Outdoor Survival Info

Archive for the ‘Hunting’ Category

How to Prepare For Outdoor Survival – Tactics For Hiking and Camping
By Mo Plante

The outdoors is a beautiful place in which nature is at its best. While the places you may spend your time in at the wilderness seem very safe, there are certain precautions that every person, even the seasoned hiker or camper needs to take. A first aid kit is absolutely essential on even the shortest outdoor excursions. A simple collection of antiseptic, bandages, and hydrocortisone cream should meet the needs of most minor injuries. For more serious injuries a cellular phone will prove to be very valuable or know the locations of the nearest phones that provide service to ranger stations.

Aside from having your first aid kit and way to communicate, the best way to protect you from perils of the outdoors is to know the area in which you are camping or hiking. You would not want to be dropped off in the middle of a huge city that you were not familiar with and the woods should be treated with same respect. By knowing your area, the climate for that particular time of year is very crucial. Not having the appropriate clothing to withstand the weather could cause great harm to you and your family. Remember that a lot of areas temperature range can vary by as much as 40 to 50 degrees between daylight and nighttime hours. To help combat temperature changes the proper equipment can make life out on the terrain a little easier. There are tents and sleeping bags designed for particular temperature ranges that will help keep your body temperature at a safe level. Hypothermia and heat exhaustion are two serious concerns that happen readily to unprepared campers and hikers.

The next point of interest is food and water. Your body will require water to survive. At least 2 liters of water needs to be available daily to sustain your body need for water. While this can be obtained from streams, wells, and other natural resources, it is always a good idea to add some bottled water to your pack. Dried foods can also be packed which are typically light such as MRE (Meals Ready to Eat), and dried fruits and vegetables. A little research can also provide you with naturally occurring food sources for the area you plan on scouting. Do not eat anything that you have not thoroughly researched, as many fruits and plants can look absolutely delicious but prove to be poisonous. Wild game can also be captured for those with knowledge of trapping or hunting. An important thing to remember when eating wild game is that you risk infection of diseases but will help keep the pack weight down and provide you with the variety of diet that you need for longer excursions.

For those skilled and experienced campers and hikers, creating a fire may not be that difficult. However, depending on climate and amount of materials available to start a fire could prove a hard task for the more inexperienced hikers or campers. To make life out in the wild a little easier, waterproof matches would help start a fire easily. Two blocks of flint could also be used and of course if all else fails two dry sticks can give you that little amber you need to start your cooking fire. Pine straw and other dried vegetation are ideal for getting a fire started, but you will also need to locate larger wood sources to keep your fire going for an extended period of time. When you go out venturing for wood, do not travel alone. When possible, always try to travel with a friend in case danger does arise.

Navigation can make or break an experience in the wild. The surroundings are all typically the same no matter what direction you walk in. Landmarks are few and far in between. A compass is highly suggested along with a small map of the area in which you will be staying. Long sleeves and pants will help keep you from being injured from briars and other hazards as well as limit fresh skin available for insects. If you get completely lost this attire should be able to get through the night in many terrains, and leave items that are not needed as landmarks to help others track you or to let you know if you have been walking in circles. When all else fails, a flare gun should have been a part of your survival kit. This should then be fire when times are getting hard. Once the flare has been fired you need to stay at that location.

Some of the more common insects and animals that could pose a problem in the wild are leeches, mosquitoes, and bears. If for any reason you pick up a few leeches on your skin, it is important not to remove them without use of salt or alcohol. This is due to the jaws being left in the skin which can then become infected. Bug spray and netting should be used to prevent an abundance of mosquito and other insect bites as they are prone to diseases and infections. For addressing bears, all food needs to be kept in sealable containers to prevent the scent traveling and inviting a bear into your campsite. This is only a few of the many dangers that the wild possesses. It is important to research the natural inhabitants of any new area you plan to visit.

Another primary concern is animal bites such as spiders, snakes, and scorpions. Many breeds of these animals come packed with a toxic bite. Whether it be a black widow spider, rattlesnake, or other animal you need to know how to handle yourself. The vital part to helping a fellow camper or hiker that has been bitten is to clean the infected area well, and tie a piece of material or belt above the wound. This will help prevent infection and slow the movement of the poison throughout the body. Emergency officials need to be reached immediately if the bite is determined to come from a poisonous animal. An easy way to tell with snake bites are if a row of teeth appears it is typically a non-venomous snake, while if two distinct puncture marks are shown with or without the row of other teeth, it is a good assumption that the snake was poisonous. The next step is to assure that someone is monitoring the bitten person for changes in status. It often takes some time for symptoms to begin to appear. Treat the symptoms as best as possible with your first aid kits and seek help. The myth of sucking out venom is simply that and not suggested.

Now that we have covered the basics of outdoor survival, it is up to you to educate yourself on the specific surroundings that you will be camping or hiking. Knowledge is what will keep you alive out there, while ignorance does not have a pleasant ending.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mo_Plante
How to Prepare For Outdoor Survival Tactics For Hiking and Camping

The Bit of Archery History
By Linda Thompson

The history of archery is an interesting one, by following the evolution of archery we also follow the history of mankind which is so closely linked.

