Before you get started with crossbow hunting, take some time to familiarize yourself with any local regulations that might affect your hunting plans. While crossbows are widely accepted in most states, some have designated crossbow permits and hunting seasons.

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Every hunt has a story. The successful ones are packed with tales of impeccable planning and faultless execution… and maybe a bit of exaggeration. The unsuccessful ones detail unfathomable bad luck combined with a poor implementation of skills, usually in a laughable or lighthearted way. But the bad hunts deliver the worst stories.

They are accounts that often detail a miserable episode of failure fueled by a lack of planning and inability to improvise. Neither comic relief nor excitement is rendered to the hunter or the audience in such circumstances. There is an easy way to avoid returning with a bad story, though, and that’s by being prepared. Most bad adventures are the result of not having the correct gear. Perhaps it’s poor weather that dampened the trip, or a subpar piece of tactical equipment that failed at the wrong time.

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There are a lot of reasons that people choose to go camping when they’re hunting for ducks: they get to get out of the house for a while, they enjoy some beautiful scenery, and there’s a ton of fresh air to go around. Before you head out however it’s important to get yourself properly prepared and make sure you’ve got all the proper equipment in place so that you can actually enjoy yourself while you’re hunting.

As with any kind of camping trip, make sure you’ve got some kind of canopy or tent with you to not only give you a centralized location, but to also protect you from the elements as best as possible. The fact is that sometimes the weather can be unpredictable and even though the forecast calls for clear skies, you might find yourself in a bad situation if you haven’t got housing with you. You can find some great canopies and tarps at CanopiesAndTarps that will do quite nicely while you’re duck hunting.

Secondly, you should make sure that where you’re planning to hunt will allow you to do what you’re looking to do. A great deal of states have an open policy on waterfronts, allowing people to hunt ducks freely throughout the daylight hours, but you’re going to want to make sure that you’re allowed to camp out there overnight. You can talk to the gaming commission or check the laws online.

While it might seem like common sense, make sure that you’ve got enough supplies to last your entire camping trip. There’s nothing worse than finding out that you haven’t got enough stuff to last you and you have to cut your trip short or run into town, breaking the atmosphere completely. It’s recommended that while you bring only what you need, try to bring a little extra with you to ensure that you won’t be caught in a compromising situation.

If you plan to stay for a few days, bring a small cooking stove with you. A grill will work too if the laws permit that you use one. You can’t live off rations for a week long trip, so it will be nice to have something to actually cook the ducks with rather than just eating crackers the entire time. Again – make sure the laws permit it.

Although you’re probably going to be right near water, bring some fresh water with you so you can properly clean the ducks before you cook them while you’re camping. If you plan to catch fish while you’re out, the water will come in handy for them as well. Never use the lake or river water to rinse off your food as it could be too dirty and mar the meal; always bring plenty of fresh water from home and don’t automatically assume that fresh water will be provided.

If you don’t want to hunt in a public gaming area, you do have the option of setting up camp in a private land. Always ask permission before you do this from the owner of the territory and make sure they understand that you’ll be camping there and not just spending the afternoon. Likewise, make sure you inquire about parking; you’ll need to know if they let you park on their property or you’ll need to find a public lot to stow your car.

Camping out while you’re duck hunting is a lot of fun and a great experience, but without the proper tools or information available, you could find that it can be quite less enjoyable. Make sure that you have everything ready and prepared before heading out so you can make the most of your hunting trip.

Summer is here, so there are tons of events where a portable chair comes in handy, from little league baseball games, to fireworks displays and family cookouts, along with fishing and camping outings. Also, football season is right around the corner so portable chairs definitely come in handy when you’re tailgating.

So as you’re contemplating gifts for Father’s Day, this Sherpa Chair offers a great option. The Sherpa Chair folds completely and it takes up little space. The chair has shoulder straps that allow it to be carried just like a backpack, with both hands free to carry other items, so your dad can easily hand this off to the kids or grand kids for them to carry as well! It also sports a spacious pouch for carrying extra gear or some cold beers.

With these features you can carry the Sherpa Chair anywhere with ultimate convenience. It is ideal for a lawn chair, camping chair, fishing chair, hunting chair or even a sporting chair.

Check back for our full Father’s Day Gift Guide for more suggestions.