A muzzleloader shoots a bullet at a relatively low velocity. For that reason, a black powder hunter should lead a running deer. A good rule of thumb is to lead a running deer 60 yards away about half a body length.

Spray WD40 on the shafts of your arrows for easy target removal.

When you are choosing a new waterfowl hunting coat it is equally important to also select the right camouflage pattern. Most of the standard brown, black, gray, and green shades are too dark to effectively cancel you in the marshes with their straw colored faded vegetation. Mossy Oak Shadow Grass pattern is the most effective that I have used for wildfowling.

When shooting action shots, check your film counter constantly. If you only have a few frames left, go ahead and put in a fresh roll. There is nothing more frustrating than running out of film during an exciting burst of action.

If you find an area of white acorns, pop your butt down right there. Whitetail bucks love these nuts.

If you don’t have one already, check out the new bow sights with fiber optic pins. They’re great in low light conditions during dawn and dusk. The Montana Black Gold is a tough, well made model to look at. However, check your local hunting regulations before hunting with any fiber-optic equipment, because some states don’t allow it.

For those of you interested in aging deer, or at least a guaranteed way to determine if the deer is older than 1 1/2 years of age, here is a reliable method. First locate the third pre-molar-this is the third tooth from the front to the back. If that tooth has three cusps, then you know that the deer is 1 1/2 years old or younger. If there are only two cusps, then the deer is older.

When you are in the woods “speed scout” move quickly, don’t linger around sign (rubs, scrapes, etc.) and take the same scent precautions as you would when hunting. Wear good odor- eliminating clothing like Scent-Lok, rubber boots, etc. to prevent contaminating the area with human odor.