Gary Lewis - The Complete Guide to Hunting: Basic Techniques for Gun & Bow Hunters

THE COMPLETE HUNTER
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO
HUNTING

Basic Techniques for Gun & Bow Hunters

Gary Lewis

Copyright 2008
Creative Publishing international, Inc.
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Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
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All rights reserved

President/CEO: Ken Fund
VP/Sales & Marketing: Kevin Hamric
Publisher: Bryan Trandem
Acquisition Editor: Barbara Harold
Production Managers: Laura Hokkanen, Linda Halls

Creative Director: Michele Lanci-Altomare
Senior Design Managers: Brad Springer, Jon Simpson
Design Managers: Sara Holle, James Kegley
Book & Cover Design: Danielle Smith
Page Layout: Danielle Smith

Contributing Photographers: Phil Aarrestad, Grady Allen, Charles Alsheimer, Erwin Bauer, Craig Blacklock, Les Blacklock, Tom Brakefield, Browning, Glenn D. Chambers, Tim Christie, Herbert Clarke, Daniel J. Cox, Gary Kramer, John Ebeling, Michael Francis, Michael Furtman, Eric J. Hansen, Larry D. Jones, Gary Kramer, Lon E. Lauber, Gary Lewis, Tom Mangelson, Bill Marchel, Tom Martinson, Jay Massey, Worth Mathewson, Bill McRae, Wyman Meinzer, Arthur Morris/Birds as Art, William H. Mullins, Doug Murphy, Scott Nielsen, Jerome B. Robinson, Lynn Rogers, Leonard Lee Rue, III, Dwight R. Schuh, Ron Shade, Jerry Smith, Dale C. Spartas, Ron Spomer, Norm Strung, Syl Strung, Ken Thommes, Charles Waterman, Chuck Wechsler, Ron Winch, James Zacks, Gary Zahm Contributing Illustrator: Jon Q. Wright

Digital edition: 978-1-61673-284-4
Hardcover edition: 978-1-58923-373-7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lewis, Gary
The complete guide to hunting : basic techniques for gun and
bow hunters / Gary Lewis.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58923-373-7 (hard cover)
ISBN-10: 1-58923-373-5 (hard cover)
Digital edition: 978-1-6167-3284-4
1. Hunting. I. Title.
SK33.L49 2008
799.2--dc22 2007033514

Printed in China

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any meansgraphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping of information on storage and retrieval systemswithout the written permission of the publisher.

Whether the hunt takes you after Rocky Mountain elk along the western skyline or into a Carolina swamp behind a pack of beagles, the chase offers a unique challenge. Rabbit, deer, elk, moose or bear, whatever the quarry, the hunter must outsmart a wild animal with a better knowledge of its environment and keener senses.

This challenge, along with the camaraderie of the hunt, accounts for the sports tremendous popularity. And a successful hunter can enjoy a year-round supply of lean, nutritious meat.

The Complete Guide to Hunting is intended to make the reader a better hunter. Each section of the book deals with a different facet of the sport. Together, they will help you develop the skills and savvy needed to consistently bag wild game.

The first chapter, , provides an understanding of wildlife behavior and helps you recognize good habitat. By knowing how animals sense danger, react to threats and find food, water and cover, you can improve your chances of being in the right spot at the right time.

, provides all the information needed to select rifles, shotguns, bows and muzzleloaders. Learn how to choose the best ammunition for the game and how to become a proficient shooter. This chapter goes far beyond the basics, explaining complex principles of bullet and shot performance with descriptive photos and easy-to-understand charts.

The third chapter, , teaches how to plan the hunt and how to scout a potential spot to make sure it holds game. This chapter details the most popular hunting techniques, from stalking to driving. Learn how to tailor a hunting strategy to the terrain and time of day. It also provides valuable tips for recovering game.

The final four chapters acquaint you with North Americas most popular game animals. Hundreds of informative how-to photos, along with a fact-filled text, give all the information needed to locate, pursue and bag each of these species.

Astounding photography puts you in the scene. Face-off with a huge bull moose; walk a fencerow and see a ring-necked pheasant burst from cover at your feet; experience the nerve-wracking anticipation of waiting for a wild turkey to strut close enough for a shot.

The hunting techniques found in this book are those considered most effective by the nations top hunting authorities. Hunting regulations and legal equipment differ in every state and province, so it is possible that some of the procedures described are illegal in your area. Baiting bears, for instance, is a popular method in some states, but is against the law in others. Check the local hunting laws before going afield.

In addition to the proven high-percentage hunting methods, this book also reveals dozens of little-known but effective tips that help the experts take their game. You will learn how to attract diving ducks by waving a black flag and how to imitate a scolding squirrel by clicking quarters.

This book is a unique blend of straightforward writing and captivating photography. Never before has so much how-to hunting information and so many dramatic wildlife photographs been packed into one volume. The Complete Guide to Hunting is sure to make your days afield more enjoyableand more successful.

From the moment of birth, a game animal faces threats from predators, weather, disease and competition. Only the strongest and wariest live long enough to reproduce. In this way, nature selects the best breeding stock to ensure that the species thrives.

All game animals have the potential to produce many more offspring than the habitat can support. Reproductive rates are high among small game and upland birds. High mortality rates are natures way of keeping game populations in check. When too many animals survive, the population explosion causes disease, stunted growth and eventually starvation.

Among most upland birds, waterfowl and small game, 60 to 80 percent of the population dies each year. Individuals over one year old comprise only 20 to 40 percent of the fall population. Because young animals are more abundant and because they lack the savvy of older animals, they make up the bulk of the hunters bag.

Regulations are based on the concept that game can be harvested as long as breeding stock remains to produce another crop of similar size the following year. Seasons for small game, waterfowl and upland birds are usually long and bag limits generous. Liberal regulations are possible because of the high reproductive rates of these animals. Regulations for big game are stricter because the animals produce fewer young.