Throughout the world we have found evidence of ancient archery, even in places where in the past it was thought that the bow and arrow was not used, such as Australia.

It is thought that archery most likely dates back to around 20,000 BC which is in the Stone Age, but the ancient Egyptians are credited as being the oldest known people to have used the bow and arrow. Archery was adopted by the ancient Egyptians at least 5000 years ago for the purpose of both hunting and warfare.

In 1200 BC the Hittites, an ancient people who lived in what is what is now known as Turkey and northern Syria, used the bow and arrow from fast, light chariots that enabled them to become dreaded opponents in Middle Eastern battles.

Their neighbours known as the Assyrians, who originated in Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria also used archery extensively. They reshaped the bow to a recurve shape that was shorter and much more powerful enabling them to be handled at lot easier by an archer on horseback. They also used several different types of material to build bows including horn, tendon and wood.

In China archery can be traced back to the Shang dynasty which was between 1766 and 1027 BC when war chariots carried a three man team consisting of a driver, lancer and archer.

It was during the ensuing Zhou dynasty between 1027-256 BC that the Chinese nobles at court liked to attend archery sporting tournaments that were accompanied by music and much fanfare.

The Chinese introduced civil archery to Japan around the six century and it had an overriding influence on later techniques and etiquette. One of Japan’s martial arts now known as kyudo (way of the bow) continues to be taught in Japan in the traditional manner. A bow over 2 metres long and made of bamboo, wood and laminated strips is used for shooting a target set in a roofed over bank of sand.

During the Geco-Roman period, the bow was utilized more for personal exploits or hunting than it was for warfare, Archery is frequently depicted on pottery dating to that time.

The Romans are not believed to have been very good archers, more than likely because up until the 5th century the bows they used were shot by drawing the string back to the chest rather than the face which gives the arrow far more accuracy.

Enemies such as the Parthians had far better skills; they were accomplished horsemen who were able to shoot backwards by swivelling around in the saddle often at full speed.

The superiority of the archery equipment and techniques used by the people of the Middle East continued for centuries. Attila the Hun and his Mongols, using Bows similar to those of the Parthians and Assyrians, conquered much of Asia and Europe and the Crusaders were thrown back by Turkish archers.

The bow was a means of survival during the days of English and later American colonization and still is in some countries on the African continent

The popularity of archery has also been reflected in many songs and folklore, probably the most famous being Robin Hood, but archery is also often referenced in Greek mythology.

The first known organized archery competition included 3000 participants and was held at Finsbury, England in 1583.

By the time of the European 30 Years War between 1618 and 1648 because of the introduction of the gun, it had become clear that the bow and arrow as a weapon belonged in the past.

Since that time, archery is has become extremely popular as a recreational sport.

Linda Thompson is webmaster of http:Discount Archery Shop where you can get all your discount archery needs from bows,arrows and accessories to targets. We have a full range of bows and arrows. Check our prices!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Thompson
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The pair of boots I have now are uncomfortable, and without sufficient insulation to deal with cold weather. So I think I’ll get some new boots this year. But I might actually have to get two pairs. You see, it’s going to be all warm, sometimes wet, and usually snakey. Then the winter is going to come on and the ground is going to freeze through the sole of my boots while I stand in one place for three hours.

Should I try to find one middle-ground boot that is warm enough for the cold, but not too warm for the warm? Should I get a pair of light snake boots and then some waterproofed, gore-tex, thinsulate, space station boots for the winter? I don’t know. I have some experience with combat boots, but not so much with hunting boots.

Buy for your climate, you say. Well, yes, that’s why I’m considering two pairs. But I’m going to be honest with you, I’m cheap. I need some new archery gear this year, too. If I get two pairs of boots, then my wife is just going to scowl at me when I go to buy the bow or crossbow (I haven’t decided yet). What to do…what to do?

Right now I’m looking at some snake boots, and also some boots with heavy insulation, waterproofed, and all that jazz. Do any of you who are more experienced with hunting boots have any advice for me? Maybe I should just get some desert tan combat boots for the warmer weather, but that won’t help me with the snakes. I guess I just don’t need to step on the snakes, but I’m trying to be cautious here.

I took my Marlin 336W .30-30 out to the range this past weekend. I love shooting that rifle. This was the first time I fired some of my LeveRevolution ammo by Hornady. It’s good stuff. Feels smoother than the Power Shok rounds I had from Wal-Mart. Though it still kicked like a miniature mule. My shoulder was a bit sore after firing 40 rounds.

I shot some freehand, standing, and then sat down on the bench for my longer shots. I’ve never been much of a rifleman — preferring pistols to rifles — but I think that’s gonna change. Since I’ve started deer hunting, becoming proficient with a rifle is a must. And for a beginner, I think I did pretty well. I had decent groups at 25 – 75 yards, both freehand and with support. I even hit the target when it was at 100 yards. A fair accomplishment, since I was using the stock iron sights on the rifle. No scope or glowing sights of any kind. But at 100 yards the front sight post covered up the entire target.

