Hunting - Outdoors Hub http://hunting.outdoorshub.com Hunting & Fishing Articles, Information and How To's Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:52:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Moultrie Power Panel – External Solar Panel Review http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/54/ http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/54/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:49:37 +0000 admin http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/?p=54 Overall I have been very pleased with Moultrie game cameras and the battery life has been fairly good.  That was up until we tested the Moultrie M-80 trail camera in the plot stalker mode.  At its current settings it was just shy of 3,000 pictures a day and it didn’t take more than 2 days to kill the AA batteries.

The only way to run a trail camera in a plot scenario is to use an external solar panel like the Moultrie Power Panel.  The solar panel is easy to setup and connect any Moultrie game camera and in the long run will save money on disposable batteries.  It will also allow for a longer run time in the field which means less scent and presence around your cameras.

 

The Moultrie Power Panel features include:

  • Combined solar panel and 12volt rechargeable battery built in
  • LCD screen for easy readout of the following
    • Actual solar value to help with positioning
    • Average daily and weekly solar charge efficiency
    • internal charge level for internal battery
  • Works with all Moultrie cameras older than 2007
  • 10′ cord and mounting bracket for easy positioning
Setting it up was a breeze – the instructions were straight forward and connecting it to the camera is as easy as plugging it in tot he external power port under the camera.  The LCD display allows you to easily tell when you are maximizing the angle of the sun for charging purposes.    Its definitely a must have for staying out of the field and maximizing camera up time.
Moultrie Power Panel Scorecard 
Positive Aspects
  • Easy to use and setup – a no brainer actually
  • Easy to tell the best angle to the sun
Neutral Aspects
  • None
Negative Aspects
  • Expensive for an external solar panel – however it does include a built in rechargeable 12 volt battery.

This trail camera review is provided by http://trail-camera-review.com


]]> http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/54/feed/ 0 How To Choose A Rifle Scope http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/how-to-choose-a-rifle-scope/ http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/how-to-choose-a-rifle-scope/#comments Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:37:28 +0000 admin http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/?p=34 It's late August, and believe it or not hunting season is just around the corner. Now is the time to get your equipment out and do some maintenance and start practicing your shooting.

While your going over the gear you have and what you need to buy new or to replace existing worn out, pay special attention to your scope. Are the lenses still in good shape? Are any threads stripped? Does it hold the zero after you sight in? If not, you may need another scope.

Also, consider if you are changing your shooting needs. If you are going to be hunting long range when you have been hunting close range, you may need another scope.

There's a ton of rifle scopes on the market, cheap to expensive, general to specialized. Here's some things to consider when looking for a scope:

Magnification:
What kind of shooting are you doing? Hunting big game, hunting small game, competitive target shooting, varmint hunting, plinking, they all require a different magnification. It's obvious that the longer the distance to intend to shoot the higher the magnification you need. A word of caution is not to get too high a magnification. Hunting whitetail deer in Maine does not require a 6-18x scope. You're just as likely to get a 20 yard shot as a 200 yard shot. A 3-9X is a much better choice in this instance.

Here's a general guide:
Squirrels: up to 4x
Varmints: 4-12x
Big game in dense woods: 1.5-4x or 2-7x
Big game in fairly open country: 3-9x or 2.5-10x
Big game in wide open country: 4-12x or 6-18x

Resolution:
Basically this is a measure of how much light that enters the scope actually gets to your eye. It's measured as a percentage, e.g. 95%, 87%, etc.. It is really a measure of optical quality. The better the resolution, the clearer the picture you see through the scope.How good a resolution do you need? Well, it depends on your shooting. For close in work you can get away with a lower resolution. For long range shooting or shooting in low light conditions you'll want good (over 90%) resolution.

Scopes that are sealed, waterproof and shock proof:
A scope of even just decent quality should be sealed from air and water, and able to take the normal rigors of a handling during a hunting trip. This is one knock against real cheap scopes as they just won't hold up.

Reticles:
Reticles are also known as the cross hairs. There's all types of reticles available on the market these days. The most popular is the Duplex reticle made famous by Leupold. The duplex is similar to the standard cross hair, except the cross hair is thick for about 80% of it's length, thinning in the middle so you can see your target easily. Every manufacturer has a variation on the duplex. Some new reticles are ballistic reticles that are marked with graduations on a scale to help you compensate for distance and wind. There are also illuminated reticles, great for shooting in low light conditions.

