First Hunts
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A surge of new hunters has hit the woods looking for fresh air, healthy meals and new challenges. If you’re among them, Federal wants to help make your first hunts be fun and successful. We’ve created these videos and articles to get you started right.
Tripod Tricks
If you’re only using your tripod to rest the fore-end of your rifle, you’re missing out. Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland shows the many often-overlooked ways to make a tripod work for you in the field.
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Shooting Downhill With Your Tripod
Tripods have endless uses, and most hunters barely scratch the surface of what they can do. Tackle steep downhill shots with these tricks from Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland.
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Can You Speak Whitetail?
Though they’re not as vocal as a hard-gobbling tom or thundering bull elk, deer have an extensive vocabulary. Learn to speak their language for more success this fall.
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Shooting Prone
Low to the ground and with maximum contact with terra firma, the prone shooting position is arguably the most stable one for making the shot on a hunt. But there’s always room for improvement, which Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland proves with these tricks.
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The Perfect Western Adventure
A prairie-dweller that's easy to put eyes on and is populous in many states, the pronghorn is an excellent gateway animal for the first-time Western hunter.
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Pattern Like A Pro
Nobody takes a new rifle into the field without first sighting it in. But all too many hunters do it with shotguns without a thought. Federal ambassador Josh Froelich explains why this is a problem and lays out the easy steps to solve it.
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Shoot Standing Without A Rest
It’s the scenario most hunters dread: Being caught in a situation that demands a standing shot without the benefit of a solid rest. Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland explains how to practice for—and ultimately make—this tough shot.
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Shooting Seated With A Tripod
On your next hunt, don't be afraid to take a seat. Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland explains how to use your tripod from the sitting position to place extremely accurate shots.
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Shooting While Seated
When you find yourself seated on a hunt and need to make a shot, build the most stable position with these tactics from Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland.
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Shooting Off Sticks
From the African savannah to the American West and virtually everywhere in between, shooting sticks are a popular and effective tool for making an accurate shot when cover or terrain prevent going prone. Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland demonstrates how to extract even more precision from them.
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Shooting Downhill With Your Sling
Jim Gilliland knows a sling isn’t just there to help carry your rifle. Learn how the Federal ambassador uses his sling to pull off tough downhill shots while hunting.
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Shooting Better From A Climber
Climbing tree stands give hunters a lot of advantages, but they also come with challenges when it’s time to shoot. Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland reveals how to build the best possible shooting position in a climber and execute an effective shot.
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Shooting In Steep Country
Uphill or downhill, shooting in steep country throws a lot of hunters a curve. But it doesn’t have to. Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland explains the physics at work and shows how to shoot better in any terrain.
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Shooting Downhill With Your Pack
While hunting steep country, your best shooting tool is probably already on your back. Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland shows how to use your pack to shoot at sharp downhill angles.
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How To Select The Right Rifle Bullet
If you’re new to hunting, the variety of bullet styles available is enough to stop you in your tracks. But don’t get overwhelmed. Instead, follow this easy-to-understand guide.
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Shooting Uphill
When the buck or bull of a lifetime steps out on the hillside above you, be ready to take the shot with these tips from Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland.
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Shooting While Kneeling
The next time you take a knee on a hunt, consider these shooting position tips from Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland. They’ll ensure a rock-solid rest and the most precise shot placement.
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How To Draw Your Dream Tag
For hunters who’ve never hunted the American West, navigating the application process for big game tags seems overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be.
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How To Ensure Bore Clearance In The Field
Just because your crosshairs show a clear path between you and the target doesn’t mean your bullet won’t hit something on the way. Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland’s insights on trajectory will help you ensure adequate clearance before you take any shot.
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Making Weight
Don't worry—even with all the available options, picking the right bullet weight for your hunt doesn't have to be daunting.
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Shoot Better From A Box Stand
With concealment, a solid shooting rest and even a comfortable chair, an enclosed elevated stand makes accurate shooting seem automatic. However, you can get true benchrest-level accuracy from a box blind with these tips from Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland.
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Select The Right Upland Option
Whether fall takes you to the prairies, the dove field or anywhere in between, there’s a Federal upland load engineered for how you hunt. Learn more about our full lineup of shotshell offerings and choose the right one for you.
