things like rifles and scopes today, but rather the equipment you carry in your rucksacks, kit bags and all those pockets which nowadays adorn jackets and trousers. I know that everyone has their own personal preferences as to what they need and use, and every country has different regulations and traditions: therefore, what follows is perhaps not a complete list.
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T-Bolt: the right tool for pest control
In 2011, I bagged my very first deer in the UK and that was when I made up my mind that I wanted hunting to be a full-time hobby. And what better way to do that than with a T-Bolt!
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How to choose a hunting knife?
I think that everyone agrees that a hunting knife is a very personal thing for each hunter. Some have just one favourite knife, but others prefer to have few more (like 20-30): one for different days or different tasks.
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This hunt that will always be remembered!
Everyone has the time of their life on a hunt. There is no such thing as a bad time on a hunt: some are good, some are great and some are just bloody amazing. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, you will remember it for the rest of your life. These kinds of stories make the best memories.
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Up to which shooting distance can we still talk about hunting?
I often listen to people talking about distances and how far they can shoot. Well, here is my take on it.
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My old hunter’s advice to choose your first scope
There is a very common question people ask: “I am new to stalking/hunting, can someone suggest what type of scope I need for different kinds of hunting?”
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Recipe: Best Venison Sandwich Ever
Being an active hunter, like many of you, I am very passionate about the way hunted meat is cooked. For me, there is nothing worse than when venison, pigeon or any other game gets ruined in the frying pan or dried out in the oven.
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Why wild meat …?
What do we mean by wild meat and why should we eat it? These are questions which could be answered in many ways. Some might tell you: it is the meat taken from a wild animal which has been hunted by a hunter, or something like that. Others might say: because it’s organic and much healthier.
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Hunting heals us from the inside…
I am sure that every hunter has had one of those days when you get up in the morning and start getting ready for work; it’s just not working out for you, you just can’t get on with things. Everything takes so much effort and energy that you almost want to call in sick. Your workmates are not the same and it seems no-one cares about you and nobody understands you.
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Shotgun or rifle, that is the question…
When I was 4 years old my father took me hunting for the very first time: indeed, it is the first memory I have of my father and I together; I guess the bond between us was made at that time. Then, when I was 7, I pulled the trigger of my father’s 12G for the first time, and the next thing I saw was blue skies, as the recoil knocked me off my feet. That was when I fell in love with shotgun shooting.
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Hunting dogs: our best friends and helpers.
There are a few ways of hunting which spring to mind when you think about hunting with dogs. Now the reason I said ‘few’ is that here in the UK, driven hunting for animals like boar and deer is not common practice – in fact, it’s actually illegal.
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Pest management in the United Kingdom
In my opinion, small game starts with rabbits and stops with foxes: I’m sure it doesn’t come as a surprise to most of you, that both of the above populations require careful management across the country. I can say with confidence that almost every single hunter would pull the trigger if he saw a fox in front of him, in the right situation.
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Management of wild boar in the United Kingdom
If we take a quick look back at the history of wild boar in the UK, we find out that the original native wild boar were extinct somewhere around the 13th century. Since then, there have been several attempts to reintroduce wild boar by royal personages or members of the aristocracy.
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Deer social structure
A lot of studies have been done about the social structure of deer by many great experts, doctors, and professors, who spent countless hours studying and writing PhD theses on the subject. So many different species, locations, areas and climates and everywhere the structure of deer society is different.
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Offseason preparation and training
Hunting seasons are very different from one country to the next, and that is exactly why I consider myself a very lucky man. I live and hunt in England where technically hunting happens all year round. If you are lucky enough to have permission to hunt the ground where muntjac is present, then you will have deer stalking for 365 days a year. Muntjac, rabbits, pigeon, wild boar, crows and foxes can be hunted all year round and most of the above (except muntjac) can be shot at night too.
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How to bleed and treat the carcass…
There are many ways to bleed the carcass of the animal and they all serve our own purpose and use. Some of these ways are better than others, but they all do the same job. We all know that the quick bleeding of the carcass after the animal has been felled is as important for the meat quality as the shot placement or a nice, clean gralloch.