Reticle choice is really a personal preference. If possible, test out several types and choose the one you like best.

How much should you spend?

For the most part, you get what you pay for. You can't expect a $75 scope to perform like a $600 scope. Cheaper scopes tend to have poor optics and loose their zero easily. You don't get out hunting that much, do you want your trip spoiled because your scope fails you?<P>
You should expect to pay $200-$800 for a good scope. You can spend more for specialized scopes. A good piece of advice is get the best you can afford. You will never regret getting quality that is too good, but always kick yourself for not getting good enough.

About the Author - Scott Peters is an avid whitetail deer hunter and outfitter. For more information please visit http://www.TheRifleScopeStore.com .


]]> http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/how-to-choose-a-rifle-scope/feed/ 0 How To Train Your Dog For Hunting http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/how-to-train-your-dog-for-hunting/ http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/how-to-train-your-dog-for-hunting/#comments Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:37:04 +0000 admin http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/?p=28 A hunting dog makes not only an exceptionally loving pet but can also become a comforting and useful companion on your hunting trip. As well as the usual obedience and house training you would undertake with a family dog you will also need to give some hunting dog training. If you have never had a hunting dog before then you may want to consider consulting a professional and employing their services for a while until you really know what you are doing. Hunting dog training is specific to the kind of activity you will undergo with your dog as well as the breeds that are normally used for hunting.


The basics of hunting dog training are similar to those of obedience and even potty training. While there are different methods and you will usually have to employ a number of these methods depending on the particular skill you are trying to teach, it is usual to use both positive and negative reinforcement. A positive reinforcement can be as simple as a petting because while this may be a simple action to you it is a popular action with your dog that shows them they have behaved well and done what you have asked them. A negative reinforcement should be a verbal reprimand like you would use with any dog.


Using check ropes or lead rope is not uncommon when training gun dogs and if this is the case then a negative reinforcement would be to pull the dog back on the lead. Whenever you use a negative reinforcement you should encourage the dog to perform the task correctly in order that you can quickly follow up a negative with a positive reinforcement. This combination of the negative and the positive is one of the strongest and most effective methods of training your hunting dog.


In some circumstances it may be necessary to use punishment. For instance, if you are training a hunting dog to avoid snakes then you can use an electric collar to assist the training. They are not dangerous but they do emit a shock when you press a remote button. Using a fake snake in conjunction with an electric collar should very quickly indicate to your dog that snakes are bad news. It may seem cruel to some but it is not as cruel as letting them approach a rattlesnake with no idea of the consequence.

About the Author - At http://www.dogtrainingcritic.com we provide the best information on dog training and un-biased reviews of the top dog training products.


]]> http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/how-to-train-your-dog-for-hunting/feed/ 0 All About Game Cameras http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/all-about-game-cameras/ http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/all-about-game-cameras/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:19:05 +0000 admin http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/?p=26  

Game cameras let you to scout your hunting areas without having to be actually present in the area. Before modern technology made these types of cameras that were designed for hunters they had to be physically there night and day in order to scout the area. Using a game camera has several big advantages. Through the image of the animal you can have a clear idea about the sex, approximate age and other necessary information about the animal concerned. If you are targeting a buck; you will get to know if it is using a scrape. If it is a bear that you want to hunt down; the image from the game cameras will help you make the accurate assumption as to when will the bear be hitting the bait pile.

These cameras a must have for every hunter. A single camera might be used in this purpose; or you might choose to use multiple cameras. The best thing about these cameras is that they do not cause any disturbance to the animals concerned. Before you buy a game camera; you need to consider a number of features. Your usage will determine the choice you make.

The date or time function is very much important for the usage of the hunters. So, when you go to buy a game camera, you need to make sure that the camera you are purchasing can record the date and time. The cameras which have better features will record a number of additional details as well. You can find cameras that will record moon phase, barometric pressure, temperature etc.

The next point that you need to consider before purchasing the camera for this purpose is the resolution. The resolution of a camera is measured in megapixels. You will have resolution choices of 2, 3, 5 and 7 megapixels. The more the resolution of the camera, the better the quality of the printed image will be. The cameras with poor resolution will not let you have a clear image of the animal that you are tracking.