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Blood Drive
Pulling a trigger is only the beginning. After the shot, follow these blood trailing tips to recover more game.
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Improvise A Stable Shooting Position
When it comes to taking a standing shot, any rest is better than no rest at all. Turn the most unlikely sapling into a serviceable platform with these tips from Federal ambassador Jim Gilliland.
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Choose Your Perfect Federal Waterfowl Load
No two waterfowl hunts are the same, so Federal has engineered a wide range of shotshell loads—from Black Cloud FS Steel and TSS, to HEVI-Bismuth and Speed-Shok. Follow this guide to choose the ideal one for your next hunt.
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Entrance & Exit Strategy Whitetails
A mature whitetail buck is hard to kill, but harvesting a gagger is possible if you do your homework and develop unbeatable entrance and exit routes.
Plot Your Course
Elk Down—Now What?
Elk are both amazing and massive. Whether you’re a first-timer or an old hand, it’s essential to have a plan for getting your elk out of the backcountry—before you pull the trigger.
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Stay In Your Lane
Upland and waterfowl hunts unfold fast and with more variables than most others. That’s why it’s critical to have a clear plan and boundaries to stay safe and put more birds in the bag.
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Start-Up Choices
For new deer hunters looking to choose a cartridge and bullet for their first season in the stand, the options can seem overwhelming. Cut through the clutter with this guide.
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Run-And-Gun Gobblers
Aggressive mobile tactics are some of the most popular and exciting ways to notch a turkey tag. But like any approach, they need to be done right—and at the right time. Consider these tips before you go.
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The Decoy Dilemma
Use them correctly and decoys will boost your springtime turkey count. But they’re not always the right call.
Make The Choice
Turkey Vest Dump
When it comes to chasing the king of spring, a vest full of calls and other gear goes a long way toward filling tags. We dump out a turkey addict’s vest to reveal what you need.
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Test & Tinker
Spring and summer might be the off-season according to the calendar, but don’t waste it. Now is the time to find the perfect load for your big game rifle.
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Choosing A Reticle
A great scope and rifle combination doesn’t guarantee accuracy in the field. If you and the reticle aren’t friends, things will go south in a hurry.
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After The Shot
Federal ambassador and champion shooter Julie Golob explains what to do in the critical moments after you take the shot on a big game animal. Knowing how to track, field dress and transport the animal makes all the difference.
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A Spot-And-Stalk Guide To Pronghorn
Few things are more fun than chasing antelope, but stalking them comes with more than its share of challenges. Follow these tips to a set of ebony horns and a cooler brimming with meat.
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Preparing For The Shot
If you’ve never fired a shot at a big game animal, there’s a lot to prepare yourself for. From fundamental mechanics to emotions and more, Federal ambassador and champion shooter Julie Golob explains what to expect and how to get ready.
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Gear Checklist
If you’re new to hunting, the array of gear available can be overwhelming. Federal ambassador and champion shooter Julie Golob breaks down the selection to the items you really need to hunt effectively.
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Backcountry Basics
When it comes to backcountry trip planning, scouting, marksmanship and hunting gear get all the glory, but success on an adventure hunt is all about meeting more basic needs.
Learn How It’s Done
Sighting In
Whether your firearm is new from the store or coming out of the gun case for the first time since last fall, here’s what you need to do to achieve a perfect zero.
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The Choke
Spring snow goose hunts demand a choke system tailored to making longer shots. Federal ambassador and “The Fowl Life” host Chad Belding reveals the constriction he prefers and why.
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The Magazine
Extended magazines and unplugged guns are some of the hallmarks of spring snow goose season. But Chad Belding, Federal ambassador and “The Fowl Life” host, says most of the shells that fill them go to waste. Here’s how to manage you magazine and put it to best use when a flock comes in this spring.
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Public Ground Gobblers
Hunting longbeards on open-to-anyone dirt can be a difficult chore. Heed these tips and come out of the woods with a fan bobbing over your shoulder.
