Hunting 101, or those basic approaches to that opening day. This being the first of the fall seasons for deer this means that more than likely it is that quest for a prize using some type of primitive weapon. My talks with the game warden people told me that the description of a “primitive weapon” would be archery (cross bow) and black powder. The communities of hunting people that seem to hang close to me seem to like both type of weapons. Let’s first look at the black powder and just how primitive it is. Just a few questions to the proper folks and the stories began to fly along with a few easy twist caps off some dark colored bottles. The stories of easy one shot success out past 200 yards and being able to hit a quarter sized mark most every time at a hundred yards. My first thought was someone is cheating and forgot to change the powder. After a very long description, I came to realize that the word “primitive” does not mean sub standard. The makers have refined their products to the point where they perform one time as well as a modern arm will several times. Next I move down the street to an old friends business as being the guru of archery and has the users lined up at the door the weeks prior to the season to get things tuned to the max for that first trip a field. Now this has got to be primitive because of my days watching those westerns and seen first hand the performance. The back room of this place is a ten target wide 50 yard range and the center of the target was the size of a grapefruit. After an hour of watching the string of practice, which moved in and out from ten yards to seventy yards, these people were giving that grapefruit hell. Close examination of the equipment showed bows made so refined that they would launch a carbon fiber arrow at speeds that could not be seen with the eye. The bows had vibration stoppers and florescent tipped sights under a level to ensure the launch went off the same every time. There was no more of the three finger string release; they have now a hair trigger device that is an extension to the arm that pulls the string. The arrow even has a special perch to hold it until its high speed launch to the desired destination. Both the black powder guns and these bows were all camouflage in color and would be lost if you put them down in the wrong place. Now along come those fellows with the crossbows. Things have changed since the days of King Arthur and his style of this weapon. I was shocked to find out that some of these new products made buying a Remington 700 seem cheap. That is just for the basic crossbow and then comes things like scopes, slings, power cocking devices, and special bolts (the crossbow name for arrow). Extreme speed is also generated by the crossbow and ranges out to 75 yards that give accuracy under good conditions of being able to split an orange most every time. 

Well so much for all this boring stuff about what to take with you as a weapon to the field. The best weapon you should have is a well thought out list of required items and actions. Go ahead and throw the gun in the truck but it isn’t any good for anything but a club unless you also take something to shoot in it. Do your home work and lay into your field pack all the required items that fit the type of hunting that you are going to do. Cover scents, flash lights, gloves, portable stand (if you use one), first aid kit, knife, deer cleaning equipment pen or pencil to fill out tag, water, toilet paper, pee jug, rope, and what ever else you require for that long awaited first of the season trip. After getting the list together it is not worth a thing unless you use that list to actually round up those items and put them in your pack. Next is if you, like many, use a ATV to carry you back into that distant area. Things like an oil level check and battery condition check would be in order at this time. This goes for the truck and trailer needed to transport you and friends with equipment to the lease also. Being ready makes things work out much better, I remember having to give up some of my special hand loaded ammo to a friend who did not prepare for the field but had the same caliber gun as me. He got his deer but I did not which has always left me with a lasting memory of that opening day. 

We started as doing this in the primitive season time of the year. This in normal terms would indicate that the hunter would probably be very close “feet not yards" to his target prey. These critters also read the book and while you were making your list of field items, they were tuning their noses and ears to a few new things in their neighborhood. Prepare your hunting clothing and foot ware with any one of a number of solutions designed for that purpose to eliminate as much human odor as possible. No scent soap is also needed for personal hygiene prior to crawling into those treated items also. Some folks carry all their stuff to the field in a scent proof bag and change the last minute before leaving to the stand. 

Heading out is a thrill to so many people, because of the expectations of being able to fill out that tag on something that until that time was just a dream that reoccurred many times during the weeks leading up to this trip. There is one last thing that is also important and that is be sure you tell someone where exactly you are going to be during the trip and be sure to try to stick to that plan as much as possible. We had a good friend who tipped his ATV over, which pinned him down. He was far from the area that he said he was going to be at and the delay was nearly two days before we found him and was able to get him to the hospital. 

Be safe and stick a couple of those trail cam pictures in your shirt pocket so that you do not forget what you are hunting for and bring home the real thing so it can be enjoyed over some hot coals when the weather keeps you home.