The sensing mechanism of the camera also needs to be considered before purchasing a game camera as well. Make sure that your camera has a wide PIR angle. The camera that has a wider PIR angle will be able to capture better images. Consider the trigger time as well. A good game camera is the one that has a quick trigger time. You will even come across such cameras that have trigger time as less as a small fraction of a second.

The memory of the camera you are purchasing also needs to be taken note of. You can choose to purchase SD cards or Compact Flash Cards. The quality of the flash of the game camera you intend to purchase must also be taken into account. These cameras usually employ the infrared flashes or the incandescent flashes. Game cameras have a lot of additional features like external LCD, event counter, video, security capabilities etc. You can find such cameras in a varied range. The ones that are packed with all hi-end features obviously come with a higher price tag.

Sick and tired of coming home empty handed again after another unsuccessful hunting trip? A game camera will give you an almost unfair advantage. Check out what shoppers have to say on popular brands at game camera ratings

 


]]> http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/all-about-game-cameras/feed/ 0 Deer Hunting Tactics – The Huge-Racked Deer : Rare And Elusive http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/deer-hunting-tactics-%e2%80%93-the-huge-racked-deer-rare-and-elusive/ http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/deer-hunting-tactics-%e2%80%93-the-huge-racked-deer-rare-and-elusive/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:07:20 +0000 admin http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/?p=23 At some time during my deer hunting “career” I grew weary of hunting normal sized bucks and developed an interest in shooting trophy bucks only. Let me share some advanced deer hunting tips about the differences between hunting regular deer and true monster bucks.

I had to learn a lot of new tricks as I upped my game to pursue even better bucks, but I communicated with champion deer hunters all over the United States to get the best deer hunting tips possible. The things most hunters do to get average sized deer don’t always work when you want to move on to bigger game. As the years passed, and through a lot of experimentation, I figured out many secret tips necessary to bring down the huge deer.

Does your hunting area have large bucks? You typically never see the largest bucks out there. It’s very likely that there are large bucks in your area, even if no one has reported seeing them yet. Deer with the large racks that you’re looking for tend to stay in similar types of areas. To give yourself the opportunity of taking one of these shy creatures, you must take your deer hunting to where the big deer are. It is a stubborn fact that there are areas which do not have a single truly large buck, much less several of them. However, it is true that there are particular factors which do lead to a higher percentage of giant bucks in an area.

The first thing you should do to find out if there are large bucks around is to ask local hunters. Ask around with all the career hunters and game wardens in your area; even ranchers and farmers can help you, as can feed store owners, to tell you where sightings of big deer have been made, so you may know where to go. Even the local coffee shop or diner can be a place to find information on local deer population. You are attempting to discover if there are any big deer in the area and if so, where they are located. Don’t forget that you’re after the big deer, not just a bunch of average deer when you are asking around. Your goal is not to find lots of small deer, of course. You’re after a trophy rack. Should you presently be on a lease or are otherwise committed to one specific area, determine the areas or stands that have produced the biggest bucks over the last several years and find out if any big bucks have been spotted in any particular place. This is a good place to begin. However, you can be led astray with false or outdated information, so make sure you can be as sure as possible of the information.

If you really want to learn what it takes to bag the monster bucks, keep these deer hunting tips in mind when your next hunt comes up.

Cick here to get more great deer hunting tips for free.

And for even more great information that will have monster bucks almost begging you to shoot then check out DeerHuntingTips.com by clicking here: Deer Hunting Tips


]]> http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/deer-hunting-tactics-%e2%80%93-the-huge-racked-deer-rare-and-elusive/feed/ 0 Making Sense of Deer Cover Scents http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/18/ http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/18/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:58:31 +0000 admin http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/?p=18 Making Sense of Deer Cover Scents
By Marty Prokop
A deer hunter could spend thousands of dollars on the latest and greatest products. Over the past 24 years I have tried many...some worked great and others went directly to the trash can.

I have been asked by our www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com community about types and styles of deer hunting supplies I use for deer hunting.

So in the next few newsletters I’ll talk about deer cover scents, deer attractant scents and bust the myths around high priced and low priced deer scents.

In this newsletter, I’ll talk about deer cover scents.

In the next week’s newsletter, I’ll reveal a great, little-known secret for how to get deer to follow you to your deer hunting tree stand or deer hunting blind.

The following week we will cover how to attract more deer and bigger deer to your deer hunting tree stand or deer hunting blind once you are there.