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The Shot
Pellet size has a tremendous impact on how effective you are on any waterfowl hunt, but it’s especially important for spring snow geese. Federal ambassador and “The Fowl Life” host Chad Belding gives up his top payloads in this quick tip.
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The Migration
Juvenile birds make or break the spring snow goose hunt. Federal ambassador and “The Fowl Life” host Chad Belding explains how to time your hunt to coincide with the biggest push of juvies this year.
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The Hide
Hunted both up and down the flyway, snow geese have gained an uncanny ability to pick out blinds and avoid them. Federal ambassador and “The Fowl Life” host Chad Belding details how and where he sets up to fool the wariest flocks.
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The Ideal Place To Squeal
Picking the right calling location will make or break your next coyote hunt.
Choose Wisely
Process Your Own Deer Part 1—Quartering
It’s a job many of us pass off to a commercial processor on the drive home from deer camp without a thought. But butchering your own deer is nothing you can’t do, and the rewards are worth it. Here’s how to get started.
Initial Cuts
Process Your Own Deer Part 2—Butchering
So your deer has been quartered and you’re ready to turn a cooler full of whole parts into trimmed, cut, ready-to-eat meat. We give step-by-step instructions on a fast, simple way to do it.
Make Some Meat
You Make The Call
Calling predators is fun and effective, but pressure makes it harder every day. Here’s how to choose the right calls and set yourself apart from the competition.
Learn The Right Calls
Choosing The Right Load
No two waterfowl hunts are the same, and so they all call for specific loads. Federal ambassador and “The Fowl Life” host Chad Belding explains how he selects Black Cloud payloads based on the hunt conditions to take home more birds.
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Duck Vocalization
Calling can be one of the most important and most enjoyable aspects of duck hunting. Federal ambassador and "The Fowl Life" host Chad Belding explains the critical sounds you need to master and reveals how to use them on your next hunt.
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Finding Public Hunting Spots
Locating a place to hunt feels like a daunting undertaking, but it's more than manageable. Federal ambassador Lee Lakosky shares his tactics for finding public land hotspots.
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Start Your Sight-In
Find a range, gear up and get your firearm sighted in the easy way with the step-by-step process outlined by Federal ambassador Julie Golob.
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Simplify Ammo Selection
Go to a typical ammo aisle and you'll likely see dozens of different calibers to choose from. Federal ambassador Lee Lakosky makes choosing a cartridge and bullet style easy with these guidelines.
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Goose Decoy Setups
To consistently pull geese into range with decoys, its important to position your fakes and hide correctly. Federal ambassador and "The Fowl Life" host Chad Belding runs down how he plans out every detail of his setups.
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Rest On Ethical Shooting
The ultimate goal of any hunter is to make an ethical shot that kills the animal quickly. When your situation allows it, one of the best ways to ensure that happens is to use a rock-sold rest. Federal ambassador Tiffany Lakosky describes the role rests play in her hunts.
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How To Create Motion In Your Decoy Spread
Motion makes or breaks decoys on water. So, when the wind refuses to blow, Federal ambassador and “The Fowl Life” host Chad Belding pulls out a few subtle tricks that add life to otherwise static spreads.
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Sight-In Steps
To a newcomer, sighting in your firearm can seem like an intimidating process. But it really doesn't have to be. From mounting optics to dialing in, Federal ambassador Lee Lakosky outlines the steps you need to follow.
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How To Get Started In Hunting
With the lure of obtaining organic, high-quality meat and enjoying time outdoors, there’s never been more interest in learning how to hunt. The process doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Federal ambassador Julie Golob outlines simple steps newcomers can follow to get started.
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When To Call The Shot
For connecting with ducks and geese, when you shoot is often just as important as how well you shoot. Federal ambassador Chad Belding, host of “The Fowl Life,” explains how to factor in angles, wind, bird behavior and more to call the shot at the perfect moment and ensure everyone in your party hits more ducks and geese.
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How To Choose A Cartridge
If you’re new to hunting and shooting, the number of different cartridges available can be intimidating. Federal ambassador Julie Golob is here to help with an easy guide for quickly sorting through the options and choosing an appropriate cartridge, firearm and ammunition for your hunt.
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