In 2014 I wrote a blog post on the traveling airgun hunter, and I focused on the actual travel to hunt. I’m going to revisit the topic, but this time also spend more time looking at how to find a place to hunt.
In any given year, I am lucky enough to travel and hunt across the country. This permits me to pursue many types of small game and pest species, in some very different terrains and weather conditions. Traveling to hunt requires the right selection of gun, accessories, and clothing for the best results in the field. I’ll try to do as much advanced research as possible, often using online resources. In this article I want to share some of the different ecosystems visited and game hunted, discuss how I prepared, and look at the type of guns and gear I brought along.
The decision on the type of quarry to be pursued can narrow down the region, for instance rabbits can be hunted almost anywhere in the country. But if the target species is the Aberts squirrel, the range is limited to the pinon forest in localized areas around the Grand Canyon States. If turkey is the intended species, even though they are widely distributed, it will have to be the hills and mountains of California, the Texas scrublands, or the forest and farmlands of Virginia because these are the only places turkey can legally be taken with an airgun.
Even when the quarry is widely distributed and legal to hunt over most of its range, the hunt can still take place in varied terrains and require different equipment and strategies. Hunting prairie dogs in the wide-open barren grasslands of South Dakota calls for settling in and doing a lot of long-range glassing and shooting, while hunting the same species in the verdant Arizona high desert requires extensive stalking, long hikes, and fast action close range shooting.
The Department of Natural resources will provide a great deal of information on what and where to hunt. 
You can search google maps looking for public land, then research the terrain, wildlife and hunting regulations specific to those areas. 
Satellite imagery can show you geographic landmarks such as rivers, hills, drop offs, and stands of trees.
Each state sets their own hunting regulations regarding the wildlife in their jurisdiction (within federal guidelines for migratory game). So, another consideration after determining what and where you’d like to hunt, is finding out if it is legal. Once you’ve answered that question, the next step is to collect information on seasons, legal methods of take, and limits, then acquire the appropriate license and tags.
One of the best ways to prepare is to find local expertise. When traveling through an area on vacation or business, I will often ask people I meet about the local game, if they get many hunters, is there public land such as BLM or State/National Forest that would be worth looking at, etc. Hunting has more mainstream acceptance in some regions than others, but asking locals is pa viable approach at times.
In South Dakota, the plains are flat, the grasses high, and distances long. 
Knowing the conditions that could be expected, I wanted a rifle I could shoot well prone or kneeling. 
Hunting the Southwestern deserts, it is very hot, rugged, and everything wants to stab, sting, or cut you. 
In addition to accessing local knowledge, I’ve found that online research is exceedingly useful. I go to the State wildlife services website to obtain information on license requirements, frequently purchasing my license online, and these sites will often list public hunting areas. Downloading maps and satellite images of potential hunting areas allows a prospecting hunter to do some high-level scouting before putting boots on the ground.
You may have no choice on when to hunt because if there is a season, it is set in stone and field days limited. If you want to take turkey in California, there are only a few weeks divided into a spring and fall season. This will of course impact the weather conditions the hunter will encounter, I’ve hunted California gobblers in spring when the temperature is 85 degrees and been in the same area in fall freezing in 10” of snow.
Picking the right clothing for each trip comes down to assessing the most likely scenarios you’ll encounter and anticipating what you’ll need to stay cool enough, warm enough, or dry enough no matter what comes along. The other consideration is determining if full camouflage is needed or if wearing unobtrusively colored clothing will suffice. When hunting jackrabbits in Texas, I use the bush for cover and work the shadows, so don’t feel camo is required. However, for squirrels in the midwestern woods or in pursuit of turkey anywhere, full head to toe camo is the order of the day. Of course, the weather and terrain will dictate the camo pattern you need to take along. I have several camo patterns made in very light weight material that I buy a size up. I can wear these over my normal cloths and match the best camo to the landscape when arriving on site.
Dressed in full camo, face net, covered in insecticide, and carrying my Daystate renegade. 
Arizona pinon pine forests require miles to cover and rough terrain to navigate. 
The compact Brocock Compatto was the perfect rifle! 
This heavy laminated Marauder was an excellent bench shooter. 
Consider if specialized gear, such as electronic calls might be required, as you pack for the trip.
There is gear I almost always carry: a pack of some type, binoculars, range finder, extra magazines and pellets, a knife, a light, and shooting sticks. In more remote or rugged terrains I’ll pack hand, toe and body warmers, an emergency kit that can get me through a night stuck in the field, extra food, game calls, GPS and compass, and area maps. When hunting in the Midwest, assistance is usually only a couple miles away, but out in the Arizona mountains or the far Northwest snow fields you might be many miles from help, so carrying equipment to bail yourself out of tight spots is a smart precaution.
When hunting prairie dogs in the wide-open spaces of the Dakotas where there is very little cover, long distances are hiked, and the equipment required to spend a day in the field must be packed. The hunter needs to carry the basic gear, shooting sticks and select a rifle with a high shot capacity topped with high magnification optics. I often use the Brocock Commander XR .25 on these outings because of the excellent long-range accuracy with little variation between shots, and the ability to deliver adequate accuracy on target in a high shot capacity and compact platform.
If carrying a lot of ancillary gear, I’ll go for a bullpup to balance out my load.
When hunting Aberts squirrel in the mountains of Arizona, hiking several miles, climbing over rocks and crawling through heavy forest, a gun that is lightweight and compact is an asset. On this hunt there is a limit of five squirrel per day, so a high shot count is less important. Most shots are within 50 yards, so accuracy is generally more important than power. The rifle I often carry in these conditions is the Brocock Compatto, it is powerful and accurate, yet one of the lightest and shortest length overall high-performance rifles to be found.
When out for gray and fox squirrels in the Midwestern woods I do a lot of ambush hunting. The excellent eyesight of these animals along with their treetop perspective, makes stealth a necessity. Full camo is a good idea, taking care to keep the face and hands covered in a terrain matched pattern. On these outings the properties are smaller, often in stands of 20-40-acre woods juxtaposed amongst pastures on working farms. The hunter is never far from the truck, so lots of gear need not be carried, and almost any rifle you enjoy shooting, so long as it shoots well, will work.
In agricultural and industrial areas where there is more risk of collateral damage related to the presence of equipment, buildings, livestock, or workers, the gear requirements are quite different. Protective clothing, steel toed boots, and work gloves are often a good idea. The best rifle for this type of shooting is laser accurate, generates lower (or adjustable) power, compact, and offers a higher shot count.
The message I want to leave you with is that taking the time to assess your anticipated surroundings and conditions before going into the field can make you a more effective, efficient, and comfortable hunter. If I can make it through a multiday hunt without saying to myself “I wish I’d brought this article of gear or another gun instead” it says to me that I’ve done my homework, and as a result optimized my field time.