And make sure to read the newsletter you’ll receive in three weeks about the experiment I did in the field to see if deer attractant scent collected and made from multiple deer or single deer is better.

You’ll be amazed.

If you want to read now and not wait, you can go to the blog at www.marty-prokop.com and look under the category of deer scents.

So let start uncovering the secret of deer scents.

We start with cover scents...

Marty Prokop is asked, “Do Cover Scents Really Make a Difference for Deer Hunters?”

I have been asked, and often wondered myself, if using deer cover scents really makes a difference to a deer hunter’s success.

Here is what I found...

I did field tests with and without deer cover scents.

For the first two weeks of bow hunting season, I bow hunted without the aid of cover scents or deer attractant scents. I saw plenty of deer, but none came into range.

The following week I applied a cover scent to all of my deer hunting gear and deer hunting clothing. I chose a cover scent that I felt would work no matter where in the country I was deer hunting.

The first morning, using cover scent, two does walk within 10 feet of me. Why? I believe it was because both deer smelled the cover scent I applied to my clothing and not my human odor.

I continued to apply the cover scent to my deer hunting clothes for the rest of the deer hunting season.

In my personal experience, cover scents work very well as long as you know this most important secret: Make sure the deer hunting cover scent you use matches the scents found naturally in your deer hunting habitat.

For example, if you deer hunt in a pine forest with no oak or acorn producing trees, acorn cover scents may actually alarm the deer in your area and keep them from coming to your deer hunting tree stand or deer hunting blind.

The same holds true if you hunt in an oak forest with no pine trees. A pine cover scent may not be the best choice to use.

Match your deer hunting cover scent to your deer hunting area.

Good Luck and Great Hunting.

Marty Prokop

http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com

About Marty Prokop

Deer hunting expert Marty Prokop reveals closely guarded deer hunting secrets on how to get deer every time. Get his Free Deer Hunting Tips Newsletter, free deer videos and free online deer hunting game at Free Deer Hunting Tips.com

Marty Prokop has 24-years experience deer hunting, processing deer for deer hunters and venison sausage making .  Marty Prokop teaches deer hunting, hunter safety, deer processing and deer sausage making classes. Marty Prokop has processed 7,805 deer, field dressed 422 deer and made over 991,990 pounds of sausage, smoked meats and jerky. Marty Prokop worked with Minnesota DNR programs. His deer hunting videos are used in statewide advanced hunter education classes. Marty Prokop is a successful speaker, outdoor writer and published author.


]]> http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/18/feed/ 0 Spring Turkey Hunting Tips http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/spring-turkey-hunting-tips/ http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/spring-turkey-hunting-tips/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:09:57 +0000 admin http://hunting.outdoorshub.com/?p=5 Spring is one of the greatest times of the year, not just because of the warming weather but because of the abundant opportunities that Virginia offers. Just as anglers are chasing large female bass looking to bed down, Virginia’s hunters are hitting the woods for one of the hottest seasons all year – spring turkey. As soon as hunters start to see the forsythia blooming and the redbuds and dogwood budded out, they know that it won’t be long before spring turkey is in full swing.

Spring turkey season opens April 9th with a youth spring turkey day on April 2nd. The weeks prior to the Virginia spring turkey opener have birds becoming more active, and hearing big tom’s calling is not uncommon. While large male turkeys may still be seen together, and with larger groups of hens and jakes, this behavior will change as tom’s become more solitary and look for willing hens to mate with.

Virginia offers ample opportunities for turkey hunters and not just those that have access to private property. Virginia DGIF has thousands of acres of state managed Wildlife Management Areas (WMA’s) as well as state forests affording everyone an opportunity to take a nice turkey. Be sure to check state licensing and game laws when hunting state managed properties and be sure to check your turkey in with the state. VA Outdoors has teamed up with Eddie Griggs of VA Elite Outdoors to provide you with tips to make your spring turkey season a success.

Know Where the Turkey Have Roosted
Now this seems like an obvious one but there is nothing worse than hitting the woods and assuming you know where the turkey have roosted the night before, only to discover you were wrong. To newturkey hunters or people considering taking up turkey hunting, turkey roost in large trees usually high off the ground. Typically on my Powhatan property, I find turkey roosting in large oaks, hickory and beech. This time of year these trees still afford the turkey plenty of visibility before dropping to the ground.

