The weather is getting a little colder, the days shorter, the nights longer and rut of roe deer and red deer are over. Now begins a time that almost all hunters have been looking forward to for another year and which they have recently been eagerly anticipating - the driven hunt season.

The driven hunt season represents for many hunters the high phase of their hunting activity of the year. On the one hand, this may be due to the fact that driven hunts are a form of social hunting and that many sociable aspects of this type of hunting, such as the bowl drive in the circle of his hunting companions, attract the hunter. On the other hand, many hunters promise themselves from the right driven hunts also a considerable distance in short time. Driven hunt invitations are a high property and also again and again hunters pay for the participation in a driven hunt a so-called stand money, in order to be allowed to participate in the exciting experience - here firings and game are not even contained usually.

So that one can realize evenly this promising distance also and possibly also again on the driven hunt is invited, one must convince the hunt master that one controls its handicraft - above all also by clean shots positively to the distance contributes, animal protection-fairly and waidmännisch hunts and the Nachsucheführern and their dogs not unnecessarily work brings.

In order to ensure in advance that the respective shooter is not completely out of practice, many hunters now require a shooting certificate for driven hunts. As a rule, however, this only shows that the hunter has taken part in a practice shoot in the not too distant past, but not necessarily how he performed.

What should I pay attention to when shooting on a driven hunt?

The correct shooting technique on a driven hunt is composed of many different components and not all of them can be 100% controlled by the hunter himself. But an attentive and thinking shooter can gain as much control as possible over the overall situation and thus set the stage for a successful shot on a driven hunt.

You have to know your tools!

Before embarking on a driven hunt with a weapon-optics combination, it is important to make sure that the weapon and optics are properly calibrated and that you are familiar with both - regardless of whether you are using a bolt-action rifle or a self-loading rifle and a hunting scope or red dot sight.

Practice makes perfect!

In any case, you should have practiced hunting situations on the shooting range with your tool beforehand. The "running boar" is best suited for this in preparation for a driven hunt. Every hunter has already come into contact with it once in hunting school. But also the free-standing shot on a buck target or similar should be completed beforehand. Young hunters in particular are required to practice regularly and sufficiently.

Safety first!

The most important building block for a successful shot on a movement hunt is always to follow all safety rules and to put the safety of everyone (drivers, dogs, other shooters, forest visitors, etc.) above the rest and in absolute first place. It is essential to follow the instructions of the hunt leader and or the guide, to observe the no-shooting sectors and, above all, when moving into the stand, to get an overview of whether you can recognize and make a note of any other blind areas or sources of danger. Shooting is only allowed if there is a bullet trap and the shot cannot endanger drivers, dogs or anyone else.

The right lead and an eye for the situation!

Since the game often comes in motion into a suitable shooting distance, it is important that the movement of the game is muteinbezogen in the shot sequence - one speaks of the so-called "Vorhaltemaß". This is because time also elapses from the decision to release the shot to the pulling of the trigger. Usually it is only a matter of fractions of a second, but even these can be decisive for the point of impact when firing at moving game. So you should always make sure to stop with the crosshairs or red-dot a bit before the actual desired point of impact on the game body when the shot breaks.

Especially for the lead measure, the assessment of the overall situation is also enormously important. Therefore, when moving into the stand, you should already look for distinctive points in the surroundings, on the basis of which you can better estimate and determine the distances around you. You should also use such points to limit your own field of fire based on safety and an honest assessment of your own ability. By estimating distances in the field of fire beforehand, it is also easier to decide later how far to hold ahead.

But also the speed at which the chosen piece is moving, as well as the immediate surroundings of the piece and the area into which it is moving should always be kept under observation. Is the piece slowing down? Is it moving into an area that is still more suitable for firing a shot? Is there a chance it will move even closer? Does it appear to be about to hope again?

These are all questions whose split-second answers can favor a successful shot on a driven hunt. But do not worry, this assessment of the overall situation is instinctive after a while and experience. Hunting is a craft and no master has ever fallen from the sky.

The 2021 driven hunt season is again under the heavy omens of two pandemics affecting the hunting community - the so-called Corona pandemic and the spread of African swine fever. Gunfinder informs you about everything that is important for the 2021 driven hunt season.