What to take with you when hunting. How to choose your first gun for hunting: tips for beginners What you need for hunting

Advice for a novice hunter is given in the form of information provided on guns produced in Russian Federation. When hunting for animals or wild birds, guns and carbines of various systems and different drilling of bores are used, such as bullet and shot cartridges, combined, rifled and smooth-bore.

All these types of guns are used for hunting various animals and birds, for example: a rifle rifle made for a small-caliber cartridge, caliber 5, 6 millimeters, is used in the industrial-scale hunting of small animals: squirrels and chipmunks. Combination shotgun, single-barreled or double-barrel, with caliber 6.6-6. 62 and 9 millimeters are used in industrial production large sea animals, as well as wild boars, bears, moose, deer and other representatives of the animal world.

Smoothbore guns.

A few tips for the novice shotgun hunter. A smoothbore gun is considered a good example. Widely used in sport hunting when shooting at wild birds and animals: geese, ducks, black grouse, wood grouse, roe deer and wolves. In the case of hunting large animals: wild boars, elk and bears, a killing distance of within fifty meters is recommended.

The hunting smooth-bore shotgun is a modification of both single-barreled and double-barreled with vertical and horizontal twin barrels, and three-barreled. Shotguns with three-round and five-round magazines are available for sale.

Guns are loaded from the treasury with standard cartridges. Single-barreled shotguns are available in single-shot and multi-shot versions. The last type of gun has a magazine for quickly reloading the weapon.

A single-barreled, single-shot shotgun differs from other types of weapons in its low cost. A double-barreled or three-barreled multi-shot gun is much easier to use for hunting.

Reloading a single-barreled repeating rifle can occur using the physical force of the hunter's hand or automatically, thanks to the power return of the pressure that is created by the powder gases when fired.

An automatic single-barreled multi-shot shotgun provides the ability to fire several shots in a row, based on the number of cartridges in the magazine.

Double-barreled shotguns fire two shots, either duplicating the first shot for accuracy, or to intensify the kill by firing a shot loaded with larger buckshot and buckshot.

With different drilling of gun barrels, the result is a different accuracy of hitting the target with a fractional charge, and a different sharpness of the combat. The left barrel of a double-barreled shotgun is drilled for a cylinder and a choke, resulting in a compact and sharp action of a hunting rifle, compared to the right barrel, which is drilled for a cylinder or a choke.

A single-barreled hunting shotgun, with the exception of automatic and semi-automatic, has a special sliding bolt; breaking is done when the lever is opened. Thus, the barrel tilts back and it is possible to reload the barrel.

In addition to ammunition and weapons, the future hunter needs to purchase a set of kitchen utensils. In order to organize normal life in the field. Necessary gun accessories include: a winter and summer camouflage robe, a pea coat, skis, a backpack and a compass.

Advice for a hunter can be gleaned by reading the hunting rules in order to feel comfortable, understand and soberly assess what is happening during the hunting period. Follow them later.

Hunting areas.

In the case of existing prohibited hunting areas, it is necessary to clearly understand the boundaries of the hunting restrictions. When going hunting, be sure to obtain a permit for one or another area.

Hunting may have seasonal restrictions on hunting activities. See what date the spring hunting for birds begins: drakes, geese and male woodcocks. When hunting for waterfowl, field birds and swamp game opens. To clarify the opening period for autumn-winter hunting for fur-bearing animals: hare, fox, ferret and mink. Are opening hunting seasons taking into account natural phenomena: the beginning of nesting of arriving birds, the mating season, the development of emerging juveniles. Perhaps a person who wants to join a hunting clan will need to give up his legal vacation period. But this is possible and optional, but you will have to strictly follow the hunting rules themselves.

There are also restrictions on the number of individuals shot per hunter. These restrictions can be daily or seasonal. Bans have been established on the hunting of rare animals that are on the verge of extinction. A number of birds and animals are included in the list of living creatures that are not hunted at all. These include: little bustards, bustards, cranes, red ducks, egrets and swans. You need to know about this, otherwise, any violation of the listed points entails a serious administrative violation.

