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When you go hunting for the first time with your dog and your child, it is important to take the time to properly prepare for the event. The following guide walks you through a few tips that you can use to ensure your first hunting trip goes as smoothly as it possibly can.
Ensure Everyone has the Proper Hunting Attire
When you go hunting, it is important to make sure that everyone has the proper hunting attire one. Dress your child in camouflage so that he or she can blend in with their surroundings and not be detected by the animals. Have them sport a bright orange hat so that they can be seen and identified by other hunters who may be in the area.
It is important to also dress your dog in the right attire. Putting a Garmin Alpha E collar on your dog before you go out hunting will ensure that you will be able to find him or her when the hunt is over. Dogs will run after the deer, rabbit, or fox that you are hunting. It can be hard to find them when they are done chasing the animal and the collar will ensure that you can pinpoint their exact location so that your dog does not get lost for good.
Ensure Everyone has Proper Documentation
Before you go hunting, you need to get a hunting license for you and your child. This is the only way that you will be able to hunt legally. You also need to bring with you proof of your dog’s vaccinations, including his or her rabies vaccine. If you have a dog out hunting that has not been properly vaccinated, you could get into serious trouble with a game warden.
Ensure Everyone has Proper Training
It is best to practice what steps will need to be taken when you go hunting before you actually head out. Talk to your child about what they will need to do while you are in the tree stand or while you are prowling by ground. He or she needs to know how to move around in the woods if you plan to prowl and they need to practice firing their weapon before you actually go hunting. This will ensure that he or she feels as comfortable with their weapon as they can and has the confidence that will be needed to fire at an animal when it comes along.
Ensure You Choose the Proper Location
When you take your child and your dog hunting for the first time, you want to be sure to choose a safe location. It is often best to go somewhere that is not highly concentrated with hunters. That will lessen the chances of an accident happening and better your chances of being able to get a kill that day. You need to be sure to get permission from a property owner before hunting on their land, as well.
It may take a few times before you and your new hunting party are able to get a kill. It is important to teach your child how to be patient and simply enjoy the peace and quiet that you get to spend together on your hunting trips. It can be a great bonding experience that your child will be able to remember for years to come.
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