According to Forbes, one of the most interesting developments in hunting right now deals with finding solutions to the environmental nuisance known as feral pigs. Every year, these pigs manage to cause $1.5 billion in crop damage, and there is a year round open season for hunting them. To try and really curb the still growing population, though, Louisiana is now experimenting with using drones to hunt them down.
You might not be ready, or even interested, in hunting with drones. There are many other tools, though, that can help you hunt better. Here are three items you might want to pick up before your next adventure.
1. Create Your Own Tactical Gun Sling
A gun sling has several functions. Although it obviously helps you carry your weapon with minimal effort, it is, more importantly, a very useful accuracy aid, allowing you to keep your aim steady. For this, you will need a short and long piece of flat webbing, double adjust side release buckles, three wide slides, and two thin bar slides. You can choose from polyester, nylon, and polypropylene webbing for the straps. If you aren’t familiar with polypropylene webbing, it can handle more weight than nylon, and is resistant to rot and mildew.
2. A Few Versatile Tools You Should Always Have
Every hunter has one or two items that, while they might not be necessary to every hunt, are carrying pack constants and have many potential uses. Zip ties are one fix-it tool with limitless applications, often filling in for knotting, rope, or twine. D ring belts are another handy, lightweight item you can bring along to secure things down or hold them together. According to Eric Jutilla, an experienced hunter, ponchos are a must have. Not only can they help keep you warm and your clothes dry if things become wet, but it can also serve as a dry sitting area, a clean place for butchering, an emergency shelter, or a cover for hanging meat.
3. Some Tools Are Smaller Than Others
“There’s an app for everything” as the saying goes, and this is true for hunting. Some hunters might frown at the idea of advanced technology, but others will appreciate how it can enhance different aspects of the hunting experience. Brent McNamee, writing for Hunter Course, says that three of the top apps for tech-savvy outdoorsman include iSonular Hunting and Fishing, Primos Hunting Calls, and iHunt Journal. Also handy? the SAS Survival Guide for iPhones. It contains survival and safety information, with everything from a Morse code signaling device to a guide to poisonous plants and mushrooms.
Have you used Smartphone apps, ponchos, or polypropylene webbing in your hunting? Let us know in the comments!
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