When conducting a hunt, it is necessary to observe precautions and the same safety rules, especially when conducting a group hunt. By not following the hunting rules, you expose yourself to administrative liability. If there were no prohibitive acts in the world, then the species composition of animals and birds would noticeably thin out, or even disappear altogether. A number of prohibitory articles on hunting provide for criminal liability. In the old days, hunters could be considered those people who truly understood the natural world and itsinhabitants, skillfully accepting the gifts of nature, but without breaking the laws.

For a beginner hunter, all the written advice will be useful when he implements it. Hunter skill comes with time, but hunting ethics must be observed from the first moment of the hunt.

Equipment for the warm season

Every season of the year and different types Hunts require the hunter to dress appropriately for the weather and take certain equipment with him. Below is sample list equipment for different seasons - summer, spring, autumn and winter, and also depending on the duration of stay on the land.

Equipment for the warm season

Hunting during the day

1. Clothes.
Outerwear is light, does not restrict movement, and is of a protective color in accordance with the time of year. In August, ticks are still active in some places, so it is advisable to have an encephalitis suit.
Shoes. Depending on the nature of the hunt and the weather, sneakers, boots, rubber boots or swamp boots are worn.
During the rainy season, it is advisable to have a raincoat; now they are very compact and lightweight, so it can easily fit in your pocket.
Headgear - cap, baseball cap, khaki scarf.

2. Backpack - small size - 40-45l, it contains:

Bag, net or bag for game,
- a thermos with tea or a flask with plain water,
-camping first aid kit: iodine, bandage, analgin, activated carbon,
— NZ: matches in a waterproof bag and salt,
- compass,
- some food.

3. A gun (if necessary, a case for it), a bandoleer with cartridges, a hunting knife.

If you wish, you can additionally take binoculars, insect repellent and a camera.

Stay on site for 1-3 days

1. Clothes are the same.

2. In a backpack (volume - 45-60l) we additionally add:

- a warm jacket or sweater, pants, a knitted hat and woolen socks (overnight outside the hunting base),
- tourist mat,
- dishes (pot, spoon, mug),
- food supply (bread, stewed meat, soup in bags, lard, onions, potatoes),
- tea, sugar, salt,
- LED flashlight,
- compass, if available - map of the area,
- hunting hatchet.
- stock of ammunition,
— a field kit for cleaning a gun, a piece of soap.

3. Gun, bandolier, knife.

If necessary, you can additionally take a sleeping bag, tent or tarpaulin.

Equipment for spring and autumn

Hunting during the day

1. A sweater, warm pants, mittens are added to the clothing, and an insulated, waterproof jacket is put on top of summer camouflage clothing. Woolen socks are put on the feet, and a knitted cap is put on the head. Shoes - rubber boots or swamp boots with felt insole, polyurethane boots.

2.In a small backpack add up:

- spare wool socks,
- thermos with hot tea,
- a small supply of food,
- Nz,
- first aid kit,
- game bag.

A hunter who is also involved in hunting fur-bearing animals also has an ax for removing skins, a whetstone for sharpening and a grinder. set (pliers or transformer, pieces of wire, threads for SIM cards or fabric).

3. Shotgun, bandoleer and hunting knife.

Overnight hunting for 1-3 days

Everything is the same as in the summer, plus a warm knitted sweater, a warm autumn jacket, warm mittens, and stockings for boots.

For hunting in winter

1. Clothes - warm winter jacket, camouflage coat, knitted or fur hat. For hands, warm gloves and mittens, for feet - felt boots, polyurethane foam boots or shoe covers with warm stockings.
In very severe frosts, a special mask-hat covers your face from the wind and frost.

2. Cold weather in winter requires a more careful approach to packing a backpack; a couple of necessary forgotten things can be costly for the hunter.
First of all, we check whether the emergency kit and first aid kit are in place, just like in the fall, we take with us a thermos with hot tea, a warm sweater, woolen socks and a supply of food. In deep snow, when hunting on skis, be sure to take with you a repair kit - an awl, strong threads.

