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From a distance the Canada goose is easily identified. His body is brown, neck and head black, but his head wears a triangular white patch. He is the biggest of our geese, and is found either as a resident or a migrator over most of the United States.

In the spring and fall, he is seen flying very high in great long wedges to and from his wintering and summer breeding grounds, coming down into city parks, reservations and sanctuaries for a rest period and for food.

Their voices are strong as they are heard uttering a loud resonant “honk” in flight or on the water. While feeding, or together on a pond, they talk in little intimate cries and grunts.

This is the hunter’s bird, being the most sought after of the geese. As a result “Canada” has become exceedingly wary, putting down only after having scanned and circled the area with much care. Their sharp eyes can quickly spot a hunter and the best of blinds can be discovered. Second only to the wild swans, the Canada is a big bird on the dinner table, weighing from seven to fourteen pounds, with a wing spread of between five and six feet.

This goose generally nests on the ground near the water. The type of nest depends on the locality. It is usually a slight depression in the ground lined with material from the vicinity such as sticks, flag grass and soft grey down from the goose’s breast. At other times the nests are large bulky affairs. In some parts of the country when the terrain demands, the nests are in trees, but never far from the water and preferably right above it.

During the breeding season the gander, or male goose shows off his staunchness as the family guard and defender. If you approach the nest they will at first look at you with contempt. Come closer and they will become alarmed and hiss, wave their powerful wings and be ready to pick a fight.

The author has had many a battle with them without so much as provoking one, so true to their cause do they become when an intruder comes by. Don’t underestimate their powerful wings; they can knock you down very easily and, even though they have no teeth in their bills, they are sharp, and if they bite you, the cut can be quite severe.

Unlike the ducks, both parents are quite taken up with caring for the young. When swimming on the water, the gander usually leads, the little ones follow and then mother takes up the tail of the parade.

Their food is largely vegetable matter. They love to graze in the stubble fields and the prairies. Pasture lands are their pleasure, particularly during the fall migration, for they burn up a great deal of energy during the flight, which must be replaced. Quite often, clouds of them will descend on a farmer’s corn field, even though there is little or no water nearby. They have been known to be quite destructive in this habit.

The Canada is one of the earliest water birds to migrate northward in the spring. How it is they know that the ice is melted from the lakes, when they are wintering one or two thousand miles south, is a mystery, but they know it and proceed.

After the summer molt they become quite inactive. Then they begin to gain back their flight feathers, begin to assemble in flocks and become restless. On a cool night when the winds are right, they will take off on the first leg of a long journey, husbands and wives flying together.

They are masters at knowing flight patterns and wind resistance. Their flying wedge is so designed that the lead goose breaks the currents for the rest of the wedge. After a spell, the lead goose drops back to the end of the line and the succession continues so that no bird takes the brunt of the wind.

Now you know its habits, have fun stalking the Canada goose!

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There are few things more disappointing than for a hunter to wait all year for an expensive hunt, spot his game, estimate it as a prize, shoot it, and then come up to find that he has downed a scrawny trophy.

Game Size and Hunting Area

Perhaps the biggest difficulty in assessing the size of big-game animals has to do with the area which produces the game. A game animal is largely a product of what it eats. With many species, the ranting of the young produces later adult animals of small size. This is especially true of deer. Antler development is determined by the incidence of certain minerals found in the game area. Deer need forage from a region high in limestone deposits if the antlers are to reach prodigious size.

Methods of Judging Game

Despite the difficulties, there are ways of appraising game before it is shot. With observation and practice, these ways will pay off, and any hunter can become reasonably adept in using them.

Two of the best tools for estimating game are binoculars and a spotting scope. With them solidly set up, the hunter or guide can often make a fair judgment of the size and desirability of game at great distances. This not only saves time spent in wasted stalking, but prevents disappointment after the kill.

Such pre-assessment should, if possible, be done in advance of the stalk. Game will be farther away, it is true, but will often be standing or slowly moving. It is hard to estimate game breaking cover at close range. Under such a situation, the hunter has to make up his mind awfully fast.

Antelope

Antelope are among the smallest of North American big game. There is a basic rule in antelope estimation - horns always measure less than they appear. This illusion is augmented by the habitual appearance of mirages in antelope country. Mirages, by their very nature, tend to extend any standing animal’s height.

