Introduction to Hunting Methods

Hunting can be an exciting activity, whether you are hunting animals for food, you are sport hunting, or you consider hunting a leisure activity. Did you know that there are actually many different types of hunting? If you are planning a hunt, it may be beneficial to familiarize yourself with hunting in all its forms – and decide which method you prefer to try!

In this blog post, we’ll cover 17 different types of hunting and provide an explanation of each. As you explore this list, consider your favorite hunting method and try it out on your next hunting expedition!

Types of hunting methods

Hunting is when a hunter seeks out wild animals or game animals – it could be for food or they could be sport hunters on a trophy hunting expedition. There are many different methods when it comes to hunting animals, and these methods are often based on technique, on the specific hunting weapons that are chosen, on the particular place that you are hunting from, and whether you are on an individual hunting trip or traveling with a group of fellow hunters.

Here are seventeen different hunting techniques – from the most common form of hunting to lesser-known types – and how they are accomplished.

Shotgun Hunting

Shotgun hunting is exactly how it sounds: it involves hunting with a shotgun. This form of hunting is extremely popular in the United States. Be cautious about using shotguns where people may get injured. Because shotguns shoot many projectiles at once, you don’t have to be as concerned with accuracy during your hunt.

Baiting

If you choose this form of hunting, first check that it is legal in your area. In many areas, hunting laws prohibit baiting. Baiting involves throwing out food or female urine to lure male animals for you to hunt.

Battue

Battue hunting is actually a group activity! This involves hunting with a group of other hunters and dogs and scaring the prey toward the shooter. This form of hunting often occurs on open plains for hunting hare and other small game.

Trapping

Trapping involves using a device called a trap to catch an animal from far away. You set up a trap and leave it in an area where you expect the animal to be walking, and you come back later to collect the trapped animal.

Tracking

Tracking involves the pursuit of an animal using animal tracks and other clues that indicate the direction that the animal is traveling in. This form of hunting can take much longer, but many experienced hunters find it satisfying.

Stalking

While many modern hunters no longer use this method, the resulting feeling of accomplishment is what some people love about stalking. Stalking involves tracking a specific animal by following clues that it has left behind, such as footprints and more. It can take a long time to stalk an animal – sometimes many hours or days.

Glassing

Glassing involves looking for animals from a “spot-and-stalk” position using binoculars or some other type of scope. With this form of hunting, it’s important to select a good glassing position that will help you find plenty of animals as prey.

Camouflage

Camouflage hunting involves hunting where you camouflage yourself to blend in with your surroundings, therefore not being seen by the animal you are hunting. You can purchase special camouflage clothing for this purpose.

Muzzleloader

A muzzleloader is a specific type of rifle that one can choose to hunt with. This is a rifle that is loaded from the tip of the barrel, and it’s fired with flint and black powder. It can be exciting to hunt with a muzzleloader, but there are some cons to using this type of weapon. You must reload after a single shot, which can slow you down significantly, especially if you are a less experienced hunter.

Meat Hunt

A meat hunt is exactly what it sounds like: a hunt where the goal is to obtain meat for you and your family. This is the most original form of hunting, where you must kill enough meat to feed everyone, but you don’t kill anything that you don’t intend to eat.

Management Hunt

A management hunt is one that is intended to control the population of a specific type of animal. In this case, hunting contributes to controlling the size of the animal population. If you are on a management hunt, you may or may not eat the meat that you kill. If the population you are trying to control has diseases, it may not be a good call to eat that meat. Local wildlife authorities will often let you know when a management hunt is acceptable, and will notify you of problematic animal populations.

High Seat

Hunting from a high seat involves mounting a platform or chair to a tree and then luring the hunted animals with bait. This bait could include urine, animal calls, and more. While this form of hunting is very popular, it can also be quite unexciting. Should you choose this form of hunting, be sure to bring good bait, or you may not catch anything.

Driven Hunt

This type of hunting involves being driven around in a vehicle and shooting the animal from that vehicle. Driven hunts are very uncommon in the US, because most hunting is done in the forest, where vehicles can’t easily drive.

Hunting From A Blind

Hunting from a blind involves sitting in a small, camouflaged tent and using bait to attract the hunted animal. It is similar to hunting from a high seat in that you sit in one location for the entire hunt.

Bow Hunting

Bow hunting involves using a bow and arrow to hunt the animal. It is less expensive than using a firearm, and it closely resembles how our ancestors once hunted food. Before you attempt this form of hunting, you’ll want to practice in a safe area and be sure that you know how to use your weapon properly.

Calling

Calling is similar to baiting, but it tends to require more skill. Rather than using bait, you mimic the call of the animal you are hunting. You can use special products that are available to create the sound, or you can try to make the sound yourself.

Dog Hunting

Dog hunting involves bringing a dog to help you track animals to hunt. Dogs are faster and have a better sense of smell than humans do, so they can be a great asset when it comes to hunting and tracking.