Family Vacations On Guided Hunting Trips

By Angela Stewart


One of the most important elements of gun safety is knowing your environment. For a hunter who is new to a region, this knowledge of their environment does not exist. It can help a new hunter immensely when he is taken out on these early morning hunts on guided hunting trips by guides who are familiar with the terrain and know the habits of animals being targeted.

Anyone new to the sport is probably new to guns as well. By having a guide who is knowledgeable about both guns and the local territory, the new hunter can receive an education about his or her weapon as well as rules of the hunt. Considering how many experienced hunters have accidents each year, teaching an inexperienced individual is key to preventing disaster.

Having a firm grasp on the environment is a vital part of safety due to the possibility of homes or other hunters being present in the vicinity. If a person is targeting a deer as it crosses the field, they need to know whether or not they can safety shoot in that direction. If there are homes just beyond the copse of trees, then they might have to wait until the animal is pointed in a slightly different direction.

As of 2011, the African safari is no longer a trips for hunters, but has been replaced by tourists pointing cameras instead of guns. For many years, individuals advertised guided hunts in Africa, and the vacationers were not aware that they were breaking any laws. It was a dirty trick, and resulted in hunting the African black rhino into extinction.

The poaching of the black rhino into extinction resulted in the closing of all hunt activities in Africa. Those who booked these safaris failed to double-check with legitimate sources to ensure that it was hunting season. They also embarked on their trips without knowing which animals were legal to hunt and which ones were strictly prohibited.

In the United States, anyone who kills an animal out of season is regarded as a poacher. That is a difficult notion when someone kills for food, but when a person kills an animal for fur or a head on the wall, it is not regarded as poaching so long as it takes place during the proper season. Traditional wisdom would dictate that killing for food is not exactly poaching.

When a hunter eats his kills, it helps to keep him a good reputation as a hunter. The clubs themselves will make sure the meat of the animal does not go to waste by donating it, or giving it to another club member. In fact, the clubs find it offensive when their business name gets posted on social media with photos of the trophy hunter.

Anyone who brings their family on a trip is encouraged to set a good example for the next generation. Children should be shown how to field dress their kill, then prepare the meat for eating, and taste their spoils. Having them use the skins, furs, antlers, and bone in creating things for their own use brings the experience full circle.




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