Hunting is a sport that requires skill, preparation, and patience. No hunter became experienced and skilled in the sport overnight. Whether you are brand new or you have a few seasons under your belt, the learning curve is quite large, and you are bound to make a mistake here and there. In fact, most beginners do make mistakes and even seasoned hunters still find themselves making mistakes that impact their overall enjoyment, success, and safety. From poor decision making to improper gear or weapons, these errors can seriously affect your experience, lead to dangerous situations, and even missed opportunities.
In this article, we will discuss the top five common mistakes that hunters make in the field and offer some advice on how you can avoid these mistakes yourself.
Lack of Practice and Poor Shot Placement
Many hunters find that they often have a clear shot in the game they are hunting, but a lack of practice and poor shot placement can cause a missed shot or lead to a wounded animal that suffers and is not quickly taken down. Proper marksmanship is the foundation of having a successful hunt and without it, no matter how much you prepare, you will never find yourself experiencing success in the field.
What Makes Lack of Practice and Poor Shot Placement a Mistake?
Hunting takes practice and a lot of it. Hunters who do not take the time to experience their shooting skills will find that, even though they think they have the perfect shot, do not. During the hunt, you may find yourself amped up with adrenaline, which can cause you to aim poorly, have shaky hands, or even bad shot placement. You need to make sure you practice through these things regularly.
How to Avoid This Mistake
- Practice, practice, and more practice: The only way to avoid this mistake is to spend time in a controlled environment practicing your aim and shooting. You can practice in a variety of scenarios you set for yourself and different positions such as standing, sitting, laying, and so on
- Fully understand shot placement: Before you start shooting any game, you need to spend time learning the anatomy of the animal and where you need to shoot for a quick and ethical kill. Once you have the anatomy down and know where to place your shot, practice shooting a target in these specific areas
- Know what your limitations are: Never take shots that are beyond your skill level. If you are not confident making a shot from 300 yards, don’t do it. You are more likely to injure yourself, someone around you, or the animal. Wait until you are confident with the shot that you are about to make and do make sure the shot is within your ability
- Tune your gear: All the practice in the world won’t help you if you are not using the right gear or gear that is tuned to the specs you need. Spend time properly sighting your weapons so that you can make that accurate shot in the field
Failure to Scout and Prepare
Failure to scout and prepare before you head out into the field is a big no-no and will lead to a hunting experience you are not proud of. Whether you are hunting big or small game, understanding animal behavior, the terrain, and seasonal patterns is crucial.
Often, hunters rely on luck, or they say they will just wing it and this can lead to an unproductive hunt and frustration.
What Makes Failure to Scout and Prepare a Mistake?
Scouting the area that you plan to hunt in BEFORE you hunt can help you gather important information about the animal(s) you plan to hunt. Additionally, it allows you to look at the land that you plan to hunt on and identify any areas of concern or any areas you want to focus on.
If you fail to scout and prepare beforehand, you are basically going into hunting blind and this is not only dangerous, but it can also tire you out, especially when you run into the unexpected.
How to Avoid This Mistake
- Spend time scouting the area: Whatever area you have identified as a possible area to hunt, spend some time scouting it out before your hunting trip. This allows you the opportunity to track animal movements, observe any wildlife patterns, and identify bedding and feeding areas
- Map out your route: Make sure you get familiar with both GPS tools and topographic maps as they can both help you out. Knowing the layout of the land you plan to hunt on can be used to your advantage and will allow you to avoid dangerous areas
- Know the different seasons: Seasons change and when seasons change, animal behavior tends to change as well. Make sure that you are hunting during the right season for the game that you are after
- Make use of technology such as trail cameras: Don’t be afraid to make use of technology, especially trail cameras as they can be extremely helpful. These devices allow you to get some insight into the area that you are planning to hunt in and will let you see how active the area is.
Ignoring the Environmental Conditions and the Weather
Another common mistake that hunters often make is not paying attention to the environmental conditions or the weather before heading into the field. Failing to pay attention to these two things can mean that your hunt is not successful. Remember, animals change their behavior based on the environmental and weather conditions they find themselves in.
