Bare Hunting – What You Need To Know

Bare hunting is an outdoor survival kind of hunting where you use your bare hands to capture live animals before killing them. This method could be used to hunt anything from small animals to big games like horses, bulls, and deers. But patience, skill, and determination are as demanding with this method while involving more risk.

There are things to know before embarking on this method. Below, I have highlighted a few and answered some critical questions about this hunting. 

Bare Hunting – What You Should Know

When hunting small game barehanded, you could lure them before attacking. Or you could stalk them for a long time and pounce when you are in position. 

Conversely, this hunting is more time-consuming and knowledge-intensive. A certain level of understanding regarding the behavior of wild games is necessary to carry it out effectively. Before you engage in this hunting method, you should note that some tools might be required.

Do I Need Tools For Bare Hunting?

The answer is yes. The reason is that while the focus of hunting with your hands is a test of skill, endurance, survival, and ingenuity, the use of simple tools is not forbidden. Some of these simple tools include;

• Fists (in the field, your fist is considered a tool)
• Traps: setting traps and snares make barehanded hunting more efficient 
• Gloves
• Ropes
• Knife or machete
• Staff (it could pass as both a walking stick and a staff for self-defense and protection. You could also use it to bludgeon a big game, disorienting it.)

Ps. It is important to note that using blunt tools like a staff or traps in capturing live animals is illegal in some places. 

Can I Hunt a Deer with My Bare Hands? 

Yes, it is possible by running the deer down to exhaustion if you are in good form, then wrestle it down with your bare hands before killing it with a stone or big stick.

While this is possible, wrestling down deer is quite dangerous and may put your life at risk. I advise that you protect your hands while carrying out this activity. Gloves made from leather are the best hunting gloves for barehanded hunting. The reason is the strength, grip, and protective ability of the leather. 

It is illegal in some places to forcefully wrestle down a deer before killing it by strangling or keeping it in a trap to die of exhaustion. The idea of a hunt centers around a quick clean kill. Therefore, any form of hunting that prolongs the animal's suffering more than necessary is animal cruelty or torture.  

Generally, only taking down a deer using a bow and arrow, shotgun, rifle, or weapons that grant a clean and suffering-free death is legal. As a result, I advise that you use a knife to end the suffering of the deer as quickly and humanely as possible. 

Survival Hunting of Small Games with Bare Hand

When it comes to survival hunting, small game like birds is a viable option for an animal you should hunt. The reason is that they are more abundant and easier to find. Besides, they are less risky to catch or hunt down.

That's not all, 

Mammals and birds are edible, and some of them can have a substantial amount of meat on them which makes them necessary. Hunting them is much easier than taking down big game, requiring fewer tools. You can easily trap and snare some of these birds and mammals. 

However, bare hunting them depends heavily on your knowledge about their habitat and way of life. Not having great knowledge about how to go about it can be a waste of energy.

You could also catch small animals using thrown weapons like rocks, sticks, or even Atlatl (a sling to throw short spears with). Also, wearing the best hunting gloves to catch small animals barehanded reduces the chances of injuries from bites or scratches. If you choose to use a leather type, learning how to stretch leather gloves to perfectly fit your hands will go a long way to make your bare hunting efficient. 

Final Word

Barehanded hunting is very demanding and sometimes puts the hunter at high risk. As a result, one should approach it judiciously and do it with the utmost seriousness. 

While it's risky, it's also rewarding because of the satisfaction gained on a successful hunt. Also, whether you hunt with gloves or completely barehanded, you should pay attention to your safety.