Hunting is a very much loved hobby or way of life. Going out for the spare weekend you have off work with either family or friends is most people’s idea of heaven. Packing up and leaving the stress of the everyday grind of life could not seem more appealing, living off the land and just getting back to nature once in a while is enough to give you that all important chill time.
Camping and hunting used to be an activity enjoyed by many families, now it has become many peoples way of escaping reality. With housing areas getting fuller and what is left of the green areas or empty areas of towns and countrysides being built on, is it any wonder the escape to beyond is on your mind at the weekend?
Going camping, if done often is an investment when buying equipment. Choosing the correct tent that will serve you well for years is worth paying for or choosing a knife for instance of good quality, will not need fixing after a couple of uses. You will be overwhelmed by the choice and selection of good quality camping and hunting equipment there is available.
Picking the correct place to hunt
When looking to go hunting you will need to make sure that you are camping in the correct place. You may need permission from the landowner to access their lakes, taking fish from private property is not allowed and you may end up in trouble or a fine for doing so. Some landowners want hunters to come and help keep the wild animals that are not wanted on their land under control.
Look at what is at hand for you to get the best from your hunting trip? Look for advertisements offering good camping prices, with the use of surrounding lakes including access to hunting appropriate wild animals. Forums and fellow enthusiasts will be able to advise or share experience into where they have already been, what they caught, and the best places to catch fish, etc.
To some people a part of the adventure is to be as far away from road access may be important, to others this may not be a priority, but being aware of exactly where you are going to set up for a hunting trip is important. Knowing your surroundings is important for many reasons. Safety for you and your companions should be thought about carefully before your intended trip.
Taking your children can be great fun, getting them involved in something you enjoy will strengthen relationships, and having a bonding weekend that everyone can enjoy is important for very busy families. With daily life being full of technology has overtaken many family lives. Getting back to basics can be a way of ensuring that your children are capable of learning survival skills.
The right equipment and its importance
Going off track and being back in nature is a great way to spend a spare weekend. Looking at the equipment you need to purchase and to take should be taken seriously, this can help with the comfort of your trip. Looking at the correct tents to set your base up will protect you from weather changes that can occur. Tents can give you a form of security from unwanted creatures and creepy crawlies in the night. Stopping bites from insects that can not only be itchy but painful.
Before you set off writing a list of what you need and what is essential for your trip is paramount. Having a first aid kit for example is a must on any outdoor excursion. A good torch that will not run out of battery should be something that you invest in, getting a cheap torch that is not a well recommended brand or known for its bright light should be forgotten. Being able to see in the dark especially in an emergency is a must especially if you are being accompanied by children.
Having a list of what is needed, and checking these things off as you pack can help you in a situation that maybe you think might never occur. Accidents and problems can arise on any trip, even a day trip. Make sure the people you are hunting with know a small emergency procedure if anything were to happen.
Below is a small list of things you may need when hunting:
- Common sense!!
- Water
- A good pair of waterproof boots
- Appropriate weather resistant clothes
- A backpack
- Headlamp
- Torch
- Snacks
- Finding the right Knife
- Bags
- Antibug spray
- First Aid kit
- Binoculars
- Riffle
- Tape
- Rope
Depending on what you are hunting will be dependent on what you will need, if you are only hunting fish then you won’t need a rifle, if you are hunting Game you will need more advanced equipment. Looking online or visiting a hunting fair beforehand can give you some good ideas of what is needed.
Rules and protocols
When going hunting there will be laws and rules for different countries and even counties. Each place will differ for rules and regulations so research these thoroughly before you go. Equipment that is acceptable in one place may not be in another.
These things are important when looking into purchasing knives and rifles. It may be that in one place you can only carry a 3-inch blade and in others a 4. Flick knives are not acceptable to carry in lots of places so having a fixed knife with a good thick cover will protect the blade and will prevent silly accidents from happening.
Look at where you want to hunt and the rules that they have in place. Get a copy of these and make sure everyone in your group knows what is acceptable and what is not. Times you can hunt might not seem important to you but there may be a time in the day that will cause you trouble for setting off a gunshot fire.
This is going to no doubt be the boring part before your trip but it will be the boring part that can save you from a lot of trouble at a later date. This includes knowing what you are allowed to shoot and what animals you are allowed to take away with you. Maybe there may be certain fish that can be caught but not removed and taken to consume.
Right or wrong
It is a known fact that not everybody is a fan of hunting. The ones that do tend to support this have done so from small children. This may be a part of their heritage, a socially acceptable tradition. Hunting used to be a widely accepted way to source food.
Without hunting, families found it hard to survive. Food was something that unless you caught, and hunted for your family they simply did not eat. Eating meat used to be a luxury and at many points, in history, the rules on it have changed in people’s opinions. Not always in a legal point of view but the rules of what society deems socially acceptable.
For many years people had rabbits in their gardens and would breed these for food. It was not unheard of to walk to a local butcher and see a Chicken or Rabbit with their feathers and fur still attached. However, many of the people that are disagreeing with hunting are happy to walk into a supermarket and pick up a battery-farmed chicken. This will have been exposed to all sorts of chemicals, and procedures. It will be in a fridge, ready to cook and eat.
Lots of people that hunt do so for food, self-sustaining, not using overrun farms that can not keep up with the demands of over breeding. Overbreeding cows, lambs and using unethical procedures in doing so is not a healthy way to produce meat for consumption. Sometimes the killing processes for these animals have been proven to be barbaric. Does this simply offer the question is one shot to the head a bad thing? Or is dragging animals halfway across the country in a truck to the slaughterhouse worse?
Conclusion
Hunting can be a positive thing for the ecosystem, and whether or not you agree with this process many people do so without harming animals that are not meant to be eaten.
Hunters that kill for food are providing their own source of sustainability. In many countries when you hunt big game for food what is hunted will be used to feed a local village that does not have the means to do so themselves.
Looking into purchasing the right equipment is a must and before going you need to make sure you are aware of all laws and protocols in doing so correctly in the right manner. Obtaining the correct licenses for your tools and what you are killing is a must.
Looking online and at your country’s rules on attending hunts are in place for a good reason. These should be followed with great care. Keeping yourself and animals that should not be hunted is crucial in maintaining a safe environment in doing so.