RE: What is your routine?
Opening day, gun season-
The weather forecast is checked the night before, appropriate clothing laid out as well as the gear.
I too work backwards from legal shooting 30 min before sunrise, one hour to walk in and let things settle, one hour for the wood stove, making coffee, eating, dressing and driving. So-
1) Get up 2 1/2 hours before sunrise.
2) Add wood to stove or yell at someone less than 50 to do it.
3) Start the coffee and also start the bull ****t'n.
4) Get mostly dressed.
5) Eat something easy like instant oatmeal and an orange and drink coffee.
6) Take care of bodily functions and finish dressing.
7) Drive to open area very close to property.
8) Check wind direction and maps and make sure everyone knows everyone else's plan.
9) Drive or walk to each of our locations.
10) Meet back at vehicles mid day and go to town for lunch. (I know this can be productive hunting time but lunch is social and helps the restaurant maintain profitability and to stay open, a big deal in some small farm towns.)
11) Repeat morning hunt in afternoon.
12) Buy more antlerless tags if needed for next day.
13) Big meal and much more bull ****t'n at the cabin after dark.
If someone needs help dragging a deer that is usually done before lunch or at the end of the day.
The deer we get are field dressed when shot and hung on the cabin porch or from the deer tree. My boys and I butcher our own later (4 or 5 days if the weather is right). Others in our group get their deer to a processor.
Bob