3. Shotgun, bandoleer, hunting knife and skis (in mountains and hilly areas, ski poles).

Nowadays, very few people voluntarily spend the night in the forest in winter. It requires a completely different preparation and without the relevant experience, it is best for one to refuse it. It is best to plan your hunting day in such a way that you have time to return to the hut, home or base before dark. In this case, you will not have to take additional equipment with you; you will only need to take more food.

What will we add?

Of course, the lists of the above equipment are advisory in nature; the hunter, in principle, is free to decide for himself what to take with him. Moreover, in each region of the country, different climatic and natural conditions requires its own approach. Being in the steppe, in the mountains or in the taiga, of course, makes adjustments to this list. In addition, the features of a particular type of hunting also require you to have additional equipment - a camouflage cape, a rubber boat, decoys, profiles, stuffed animals, optics, etc.

The above only partly applies to commercial hunters who hunt tens of kilometers from settlements and spend several months in the taiga. Their specific work requires a different approach, because they have to import (bring in) everything from bags of breadcrumbs to iron stoves and snowmobiles.

In any case, equipment should be light, compact and convenient.

In all cases, if there is a network of cellular operators, we take a telephone with us; if there are walkie-talkies, we take them too

Some hunters will notice that none of the lists include a flask of alcohol. Whether it is needed for hunting or not, to drink or not to drink, everyone decides for themselves.
Probably, if everything is done in moderation or out of necessity, it has every right to be included in the equipment. It seems that there is nothing wrong if a hunter drinks a little vodka or cognac while lying in a grouse hut, so as not to freeze, or near the desired trophy.

When leaving for the area, be sure to notify someone and let them know when you plan to return.
When hunting as a group, agree on conventional signals.

How to choose the right place to spend the night, read the article “.”
Read about the best way to make a fire in this

What is the most important thing in hunting? Is it a good gun? Branded cartridges? All-terrain vehicle, equipment? Maybe the ability to shoot accurately? Everything is wrong... The main thing is to love this business with all your heart, the rest will follow.

During my more than thirty-five years of practice as a gun hunter “by hand,” I have dug through a lot of specific literature: this and advice experienced hunters, and serious scientific research. I want to save the time of novice hunters and give out a kind of quintessence of everything that has been read and applied in different time, and most importantly, what has been developed in practice.

So, let's start with the gun

Let’s immediately discard the famous brands, it’s too “curly” for a beginner. A good piece gun, it’s like a Stradivarius violin, but the price is appropriate. The gun should be “butt-friendly”, that is, when aiming at an object, the aiming bar should immediately fit the eye, without requiring adjustment.

The fact is that when hunting “by the feather” you will have 1-1.5 seconds to aim, tighten the shot with adjustments, the rapidly flying bird will be “out of reach”. Don’t be lazy when looking through your weapon, take your time, aim at the target, sooner or later you’ll find what you’re looking for in more than one store. Good guns were produced at the Tula and Izhevsk factories until 1970, then new technologies came along, a conveyor belt was launched, and the quality fell through the roof.

Piece guns, of course, were also produced and are still being produced, but their prices are sky-high. If you manage to buy an old barrel in good condition secondhand, you will be incredibly lucky; minor cavities inside the barrel do not significantly affect the quality of the shot.

The second most important quality of a gun...

... this is a uniform scattering of pellets (the distance between the pellets after dispersion should be approximately the same, without “dips”) here a lot still depends on the correctly loaded cartridge, but the main thing is still the properties of the barrel.

Third - caliber

Start with the twelfth, more shot, less wounded. With experience, you yourself will reduce the caliber. The weight of the gun is reduced, which is important for long walks; the savings in gunpowder and shot, and therefore money, are noticeable.

Remember that the left barrel, as a rule, is a “choke”, that is, long-range and gives a more concentrated shot, the right “choke” scatters the shot more strongly. So, shoot at a close target with your right ( trigger closer to the butt), and farther to the left.

