Hunting season is one that is loved and revered by many Americans and within this season everything is on the cards. If you can hunt it, you can eat it. I will say now if you’re planning on going out and hunting, then do it for the right reasons. Use every bit of the animal you kill and don’t go out to kill just for the sake of it.
Hunting can save you a lot of money if you can store all the animals you harvest as you won’t need to go to the supermarket and spend a lot of money on pre-wrapped bits of meat.
Let’s take a look at some of the best animals for you during the hunting season.
Cervids
This is the correct name of the deer family and when we talk about cervids we are talking about elk, moose, caribou, and of course deer itself. These guys are a large family of animals and will take some skill to hunt, but will also feed your family for weeks! You can always tell a mature male as they will have complex, large antlers coming from the top of their heads. Through the growing stage of their lives, these antlers will fall off and re-grow every year becoming more complex as time goes by.
Females don’t tend to have antlers so it’s usually pretty easy to tell the difference before taking your shot. When it comes to these guys you have to have the right equipment to be able to take them down, there’s no point going hunting with a small rifle and expect to bring home a prized male Elk. You never want to be caught out, which is why doing your research on what you’ll need for an individual animal is essential to a successful hunting trip. In these situations, it’s best to get every aspect of your gear list ready so you can be fully prepared when you leave for your trip. Having consumer reviews will help you choose the best gear suited to you.
Wild Boar
These guys are super strong and hardy animals, hunting them will be no easy feat. Anything but a kill shot will leave you in danger of being charged at, and with their tusks could prove a nasty experience. There are plenty of places in the US where there is a huge amount of wild boars so there are no limits to the amount you are allowed to kill.
Cougar
When it comes to hunting a big cat, I would first think seriously about if it’s a worthwhile cause. Killing for trophies is no longer a thing that’s as widely accepted so unless you’re going to eat it you better not kill it. Having said that, you’ll have to catch them first! This will prove to be an elusive beast that will have you stalking it for days on end in some cases. Their whole purpose is to be sneaky, it’s how they hunt and how they live, so trying to out sneaks a cougar is going to prove difficult. Another thing to note is that if you don’t know the area, I wouldn’t bother hunting cougars at all, not unless you enlist the help of someone that knows what they’re doing.
Bison
Being the largest land-dwelling animal in North America, these beasts were once hunted to near extinction, but now they are back to a flourishing population and back on the cards when it comes to hunting. These guys are nearly 2000lbs and have a sporadic temper, combine this with the fact they can run at 35mph you best either have a decent hiding spot or very good aim.
Turkeys
Not the same as other game birds, oh no. This requires you to learn another skill, the turkey call! You’ll need to learn how to woo a turkey and get it to like you, this means it will come closer to your beckoning calls and you will then be able to strike. Thanksgiving dinner will taste so much better this year.
Hunting is a privilege and we should treat it with respect, if we overhunt animals then they won’t be around for us to hunt ever again. This is why certain hunting bans get put into place and it’s why we should respect them. We should also be hunting for the right reasons, to feed our families.
If you’re in the early days of your hunting career then make sure you get the right equipment for the right hunt, each animal will require something slightly different and never forget the orange rule! All hunters must wear bright orange when hunting to avoid becoming a target themselves, it's for your own safety!
