Hunting Tips
Hunting Tips
By Steve Boatman
So I (Steve) finally got my act together and got the hunting section rolling. But you’re probably all like “Who is this guy?” I happen to be a member of Doug’s Youth Group at The Alley church in Cottage Grove, MN. I would probably describe myself as an enthusiast of shooting sports and an avid hunter.
So as a Christian I’m sure you’ve heard the debate about how hunting is unethical, mean, and doesn’t consider the feelings of the animals. To which I respond “….what?” First of all, hunting keeps the smart animals sharp. Hunters are a major threat to the animals, and the ones that are like the grouse I shot last fall deserve to be shot. So story time now: I’m riding one of my grandpa’s ATV’s through the woods with my dad, and I come around a corner and see a rather large bird in the middle of the trail. So I quick stop and cut the engine, and grab my shotgun out of the case up front. The thing sat there and watched me load in a round, chamber it, and shoot it without even moving. But back to the point, hunters keep the smart animals senses attuned and give them more food by eliminating the stupid ones. And ultimately, animals don’t have feelings. Really, they don’t. I even asked a deer one time, and if he had feelings he would have felt bad for running away.
So I think I’ll just lay out a few baseline suggestions for what gun you should take hunting. First of all, it depends on what you’re hunting. Bird hunting requires a shotgun unless you qualified as a sniper in the Marines. For big game (deer, elk, moose, etc.), you’ll usually want a rifle, or under some circumstances a shotgun with slugs will do. Any shotgun is powerful enough to take down a bird, but the bigger you get the better your chances are. Remington and Browning make very good shotguns. For deer, any caliber above .243 will work. Elk and moose generally require much longer shots, and they are bigger so they require bigger guns. Nothing smaller than a .30-06, and a .308 is your best bet. For bear hunting, use at least a 7mm or a .308 so that you take it down the first time. If you grow an elusive money tree in your backyard, you might want to take a look at Beretta for rifles. Remington makes what I call the “working man’s gun”, affordable and dependable.
Before heading out to the woods, please (for your own sake) make sure you purchase a license. The fine for getting caught without one is ridiculous, and it gives the rest of us a bad name.
In terms of a stand, you have two options. You can buy a portable one so that you can change places daily, or you can build one. The best trees are the ones that are like 3 different trees growing out of one root system (hard to explain, but when you see one you’ll know what I’m talking about). Building your own stand is only a good idea when the woods you hunt over are fairly uninhabited by other hunters and you have a residence nearby.
Your local sporting goods store will probably carry all of these, and the orange/camo gear, scents, calls, and whatever else you want for your hunt. One last tip: bring peanut butter granola bars. They taste great, and the smell of peanuts wafting through woods won’t hurt your chances one bit.
Steve can be contacted at: steve@christiangunowners.net
(Editor’s note: I asked Steve to write an article about hunting as he and his family are active hunters. Steve (who is 16) enjoys shooting both in regards to hunting as well as for fun. Steve is very well versed in hunting and firearm safety thanks to his family and their insistence on hunting safely as well as making it a fun family event. )