I thought I'd post this to remind everyone of the little things that tend to get overlooked as the long tiring season unfolds. Most everyones archery seasons are in full swing now. Let's not forget the details that were there onopening day. Don't overlook the little things that may cost you the buck of a lifetime. I was thinking on stand last night that I might be getting a little "lazy" in my details. Hopefully more members can add to the list and refresh everyone (for the rut especially) and the rest of the season.
Some things that came to mind:
- continue to practice shooting your bow -
If you're 2 or 3 weeks into your season and havent' shot your bow to make sure everything is ok, you need to shoot some arrows at a target to check it out. I usually shoot everyday, but I noticed I havent' shot any arrows in a few days. Need to keep the muscle memory and focus for the moment of truth.
- stay scent free-
Yes it can be a pain in the butt washing your clothes, spraying down before each hunt, and wiping down your gear all the time, especially as the season drags on and you're getting run down. But it's as important (if not more) now then it was on day one.
- entry/exit routes -
Stick to the gameplan on how you enter and exit the woods. If you felt it necessary to get in the woods an hour before first light on day one then it's just as important to you to do the same at this point in the season. If you felt a certain path to enter or exit the woods was important on day one (even if it was longer) then it's as important now. Don't take any shortcuts to save time.
Also, take your time and dont' be in a hurry to get to and from your stand location. I find myself going quicker for some reason lately. Slow down and treat your entry and exit as you would on opening day.
* Just a few things that I reflected on that I felt were slipping with me personally. Best of luck to everyone with the rest of your seasons.
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Jimmy S: 1/8/09 " I can hardly wait for baseball season to start. I love my Yankees! "
With the weather getting colder and a guy putting more clothes on... practicing shooting is a must with your late fall/ early winter clothing. You don't need something to go wrong at the moment of truth that could have easilybeen avoided.
Frosty mornings means slippery ladder stand or hang ons... be careful going upor down.
This may seem silly to some but as more leaves fall I pay attention to how much cover my stand locations offer. What offered great cover and really broke up my outline in early October may leave me overexposed in November.
1st annual mid season reminders...
