The fall affords hunters the chance to mark hunting areas and select their preferred hunting grounds. For experienced hunters, pre-season scouting is important as it provides a chance to sight their scopes and have a clear view of the hunting landscape.

Wildlife is composed of species that have a common behavior of moving in the direction where food is readily available. This explains the migratory pattern of storks as well as a range of mammals. When a hunter enters the wild during the pre-season, he will be able to tell where the acorns are likely to be found. Where the acorns are found is an indication of the game will congregate.

Turkeys, deer and the bears are all candidates for ripened acorns and they will lurk around such ridges where they can get a ready meal. Apart from the hunter getting a chance to identify rich hunting grounds, pre-season scouting is also a teaching avenue. Youths who are getting introduced to hunting also get a chance to know about the attractions of hunting outdoors.

Firearms Rehearsal

Mastering the landscape

A hunter who goes on pre-season scouting does so with his firearms in tow. This also gives him the chance to view the landscape and see how well his armor stacks up against the wild.

A hunter will be able to sight his rifle, use the scopes and see how well the lens can give him a good view of the hunting grounds. This is how the hunter gets to master the landscape.

Testing the shots

For those hunters who acquire new guns and hardware, it is a chance to rehearse the right caliber for shooting. Testing out the ammunition should not be in the thick of hunting. Pre-season scouting is a good opening to use when testing new acquisitions of shooting gear. Firing a couple of shots and allowing the barrel to cool will give the hunter the chance to determine if the firearm gets properly sighted for the oncoming hunting season.
For hunters who are on new hunting grounds, it is a chance to also observe the terrain and see if there are factors that might impede shooting accuracy.

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Are there recoils?

Unleashing a volley of shots will have a recoil impact and this can be best prepared for during pre-season scouting. Recoils hamper a hunter’s shot accuracy and this needs to be mitigated.

A new hand in the hunting scene will be able to experience how a sandbag can be used to dampen the recoil effect. This is done by placing a sandbag between the shoulder and butt of the gun. Firearms that have a heavy recoil effect require this dousing effect for effective shots.

The effect of taking a deep breath, relaxing and gently pulling the trigger will be felt when targets are aligned accurately during pre-season scouting. When a hunter gets the desired level of shot accuracy and recoil balance, he will know what exactly to do when it is time to fire the kill-shot.

No professional takes for granted the advantage that training confers and this is also true about hunting. Firing a couple of shots using a series of different hunting positions will help the hunter master his acts when he is in the middle of the real hunting.

 Use a Hiking Chance

Grasping the habit of the prey

Hiking gives the hunter a rare opportunity to have a feel of the pathway of the wildlife in any given hunting ground. The deer in a place like Missouri will switch to grazing soybean fields as the summer fades. They will leave the fast disappearing green meadows during this season and hunters need to keep abreast of such patterns.

Following the trail of migratory animals is possible when you hike. Camera sensors can also be strategically placed to check feeding patterns. Cameras help to monitor the pathways of these animals and when you hike, you have a better chance to find the right trail.

Limiting hiking impact

Hiking is the real foot-on-the-ground approach and this can have a beneficial as well as an adverse effect. Marching through the entire animal trail means that the natural vegetation will be disturbed by foot tracks and human activity. The lesser the impact on the hunting trail, the more fruitful the hunting, as the animals will have less clue of human distraction.

Placing a few hunting cameras on the trail will help you have an appreciable view of the hunting landscape during the pre-season scouting. This will also limit your damage to the vegetation that is attractive to the animals that you intend to hunt. So, if you are able to find the migratory route for the game, place cameras around to help you track the activity of such animals and how they congregate.

Best shooting stand

 

What determines the best shooting stand for the hunter will depend on the kind of animals that are hunted in that area. When hunting bucks, some hunters say their best bet for a stand is the direction that the buck takes to the water source.

When you have a clear view of how the game gets to a water source after grazing in the wild, you have an added hunting advantage. Hiking can give you a clear indication of this as you go ahead on the pre-season scouting expedition.

Whether you are able to use a camera on the route or you decided to sit-in to view how the game proceeds to a water source, you are on the right path. You have a chance to set up the best stand to take the killer shots.

Never Forget

You can procure the most effective caliber of guns and other supporting hardware, but a failure to have a grasp of the hunting grounds through pre-season scouting will be a limiting factor.

The reasons highlighted above gives the hunter clear views on the importance of the pre-season scouting sessions. Preparation is vital for success, and the hunter is a major beneficiary of this necessary step for a successful hunting season.