Todd, you know your stuff. Guy's like yourself, myself and other hunters of the north that have hunted In this stuff many other times have the best experience one can have. You can't buy good experience, all you can do Is learn It and learn from It. In saying that though one can get over confident like you said. Use your melon and keep In touch with someone on a daily basis like you said your going to do. Keep me posted on the hunting as I'll be hunting also this coming week In these fricking cold ass temps. Tomorrow's temps here- 4 degree's for a high, -14 for a low, -30 below wind chills.
Good luck wild man, be safe!!