Building Observational Skills for Hunters
Senses and the Hunter
Human beings, like most other kinds of animals, tend to select the kinds of inputs from their senses that they view as important. For sighted people, the most extensively used sense is vision. We really believe what we see, but we seldom really see all that the eye captures. We tend to sort “important” information from “unimportant” information based on our experience, expectations, and the context of our observations.
Human babies and very young children seldom have that ability to select information. They taste, touch, smell, listen to, and look at objects that are unfamiliar. In many ways, learning to be a skilled observer requires the sense of wonder and curiosity of a small child, coupled with the analytical mind of an adult. It requires sensitivity to the abundant sensory information around us, ability to sort that information for significance without losing its richness, and development of enough experience to draw accurate conclusions from he data. Practice is essential. Fortunately, practice in observation can take place at any time and in any place.
In order to be a good observer, a person must be adequately prepared. They must be comfortable both physically by being adequately clothed and protected from the elements, and mentally by feeling at ease in the outdoors. That permits them to carry on the activities needed to make their observations, whether that be remaining perfectly still or vigorously climbing rugged terrain, and to be alert and attentive to the things going on around them. Being cold and miserable or constantly swatting at biting insects makes observation difficult.
Although all observations involve filtering information, the difference between the significant and the insignificant depends on both the situation and the observer. Although some people measure their hunting success in body counts or size of antlers, most mature hunters measure success in the experiences gained. Many of them would regards having a golden-crowned kinglet or a chickadee land on their shoulder, a chance to watch two red foxes playing in a basin full of new show, or a weasel stopping on the toe of their boot with a “you’re in my way” look in his eyes as an experience that makes a day, or even a season. Those things are even better when they are recorded to be remembered many times over the years.
Not only does the ability to observe make hunting a richer experience; it also makes it both more successful and safer. A skilled and alert observer is more aware of the situation around them; where their companions are, what lays beyond a hedgerow, where a bullet or a charge of shot may stop, etcetera. They are also better at identifying targets accurately, assuring that they shoot at only what they intend to bag. They will see more game, catch more game unaware, take better shots, and recover more game than will less observant hunters with otherwise equal abilities.
Good hearing is very important to the hunter. That is one of the reasons you always wear ear protection when on the range. Hearing covers a broader area than sight. It can give you advance warning of the approach of game. That warning may come as a whir of wings, a squirrel’s bark, a rutting white-tailed buck’s pig-like grunt, a blue jay’s scolding, a breaking twig, or the whistle of wings behind the blind. Sometimes the sound even gives clues to the identity and the behavior of the game animal. A drumming turkey, for example, is displaying either for a real hen or the fake one you are trying to be. He is also close!
Aural observations, or hearing, are best interpreted in the context of experience. The gaits of squirrels, foxes, and deer have very different rhythms. Under noisy conditions, a wise hunter may try to sound more like one of them than the two-footed, stealthy predator he or she is.
Some people feel that the human sense of smell is so poor it is worthless. That is far from the truth! While we are not even in the same league as our nose-brained helpers, the gun dogs, we can gain plenty of information from our sense of smell. Characteristic odors can help in detecting game that is hidden, and may give an observant hunter with good olfactory senses an edge. The odors of the hunt also add to the richness of experience. The odor that quickens your pulse may be that of decaying marsh vegetation, wet maple and apple leaves in an abandoned orchard, the pungent dusty smell of sagebrush, or the clean scent of pines. No matter which it is, the world would be poorer without it.
There is no doubt that a well trained dog can add immensely to your understanding and use of scent in hunting game. The dog should be fitted to the type of hunting and properly trained. An untrained dog may be worse than working alone.
All the senses should be tuned together when hunting. Smell and sound contribute to detecting unseen game or situations while the eyes remain actively attuned to clues. No matter what type of hunting technique you prefer to use, the tuned set of senses is better than simple reliance on any one sense. Remember that the experiences of the past are a major part of your understanding every new experience.
Specific Searching Images
Most vertebrate predators form specific searching images or patterns of expectations and cues to help them locate their prey. Hunters are no different from those other predators. We collect, analyze, and interpret input from the senses to draw conclusions about the game we seek. If too much information is available, it can become confusing. That causes us to focus on certain types of data to locate game. Those things may be obvious or very subtle, but we usually try to select the ones that are more of less dependable. A good white-tailed deer hunter will see every horizontal line in a patch of woods. One of them might be a buck’s back. Pronghorn hunters see every white spot and check it for life. It may lead to the buck of their dreams. The round button of an eye may reveal a rabbit crouched in its form. Shapes that do not quite fit a landscape, sounds that are out of the ordinary, the musky odor of elk in a mountain meadow, all of these are part of some hunter’s searching image.
Usually the key to sighting wildlife is an ability to recognize parts, rather than the entire animal. Eyes, ears, antlers or flashes of light from them, legs, tails, or small movements of these parts will often be the key to finding a partially concealed animal. A shiny black spot may turn into a wet nose on closer inspection, and usually the wet nose will be attached to the animal to which it belongs. Key information is filtered by experience from all the data the senses supply. That is a process of trained senses and a trained mind.
Expectations may cloud observations, and that may cause misinterpretation of sensory data. “Early blur” may cause stumps to grow magnificent antlers, a deadfall to strut, or tufts of marsh grass to swim toward the decoys. The mental confusion over target identification may last several seconds after an unbiased observer can plainly see that an error has been made. That situation can become dangerous unless every hunter takes enough time to make sure target identification. On the other hand, the inexperienced observer may factor out very important information. The awful-sounding turkey hunter that keeps chasing you from ridge to ridge, for example, is more likely to be a jake that has not yet gotten his gobble down. Familiarity with the species and the area and taking the time to make sure of your identifications will make any hunter more successful and safer in the field.
What features of the animal give its presence away to a good observer? Many different cues are useful. Size, shape, and color pattern are good general references. The deer hunter looking through a forest stand for rusty brown animals at eye level will miss most deer. They are not as tall as horses and steers, and their color is more gray to gray-brown. Habitat preferences can be useful too, but under some conditions, the preferences may break down causing some animals to appear in odd areas. Preferred habitat is a signal to look and listen harder. The senses must be set for anything that is unusual or out of place – horizontal or angled lines in a vertical environment, a stem that gets thicker as it rises rather than getting thinner, a puff of steam, roughed up patches in the leaves, a stump or log that was not there on the last trip, a flash, a patch of color that does not match the background, and odd sound. All of them can signal wildlife nearby.
Writing Field Notes
The palest ink is stronger than the best memory. The things you record in the time spent afield will enrich your memory, providing additional pleasure over time. They help the observer to get better at the task by providing a comparison with earlier observations. They show the development of your mind, your sense of value, and your appreciation of the outdoors. Properly recorded field notes may have scientific value as well.
Curiosity is the foundation that builds woodsmanship. It starts the learning process that lasts a lifetime. Sharing observations with others is an excellent way to expand your own base of knowledge. Reading, attending workshops or seminars, and reviewing your own work are all good ways to build your observational skills. You can also collect casts of tracks, photographs, sketches, or other items that help you analyze your observations. Many of those items would make excellent exhibits or displays. Try to increase your observational skills each day. They will reward you with unexpected pleasures, increased success, and a richer life afield.
