6 Travel Considerations for the Hunting Season

One-day or weekend bird-hunting trips are nice if you’re fortunate to have good destinations close to home, but for many hunters, long-distance, out-of-county trips are the norm. These extended adventures require more planning if you want to enjoy them to the fullest. Here are some considerations to keep in mind.

1. Where will my dog sleep? If you’re staying at a hotel, ensure you understand their pet policy. Should your dog be accustomed to living indoors, you’ll naturally want to bring it into your room. If the hotel doesn’t permit this and your dog is to spend its nights in the lorry, now is not the time to discover its barking stamina. Thus, choose your strategy: secure permission to bring your dog inside, or work out a comfortable, secure method for your dog to stay outside in its kennel. Important Note: As I write this, we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 chaos. Check and then double-check with your hotel that they are still operational and if they have any new policies of which you ought to be aware.

2. Allow for sufficient rest. No matter how much exercise your dog has during the off-season, hunting day after day on a prolonged trip will be demanding. Ensure it gets quality rest time; don't hunt for several hours without a break. Depending on your dog's age and fitness level, you might want to schedule in a full 24-hour rest day, which should benefit later in the week.

3. Don't let your dog expend energy unnecessarily. A dog that barks because it's anxious and unaccustomed to travelling (refer to No. 1 above) is using up energy needlessly. At night, if your dog is sleeping outside in a crate, make sure it doesn't have to burn calories just to keep warm. The zip-on, insulated kennel covers are incredibly effective and can really assist with this. Conversely, never underestimate the potential dangers of hot weather. If it's warm, plan brief hunts, stay close to water and don't stray too far from your vehicle.

4. Water, water, water. Carry as much water as you reasonably can, and give your dog plenty of opportunities to drink. (Have your non-dog friends carry an extra bottle as well.) If your dog will drink directly from a squirt bottle, that’s a massive advantage. A clever trick is to dab a bit of peanut butter on the bottle top so your dog learns to associate the bottle with something pleasant. After a few attempts, simply switch to filling the bottle with water and encourage your dog to drink from it.

5. Always think about first aid. There are countless resources available to help you assemble a first aid kit, so I won't go into that in detail here. I prefer to keep a large kit in the lorry and a smaller one in my hunting waistcoat. Below are the main components. Adapt them as you see fit.

• Eye wash for rinsing out seeds or other foreign objects
• Antiseptic for initial treatment of cuts
• Antibiotic ointment to apply before dressing wounds
• Gauze to apply after the ointment
• Flexible bandage also known as “pre-wrap” to keep gauze secure
• Waterproof tape to finish dressing wounds
• Long-nose pliers, scissors and clippers
• Skin stapler for emergency use before getting to a vet

6. Where's the nearest vet? Look up vet surgeries and their emergency numbers for the areas you'll be hunting. Write down the information and store it in your phone. If the unthinkable happens, you'll have a head start on getting your dog in for treatment.