Do it Yourself Hunting Equipment
Hunters are usually, by nature, an innovative bunch of people who use the environment and the tools they have around them to lure and catch their prey. Many of the devices they use are store-bought, but a good number are homemade, as they are cheaper and work just as well as anything you can buy -- if not better.
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Homemade Blinds
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A blind hides you from your prey so he cannot easily see you amidst the forest or foliage, but you can see him and aim your weapon. Depending on what you are hunting, these homemade blinds can be made out of a variety of things, from canvas tarps that have leaves glued or sewn on to them for camouflage to more structural blinds made out of spare pieces of aluminum siding with holes cut in them for rifles to fit through. These blinds should be positioned to look out over a wide area, so that you can sit there quietly and watch for prey, with a clear shot when you see something.
Hunting Scents
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Most larger mammals rely on the sense of smell to move around and to sense if they are in danger or if there is a mate nearby. This is important for deer, in particular, as the smell of the area you are hunting in will be the difference between a successful hunt and long, quiet day in the woods. Making your own deer scent to not only mask your own human scent but also draw the deer to the area can be done with the right recipe. A number of these are available, but one that seems the most prevalent consists of mixing cooking vanilla with petroleum jelly. The vanilla draws the deer and the petroleum jelly makes the scent last longer.
Deer Feeders
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On some hunting leases or properties, deer feeders are set up in specific areas so hunters know the general spots deer will pass through or congregate for easy access to food. These feeders are easy to build and stocked throughout the year. Simply take a large piece of PVC pipe that stands about 6 feet tall and bury about a foot of it in the ground. Then take a 5-gallon plastic container and attach it with braces to the top of the PVC pipe. Cut a 1- to 2-inch rectangular hole in the bottom of the container, but only cut three sides of the rectangle, leaving the plastic piece connected, like a flap. Then fill the container with corn. Deer will come to feed regularly and while some corn will fall out of the bottom onto the ground, the flap and the shape and weight of the corn will keep it from running out too quickly.
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