With summer almost officially over, kids are headed back to school and the weather is finally starting to cool down. This also means hunting season is right around the corner! Do not fear, however, as there is still plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming hunting season properly. From prepping your gear to getting plenty of practice with your weapon of choice, now is the right time to get ready to make the most of your time out in the woods. Here are five simple ways to help you prepare for this upcoming hunting season!
1. Step Up Your Scouting
Many serious hunters will scout year-round, but if your time is limited, the last month or two before your hunt starts is the best time to increase your scouting efforts. This will allow you to get a better idea of the habits of your local deer herd, where to find them, and how to best hunt them when the season rolls around. From setting and checking your trail cameras to hiking new areas, scouting is a neverending process that will lead to many more filled tags. If you are using trail cameras to help you, scout, get them out now so that you can start to pattern the deer and locate bucks that you will want to target.
2. Practice with Your Weapon
One of the biggest mistakes that hunters can make is neglecting their practice throughout the year, and then picking up their weapon the day before the hunt. Whether you are hunting with a rifle, bow, or muzzleloader, you owe it to yourself and to the deer that you are hunting to be as proficient as possible with that weapon. This only comes with plenty of practice. Do you need to go out and shoot every single day? No, but making an effort to get out at least once a week to practice with the weapons that you will be hunting with will go a long way in preparing you for the season. With sufficient practice, you can rest assured that you will make the most of the shot opportunities when they come along.
3. Set Up Treestands or Ground Blinds
If you intend to hunt out of a treestand or ground blind, now is the perfect time to get them in place. This will allow the deer to become accustomed to the new addition in their woods and for the scent to be washed away by the time the hunt actually rolls around. Setting up treestands and ground blinds can also be extremely noisy and cause some disturbance in the woods, so you want to put them up beforehand in order to allow the deer to return to their normal areas and habits. If you are hunting public land, this will also help you to lay claim to an area if you do not already have a trail camera there. If you intend to hunt out of some kind of blind or stand, get them up as soon as possible!
4. Keep Up Your Physical Activity
It’s no secret that hunting can be downright tiring. While you should be staying active and working out as much as you can throughout the year, now is the time to keep it up! Even something as simple as going for a walk every day will pay dividends when deer hunting season comes around. From hiking around in the woods to packing out an animal, hunting can be extremely taxing on your body. To have a more enjoyable and comfortable hunt, maintain a good level of physical activity prior to the hunt. For an added bonus, you can implement weight lifting and hiking with a heavy pack to imitate what an actual hunt will require. This can help prepare your muscles, joints, and stamina for when the real hunt comes.
5. Prepare Your Hunting Gear
Your hunting gear can make or break your hunt. Preparing your hunting gear will ensure it is ready to go when it's time to hunt, and that you will not have any mishaps or damaged hunting gear that could ruin your hunt. Ensure that your headlamps and flashlights are in working order and have fresh batteries. Sharpen your knives and replenish your scent killer. Replace any old or worn-out camo or hunting clothes so that they don’t cause you problems while on the hunt.
While you are going through your hunting clothes, you will also want to make sure that you have the right gear to keep you warm and comfortable during the hunt.
A great addition to your hunting clothing, especially during the later seasons when the cold weather comes in, is a heated vest. The GoHuntVest is a heated vest that can help to keep your core body warm while still providing your arms full mobility while hunting. Whether you are shooting a rifle or a bow, the heated vest will keep you warm while you continue to hunt. The GoHuntVest can last for over 12 hours on one charge, so you can rest assured that you will be plenty warm and comfortable while you are sitting and waiting for the big buck you are after to finally make an appearance.
You can buy one Heated Hunting Vest for yourself at www.gohuntvest.com/sale.
We just launched our new collection where you will find our new heated hunting jacket (GoHuntShell), our new heated hunting vest and our hunting boots for winter!
Final Thoughts
With summer coming to an end and fall right around the corner, hunting season will be here before we know it. Now is the perfect time to start your preparations in order to be as successful as possible when the time finally comes. From practicing with your weapon to getting your warm clothes ready, deer season is coming and your preparation will matter!