Hunters call ‘shotgun’
The first light on Saturday morning will signal the start of arguably the biggest day of the year for many hunters in the area. The sound of guns firing will be heard all over the state of Nebraska, and certainly in our area. That’s right folks, firearm deer season is finally here.
Personally, I have to admit that firearm deer season is always somewhat of a downer for me. Being a full-time bow hunter, the rifle season signals the pausing of bow season for nine days.
Archery hunting is not allowed during the firearm season in the state of Nebraska, but it does start up again after the season is over and runs till the end of the year. It also doesn’t help that this time period lies right in the peak days of the rut, as mentioned in last week’s article.
However, for hunters who use firearms in the area, this is a magical weekend when they can put aside all their cares of work, school, relationships, etc., and just go out and enjoy the outdoors. Heck, some college students might even give up drinking for one weekend so that they can drag their butts out of bed at 4:30 in the morning.
Regardless of the situation, every deer hunter during the firearm season will be thoroughly enjoying himself.
Hunters’ tactics vary widely when using a firearm. Some hunters choose the stand method overlooking a crop field or a large open area, where they can see a long way. Others sit or stand on the ground overlooking a similar area.
Another commonly used method is to walk canyons and draws during the day with a group of hunters. Hunters place themselves at the end of the canyon while the others walk it. The idea here is to push any deer in the canyon toward the hunters sitting at the end waiting intercept them
The last method, although probably the least outdoorsman-like, is the “pickup-park method.” This method usually consists of a hunter driving his pickup to the top of a hill or other overlooking spot, parking, and waiting to for the deer to show up.
Firearms used during rifle season vary greatly. Anything from a 30-06 caliber rifle to a shotgun with a slug to a .44 magnum handgun is used.
Most hunters choose to employ some kind of rifle due to the increased range that it offers. A .44 magnum or a shotgun with a slug definitely doesn’t give the same kind of range as a high-caliber rifle.
Odds are that someone you know will be out trying to bag a big buck this weekend. The weather is cooling off and every firearm hunter is just itching to get out and try their luck. It’s bound to be an exciting weekend for many deer hunters.