Hunting Optics

Foods To Attract Deer

October 14, 2008

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Deer, in their natural habitat, do not eat “deer feed” that can be purchased at the feed store. So, left to their own devices, what do deer eat?

Deer are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. While there are plenty of plants in the forest, not all plants provide adequate nutrition for deer.

Much like humans, deer have preferences for certain foods and will eat them whenever and wherever they find them. When these foods are not available they will move on to acceptable foods (less nutrition and less tasty, but still acceptable.) If there is a lot of competition from other deer in the area, even these food sources may become depleted and deer will be forced to eat “foods of last resort;” these are foods that are very low in nutrients, but are better than nothing. Seasonal changes also affect the availability of foods.

Types of Foods That Deer Eat

Wild Grasses

Wild grasses are only eaten when the shoots are you and tender. They are a food of last resort, and help deer survive when deer cannot find other foods.

Woody Plants and Shrubs

Deer can feed on trees and shrubs. The eat the leaves, twigs and buds of these types of plants all year around.

Forbs

Forbs are herbaceous plants (perennial, non woody plants that die every winter but produce new growth every spring). Forbs include weeds and other flowering plants. This is a proffered food source.

Nuts

Very nutritious for deer, but crops of nuts are often small, so this food source is not as reliable as forbs and grasses.

Cultivated Crops

These are crops that humans plant. These can be an important part of deer diet in areas where other food sources are limited.

Fruits

Very high in energy, deer prefer these foods, but they are usually only available during summer and early fall.

At BuyRiteScopes.com we promote knowing your deer’s habitat and local food sources in order to track and find that trophy buck to make this year’s hunt the best ever.


Leupold VX-III 3.5-10×40When looking to find the really big bucks the traditional method of using a spotting scope or binoculars can help you locate one, but locating his trail is often difficult if almost impossible.

 A much more thorough method is to set up an observation post. The observation post must cover as many of the food sources as practical. Remember to keep the wind in your face and stay hidden. You should also have a good access and exit routes.

Scouting cameras is fast becoming a favorite method of locating the big bucks. Placing them on trails that enter food sources and watering holes can be very effective.

Don’t forget to keep logs of the shooter bucks and their signs, including where they were, what they were doing, wind directions, and overall weather conditions. 

At Buyritescopes.com finding the right deer to shoot is as important as the rifle or scope you use when hunting deer.


vx3_4_5-14x40_silver.jpgThe three major factors in determining the size of the buck’s antlers is age, nutrition, and genetics. Since the majority of hunters has no control over the genetics of a free range heard; age and nutrition are the two factors most hunters should consider when harvesting bucks.

Even with good nutrition a yearling up to 1.5 years old will have a relatively small set of antlers. The age of a buck is the easiest, cheapest and quickest to way to get a large rack. If you are hunting on private ground where there is a limited number of hunters refraining from shooting younger bucks gives them time to grow and develop a larger rack.

Research has shown that the average yearling buck expresses only 15 to 25 percent of its antler growth potential. However, this increases to 40-50 percent at age 2.5 years, 70-75 percent at age 3.5, and up to 90 percent at age 4.5.

BuyRitescopes.com supports allowing young bucks to live another year or two before harvest, protecting antler growth and improving the enjoyment of your hunt.


Wild Turkey Hunting

October 7, 2008

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Confidence, persistence and a lot of patience is what you need in order to harvest a gobbler. The very first challenge concerning a wild turkey is getting close to the bird.  Experienced hunters recommend confidence when calling and paying attention to what these birds might be doing.

A friction call is recommended with these birds as they are louder and the sound will carry further in the Western prairies and mountains and that is what you want, the sound to travel great distances. Wild turkey hunters recommend that once you get close to them you should look at what they are doing and try to imitate them. When hunting these birds, patience is indeed a great virtue.

Once you have got one turkey to answer your call, we strongly suggest that you stay where you are and be patient, making sure that he will come towards your way. Locating these birds is where the hunting actually starts; start by looking near water sources because that is the place where most of the turkeys are, mostly due to the reason that in many places we find drought conditions and these birds need water everyday just like humans do.

Once you have called in your turkey be prepared to make the kill with a Leupold turkey plex riflescope from Buyritescopes.com.


Quality Deer Management

October 6, 2008

Leupold Riflescope VX-II 4-12x50Rugged Riflescopes by LeupoldMore and more frequently you hear hunters interested in managing their properties and deer herds in order to increase the number of bucks and the size of the availabe bucks for harvest. Deer management is gaining in popularity and is commonly called Quality Deer Management or QDM.

