Tips for Hunting Game While Using Less Ammunition

If you enjoy recreational hunting, you know that ammunition can be quite expensive. In fact, a bulk of your budget will go towards purchasing, storing and using ammunition during the hunt.

As you look for ways of lowering your costs so you can spend more time hunting and catching wild game, there are several tips you can incorporate into your hunting strategy. These steps will make you improve your catch and use significantly less ammunition while hunting.

Practice makes perfect

To boost your efficiency while hunting, you need to perfect your aiming skills. Wild game such as deer, antelope and bucks tend to be incredibly agile and effective at avoiding contact. If you fire as soon as you see them, you're highly likely to miss and use more ammunition in the process.

A useful strategy is to perfect your dry-firing strategy. This involves targeting your animal, aiming, and doing a quick simulation of the firing. Once you're confident you'll get the catch, you can now aim and actually fire at your target.

Stalk your prey like a pro

When hunting, the closer you are to the target, the better. Even if there are new rifles and scopes that can zoom into a target that is 900 metres away, you will always be more accurate if you fire from close range. This means that you need to perfect stalking skills that will get you much closer to your target. Shooting from close also provides a unique thrill to the hunt because you will be dealing with your prey from close range.

To become the perfect stalker, understand the behavioural patterns of your prey. Know when the animal is most vulnerable, and plan a technique for approaching it undetected. 

Know when to pull the trigger

A common mistake most hunters make is to target the entire animal instead of narrowing down to a specific part of the body. This often results in missed or fringe hits. To be successful, know where you want to hit and get yourself in the best position before you pull the trigger.

Pay attention to the wind

Any experienced hunter knows that scent is what is most likely to blow your cover and make you use more ammunition than you need to. Always position yourself downwind from your target so the game doesn't pick up on your scent.

You should also pay attention to land forms (such as dunes, trenches and hills) that tend to either block currents or funnel them in a specific direction. Watching leaves, grass, and plants can help you identify where the wind is blowing.