What Makes Ignoring the Environmental Conditions and Weather a Mistake?
While you may not know it at first, weather plays an important part in animals behavior. For instance, some species of animal may be more active during colder months while others may hide more during this time. Understanding how animals respond to the weather can assist you in having a successful hunt and also planning your trip.
Additionally, animals often change their behavior based on other factors such as the temperature outside, wind direction, and even barometric pressure. Ignoring these things can greatly reduce your chances of a good and successful hunt.
How to Avoid This Mistake
- Don’t forget to monitor the weather: Before you go hunting, spend time monitoring the weather. You can use weather apps and forecasts to help you plan your hunt. Do pay attention to things such as heat waves or cold fronts, rain chances, and even the wind patterns
- Dress yourself for the weather: Failing to dress appropriately for the weather is another thing you want to avoid. If it is going to be hot outside and you layer up, you will find yourself uncomfortable and unable to hunt for long. Do yourself a favor and dress for the conditions that you will be hunting in
- Adapt to the conditions around you: Hunters must be able to adapt to all different situations they are faced with. As the weather changes, adjust yourself so that you are comfortable and can still have a good time out in the field
Forgetting About Safety and Legal Requirements
Safety is extremely important when hunting but sometimes, hunters fail to prioritize it, or they simply think that something bad can’t or won’t happen to them.
Whether it is disregarding safety of a firearm, forgetting to wear a reflective vest, or not checking local laws and regulations, these basic principles can lead to legal problems and accidents.
Why Is Forgetting About Safety and Legal Requirements a Mistake?
Hunting comes with risk and as a hunter, you assume that risk when you decide to participate in the sport. From navigating difficult terrain to utilizing a firearm around others, it can be quite dangerous.
Furthermore, not checking up on local laws and regulations about hunting and knowing the requirements can land you in some legal trouble such as revoked hunting privileges and fines.
How to Avoid This Mistake
- Familiarize yourself with the local laws: Make sure to familiarize yourself with local hunting laws and regulations including bag limits, season dates, and any licensing requirements. Ignorance of the laws and regulations is not a defense, and you will be expected to know them
- Wear your safety gear at all times: Always make sure that you are wearing your safety gear out in the field so that you are visible to others. Failure to do this can lead to serious injuries
- Follow all firearm safety: You should treat every single firearm as if it is loaded and keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Always make sure you are 100% sure about your target before firing as well. You should practice safe handling of your firearm at all times
- Be aware of your surroundings: Do maintain situational awareness and keep track of your location. It also is recommended that you tell someone that you are going hunting and let them know where you will be and when you plan to return
Not Using Scent and Wind Control Techniques
Animals, especially deer, have a very keen sense of smell and one of the most common mistakes that hunters make is underestimating this. Ignoring scent and wind control can lead to animals detecting your presence and this will spook them and you will leave empty handed.
Why Is Not Using Scent and Wind Control Techniques a Mistake?
Ignoring scent control and wind direction can hurt your chances of success when hunting. Animals are keen to scent and if they even get the smallest scent of you, they will get scared. Make sure you are avoiding using products that will add a human scent to your clothing or gear and do pay attention to wind direction to avoid your scent being carried towards the animal(s) you are hunting.
How to Avoid This Mistake
- Use scent control: Don’t be afraid to use scent control products. You can find scent eliminating products such as soaps and sprays to help you drown out your human scent. Also consider wearing scent lock clothing and utilizing scent free detergents
- Check the direction of the wind: Be mindful of the wind direction before you start hunting and position yourself upwind so that your scent is not carried downwind
- Avoid creating scent trails: As you walk through the woods and move to your hunting position, do be careful not to create a scent trail in the process
- Stay clean: Keeping yourself as scent free as possible is one of the most important things to keep in mind. You want to be mindful of what products you use on your body and should avoid things such as perfume, cologne, and scented deodorants before going hunting
Avoid These Mistakes and You Are on Your Way to a Successful Hunt
Hunting is a rewarding experience, but you must set yourself up for success and that means spending time learning more about sport, animal behavior, and more. By avoiding the top five common mistakes above, you can better prepare yourself for a happy and successful hunt.
