Jeff Danker’s tips

• Today’s hunters have modern aids their fathers and grandfathers didn’t, but take a tip from Grandpa: Learn to play the wind. “As a deer hunter, even as you’re walking into your stand, you need to make sure that wind’s not blowing where that deer might be.” Danker said. “Have something to check to the wind at all times.”

• If you’re just starting out, find people who can help you learn. “There are people out there,” Danker said. “I don’t want to see people go into hunting and then get discouraged. Especially bow hunting, you’ve got to have someone to help you. You don’t know how to do it, (so) you’ve got to have somebody teach you and help you along the way.” Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s web site is a great resource. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s offer hunter safety classes, workshops and seminars.

• If you’re an experienced hunter, be selfless and take somebody hunting. “That helps change,” Danker said. “It’s not just you going, ‘Man, I shot this big deer.’ There was a time in my life when I thought that’s who I had to be. Just be real.”

There are a lot of other resources out there for learning. Use them.

“The Sportsman Channel and Outdoor Channel has more educational shows than you can shake a stick at,” Danker said. “If you want to learn about pistols, they’ve got them. You want to learn about Atving, they’ve got them. You want to learn how to shoot a big deer? They’ve got it.”

• Forget about trying to impress people with pictures of your hunt on social media. “You don’t have to go out and be a 13-year-old kid going, ‘I’m going to shoot a 150-inch deer today.’ I’m a television host, but I shot more does and more little bucks than you could shake a stick at. It makes you be a better hunter. It’s not a competition, it’s really you’re head-to-head with an animal.”