Always
GOHUNT
Title case “Gohunt” only when a platform (e.g. Facebook or Google ads) bans all-caps company names. Make every effort to use all caps first.
Brand / 03
Grammar & style
Clarity and consistency above all. Great writing is natural and never draws attention to itself.
Keep it short, positive, and plain
- 1Use short words, short sentences, and short first paragraphs.
- 2Be positive, not negative.
- 3Use vigorous language and avoid the passive voice.
- 4Avoid technical jargon. Speak plainly.
- 5Be inclusive. Inform and educate without talking down.
- 6Eliminate superfluous words.
- 7Take care with the sequence of tenses.
- 8Do not split verbs. Do not split infinitives.
GOHUNT is always all caps
Never
- GoHunt
- Gohunt
- GOhunt
- goHUNT
- GOHUNTing
GOHUNT is a proper name, not a verb. Not “Let’s GOHUNT” or “Get ready to GOHUNT”—write “Gear up and go hunt.”
- name@GOHUNT.com
- URL
- GOHUNT.com
- Never “www.”
- Hashtag
- #GOHUNT
- Possessive
- GOHUNT’s
- Lowercase “s”
Oxford comma
Always use it.
GOHUNT gives you the tools you need to be fast, efficient, and to have more fun while hunting.
Case
Title case for article titles and citations. Sentence case for headlines and top-line brand communication.
Lists
Capitalize the first word. No period on single sentences; full punctuation for multi-sentence items. Never mix styles in one list.
Hyphens
Never hyphenate to break lines unless the word already contains one (e.g. “bolt-action”).
Numbers
Spell out one through nine; numerals for 10 and up. Spell out ordinals (“first,” not “1st”). Decimals always use numerals (1.5).
Widows
Never leave a single word on its own line. Use line breaks—or `text-wrap: balance` / `pretty` on the web.
Is this word necessary?
Ask as you write: Would a different word be better? Does it mean what I intend? Is it redundant?
Adverbs
Overused adverbs weaken sentences. Be specific instead.
- rather, quite, relatively, fairly
- very, absolutely, extremely
- mostly, predominantly, essentially
- usually, generally, consistently
BeforeMy binoculars were heavy.
AfterMy binoculars weighed 28 ounces.
Infinitives
Keep “to” next to its verb.
BeforeWe decided to not go to the gas station.
AfterWe decided not to go to the gas station.
Its vs. it’s
It’s = it is. Its = possessive.
BeforeThe bear came out of it’s den.
AfterThe bear came out of its den.
Jargon
Avoid biologist lingo the average hunter rarely uses. “Habitat” and “buck-to-doe ratio” are fine.
- population density
- monoculture vegetation
- juvenile recruitment
- wildlife habitat complexes
- dispersal patterns
Tense
Future tense gets wordy.
BeforeYou will see that big bucks will tend to stay in heavy cover.
AfterBig bucks tend to stay in heavy cover.
Spelled our way
Consistent spelling and capitalization for terms the hunting community uses every day.
- Bivvy / bivvy sack
- Not bivy, bivey, or bivvie.
- Backward, forward, toward
- No “s” (not “backwards”).
- Canada goose
- Not “canada goose” or “Canadian goose.” Don’t capitalize “goose.”
- Calibers
- .220 Swift, .30-06, .30-30, 12 gauge, 7mm Remington Magnum. Capitalize “magnum” only as part of an established caliber name.
- Dall sheep
- Not “dall sheep” or “Dall’s sheep.”
- E-scout
- Capitalize within a sentence. Always hyphenate.
- Mossback, mossyback
- Avoid—brings to mind a certain hunting outfit.
- Muley, muleys
- Not mulie or mulies.
- Nonresident, nontypical
- No hyphen.
- Pinyon
- Not pinion, pinon, or piñon.
- Plurals
- Elk (not elks), antelope, bears, sheep.
- Ranges
- “170 to 180-class bucks” or “bucks scoring 170-180 points”—not “170-180-point deer.”
- Species
- There is no “specie.” Capitalize only proper names (Dall, Coues).
- Still hunting
- Not still-hunting or stillhunting. Avoid—many confuse it with stand hunting.
- Trophy
- Avoid. “Trophy-size buck” over “trophy buck”; “bucks in the 170 to 190 range” is better still.
- Whitetail deer
- Not “white tail” or “white-tail.”