Our 50 all-time top tips & tactics for Canadian hunters

#41 Photos can make wonderful mementos if taken thoughtfully. Ensure there’s no blood on the animal or hunter, hair and feathers are smoothed out, and the background is free of distractions. Shoot from a low perspective, and take multiple photos from a variety of angles.

#42 Game animals should be field dressed and cooled as quickly as possible after they’ve been harvested. Depending on the temperature, you may have to skin or quarter the animal to prevent spoilage. The optimum temperature for hanging game is 3°C to 4°C.

#43 Keep a daily hunting journal, making note of the weather, hunting locations and times, game movement, who you were hunting with and whether any game was taken. You’ll find it valuable when planning future hunts—and for remembering great days afield.

#44 Any time on the gun range is beneficial, but you’ll improve your skills more quickly if you avoid the bench and shoot from the standing, kneeling and prone positions you use when hunting.

#45 Whether you’re hunting big game or waterfowl, scouting is guaranteed to bring greater success. An understanding of where and when game is active allows you to better plan your hunt; you’ll also avoid accidentally bumping animals, and waste less hunting time searching for them.

#46 Ruffed grouse are most often found near their preferred foods, including berries, clover and the buds of deciduous shrubs. If birds flush in thick cover, ignore the foliage and swing naturally—the number of pellets that make it through might surprise you.

#47 Take the time before your hunt to pattern your shotgun with the load you plan to use. You’ll be amazed at how often a shotgun doesn’t shoot where you think it does, and that some loads pattern more reliably and consistently than others.

#48 With game such as elk and pronghorns that are sensitive to disturbances, the further off the beaten path you get, the more animals you’ll see. Species such as whitetails, on the other hand, are more adapted to human activity and can hide in plain sight, so don’t overlook obvious, near-at-hand cover.

#49 Early in the season, before mallards have feathered out, turn your attention to blue-winged teal. Found in many habitats, including beaver ponds, creeks, irrigation canals and large wetlands, they will be in prime condition. They’ll also pluck easily, and taste wonderful.

#50 There’s no substitute for being in shape to make you a better, more successful hunter. Even a modest year-round exercise plan will allow you to more completely enjoy your time afield.