The basic method for appraising any big game’s headgear is to compare the antlers or horns with the beast’s body size. The antelope hunter who does this, and knows in advance the dimensions of an adult antelope, will come fairly close in his estimation of horn length - as long as he doesn’t let the factor of desire affect his judgment.

Adult male antelope average 34 inches long and stand 36 inches high. Hog-dressed bucks will lose an average of twenty-seven per cent in weight. As an example, two of the biggest bucks checked at a nearby station for a 1960 Idaho special antelope hunt weighed 90 and 95 pounds respectively. That meant a live weight of 123 and 130 pounds.

In today’s hunting, a 15-inch antelope is considered mighty good. Most good trophies will be in the 13-inch class. A 13-inch buck should have horns which appear to be at least one-third the animal’s body length.

Mule Deer

Because of their variation in size between areas, deer are hard to estimate as to antler dimensions. First, the hunter should predetermine if the general run of animals in the region he wishes to hunt is large or small for the species. Then, as with other game, a comparison of the headgear may be made with the beast’s body size.

One thing I’ve come to look for when sizing-up trophy mule-deer bucks is the amount of width between the antler and the body, as seen when the beast faces either away or towards me. Big muleys in many western areas will have a rump width of around 18 inches, hair and all. If, as the animal faces away, there appears to be half that much width between antler-and-body on the outside, then it is in the 30-inch class. This trick is most useful when hunting in snow, as such a space shows up well.

Sizing the game you are hunting should be made a lot easier with these tips. Good hunting!

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The trail lead through a frost-touched multicolored forest, the oak and maple trees a riot of crimsons, deep reds and browns. A golden autumn haze filled the valleys, and if you listened you could hear quail calling lonesomely for the lost summer. Grant Hartwell and I were walking this ridge trail, as men should be doing each autumn, our minds on deer, light overnight packs on our backs, wholly content with the world.

While deer was the prime objective, a couple of grey squirrels for a stew wouldn’t be amiss, or for that matter a blue grouse.

Swinging around a bend we flushed a big old buster of a blue grouse. It angled up through the trees with a frantic beating of wings and perched on an oak limb about thirty yards away, neck outstretched, its nervousness reflected in its constant stepping about as it watched our every move. We remained perfectly quiet for a space of a few moments, knowing that the least untoward movement would touch off our hair triggered game at once. When it quieted down a bit, Grant eased over a few steps toward the huge mossy bole of an oak, rested his forearm against it for the shot.

I waited intently, my pulse surging just as strongly as if he had a big buck under his sights. The silence was shattered by the roar of his .30/30 Model 99 Savage. The grouse tumbled from its lofty perch into the deep mast under the trees, drummed frantically for a moment then lay still. I walked over and picked up our quarry. Its head had been neatly severed by that 170 grain slug, an excellent bit of small game field shooting.

Small game field shooting has problems of positions which merit a lot of study and practice by hunters. Fortunately there is no essential difference between small and large game shooting, and what is learned in the small game fields is directly applicable to big game coverts. Each places emphasis on the time element, practical accuracy and range picture.

Quite often the decision as to shooting position is made by the game itself. A squirrel alerted by your careful stalking, waiting for a tip-off from you before taking to the security of its den tree, has so compressed the time element you have in which to get off the shot, you must take it from the position in which you find yourself more often than not a snapshot off-hand.

When Art Richardson and I were hunting ground squirrel that early June morning, taking them “field run” each shot was governed by the game itself, to a great extent. Squirrels scurrying toward the protection of their burrows had snap shooting written all over them. Those which stood up momentarily to inspect their surroundings had the same urgency in their attitude.

Essentially, there are three basic field shooting positions which are practical, and used for more than ninety-eight per cent of all field shooting. These three positions are: standing, sitting and kneeling. The prone position can sometimes also be used in long range woodchuck sniping and in mountain hunting. But a too slavish use of the prone position tends to deliberateness wholly at odds with field accuracy because of the time element usually interjected by the game itself. Modifications of the three prime field shooting positions: sitting, standing and kneeling, are almost infinite in number.

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Finding where the game is located in hunting country is far more dependent upon an understanding of its basic characteristics and traits than upon an ability to follow each consecutive hoof mark in a trail.

An experienced hunter in strange country can often take one good look around and estimate fairly well just where any game is apt to be. And by climbing the first big ridge in that area he can also tell what species is there and its approximate abundance. Such skill is not based on magic or exceptional vision but on past experience and close observation.

