Preparation Season

[courtgreene]

Wal-mart (here) began rolling out their hunting stuff last week, which means that deer season is on the horizon (at least I think it is, they won't unveil the season dates until July 31:banghead: ). So I ask you... what are you doing in the next month to get your gear, your land, your self, or whatever else ready for opening day?
In the spirit of full disclosure, part of this question's motivation is based on my concern that I'm forgetting to do something and your mentioning it may jog my memory. I look forward to your responses.

 

[Hudge]

Working out and running, followed by dreaming. Not much I can do from the sandbox. Oh well, I will be home 1 month before bow season opens.

 

[FLAvalanche]

I don't have a month to prepare my gear I only have 7 days...Archery starts July 31st.

I moved 2 of my cameras to different locations to concentrate on deer instead of pig. I've been wearing out my target in my backyard. I still have to make a trip to bass pro to get scent eliminator stuff for me and my clothes which is going to be needed badly. I'll probably only be hunting to about 8:00 am every day because it's just way to flippin hot.

I have to inventory all my stuff because archery is basically buck, doe, hog and turkey. Gotta make sure all my calls are in order. Make sure I have toilet paper. GPS batteries are fresh. Licenses are all up to date. Make sure I've got toilet paper. Get out the camelback and defunk it. Go over the bow and make sure everything is tight. Make sure I've got toilet paper. Shoot my broadheads. Sharpen my broadheads afterwards. Make sure I've got toilet paper. Sharpen my knives and make sure I have toilet paper.

Oh yeah...and growing out my beard WOOHOO!

And make sure I have toilet paper.

 

[CoRoMo]

Scout the hunting area, and hike like you hunt; i.e. get up in the early dark, hike out early and be quiet, just as if you were hunting.

 

[jbkebert]

Going to every 3-D archery shoot I can find. Got two this weekend. Checking shooting lanes and trimming branches as needed. Watching feilds pretty closely to see where most activity is concentrated on and from where did they come from. Watching to see which feilds hold the most doves.

 

[courtgreene]

shooting lanes... almost forgot! See there, people, this is why we start threads! Keep it coming.

 

[jbkebert]

Call me crazy but since I hunt on my own land. The approach is use to get to my stands get the weedeater taken to it. I will blaze a trail almost 500 yards long then branch off to each of my 14 stands. Once all of the weeds and grass is mowed off fairly short I take a leaf rake and clean away twigs and branches that could snap under foot while making my way to and from the stand in the dark.

 

[jbkebert]

Spent the morning with the boys at Cabela's in Kansas City. They had there archery classic sale that started today. Several vendors on site to show off there products and several seminars to boot. We ate lunch in the cafe upstairs Mark, Taylor, Terry Drury sat at the table next to us. Even while eating they took the time to speak to my children and offer words of encouragement for the upcoming season. My oldest son Keigan was a little fascinated with young Taylor. Very nice young lady but the boy was smitten with a pretty young lady that hunts on TV. Spent half my life savings while at the store and came home with new camo for all and a few new toys. Hunting gear is much like fishing lures. Better to have everything and better yet have two or three of everything in diffrent colors of course.

 

[WTBguns10kOK]

Eat a bunch of fatty foods, get up late, buy most of the gear last minute, then go out and see what happens. It worked this spring. No camo, no scent crap. Stuff happens in the woods, that's just the beauty of hunting. No sense in trying to prepare for every logistical outcome. I figure if I'm not fat and can hit minute of deer, it's off to the mountains.

 

[gbran]

What do you mean? Get ready?

I'll wait til opening day, put on my Levi's, tennis shoes (white), tee-shirt and yellow vest. I'll drive my Jeep 35 miles up into the mountains and when I see an acceptable deer, I'll get out and shoot it with my trusty '06.

Same thing I do every year.

 

[daveit]

Amen, gbran....

How'd we used to do it back in the day w/o the digital cameras, scent blocking underwear & all that jazz?

 

[juk]

Last week I glued a piece of neoprene in the butt of my waders to stop a leak. Got plans for a duck boat on order. As soon as I get money, I need to buy a case of steel shot. Been working on the main duck boat since Feb. LOL For deer hunting, all I need to do is throw on my waders, grab the 308, load in the boat, and park at my spot. I had a 6 point, a few does, and a decent 8 pointer walk within 20 yards of us last year while we were duck hunting.

 

[MCgunner]

I gotta get my feeder going.

 

[caribou]

I cleaned my rifle last night, after the bro inlaw shot a nice Bull Caribou yesterday morning with it (I was driving), so I'm prepared for the next guy I gess, or at least the next shot........now to prepare a snack outta the tounge

 

[MCgunner]

SIL went down to my place to check things out. He had his .45 carry on him, nothing else, and jumped a hog he said had to be 250 lbs. He couldn't get a shot. Said if he'd had a rifle, he might have gotten a shot, but it took off and hit cover about 50 yards out. There's some big, nasty boars down there and this is the second one jumped in broad daylight in the last 6 months and we haven't been going down there much at all what with my wife's long illness and passing. We've been sorta busy on other things. I shot a small one down there in Feb with my .357 carry. Seems like the hogs are getting rather over populated now, so much so they're moving in daylight. Or, perhaps they're wallowing from the heat. It's been 100 degrees out last few days. But, it wasn't 100 degrees when I shot that one in February.

All it takes is a pile of rotting corn to attract the hogs. Not much preparation in that. I need to get down there and get the feeder going and set out the game cam to get some timing on these things, see if they're coming out in daylight or if these incidents were just random chance. And, I need to buy another feeder for the other stand.

 

[bswiv]

Yesterday got the harpoons and bangsticks out of the garage and cleaned them all up. Also did a invantory of hooks, shells for the bangstick and assorted other stuff.

Today will be grinding down some new driver hears for harpoon shafts.

Gator hunting starts on the 15th...............

If it wasn't for the joy of chasing lizards I'd still be slinging sharp sticks at hogs and deer.........but there just is not time for both. Besides that from mid October when ML Season starts through April when turkey ends we'll be in the woods. Should keep is happy.

 

[joshk-k]

We went out last weekend and cleared trails up to our observation/shooting spot for elk. Took the overgrown trail from about 12" wide to about 24" wide, using loppers to cut back especially the prickly things. Nothing like getting your eye poked out at 0530 while moving in the dark up a ridge-line. The clearing that we did will make our movement up on opening morning much easier, quieter, safer. We'll also go back in later August and take some shots for distance from the ridgeline down into the bowl beneath.

While up on the mountain, we saw some grouse, a black bear, a cow elk and a nest with a pair of day-old robins. Cool.

I've also been working on sewing a pair of beautiful, old-school hunting shirts for me and my hunting partner.

Josh

 

[courtgreene]

Tried to cut trails and set up a stand last week. made a really nice, wide trail about half way to the new stand location (figuring after it was hung I would branch off of that main trail and clear better trails to established stands) and out of nowhere a thunder storm came up. I figured it would help me beat the heat and kept working... for about ten minutes. I got closer than ever before to being struck by lightning and got the heck out of the woods post-haste (Paul Allen, voice of the vikings, not sure if it's a real term or not). I will try again later, bow season isn't until 9-11 anyway. After that, some shooting lanes, and in the mean time, practice.

 

[flipajig]

put up 2 stands scouted for another site. almos time to start the feeders . sent killer como wash and hung in the ceaders. check popups for holes and get set up, clear a area for them to sit. shooting evry day have to qualife with a bow for Ft. hood along with that getting my kids ready also. i think im going to be busy..