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4 Pro Tips For Setting Up A Great Hunting Expedition Camp

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4 Pro Tips For Setting Up A Great Hunting Expedition Camp

Whether you are planning an expedition, hunting elk in the Rocky Mountains or white-tail deer in the wildlands of Virginia setting up camp is one important step that can not be overlooked. The relationship between having an ideal hunting camp and the success of a hunt can’t be underestimated. Setting up an ill-equipped and poorly organized hunting camp can exaggerate even minor inconveniences of being away from the comfort of your home.

Below are a few tips to help you set up a great hunting camp.

1. Choosing a site

*Safety should be your first consideration when choosing a site to set up your camp. The further away you are from civilization the higher the risk of something happening to you. Keep this in mind when choosing your site and take into consideration the animals that may live in the forest around you.

*Your site location should not be too close to game trails. This prevents the risk of having a wild animal wander into your site and also lessens the possibility of scaring away the exact thing you may be hunting.

*Avoid setting up under things that can fall at any moment. This includes dead tree branches or rocks.

*Consider terrain. You might set up camp under clear skies only to wake up in a flooded depression. Choose a location that is fairly level to avoid being in such a situation.

2. Proximity

Setting up a campsite for the fun of it is very different from setting up a hunting camp. When setting up a camp just for fun you will want to be near great scenery for great photos, this is just not a priority when setting up a hunting camp.

*You will need to be close to fresh water for drinking which is important for survival.

*Find an area that increases your chances of a successful hunt. You do not want to set up camp that is too close or too visible to where you plan on doing the actual hunt as this could spook the game out of the area.

*That being said, you also want to set up in an area that is close enough so that you can be in your hunting position without wasting too much time. Remember, if you do take something down, you will have to haul it back to camp.

3. Storage space

It is close to impossible to carry all your belongings every day when you go hunting. It is therefore vital that you have enough storage space for your extra gear as well as your food.

*First, you will need to separate the cooking area and the sleeping area. You should not take food into the sleeping area. This will reduce the risk of animals getting close to you when you are sleeping if they happen to wander into camp.

*Ensure all food and meat is hang in bags at least three meters from the ground and a few meters from the sleeping tents. Hang any game you gave scored off the ground and away from the camp area.

Campfire at the hunting camp

4. Keep the camp area clean

*The first thing you should consider is setting up a toilet. It should be away from the living area and away from the water source. If you plan to stay in the camp for long, dig a deep trench that can accommodate all human waste. When you leave the site make sure you bury all human waste.

*Do not leave your garbage lying around. Make sure you burn all your waste or carry it back home for proper disposal.

*Clean up your campsite and the area around it before you go. Leave it cleaner than when you got there. Keeping the forest around you clean ensures happy hunters, campers, and animals for years to come.

Now with these tips, you are ready to go on a whitetail hunt.

Ruffed Grouse Shooting – Tips From A Professional Hunter

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Ruffed Grouse Shooting - Tips From A Professional Hunter

Ruffed grouse give even experienced hunters and fine wingshots all the challenge they want when it comes to putting birds in the bag. I’ll tell you my stats just to give you an idea of what to expect. During the early weeks of the season, when foliage is still summer-thick, I catch a glimpse of about half the birds that flush. I manage to connect on about one out of every four attempts. When the leaves come down, unless a bird flushes wild, I catch a glimpse of nearly every bird and connect on about half of them. Hopefully, your numbers will be better than mine.

I’ve been out hunting a number of times with friends who have been much more familiar with hunting other upland game birds–pheasants, sharptailed grouse, prairie chickens, partridges, etc. No matter how much I warn them beforehand, their initial exasperating remark is something like, “How the devil are you supposed to kill a bird you hardly ever see?”

And hidden in that question is the key to connecting on ruffed grouse: Expect only a glimpse. If you happen to catch a full view of the bird as it zips across an opening or zooms across a logging trail, consider that a bonus. To connect on grouse, you shoot where they aren’t yet, not where they were.

Now, please don’t misunderstand. I would never condone shooting at sound only. But if you want to hit grouse with anything even approaching consistency, you will want to be mounting your shotgun or your hunting crossbow at the sound of every flush. If you wait until you see the bird, it is very often going to be too late. Most of the time all you are going to get are fleeting glimpses. Your goal is to put a swarm of 7-1/2 out in front of that glimpse. Ignore the trees, leaves, vines and brush. You only need a couple of pellets on target.

Hunting With a Dog

Hunting with a good dog will not only help you locate more grouse, but give you an edge when it comes to hitting grouse as well. The dog, whether pointer or flusher, will let you know when there is a grouse in the area. This will allow you to anticipate the flush. That may not sound like much of an edge, but trust me, that advance notice is huge.

Ruffed Grouse Hunting With A Dog

If you hunt without a dog, get in the habit of playing the old stop-and-go game. When you are in good cover, stop every 15 to 20 steps and stand still for 10 seconds or so. Often, a bird that would’ve let you walk on by had you proceeded with a steady gait, becomes unnerved at the sudden silence and flushes.

And speaking of unnerved, if that blast of whirring grouse wings does not do something wonderful to your nervous system, well, beats me why you’re hunting in the first place!

I hope my tips will help you better your ruffed grouse hunting skills and this season will be the best one for you. Good luck!