To know where the turkey are roosting, be sure to get your camo out, everything from gloves to face masks, and hit the woods in the late afternoon about an hour before sunset. Set up within the hardwoods and avoid calling to see which section of the woods the turkey are roosting. It's not uncommon to see large males push off and roost away from the females and jakes. Listen for the birds to start roosting – the sound is easy to distinguish as a fifteen to twenty pound bird begins flapping it's wings and flying through the branches. Once you have identified where the turkey are roosting, wait until dark and quietly and quickly slip out of the woods. Try to avoid busting turkeys from the roost. Remember the turkey has the best eye sight of most animals. Knowing where a large tom is roosting versus the females are roosted can mean success allowing you to setup and pull that turkey in.

Getting a Tom to Give Up His Location
If you haven’t been able to roost a dominant male there are other ways to get him to give up his location. Eddie Griggs of Virginia Elite Outdoors has been guiding clients on turkey hunts for many years and has a lot of experience hunting wild turkeys. Eddie’s advice for locating a tom in the morning is to use locator calls. Eddie says “I have tried and used several different kinds, and my advice for which to use at first light is, it depends...”

As a rule of thumb, Eddie normally uses owl calls early in the morning until he hears the crows get going. Eddie likes to let Mother Nature do the locating for him, meaning if ole' tom is sounding off to crows calling make your move on him without making a sound. Side note: If you are hunting close to water - river, lake, beaver pond, etc. - don't forget your goose calls. Goose calls have been extremely effective for me the last few years.

“If I know a bird is there and he is not responding to any locator calls, I employ the ‘go to where the hens want to go’ method and wait him out. I would call lightly and be patient. You need to stay on red alert those days, because you never know when he will be coming.” states Eddie.

How to Hunt Heavily Pressured Area’s
Sometimes the birds can be pressured and may, at times, change up their patterns. Eddie has this advice for hunters dealing with pressured birds - use extreme caution when turkey hunting public land, as hunters will be more on the move in the woods during spring gobbler season than with deer hunting.

Before getting in to calling or the use of decoys, Eddie recommends getting to know the lay of the land; even on unpressured birds. Know the topography, fence lines, creeks, ridges, etc. If you set up with a barrier between you and the ole’ tom you may not have success, as birds tend to hang up on these obstacles. Also scout, scout, scout - if you know where he has been roosting, his strut zones, and where the hens will be feeding, you will be way ahead of the average hunter just stepping into the woods. And last - patience! I can't stress that enough says Eddie.

Calling - It's difficult to give a steadfast answer because every bird is different... but if I am pinned down to give a suggestion I would say less is better, especially later in the season if the birds have been pressured.

Decoys - again, I stress caution on public land using decoys. But if I felt comfortable with it, I would use a gobbler and two hens. This set up has worked for us more so than the traditional hen(s) set up. Remember to situate the decoys to bring the Gobbler to the spot you want to take him. He wants the hens (decoys) to see him, and if they don’t move to look at him, 9 times out of 10 he will make a circle to get in front of them. The gobbler decoy may take his entire attention and you may have front row seats to a great show.

How to Hunt Tom’s that Have Located Hens
If you can’t get birds roosted the night before or hit the woods later in the morning, there is a good chance that the larger male turkeys have located the hens. This can pose a bit of a challenge - last year this seemed to be the theme of most of our hunts, says Eddie. How we put our clients on birds is first, knowing where the hens wanted to go to feed and secondly, patience.

Also note this - a turkey may look dumb, but I promise you he will remember where he hears hens, or a hen call. Meaning, if he breeds a hen and she goes to nest, he will start looking for others, going back to where he heard a hen earlier.

A less known fact about turkey breeding is that the breeding cycle in Virginia normally gets started in February and by the time the season opens many of the hens are already bred and nesting. But notice I said normally - I think the long winter last year postponed the cycle and therefore we had more "available" hens during the season which made hunting a little more difficult.

Eddie Griggs runs VA Elite Outdoors, specializing in guided bass fishing trips as well as guided deer and turkey trips. Don’t miss this opportunity to hunt spring turkey with Eddie, Eddie can be reached at 804-543-7168 or go to book a guided turkey hunt check Eddies site for more information.  Eddie is also a contributor on VA Outdoors for fishing the James River and other bodies of water.


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