Shooting training

There are quite a few instructions on shooting from smooth-bore weapons, diagrams and formulas: what kind of lead to make in advance, how many bodies of a flying bird to measure forward, how to determine the distance by the size of an object and other theory. However, with little time for targeting, all this science is thrown into the trash. No one is able to calculate the lead, instantly taking into account the distance to the object, its size, wind, humidity/air density. Only practice will give you the ability to shoot intuitively.

It’s good, very good if you can afford to train on a shooting range, shooting at clay pigeons, but this is an expensive pleasure, don’t have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends with strong hands who will throw plastic bottles one-third full of water. Just follow the safety measures; the assistant must always be behind the shooter; it will be ugly if you accidentally shoot a comrade instead of a bottle.

The eye also needs to be developed

A confident shot from a good barrel that shoots well and evenly sheds 30 - 40 meters, 50 is the maximum, a hit at a distance of over fifty meters is an accident or a game lost in vain by wounds, then try to get a wounded animal, seven times will do. But you need to get it - otherwise you are not a hunter.

Place the poles at a distance of 15, 20, 25, 30 and so on up to a hundred meters from you, look and remember. Then, while walking around the city, notice some object, determine the distance and check by measuring the distance in steps. Train your eye regularly, so over time you will achieve the accuracy of your eye.

Ammo

Equip yourself. This is a tedious and long task, but in the end all efforts will be justified. There are, of course, excellent branded cartridges, but now I’m talking to the average hunter, and not to “Pinocchio”.

The accuracy and uniformity of the scree is achieved by properly equipping the cartridge. The amount of gunpowder should be measured only by weight, no measuring sticks. Fraction, also by weight, pharmacy scales are a hunter’s friend, not a drug addict. Do not get carried away with enhanced charges, it does not give anything, on the contrary, it harms. In winter, you can increase the weight of gunpowder by 0.1 - 0.2 grams from the nominal value, no more.

With a powerful shot, the lead shot is crushed in the cartridge case and loses its ballistic qualities, the wooden parts of the gun crack, the metal parts become loose, even the chamber can swell, but there is no effect. It's another matter if you are prone to masochism and are crazy about bruises on your shoulder.

“Sprinkled” shells give a good result (accordingly, the weight of the shot must be reduced by exactly as much as the powder weighs), this is when the shot is sprinkled with loose powder: talc, flour or starch. Such cartridges cannot be stored for a long time; the powder can cake and harden. The best thing is coordinated fractions, when the pellets are laid out in layers one by one, however, this is a very tedious task: using tweezers, one pellet at a time, row by row. But then you won’t blame the cartridge, only yourself if you lubricate it.

The best way to roll a cartridge case is, of course, with an asterisk; the fact is that after a shot, the upper gasket is decelerated by air more than heavy shot, thereby creating turbulence that greatly disrupts the uniformity of the scree.

Disguise

The best disguise is patience. It’s good if you have a camouflage coat or a cape with “shaggy” patterns that matches the color of the area, but any game first of all reacts to movement. Therefore, by remaining motionless until the shot in any inconspicuous clothing, you will already be camouflaged.

You need to move smoothly and very slowly, stepping from heel to toe. First, plant your heel among the crunchy dead wood, then smoothly transfer your body weight to the toe. Only cats can move completely silently. Tales about Indians and special forces, they are fairy tales. However, try to make as little noise as possible when moving.

Safety

Remember, like the “Our Father”: you can remove the weapon from the safety only immediately before firing. Never shoot horizontally to the ground or water unless you are 100% sure there are no people or livestock in the bush in the shooting range.

And in general, learn to shoot a bird when it’s older, it’s both safer and more exciting. Vanity will be satisfied full program, imagine, you are still a beginner, and already hit without a miss for years, you will win such respect from experienced hunters... Just don’t lift your nose too much, otherwise you will trip over a snag and break it.