PATTERNS OF MOVEMENT

Here are generalizations which will help the beginner:
Generally game is found higher in summer than in late fall and winter. Game goes high in hot weather to escape heat and insect pests. Also, summer feed is more abundant higher up than in the parched regions below.

An early fall brings game down sooner than a late fall. A sudden violent storm also tends to move most game downward, just as clearing weather tends to move it upward.

The largest males of most species are found at the upper peripheries of their range. When traveling in a band, the biggest males ordinarily come last, with the females and small animals ahead. This applies to elk, deer, antelope, caribou, and moose.

Most game feeds in the early morning hours and again at dusk, either bedding down, shading up, or moving to slightly higher elevations during midday. Feeding game will normally be more in the open than will resting game. All game common to wooded country likes “edge” country - that is, areas where foliage meets meadows and similar clearings. Browsing and grazing feed grows better where there is more sunlight, and the edge country offers immediate cover for concealment if enemies appear.

Detecting Spoor

In order to survive, game animals must continue to do fundamental things. They must eat, excrete, rest, reproduce, dodge enemies, and remain within a habitat suitable for their species.

Any time game moves it leaves certain evidences which inform its enemies of its whereabouts. It must do so for its own survival and reproduction. As an example, the minute traces of scent which deer leave upon brush from the metatarsal musk glands during the fall rut tell passing bucks where the does are.

The “flashing” of an antelope, caused by raising its white rump hairs, can be seen with the naked eye for two miles or more in bright sunlight. It tells the hunter and predatory coyote where the antelope band is located, but it also alerts other antelope of the danger.

Tracks

In any tracking, the first necessity is to identify the spoor. The novice looking at the hoofs of such medium game as antelope, sheep, goats, and deer, is apt to say that they all look the same. There are, however, detectable differences; and these differences are not so much in the shape of the hoofs, as in the way the different animals strike the earth when walking or running.

The resulting imprint, with its often minute differences in shape and contour, gives the observing hunter his cue to the animal’s identity. Often the type of country helps to corroborate this. Tracks that only looked like deer tracks, in flat desert country might well be antelope tracks. And those big blunt “buck” tracks, far up in the crags and intervening alps, might prove to be a ram’s tracks. The terrain does help to identify the spoor.

Excreta

The dung of game animals is another fine way of identifying a species. Briefly, the kernels of deer dung are dark brown, almost black, are usually individually separated, and are about the size of a little fingertip. They are blunt on one end, sharp on the other, like a filbert.

Antelope dung is similar but smaller.
Elk dung is also dark brown with individual kernels which are almond shaped and elliptical, about the length of the first section of an index finger and about s inch in diameter.

With time and experience, these aspects of hunting will become second nature to you.

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A boot knife certainly shows one way of carrying a knife, but there are a variety of ways to carry a knife, even a boot knife. You can carry a knife in your pocket, which would usually be called a pocket knife. You could carry one on your belt, which about 30 or 40 years ago were the only ways to carry a knife. However, today, there are many ways to consider carrying your knives, even boot knives.

Hunting Knife First -

First and foremost, a boot knife is a hunting knife, usually with a fixed-blade knife. A fixed blade does not fold up and they are not real long. These knives do a variety of things such as help with field dressing when hunting and skinning an animal. A boot knife can be a utility knife in which they do jobs such as cut tree limbs for fire when camping, cut twine for a campout, and cut just about anything needed. Because they are ‘quick draw’ type knives, they are not folding knives.

Concealed Knives -

Boot knives are concealed weapons and they are concealed under the pants, in the boots, or clipped on to the boots. They come with a pocket sheath to prevent your skin from being nicked and the blade from being damaged. However, some people prefer a strap style sheath, which attaches to your leg with straps.

For Protection -

Men and women carry boot knives and having to get your hand down near your leg is not a problem for most people. And in an emergency, there is no time to think about why or how to have your hand near your boots, you just react. Women carry the boot knife for protection more than men do. Men carry the boot knife more for practical purposes, using it to cut things and sometimes for protection. It is a good idea to take a class in using and caring for knives before purchasing or using a boot knife.

Throwing Knives -

Boot knives are sometimes called throwing knives, because once they are removed, you are going to throw them at something. Competition style throwing knives are lighter weight than boot knives or hunting knives, but are carried in the same manner, under the pant leg.