To keep it simple QDM is an effort to balance the available deer herds with their habitats while improving the adult sex ratio with number of older bucks to younger bucks in the available deer population. This effort requires four essential steps: 1. monitor the herd, 2. manage the herd, 3. manage the habitat, and 4. manage the hunters.

Herd management is among the most important in QDM. Hunters must determine the number of does they should harvest as well as the best way to protect young bucks to enable them to reach an older age. When you harvest bucks according to age you are protecting young bucks and you also add a whole new dimension to your deer hunting experience.

At Buyritescopes.com we support Quality Deer Management in order to preserve quality deer hunting now and for future generations.


Binoculars for Bluejay Buffs

Author: BestRetBet
September 24, 2008

Birdwatching

Avid birdwatchers know that binoculars are one of the most necessary tools for bird spotting success. But most of the binoculars on the market are not tailored to bird watching, so before you purchase bird watching binoculars, make sure they have at least some of the characteristics that make them perfect for your pastime.The first thing you’re going to look for is high definition. Birds are tricky to spot in the wild. They can blend surprisingly well with the trees and other foliage. Make sure the color fidelity is high as well as the color contrast and resolution. Clarity and color are the two most important factors when picking out binoculars.

Also make sure they’re easy to hold and adjust. The last thing you want to do is fiddle with your binoculars while a stunning bird flees from a nearby branch. Also make sure they come outfitted with a neck strap. If you’re walking in the woods and happen upon a bird, you don’t want to grab the binoculars from a cumbersome case. Immediate access is essential.


Can I Switch Hunting Scopes?

Author: BestRetBet
September 24, 2008

shotgun scopesA lot of hunters have at one time or another considered placing a rifle scope on a shotgun, but is this a wise decision? Consider the facts.

For one, the recoil on a shotgun far exceeds the recoil on a rifle. The extra force is likely to (at least) damage the scope.

But the safety of the hunter is also in question. Generally speaking, shotgun scopes have a much longer eye relief than rifle scopes. This means that changing out the scopes would place your eye too close to the scope itself. With the added recoil, that scope will come at your eye hard and fast. It may even have enough force to cut your eyebrow.

As a rule of thumb, don’t switch out your scopes between gun types. A rifle scope is made in a certain way to work with a certain gun. And the same is true of the shotgun scopes. If you switch them out to save money, you’ll most likely just end up with a busted scope and a bleeding eye.


Deer Hunting Tips

September 23, 2008

vx3_4_5-14x40-resized.jpgAvid deer hunters start cleaning their guns and prepare the necessary equipment that is required for the big day. They go up into attics and dust things that have been stashed for nearly a year and start discussing with their friends who might join them on their sojourn and share deer hunting tips, tricks & strategy. There are many different kinds of game that people love to track down and shoot but none gives them more excitement than deer hunting, tracking that trophy buck. To achieve maximum a perfect goal they discuss hunting tips, tricks & strategy with others. Sight in the riflescope to make sure your shots are accurate and all of the planning pays off.

In fact you are the best guide in this and you can easily share these hunting tips, tricks & strategies with others. The best way of feeling satisfied is to find the goal by yourself and this feeling is doubled when you share the hunting tips, tricks & strategies with others. Not everyone is a born expert and till you become one here are some hunting tips, tricks & strategies that will help you to hunt that elusive deer. How can you hunt something that is not there? The same stands good when you are hunting for deer. Knowing the time when they come out is essential to be a successful bear hunter and is one of the most essential hunting tips, tricks & strategy.

Ask any experienced deer hunter and they will tell you that the best time to hunt a deer is during dawn and dusk. This is the time when they are active for the sleep at night and during the afternoon. However this does not suggest that they do not come out for feeding at other times. Take some time off before the actual hunting season starts. Go out on a scouting trip and this is best done between early to late summers. Be as wary as you will be during the actual hunting. It is essential that you do not leave your scent. This is also a nice time to check out the places that the deer visit for eating and drinking. This is a vital hunting tip, trick & strategy.

Deer love acorns and they also go to places that have rye and clovers covering the ground. No deer hunting tips, tricks & strategy compilation can be complete without mentioning this vital point. Hence it is essential that you check the above places. If you know a bit about deer tracks, you will know that the fresh tracks of deer means that they are around nearby. Another important deer hunting trick, tips & strategy is to set up the hunting stand before the deer arrive. If you try to set them up when they have arrived, you will scare them and they will run away. If you have a gps equipment with you, mark all the hot spots that you have come across. This will help you to locate the hot spots later on with ease. These are some of the most important hunting tips, tricks & strategy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Leary


Deer Hunting 101

September 22, 2008

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Deer hunting is one of the oldest and most popular sports in many parts of the world. It’s highly competitive and offers a unique experience each time. It can also be a dangerous sport, especially for inexperienced hunters. If this is unfamiliar territory to you, here are some things you need to know and understand about deer hunting to make sure you maintain the standards of safety and hunting ethics:

Understand your local rules.