Protect your gun from rust in wet weather and make sure that no foreign objects get inside the barrels: branches, grass, dirt, earth, snow, etc. This can lead to swelling of the barrels or even rupture. There is such a terrible thing as a lingering shot. It happens, of course, extremely rarely, but there are also the most tragic consequences.

When struck with a striker, old cartridges or primers that have expired sometimes do not detonate immediately, but with a delay. You are excited, after a misfire you try to change the cartridge as quickly as possible. You break the gun, and then the “lingering” primer fires: the shot is fired, the jet thrust pushes the cartridge case right into your face at breakneck speed!

Therefore, always remove the cartridges after a misfire by pointing the breech of the gun to the side and throw the misfired cartridge into the water or away from yourself and people. Don’t push it back into the bandoleer, it’s more expensive for yourself.

AND - don't drink while hunting! If alcohol comes into its own, then all the rules and covenants are remembered after sobering up, when all the wood has already been broken...

Here's a very short one, " galloping across Europe"Instruction for novice hunters, I hope my advice will save you time and prevent you from making mistakes.

The goal of the hunt will be achieved if such issues as “equipment for hunting” and “list of things to do while hunting” are carefully thought out and prepared in a timely manner.

I’ll tell you how I prepare using the example of preparing for my favorite hunt - wood grouse in the spring current.

But first, I’ll tell you a little about my hunting diaries. I’ve been leading them for fifty years,” starting with my first hunt, in the spring of 1946. The stimulus that prompted me to start a diary was simply a youthful desire to know how much and what kind of game I would get in my life. The first entries took up only two or three lines: the serial number of the hunt, the date and location of it, and a listing of the trophies obtained. Returning from the hunt, I wrote down this information in a general notebook. A hunting number was assigned to each departure from home, regardless of the number of days spent hunting. Gradually, the notes became more detailed: I wrote down what the weather was like, in what places I found game, what clothes I was wearing, what was good in my equipment and what was bad, what needed to be added or altered.

The amount of information that emerged during the hunt grew and grew, both due to interesting observations and such seemingly trivial “discoveries” - the left pocket of the rain jacket was leaking, the fastening of the shoulder straps of the backpack was loose. There was a need, in addition to a home diary, to also keep a hiking diary, in which I began to “on the go” write down everything that I considered useful and necessary for preparing for the next hunts and that was impossible to simply remember: terrain plan, road and clearing diagrams, train schedules, last names and names local residents and so on. I filled out my hiking diary, a small notebook, with a pencil. Some time passed after returning from the hunt before I sat down to copy it into my home diary. And again positive emotions - supplementing the brief notes with more detailed ones, it’s as if I’m on the hunt again, again experiencing joyful excitement. The notepad has a "To Do" section that I don't rewrite. This is the same section in which I record all the malfunctions of equipment and equipment or the necessary additions to them. As soon as it appears free time, I sit down and sew up a hole in the left pocket of the storm jacket, using waxed thread to strengthen the fastening of the shoulder straps of the backpack.

Thus, partial preparation for the next hunt begins immediately after the end of the previous one. From the entries in the diaries, I can find out everything that needs to be taken with me, but in order not to extract the necessary information from them every time, I created a folder specifically for preparing for the spring hunt. In it, on separate sheets, he wrote down all his equipment, all the equipment and the necessary food products. It is more convenient to write on separate sheets, since the list of things and products changes over time and the sheets are simply replaced with new ones. I created similar folders for my other hunts. When preparing for a hunt, I open the desired folder and before my eyes - full list necessary things and food for hunting, proven by many years of experience. Having completed any item from this list when getting ready, I check the box. With such a system, you won’t forget anything, you’ll prepare everything on time. Here is the content of the section “What to take from the folder “Spring wood grouse hunting”:

Hunting equipment

• Sleeping bag
• Pipe tent
• Polyurethane mat
• Jacket
• Tarpaulin storm cover (or made of membrane fabric)
• Woolen sweater (fleece)
• Underwear (thermal underwear)
• Knitted shirt (If thermal underwear is used, you can do without it)
• Spare shirt
• Athletic pants
• Canvas trousers (or from membrane fabric)
• Wool socks
• Woolen foot wraps (or fleece)
• High boots + insoles + elastic bands
• Wool gloves
• Wool hat

Hunting equipment

• Gun
• Bandolier
• Ammo
• Gun oil + cleaning rags
• Backpack
• Silver bag
• Compass
• Watch
• Flashlight
• Towel + soap
• Glue "Moment" + patches
• Camera?
• Telephoto lens?
• Movie camera?
• Axe?
• Skis?

