With the heat of Summer in full swing pre-season prep is vital to your success as a hunter, especially during the early bow season. Let’s examine a few things that should be done before season starts to ensure that you have the best odds of success.
Get Your License
Obtain your license and make sure you have all licenses and/or tags you need for the season. Finish and submit any out of state applications and tag fees. You do not want to get a fine or be stuck waiting for the post office on the first day of season.
Set Trail Cameras
Trail cameras, where allowed, are a great tool to fine comb public land and private leases for big buck haunts. With the predictability of early season bucks on food sources, trail cameras are a vital tool to help get you in the zone to finish the job. Conceal the cameras, especially on public land, and mark them with one of the many GPS hunt map apps available for easy retrieval.
Practice with your Weapon
Give your crossbow and bow a good cleaning and waxing. Spend a few minutes each evening practicing. Deer deserve our utmost effort at providing a clean ethical kill, and practice is the best tool we have at providing that. Know your distances and your ethical kill zone. Practice at distances outside your comfort zone that will make the distances within your comfort zone a piece of cake. Practice with the broadheads you plan to use. Point of impact is almost always different between field points and broadheads. If you must, sacrifice a broadhead as a practice tip to ensure you hit where you aim each time.
Go over all your gear
Check cables and straps on ALL your tree stands, safety harness, and safety lines. Go through your gear to make sure you have what you need before season starts. Field sprays, scent away, etc. often flies off the shelf of the local stores the week of season. Getting your necessities early saves you the headache. Organization is key and often saves much time and headache, so organize your gear and have it ready for the first day.