Still, I think I’ll keep that rifle without scope. It’s short and easy to move with through rough woods. I’ll just have to get a nice bolt action rifle with scope to hunt deer in the large open areas. Once I find some large, open areas, that is…

It’s frustrating to go out into the woods and see nothing. Likewise, it’s also frustrating to have hunters walking all over the deer path you know the deer would travel were it not for the intruding humans.

Man, I need to buy some land so I don’t have to deal with other hunters on the land I’m hunting.

No deer! I haven’t seen any deer yet. I think I might have heard one crossing the creek behind the brush line, but I can’t be sure. It could have been some loud ducks.

Weekend number two of modern gun deer season is looking rather dismal. Maybe it’s this ridiculous heat. I had to wear a t-shirt hunting this afternoon. It was 70 degrees!

Maybe It will cool off next weekend and I can bag some animal.

It’s important to stay warm when out and about during the winter, and with winter coming right around the corner, I thought I would tell you guys about a new category at my gear shop. The new category is Cold Weather Gear, and it contains only two items right now. But those two items are important to keeping you warm. And who knows? By the time you read this, I might have more products in that category.

Check out my cold weather gear and buy some to stay warm.

I hold the personal belief that the knife is the single most useful thing ever invented by man. I also am of the mind that one should have a particular knife for a particular job. Now, sure, there are some great “utility” knives out there, suitable for a wide variety of purposes. That’s how I look at my CRKT pocket folder. It’s tough and it’s handy.

But it’s not really going to cut it (pun shamelessly intended) when I gut a deer. So I bought a new knife today. I bought a Gerber fixed blade hunting knife with gut hook. It’s nothing fancy, and wasn’t expensive. But it’s something I needed, and I’ve already taken it out in the field. Of course, it didn’t get any use, but it will.

I’ll give a full review with pictures after I have the chance to use it. Well, I might just snap some photos of it tomorrow and post them so you can see what it looks like. Preview: Full tang construction with a grip-friendly hard-rubber…grip. The blade is 4 inches long and coated with titanium. It’s sharp enough, it seems, and the gut hook is a nice feature that doesn’t stick out too much. The knife also came with a basic nylon sheath. It’s a nice knife, especially considering how much I paid for it ($22 at Wal-Mart). I’ll see how it holds up to some real use and abuse — I demand serious performace from my gear, which my wife says is just being too hard on it all.

Since my bow broke, and I haven’t been able to acquire a new one, it looks like I’ll just be hunting deer this year with modern firearms. Further, my budget isn’t going to allow for me to buy a rifle (unless I find some mystery money), so I’ll just be hunting with my shotgun… and XD if I’m in the mood for some handgun hunting. Though, the XD is just a 9mm, so I would have to keep my shots really close for the rounds to be effective.

So…what do I need to get for my shotgun to make into a world-class deer slayer? I took down a nice 8 point buck with it last year, but I was presented with quite a fortunate shot. I might not get such a shot this year. My setup right now is this: Maverick 88 Field 12 gauge shotgun, firing slugs. That’s it. the shotgun is stock, with a modified choke. I’ll be using rifled slugs.

One thing I really need is a sling. As I learned last duck season, hiking long distances with it is a pain. So I’ll be getting a sling and I will also have to get a swivel kit for it. I think Uncle Mike’s makes one for my shotgun. I think they make a universal kit. I’ve seen it before, and I’m not going to look it up now… Just look at Wal-Mart or Bass Pro or Cabela’s and you’ll find it.

There’s one (two) accessory(ies), what else do I need? I’m just using the stock bead sights on it, but I was thinking of getting some iron sight attachments that affix to the barrel ribbing. They might make my accuracy just a bit better. But I really don’t know. I haven’t been out to a marked range with a bunch of 12 gauge rifled slugs to see just how far I can reliably hit a 4 inch circle with the bead sights.

I plan on keeping my shots all within 50 yards, but if I can squeeze out a little bit more with better sights and maybe a different choke, I will. That’s something I’ll need to research — chokes. I might need to invest in just a little bit of choke to squeeze a little bit more range and accuracy out of my slugs. But, I don’t know much about shotgun chokes so I’ll just have to do some reading.

Any other thoughts, opinion, or advice would be appreciated.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here. But don’t worry, I’m still here.

I think I’m going to have to just stick to gun hunting this year, with modern weapons. My budget is totally shot, and since my bow broke, I’ve got nothing for archery season. I don’t have the money right now to buy another bow, and I don’t feel comfortable spending money on a muzzleloader, either. So, it looks like I’ll be using my shotgun to hunt deer again this year. And only during any Arkansas modern gun season.

There’s some public land not too far from here that has a modern gun season, so I’ll have to do some scouting out there soon. Then there is also some private land I may be able to hunt on. Hopefully my son and I will both be able to get a couple. Of course, then I would have to invest in a chest freezer to store all that meat.