Kitchenware for hunting

• Soldier's bowler hat
• Wooden spoon
• teaspoon
• Mug
• Water flask
• Thermos 0.5 l
• Canvas mittens
• Hand cloths
• Matches

Products for hunting

• Bread
• Boiled condensed milk
• Potato
• Vermicelli
• Salted lard
• Oil 7. Garlic
• Salt
• Bouillon cubes
• Canned meat

Pocket items

• Hunting license + weapons permit
• Passport + train ticket
• Money
• Notepad + pencil
• Current path diagram. 6. Cigarettes
• Gas lighter
• Comb
• Handkerchief
• Paper "tags"

The above list of what I take with me will not surprise urban amateur hunters who go out to hunt wood grouse in the spring. Everyone takes something like this. Some take more things and products if they get to the hunting site by personal transport, others take less if they use the services of a hunting base or travel in company with friends, where mutual assistance is ensured. My list is compiled for a single hunter who does not use any services and cannot hope for mutual assistance. Almost every item went through a long “evolution” and “run-in” before being included in this list. I will comment on its main points. The weather during the period of capercaillie currents is often very capricious: sometimes dry, warm, sometimes frost, sometimes rain or snow. Therefore, the issue of equipment is very important. The basis of my equipment is a sleeping bag and a tube tent. I once managed without them. I was wearing a padded jacket, trousers and a hat with earflaps. In such clothes I spent my nights by the fire quite tolerably. But when wadded clothing got wet from the rain, it became heavy and unpleasant, and it was impossible to dry it quickly even by a hot fire. With the advent of the sleeping bag and tent, many problems were solved. The main thing is that I have become completely independent of the weather and the choice of place to spend the night - I always have a warm home behind me. Wherever twilight or bad weather finds me, I set up a tent, take off my shoes, climb into my sleeping bag and rest calmly, without worrying about firewood or fire. When you spend the night without a tent or sleeping bag, you sleep in fits and starts, as you often have to get up to adjust the fire. My feet languish all night in rubber boots. The first sleeping bag with a zipper was a store-bought one with foam rubber. The foam rubber soon crumbled, and the zipper began to jam. The second bag was homemade from the down of autumn ducks, which I shot while hunting in the Volga delta. It was a bag without any cuts or fasteners. It served me for many years, was very warm, but too bulky. Now I use a light and fairly warm bag, also homemade, sewn from sheet synthetic padding and covered with synthetic fabric on the outside and inside.

About the tent

The tent has also undergone evolution. The first canvas one was heavy and required pegs for installation. Then a very light one made from parachute fabric appeared. But in rainy weather it had to be covered with film. From below it also required additional protection from dampness. Now on my list the “pipe” is the lightest, cheapest and most practical tent for a single hunter. I buy plastic film, which is made in the form of a flattened pipe and is usually used for greenhouses. I choose the film with the largest width (1.6 m), cut a piece from it the length of my height plus another meter. The tent is ready. You can install it in one minute. I pull the cord that was previously passed inside the “pipe” between two trees at chest level, spread the lower layers so that a triangle is formed, lay a polyurethane mat on the floor, unfold a sleeping bag on it, put a backpack at the head of the head, a gun along one bottom wall, along the other - boots. The film saves not only from rain, but also from dampness from below. If there is still snow in the forest, then I trample it down and put a layer of spruce branches under the film. No pegs are needed - the tent retains its shape due to the cord and things located on its floor. In windy or rainy weather, I close the ends of the “pipe” with two clothespins. In calm weather, I do not close the ends so that condensation from breathing does not accumulate on the inner surface. If it rains on the way; you can use the “pipe” as a cape, partially unfolding it. A lightweight polyurethane mat that does not absorb moisture and has good heat-insulating properties is very comfortable. When you have a roof over your head, you have a sleeping bag, you don’t need to take a lot of warm clothes - during the day, on the move, you won’t freeze - a light jacket and trousers are enough, over which in cool or wet weather you can put on a windbreaker and trousers made of light canvas.

