Wildlife Identification

Mr. Ham

GHS

• Becoming a responsible hunter means being able to identify wildlife.

• THIS SECTION IS BASICALLY FOR REFERENCE TO STUDENTS.

• Instructors should briefly discuss huntable species in Arkansas: white tailed deer, turkey, ducks, etc.

• Protected species in Arkansas: elk, wolf, cougar, ruffed grouse, red fox, etc.

• Students must be able to identify the male and female of the species to be legal during sex-specified hunting seasons.

Eagle Awareness

• Eagles and birds of prey are protected by state and federal law.

• It is illegal to possess and eagle or to possess any of an eagle’s body parts.

• Notify law enforcement officers immediately if you find an injured or dead eagle.

Game Care

• Field dressing game is important because it helps prevent spoilage of the meat.

• Three causes of meat spoilage are heat, dirt, and moisture.

• Proper game care will enhance the flavor of the game.

• It is illegal to waste game.• Basic Dressing Gear

– Knife – Whetstone

Ax or folding saw

Rope

Game bag

Specialty Hunting

• Muzzleloading– Selecting firearms and accessories

• Rifles• Pistols• Shotguns• Give special attention to antique black powder shotguns,

especially those with Damascus barrels, since they may not be safe to shoot.

• Types of black powder– Fg is coarse powder for muskets, large-bore fowling pieces, and

some cannons.– FFg is for muzzleloading shotguns, big bore rifles, and pistols

of .45 caliber and larger.

– FFFg is commonly used in cap-and-ball revolvers, and in rifles and pistols of less than .45 caliber.

– FFFFg is used only for priming the pan of a flintlock.

• Accessories– Patching material– Powder horn or flask– Ball starter

– Powder measure– Ramrod and ramrod accessories: patch worm,

cleaning jag, etc.– Capper or cap holder– Possibles bag

Loading

• Before loading, wipe out the inside of the barrel to remove fouling and oil.

• Fire several percussion caps on unloaded gun to clear ignition nipple and channel: OR, for a flintlock, clean the touch hole to be sure it is open (don’t fire priming powder in the pan as a test).

• Under Arkansas regulations a muzzleloader without a percussion cap on the nipple or priming powder in the pan is considered a legally unloaded muzzleloader.

Safety considerations

• Use only black powder or Pyrodex. NEVER use smokeless powder.

• Never fire a muzzleloader unless the ball or shot is firmly seated against the powder charge.

• Never pour powder from a flask into a barrel. Use a separate powder measure.

• Black powder is very explosive. Never smoke while using black powder.

• Black powder can cause firearms to rust. Properly clean and maintain your muzzleloaders. If you shoot it, clean it.

Handguns

• Most common types of handguns– Revolver– Semi-Automatic– Break Action (single-shot)

• Parts of a handgun• The best “safety” on a revolver is to keep

the hammer on an empty chamber.• Cleaning, storage, and transportation.

Bowhunting

• Bowhunting skills improve all hunting skills.

• Bowhunting requires much practice shooting.

• Bowhunting equipment– When purchasing archery equipment, the bow

and arrows must be measured to fit the bowhunter.

– Types of bows• Straight limb or long bow

• Recurve bow

• Compound bow

– The draw weight is the number of pounds of energy required to pull the bowstring to 28 inches. Arkansas requires draw weight of at least 40 pounds for hunting bows

4. Arrow parts and constructiona. Broadhead: blades must be razor sharp.

b. Shaft

c. Fletching: feathers or plastic vanes that help the arrow fly straight.

d. Nock: a slot at the base of the arrow that attaches the arrow to the bow string.

e. Spine: the stiffness of the arrow shaft.

f. Arrow Length: the measured length from the base of the broadhead to the bottom of the nock slot.

g. Arrows must have the same weight, spine, fletching, and length to shoot consistently.

5. Bowhunting protection equipmenta. Arm guard

b. Shooting glove or finger tab.

c. Quiver

d. Sights

6. Bow handlinga. Always check the condition of equipment

before using.

b. Never dry-fire a bow (never shoot or release a bow string without an arrow).

c. Practice proper target identification.

d. Never shoot an arrow straight up in the air.

e. Always use a quiver to cover broadheads.

f. Check string for wear.

g. Check arrows for bends, cracks, loose or broken points, cracked nocks, and damaged fletching.

h. Always use a safe backstop when target shooting.

i. Always store bows and arrows in a rack and in a safe location.

j. Check compound bow bolts, wheels or cams, cables etc.

k. Apply string wax to the bowstring before use.

7. Fundamentals of bow shooting.a. Master Eye: your dominant eye.

b. Stance

c. Gripping the bowd. Nocking the arrowe. Draw, anchor, and aimf. Releaseg. Follow throughh. A responsible sportsman will NEVER shoot

at a game animal that is farther that they can accurately and consistently shoot with a bow, crossbow, or firearm.

D. Tree Stands1. Safety

a. Main cause of accidents from an elevated platform is the lack of knowledge and poor construction of stands.

b. Use a rope or cord to pull your gun or bow up into the tree stand or lower the gun or bow to the ground.

c. Always unload your gun or bow while getting up into or down out of the tree stand.

d. Always use a safety harness to prevent accidental falls.

e. Check firearms for obstructions.

f. Use caution whenever moving about in the stand.

g. If weather or physical conditions get bad, get down out of the stand and onto the ground.

h. Some prescription drugs can cause drowsiness, so don’t climb into a tree stand after taking them.

i. Thoroughly check the condition of the tree stand before using it.

2. Types of Tree Stands.a. Climbingb. Ladder c. Tripod

E. Crossbow and its use1. Believed to have been invented 2,500 years

ago in China.2. Became the most devastating weapon of war

in Europe.

3. The claims of incredible range are exaggerated. The crossbow is a legitimate hunting tool and allows others to hunt that cannot draw a conventional bow.

4. Generally, crossbows are not as effective as most conventional bows.

5. The arrow used in a crossbow is called a bolt.6. Review the components of the crossbow in

the manual.

7. Arkansas regulations require that all crossbows used for hunting have a mechanical safety.

8. Shooting the crossbowa. Place cocking stirrup on the ground with the stock

end resting in your midsection.b. Place both hands on the string and pull the string

back until it locks into the trigger mechanism.c. Slowly release hand pressure on the string until

you are sure it is securely locked.

d. Be certain the safety is in the “SAFE” position.

9. Loading the crossbowa. Place the point of the bolt forward under the sight

bracket and the shaft flat on the flight groove.

b. Slide the bolt back under the bolt retainer until it contacts the string. Make sure the entire length of the bolt is laying flat on the flight groove.

c. The bolt must be long enough to clear the front of the flight groove and should have a mass weight of at least 500 grains.

10. Firing the Crossbowa. Release the safety

b. Point in a safe direction.

c. Pull the trigger.

d. Be certain to keep fingers away from top of flight groove and string while shooting.

11. Sighting Ina. Shoot at close range.

b. Lowering the rear sight lowers the point of impact of the bolt, and raising the rear sight raises the point of impact.