The Approach

My theory and belief about the approach may not always apply to all forms of bird hunting, but it is most definitely linked to all other types of game such as hare, fox, coyote and more so with big game like deer.

So, what do I mean by the approach? We are all aware of the use of stealth; scent free clothing or products of that nature, as well as the necessity of wearing camouflaged clothing. Yes, the way we walk through the wilderness is part of the approach but it is not just about trying hard not to be noticed.

There is much more substance to the approach, more depth if you will and I know that it is not just about your clothing or stalking techniques. In fact, it is almost found at the spiritual level. You might say “Oh! No, he is writing about the warm fuzzy stuff.” Not at all, it is about the state of mind in which the person is in, the sense of awareness and the hunter’s ora.

To me anxiety, nervousness’s, impatience and lack of confidence or faith in your abilities as a hunter will spill like a bad energy beyond the boundaries of your physical being and animals will smell, taste and feel those energies and if detected you might end up spending the entire duration of your hunt without seeing a single living thing.

On the second evening of my duck hunting season, I met up with a veteran hunter and good friend of mine who has been deer hunting for the past three decades. He is what I would consider an elder, the real deal and his presence is about as pure as the province of Quebec can produce.
He shared stories about his youth and how impatient he was as a young hunter sitting in his ambush spot in the woods; he spoke of his frustration that would spill out if a deer did not come by within the first few hours of the day.

His father who was an experienced guide, taught him to shed these negative energies, it was a type of meditation, clearing his mind and imagining the perfect hunt while he was sitting in his ambush site. He would imagine and create the hunt that would unfold in front of him.

He told me that he would raise his arm like a rifle and point his hand toward the opening in the woods or the edge of the field and let his imagination run and more often than not a deer would appear within a few hours and when it was a trophy buck he took his shot and harvested.
I once read a book about a bow hunter that would take the time to sit by the road and leave all the stresses of the city behind and then when he felt ready to hunt, he would get up and off he went.

For me, it starts during the drive to the site; I turn off the radio and try to think about something other than the hunt. Sometimes, at the start of a hunt with my good tracking friend we normally take the tobacco out of a cigarette and do a sort of offering by spreading it around our starting point.

Like I have written about many times, it’s not about having hundreds of trophies in your den, or sharing over exaggerated war stories, it is about keeping the hunt raw and I do not consider a meditation ritual one bit silly.

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Lagos Morphe

The Snowshoe hare or “Varying hare” is definitely one of my favorite small game species to hunt. The season is one of the longest starting in Mid-September until the end of March. It is also an extremely enjoyable and challenging pastime to attempt to find and harvest a hare and that is with or without dogs. It can also be very cold in the dead of winter, so be well equipped and dressed. I once spent five hours hunting in the forest with the temperatures at -20 degrees Celsius. The cold was so intense that when you laced up your snowshoes with your bare hands it left you with the sensation that you were wearing big puffy gloves as your hands started to go numb. Some leads or trails may be found where the snow is very deep and snowshoes may be necessary. Practice extreme caution with your rifle or shotgun and do not take any unnecessary risks.

Starting in late September and all through the winter months the hare in eastern Canada will begin to go white as its fur changes color, except for its ear tips that remain black and also their hind legs that have a yellowish stain to them. If you have keen sight look for their black shiny eyes, if you are skilled and you identify the hare while it is in its freeze pose, you may harvest. Remember you are looking for a hare, white on white with about an average size of sixteen to twenty inches.

The varying hare is a very shy animal and during the day it spends most of its time concealed under evergreen trees and hollow logs or a recess in the ground. You can often find them in coniferous forests, relatively close to swamps or marshes. Hares will also sometimes be sun bathing on eastern facing slopes in order to capture some warmth later in the afternoon.

As the title indicates the hare is from the Lagos Morphe order and looks like your common rabbit with the long distinctive ears, which sometimes act as heat deflectors on hot days, carrying the heat away from its body as well as helping them hear and identify dangers.

The hare can also reach speeds of up to fifty kilometers per hour and will use this to break away from predators; they also have the ability to swim over small bodies of water while escaping capture.

Hares will feed on pussy willow and similar twigs, leaves and shrubs. During the winter months they will feed on buds, pine needles and chew the bark off smaller trees. Hares will also practice reingestion of fecal pellets, which are soft and green and still contain plant nutrients’ this is normally done during rest periods.

The two types of pellets that I have come across are the dark solid ones and the soft green ones. If you find yourself following a hare lead or snow tracks and you identify the soft green pellets chances are they are not far. 

I have always been successful in finding active signs of hare presence or actually harvesting a hare while following these next few steps. Study the habitat and range such as thickets or swamps, and then look for signs of hare presence such as hare droppings or branches with chew markings.  Once you have found a lead, follow it using the “Still hunting”  method. Walk a few steps stop and look under every tree and recess and when setting off into the woods avoid making any noise because most mammals have incredible hearing. Wear clothing that does not make too much noise and have colors that match the environment. If there is a strong breeze or if it is raining slightly, I tend to listen carefully and move once the wind picks up so that it covers the noise of my movement. Do not wear deodorants and use specially made soaps that reduce scents for you and your clothing because mammals also have a great sense of smell. Keep in mind the wind direction and try to keep yourself down wind.

If you “Walk the hare” or cause it to sprint, wait a few seconds as it may circle around and freeze once it believes the danger is no longer present. Remember also that during the winter months you are not the only hunter and be aware of your surroundings at all times especially if you see Coyote tracks. I remember very well that on one of my hunting trips I could sense a presence in the forest and my hunting partner heard growling in behind the evergreen out of sight and we soon found four tracks. Safety is paramount. Enjoy your hunt!

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