I choose all my outerwear in a khaki color. I don't use lap belts. It is very inconvenient when there are two belts from trousers on the lower back, and on top of them a third from a cartridge belt with pouches. It is much more convenient to wear sports trousers with an elastic band, and to equip canvas trousers with wide shoulders. On my head I wear a knitted woolen cap, on which, if necessary, I put a canvas hood (I find a storm jacket with a sewn-on hood uncomfortable when hunting). The path to a good current is usually difficult. With a heavy with a backpack, even in dry weather, you arrive wet from sweat, despite the fact that you take off all your warm and canvas clothes and walk lightly, sometimes in just a knitted shirt. On the spot, I always change my undershirt to a dry one. Instead of a wet outer shirt, I put on a sweater. Knitted Shirts dry quickly in spring.

One of the main pieces of equipment are high rubber boots. I always have them ready. After each hunt, I wash them, dry them and carefully inspect them. If I don’t find any damage, I lightly wipe it with a rag soaked in glycerin and hang it with the tops completely straightened in a cool place. When walking with the bells down, I put ring-shaped rubber bands glued together from an old bicycle inner tube on them (so that they don’t rattle against each other). The same elastic bands, raised above the knees, keep the boots straightened. When hunting, I temporarily seal minor injuries with a medical adhesive plaster, and large ones with Moment glue. I buy boots in such a way that they, with inserted felt insoles, can be easily put on the foot in a woolen sock and with a light woolen footcloth. Hand-knitted socks are lined with old nylon stocking, which protects them from rapid rubbing.

Some notes on equipment. The 12-gauge shotgun that I use when hunting wood grouse does not require any special training. Its reliability has been tested over twenty years of impeccable service. Before going hunting, I remove preservative grease from the barrels, and wipe all external metal surfaces with a mixture of wax melted in gun oil. I take with me the same composition, some gun oil and clean rags. I use only my own cartridges. The loading process gives not only satisfaction, but also confidence in your cartridges. After loading the cartridges, I write down the date of loading, the amount of gunpowder and its warranty period, the number and weight of the shot, the type of cartridge case and wad, and the number of loaded cartridges. At the end of the warranty period of the gunpowder, I pour out large shot from the unspent “grouse grouse” cartridges, fill them with smaller ones and transfer them to the category of less responsible hunts. I reload the capercaillie cartridges with fresh gunpowder. Shooting at a leering capercaillie is usually done at close range, therefore, without chasing accuracy, I load cartridges for a sharper fight: 2.3 g of Sokol gunpowder and 32 g of shot. For capercaillie I use shot No. 2, polyethylene sleeves and felt wads.

Now about the backpack.

In the recent past, monotonous canvas backpacks were on sale. The tarpaulin was good, but the shape and design were irrational. Quite voluminous and relatively low backpacks, when filled with heavy things, were pulled back from the back. I had to walk, bending forward strongly, with my hands behind the shoulder straps. Many of these backpacks have worn out on my shoulders. Several years ago, a friend, an experienced hiker, gave me a backpack of his own making. Relatively narrow, but quite tall, it was made of lightweight but durable synthetic materials. With the help of special bridles, the width of the divergence of the shoulder straps and the inclination of the upper part from the back were adjusted. There are straps sewn on the sides, making it convenient to carry the backpack in your hands, and straps with buckles that regulate its volume. When I first went hunting with him, it seemed that I was twenty years younger - the load, located vertically close to the back, was almost not felt at first. The backpack itself weighed exactly one kilogram lighter than my old canvas one. In my backpack I put a bag glued together from thin rubberized fabric ("silver") for clothes and things that require protection from moisture.

