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Hunting Glossary

HuntingNet.com has comprised a database of many of these phrases and their definitions to help you gain a better understand of hunting terminology.

The hunting world is filled with a variety of different terms and phrases that may mean one thing to a seasoned veteran but make no sense whatsoever to someone who is just starting out.

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Search Results

Bachelor group Search:

Bucks congregate in groups separate from everyone else during spring and summer.

Back Search:

A command that tells the dog to leave the handler’s side and go in a straight direction away from the handler. Usually used on a blind, although in some areas of the country it is also used for marks. It is also a directional signal that tells the dog to turn and run straight back after being commanded to sit (via whistle or voice) in the field and look at the handler.

Baffles Search:

The barriers used to contain bullets and to reduce, redirect or suppress sound waves on firing ranges. Usually, baffles are placed overhead, alongside or at ground level.

Balk Search:

This is commonly referred to as a 'no-go'.

Baseball Search:

A beginning drill used to teach the dog to take hand signals. It is the introduction to straight “back” casts and left and right “over” casts. A precursor for blinds and handling.

Bawl Search:

An intense sound made by a traumatized deer, used as an alarm.

Beam Search:

Main branches of antlers from which the forks grow.

Bedding area Search:

Trampled areas where deer rest. The spots are picked for their concealment and views of approaching deer. Deer usually have a few beds within their home range.

Bench Search:

When finding a pup be sure to determine whether the dog was bred for bench showing in mind or conformation to a breed standard or whether is was bred for its hunting ability. This does not mean that bench dogs can't hunt nor does it mean that field dogs have bad conformation. It’ s simply a matter of which characteristics the breeder was looking for and what characteristics you desire as the owner.

Big Hunt Search:

A big hunt occurs when a dog cannot find a mark and hunts a very wide area for a long period of time looking for the bird. This is not desirable.

Bird Boy Search:

(BB) The person who throws the bird, bumper or other item for the dog to retrieve.

Birdiness Search:

A desirable quality in a dog that describes a high interest in birds, high desire to retriever birds. Sometimes used to describe prey drive.

Bitch Search:

A female dog.

Blacktail Deer Search:

A Subspecies of the whitetail deer, found solely in the western half of North America. This deer is distinguishable from the whitetail by it's darker body, black tail and smaller frame.

Bleat Search:

A type of vocalization deer make.

Blind (holding) Search:

A fabric or canvas structure where the dog and handler wait prior to being called to the line. It is also used to hide gun stations in the field.

Blind (retrieve) Search:

This is guiding a dog to a bird that it did not see fall through the use of voice, whistle blasts, and body movements such as hand signals. Requires teamwork between the dog and handler.

Blind Planter Search:

This is the person who places a bird or bumper at a designated spot for a blind retrieve.

Blink Search:

When the dog locates the bird or bumper on a retrieve and does not fetch it.

Bloodliness Search:

A pup can come from show or bench bloodlines or hunting/working bloodlines. It is important to locate a pup that can potentially be the buddy you want. This means that if the puppy comes from a line that the parents and grandparents did not hunt, the puppy itself may not have the strong desire you may wish to have in your pup. A puppy that comes from strong hunting lines has a greater potential to be the hunting partner you desire.

Blunt Search:

An arrow tip that is not pointed. Usually used to hunt small game or to stump shoot.

Bolt Search:

When the dog runs due to perceived or actual pressure that is perceived as too great to face.

Bolus Search:

Mass of food that is rechewed, becoming cud.

Boone & Crockett Club Search:

A system of scoring animals harvested by rifle hunters.

Bottom Search:

Having a lot of bottom is a term used when a dog is perceived as 'tough' or has the ability to handle a lot of pressure.

Bovid Search:

Animals with hooves and permanent horns.

Bow Press Search:

A device used to hold the bow in a bent position so you can work on the bow or remove its string. Today, pocket bow presses are inexpensive and portable.

Bow Square Search:

Used to measure brace height or to align nocking points.

Brace Search:

Pointers and setters can be run as a brace or two dogs of the same sex hunting in an upland game situation hunting cooperatively. Dogs are taught that they cannot hinder a brace mate when it’s been given a command.

Brace height Search:

Is the length of a direct line from the back of the grip to the string of a bow. Generally, the lower the brace height, the faster the bow is. It is faster because the shorter brace height means that the power stroke is longer. But, because a shorter brace height gives you a longer power stroke it can be much more difficult to shoot accurately.

Breaking Search:

Dog leaves the line before being sent, or in a test or trial, the dog leaves before the judge has called his number.

Breakline Search:

Line of demarcation between the old timber and the new growth. Deer "hold" to these breaklines and use them as new scraping and rubbing areas. They use the breaklines both in a parallel and perpendicular manner.

Broadheads Search:

Arrow tips meant for hunting game. They generally feature at least one-inch of cutting diameter and may be fixed blades or expandable (mechanicals).

Brooming Search:

Bighorn sheep break off the tips of their horns, restoring peripheral vision that is impeded from the curling horns.

Browsing Search:

The way a deer eats. They eat quickly, chewing just enough to swallow. This limits their exposure to predators.

Browtine Search:

The first fork of the antler on a deer.

Brush button Search:

For recurves and longbows, these rubber round items are placed on a bowstring to keep brush from catching in between the bowstring and the bow.

Buck Search:

A buck is a male deer. The male is discernible from the females by the set of antlers atop its head for seven months. Otherwise males and females are similar looking.

Buck rub Search:

A male deer lowers his head to scrape his antlers against a tree. He does this for two reasons: To help polish and clean away velvet, and to instinctively get ready for competition of the breeding season. The chosen tree usually is less than 4 inches in diameter. If it is any larger, the antlers can’t fit around the tree or the tree has no give. A buck rub is the same as signposting.

Buffalo chips Search:

The nickname for bison droppings.

Bugle Search:

The call male elks make during rut to interest females.

Bull Search:

Male elk.

Bulldog Search:

This is a mark that is thrown while the dog is returning from a previous retrieve. Also known as a diversion. The dog must not switch birds ie: must not drop the first bird he picked up in order to retrieve the diversion bird.

Bumper Search:

A plastic or canvas item, usually 2 or 3 inches in diameter, used to train the dog instead of a bird. Available in a wide assortment of colors. White, black, half white/half black and orange. Colors are picked based on the weather and what color is more visible for the dog on a particular day. Orange bumpers are generally used for blinds. While birds are preferable to dogs and humans, their supply can be limited so bumpers are a great training alternative.

Burn Search:

Terminology used to describe an e-collar correction that is continuous instead of a "Nick" which is a momentary correction. Used to correct a known command that the dog is choosing to disregard. There is no physical harm to the dog.