Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What do you need to do before next opening day?

5 X 7, very comfortable for two.

Well I made some scope mount changes on three rifles so now I have to shoot and re-zero a 338-06, a 35 Whelen and a 260 remington.

I need to clear some Cedars and Autumn Olives in front of one of my ladder stands. Need to get the camera's out around 1st September to see what we have on the farm.

Sounds like quite a few folk earn their deer!

ya!

GWB

I’d hate to know how much I’ve spent and hours working on deer lease things, but I enjoy it very much.

I used to compile a Lease To-Do list almost from the last day of the previous season. No task too large, I would work unfettered for weekends on end until the task was finished & waiting to be transported. In the year-round humidity of the Tx Gulf Coast, I would sweat it out. I would mostly work in my lounging shorts so I could just drip sweat. I would make repeated trips, no matter the mileage, during the off-season so that opening day was everything I dreamed it could be. My longest one way drive was 400 miles & thought nothing of it.

After not one, but two near miss accidents on the lease, it finally occurred to me that I was on a collision course with a possible life altering event if I kept up that mentality. I decided to the impetuous behavior & downsize my operations to a single trip pre-season/post-season.

I operate much safer now & I no longer stress over any of the preparation. I actually look forward to its simplicity. It's nice to have good tools.

The is no more strain for any of it, either mental or physical. Whomever all of my things go to, after my demise, will have some nice stuff.

Knock yourself out, but I kinda like just throwing my schitt in the truck and driving 20 minutes to the WMA. I guess that’s not as simple in TX as around here……

Find a new place to hunt. “F’ing” Weyerhaeuser sold the property I have been leasing from them. 35 years of only memories now.

That happened to me about 6 years ago.

Need to figure out why my Bobcat isnt snapping a cap. Weak spring maybe? Havewnt taken any game with it yet and I'm itching to.

I will not screw with cloverleafing loads.
I will not screw with cloverleafing loads.
I will not screw with cloverleafing loads.
I will not screw with cloverleafing loads.
I will not screw with cloverleafing loads.

Get into shape

Walked a 3 mile loop yesterday and just about died. Been a couch potato all winter

Same here, been fighting it since 2018. Blew ACL in 94 with meniscus tore up. Knew it was coming someday, now is the time.

Obviously do not have huge expectations for this fall. Will be doing a lot of rehab and sitting with bow and rifle.

Maintain 6 food plots on my property. Blinds are already placed and producing nice bucks. Just bought my wife a Ravin R26X for her birthday. Just need to get her zero tweaked so she can get her spring turkey and then wait for fall.
All the heavy lifting has been done over the past 5 years so now we can relax and enjoy life

Same as every year, find a public land buck that I will shoot (150") minimum.....Hb

Moose are deer.

Clear some deadfall and alder thru a couple routes in for about a mile from the road for walking in, decide on a camp site, find and prep a-couple tree stand sites and clear routes to them, portage a canoe into 3rd lake and set up camp a few days before, for quiet access

I too preferred slip hunting the area before antler restriction went into affect. Jump shooting slot-limit bulls out of their bed doesnt give time to both determine legality and shoot usually, plus, last year after 14 years absence, I found Deadfall, alder growth and chest high grass makes slip hunting the bedding areas ( greatly expanded now) to be almost impassible and dangerous. The moose love it, and in the brief time I hunted last year, I located 3 bulls, so I know they are still there, tho in reduced numbers, but hunting pressure has dropped off to almost nothing. I can live (or die) with being the lone idiot in a hell-hole with fewer bulls than there were.

Btdt several times before- just haven't been this old.... If necessary, plan B is smaller pieces and/or more packing time/ and/or younger packers, even if they turn out to be one-time pussies. Got at least one potentially lined up.

First, kill a moose!

Decide on which rifle. I would prefer the 725 .260, but probably take the heavier Ru77 .338WM. Thars bar in them there woods. Big, brown ones. Never seen a blackie in there.

Got some loading to do for sure, 26 Nosler, 270, 338 Federal, 270 Weatherby, some others too

Still trying to find another affordable spot to hunt before its tag application time here. No dice so far... ain't paying 4 figures to hunt a 7 day season.

I'll just hunt public over the line in Indiana if I don't pull something in state before applications are due.

Find a place to hunt.

1. Sell a few guns off.

2. Check zero on a couple keepers and do load development on a 30-06.

3. #1 makes life easier.

Better get going. My wife had one knee done late last summer. She is just getting some good mobility now.