When I hunt, I don’t get sick, I get better, but I always take a small first aid kit with me. It contains a bandage and several pills (painkillers, heart medications, for colds). I practically didn’t use the tablets; I treated local residents with them. I myself used only an alcohol tincture of propolis - an amazing remedy for cuts and abrasions. I take an ax if the current is located on the moss. There it is needed for constructing a deck for a tent and preparing firewood from dead pine trees. On a current located in a spruce forest, where you can choose dry place for a tent, I do without an axe. For a fire, it is easy to break the lower dry spruce branches, armed with canvas mittens, which I also use to remove the pot from the fire.

First hunt? In the life of every hunter there is a day when he first went out into the forest with a gun, and this day is probably remembered with a smile on his face. Some hunters even jokingly say that the first hunt is cooler than the first sex. Of course, it’s not so easy to just pick up and go; you need to have information about where to go, what to do, what to take with you.

You already have permission and desire, all you have to do is get ready and go out. During the first hunt there will be a lot of questions, and this is understandable, even if you return without prey, you have taken the most important thing, initial experience and a new set of questions that require answers. We will try to answer them.

1. How to go, alone or with a group? And if there are no hunter friends, then where can I get it?
2. First hunt, where to start?
3. Hunter's outfit. Hiding device.

How to go, alone or with a group? And if there are no hunter friends, then where can I get it?

Of course, it’s better to go with a company, or even better with one experienced hunter, he will show you where the game is, teach you how to find trails, and tell you secrets. But what if there are no such friends? Everything is very simple! Find a hunting club, go to a meeting and get to know each other! Experienced hunters also advise starting alone. Walk around, listen to the forest, merge with your soul, and only then start hunting. Hunting is still relaxation and pleasure. You need to learn to receive it even if there is no game on the way.

First hunt, where to start?

And here we again turn to the advice of experienced hunters. Before going out hunting, the guys suggest that you familiarize yourself with “”. And only after studying all the unspoken rules to go out on a duck. Yes, this is advice from experienced duck hunters! It is easy to find, it lives in any small bodies of water, it is recommended to come hunting 2 hours before sunrise in order to have time to set up a spot and get ready.

There are 4 types of duck hunting. Let's talk about the most popular ones.

1. Hunting from ambush. We'll tell you how to do it below. The essence of this hunt is to hide and wait. Sometimes you have to sit for a long time, so you need a lot of patience. The rifle must be loaded in advance, because any click can scare away the duck. It is recommended to shoot at the closest one, since you will need to somehow get it out of the water.
2. Hunting with stuffed animals. The principle is the same as in hunting from ambush, it is used in the spring, when the mating season is underway. A couple of hours before dawn, you need to scatter stuffed ducks no further than 20-30 meters from the shore. The number of them depends on your desire and ability to carry, but at least 10-15 pieces are recommended. You will need a decoy, you need to quack into it occasionally. But keep in mind that this must be done carefully, otherwise, instead of attracting drakes, you will scare them away. Listen to the ducks calling the drake in the morning, and you are guaranteed success.

You can buy a stuffed duck in any hunting store, but also in the store of our partners.

Hunter's outfit. Hiding device.

If you read magazines about hunting, you will never feel like a real hunter, because they list such a huge list of equipment that you will never carry on yourself. It's too much. For a complete and comfortable hunt, you need a minimum set of hunting equipment.

• Regular insulated boots.
• Decoy (may not be needed if ducks are naturally active)
• Floatation device (to retrieve dead ducks from the water)
• Stuffed duck (when hunting with stuffed ducks)

This will be enough for the first hunt.

When arranging a hideout, it is necessary to take into account the terrain, natural shelters, wind direction and distance to water. Many hunters buy ready-made blinds; they look like a suit. It is very important that the color of the ambush does not differ from the color of the area!

We hope that our article helped you gain minimal clarity and that your first hunt will not make you think that it was your last! Break a leg!