In many places, there are certain regulations you need to be aware of prior to hunting deer. It is important that you understand what the laws in your locality are so you do not do anything considered illegal due to ignorance.

If you will be deer hunting on privately-owned land, get the owner’s permission first. If you will be cutting trees, limbs or shrubs, it’s important (and polite) to get approval. If you will be hunting on public land, check if cutting trees or parts of it is considered legal. In the majority of states, it is unlawful to alter the forest or to build structures. Make sure you understand what restrictions apply in your locality.

Know your equipment.

Never handle equipment that you don’t know how to use. If there are procedures recommended by the manufacturer, make sure that you have read and understood what they are. If you can, practice using the equipment first before going into deer habitat. Deer hunting equipment, especially guns and rifles, can be very dangerous if they are not used properly.

Use the right gun.

Before you buy a hunting gun, check your local regulations first so you’ll know which types of guns are allowed. Second, you might want to consider the type of landscape you will be hunting in.Open country spaces will require long-range shooters which give you enough power to shoot from a good distance. In forests and other areas that offer thick coverage, a rifle that can offer accurate shots at short ranges will be more favorable.When you have a proper gun for deer hunting, make sure you practice a few rounds with it first. Like most beginners, you probably can’t hope to make the first shot count unless you’ve had some considerable shooting experience in the past. Try to master your main equipment first to ensure a more successful and productive hunt.

Bring safety equipment.

If equipment comes with safety devices or accessories, make sure to bring them during the hunt. If you will be hunting deer from tree stands, use your safety harness or belt. Wear the required clothing to keep yourself safe and free from accidents.

A first aid kit, mobile phone, flashlight, lighter and a whistle will also come in handy during emergencies, so make sure you’re packed.

Hunt with an experienced buddy.

If you have never hunted deer before, it’s important that you find someone who has had good experience. They can offer you invaluable advice regarding the activity and since they know what to do, they can also increase the likelihood that you will enjoy a successful hunt.

Take note of hunting hours.

That’s right - hours. Generally, states do not allow hunters to fire guns before dawn and after the sun sets to ensure that hunters and their companions are safe. However, this doesn’t mean that you should start out when the sun’s already out. Go in early while it’s still dark to make sure you get the best possible location.

Inform someone that you will be hunting.

Before you leave the house, make sure someone knows where you will be and what you will be doing. At camp, leave a note that includes information about your whereabouts. This will be very useful in case you get lost or caught in an unexpected situation during deer hunting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Simm


Can Anyone Hunt Deer?

September 18, 2008

Leupold Riflescope VX-II 4-12×50

When it comes to deer and deer hunting, there are certainly some very important things you need to know in order to be successful out on the trail. Most people think hunting is relatively easy-you just get a gun, and shoot the deer as they are walking past, right? Wrong.You need to factor in many variables when hunting, and hopefully this guide will help you become a more successful hunter very quickly.One of the best things about deer hunting is the wide range of people who can do it. Regardless of whether you are eighteen or eighty nine, you can enjoy a lot of success doing it, which can’t be said for many sports. As long as you have some specialized knowledge, you can and will succeed.First and foremost, being in the right locating will make or break your success. You can be the top hunter anywhere in the world, but if you aren’t in a place where there are deer, you won’t catch any. This is the foundation of a successful hunting trip, and one you should definitely keep in mind.Another important factor in deer and deer hunting is to copy somebody who’s already a top notch deer hunter. This is another thing that might sound obvious on the surface, but very few people do it. Why?There are tips you can pick up just by watching the top hunters on TV, but so few people do it because they think they are out of their league. Think about it: people do this in anything.Most golfers don’t try to imitate Tiger Woods, they try and find somebody close to their ability level, because they don’t think they could ever play like Tiger Woods. They are limiting themselves right of the bat.I’d highly recommend you watch shows like the outdoor shows on ESPN Saturday morning, as there is some very valuable information they give out about being a successful deer hunter, and you can certainly learn a lot from this.Another important thing you can apply right now is to hunt either early in the day, or right at dusk. This is when deer are most plentiful, and is something that all too few hunters keep in mind.Make sure you get there early, and if hunting in the morning, while its still dark. You don’t want the deer to see you going to the tree stand, is they will avoid that area, very possible for the enter day. Therefore, your chances of catching any deer are essentially shot.Make sure to you don’t carry any orders with you, because deer have a very sharp sense of smell, and will sniff it out in a minute. This information is very important with deer and deer hunting, and you need to keep it in mind in order to be successful.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Harris