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Hi Everyone,
I'm looking to start hunting on public land in Marlborough Forest, and I have a good idea of where to find access and legally hunt. But my question is; Do you usually stay on the trails/paths that have already been established by hikers/previous hunters, or do you just simply start walking through the bush?
Sorry if this is a stupid question but I've only been hunting twice and never alone. Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated!
Learning to navigate the woods without a path is the most important skill in my opinion. It will get you away from the general public and also get you where the animals are.
That's a good point, do you have any tips for when to navigate away from the path, or what to look for? Or is it really just as simple as start walking one way away from the road?
Typically you would study a map or aerial photo like Google Earth and pinpoint places that might hold game you are after, then either memorize or mark on a map where you want to go then use a combination of trails and bush to find the easiest path to walk quietly to your destination. Lots of people rely on GPS but I would recommend also learning the basics of using a compass and landmarks.
I will say that sometimes it is just as simple as walking in from the road and exploring.
I would get off the path, but remember it’s easy to get lost. GPS is always good and a compass. Even if you have both try not rely on them. Keep mental notes of land marks example broken tree or big bolder. Give your self enough day light to get back because the last thing you want to do is get lost in the dark. Tell someone where you’re going and what time you’re expected to get back. Seems silly but can save you in a bad situation .
Use to take years of walking around to learn the lay of the land. Now with gps its become easier and safer to explore. Even in the denses bush there is a path of least resistance. Follow deer paths marking interesting places and if you see game. Don't be discouraged if over a few trips and a couple of years brings little to nothing to the bag its the knowledge you're after. Once you know the lay of the land you'll be able to put things together that'll increase your chances of seeing game. One thing to remember back up your gps info once you get home. Nothing worse than if your gps goes missing and you lose all that info. Been there and failed to do that.Quote:
Originally Posted by cribs
Keep in mind that this is all new for you, so any wandering and exploring the area might turn up unexpected little treasures that the regular paths might have skirted around, like a small spring in a hillside that game might use, caves, small isolated clumps of fruit trees or other browse. Hunting and gathering are similiar in a way to fishing, in the 10% of the land will often hold 90% of the wildlife, depending on time of year. Look for transition zones, blockages that animals will walk around as opposed to going through. The more you explore, the more knowledge you gain, if you let yourself see and interpret the signs.
John
The M/F would be a great place to practice and develop some bush whacking skill. The surrounding roads and forest access roads are basically laid out in north, south, east, west grid. I'll suggest an typical exercise. Drive back and forth the flood rd till you could recognize it when you pop out of the bush there. Start about 500 yards south of the flood rd on dwyer hill head east into the bush 200 yards then head north to reach the flood rd. I think this could be done with a rudimentary compass and compass skills. You have the safety net of being boxed in by the flood rd, dwyer hill, heaphy rd and brassils creek. If you tote along the scatter gun you might pot a snowshoe hare, the season is open till the end of march. Just expand as you develop skills and confidence. Have fun along the way.Quote:
Originally Posted by cribs
I wouldn't go into the bush without a compass and now a GPS. As others have stated walk in with your eyes open and use landmarks and the sky, Know where the boundries are. Use the compass when necessary and the GPS for backup but make sure you mark your vehicle with the GPS before you leave and carry a couple of extra batteries and some water,
GPS units work well most of the time and they're a lot of fun to play with. Through a total Amazon screw up (that's a whole other thread),I'm now the owner of a Garmin Fenix 6S that I'm currently having a lot of fun with. I still wouldn't trust it with my life,though. A good compass and map can't be beat. As for ease of getting turned around,I've seen people get turned around in tall corn fields. It happens quicker than you'd think.Quote:
Originally Posted by sabmgb