Police and Military Personnel -

In addition to their sidearms, many police and military carry boot knives as an extra precaution. There may be a time when they cannot carry their gun or cannot reach it, and a knife is the perfect alternative to the gun.

Hunters Like the Boot Knife -

Hunters are another group of people who carry boot knives in their boots. When they are sitting in the deer stands and need to cut something or throw a knife at a squirrel or other small animal, they have it handy because their legs are near their arms and their hands.

Carrying a knife in your belt can be dangerous not only for you but for others if you are in a crowded area. Walking by someone, you might bump into them and knick them with the knife, even if it’s in a soft sheath.

Having longer boots and sitting up high, like police men and women on horseback find it easy to carry their knives on their boots. They find it easier to reach their boot knives because they are sitting up close to their boots. In addition, most people on the street will not even notice them.

Horseback Riding Benefits of a Boot Knife -

Anyone riding a horse would benefit from wearing a boot knife because there is always twine or other things that need to be cut and a boot knife would be perfect, because it’s out of the way until you need it and will not bother you when you are riding.

Easy Access for Bicycle Riders -

Bike messengers and postal carriers could also benefit from wearing boot knives. The bike messenger might need a boot knife to cut open a package or defend him self against someone, even a rabid dog. The postal worker would basically need a boot knife for the same reasons: opening a package, cutting twine or rope, and protection.

There are many working people who would benefit from wearing a boot knife, but what about an everyday person who just wants protection and peace of mind? The boot knife is perfect for this person as well. There is no need to obtain a concealed weapons certification; however, it is recommended that you get some type of knife training before wielding the knife at just anyone or anything. Many of the super center sports stores and outdoor shops offer classes on knives and how to use and maintain them. You must be 18 years of age to purchase a boot knife or any knife according to many state laws, but check with your state to find out what the exact age is.

William “Cole” Doggett is a knife expert and owns an Internet knife shop, Knife & Supply Company, LLC. Drop by and check out the selection of high quality Boot Knives from makers such as Cold Steel Knives and Smith & Wesson Knives. Stop by!

You should choose your shot carefully. Ideally, you want to drop your target with the first shot. But you also need to decide when a shot is good enough you may wait for the perfect shot that never comes and you’ll miss out entirely.

Of course, everyone would love to get that perfect broadside shot, where the deer stands perfectly still, giving you a lot of time to set up your shot before squeezing the trigger and downing the deer with a perfect shot through the lungs and heart. Unfortunately for hunters, this situation is extremely rare, if it happens at all.

If you can get a quartering angle, where the deer is at a three-quarters angle, still giving you a decent shot, go for it. As long as you have a good shot of hitting the target in the heart/lung area, the shot is good enough. Don’t aim for the head, it moves with no warning, and more often than not results in an escaped animal or an injured animal that you will lose. The same goes for neck and spine shots. These areas are small, and the chances of hitting them just right are too small to gamble on the majority of the time. A good heart/lung shot will take the animal down quickly. If your animal is only giving you a quarter view this type of shot will still accomplish your goal.

When you are practicing, visualize the animal from different angles and line up your shot accordingly. Study the anatomy of the animals you’ll be hunting, and you’ll soon be able to know at a glance whether you can make a good shot or not. The ability to make the decision to shoot is important to your success in the field. Animals certainly aren’t going to wait for you to feel comfortable. Knowing when a shot is good enough to risk it will enable you to bring home more venison than if you hesitate too long or shoot without assessing your shot.

Avoid going-away shots on an unwounded animal, chances are if you do hit it, the animal will just run off and you’ll never find it. Straight-on shots are similar, though you have a better chance with this angle than you do on a target that is moving away from you.
Another obstacle to the perfect shot may be your surroundings. While it is preferable not to shoot through brush, sometimes it is unavoidable. Line up your shot as best you can. If possible, practice shooting through brush, twigs, foliage, anything you would encounter while you are hunting. This will make you comfortable with these difficult shots. Practice shooting from a blind, up in a tree, or anywhere else you may decide to hide. This will make you a confident hunter that will be more successful in the long run.

Now you know what you need to do to improve your judgment on when to shoot at your target. As with everything else in life, practice makes perfect. The more comfortable you are with your abilities, the better off you’ll be in the woods.

Scott Peters is an avid outdoorsman and hunter. For more informaton please see Nikon Buckmaster Rifle Scopes.