Two of the best-known phrases in modern history are “Gentlemen Start Your Engines,” and “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble,” both of which precede the start of popular sporting events. Maybe if we hunters had a catchy phrase to remind us, we would do a better job of preparing our gear for the upcoming plethora of hunting seasons. On a recent TV hunting show, the host was interviewing several professional hunting guides, asking each of them the question “What is the biggest mistake you see you clients make?” Without hesitation, the first guide answered “The biggest mistake I see clients make year after year is coming to camp unfamiliar with and unsure of their equipment.” He said “For example, they think that just because the sights on their bows or the scopes on their rifles were “spot-on” when they put them away last year or when they loaded them for the trip, they must still be spot-on when they arrive. I offer them the chance to sight them in before we go to the woods, but they decline. So, I take them to the woods and they blow a shot at a once-in-a-lifetime buck because their sights were indeed off.”
Let’s discuss some things we should all do in preparation of hunting season. First check your licenses and tags. Decide what all you plan to hunt this year and be sure you possess all the different stamps and tags to legally do so. If you’re not sure what you need, by all means contact your local conservation officer or the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks. You will have to purchase specific tags for deer and turkeys, which will be good only for this season, but general (fishing) and hunting licenses and fur-harvesting permits are now good for one full year from the date you purchase them.
Along with licenses, make sure you also have permission to hunt all your “honey holes.” Many land owners grant permission on a first- come, first- serve basis. We are most blessed to be able to hunt and trap on land owned by my sister and her family, but privately owned land available for hunting, fishing and trapping gets harder to find each year, so don’t put-off a trip to the landowners home to ask their permission in person.
Now check your clothing. As we all know, shirts and pants have a bad habit of shrinking over the years. Replace them, have your wife let them out a little to fit, or better yet, shrink yourself a little. Clothing does honestly wear out sometimes, and now is a good time to find fall and winter hunting apparel on sale. If you have your eye on some of the new camo patterns or some of the new scent-blocker clothing for instance, start shopping now. This includes footwear as well. There’s nothing worse than sore & blistered or cold feet. Venues like trapping and upland bird hunting are strenuous exercise and there’s no time like the present to begin some sort of fitness program to get you in better physical shape. Start walking or bicycling in the evenings or any other cardio workout to increase your stamina.
Do a thorough inspection on your weapons of choice. Test sights on bows and scopes on rifles & crossbows, and readjust if necessary. Make certain all mechanisms are lightly oiled and lubed. Put a few shells through your deer rifle just to familiarize yourself again with its feel and recoil. Shoot your bow to again become confident of your holding point and be certain the release is functional. Check for frayed or nicked strings and bad fletching on arrows. In short, be certain every part of every weapon is in good repair and functioning correctly. Also stock up on ammunition. Supplies have fluctuated greatly the last couple years, so get what you need early. For those of us who don’t keep deer feeders full or cameras
out year-round, other equipment and supply needs may include batteries for cameras and corn for feeders.
Hopefully you trappers cleaned and neatly packed away all your equipment after last season, but now is the time to pull everything out and see what you need in the way of additional equipment, scents and lures. The annual Kansas Fur Harvesters Assn. rendezvous is October 4 & 5 at McPherson, KS, and is a great place to get everything you need, as there will be numerous supply vendors present, plus lots of “tail gaters” with good used equipment to sell. The event also boasts a full weekend of demonstrations by experienced Kansas trappers, and is an opportune place and time for new trappers to gain a wealth of knowledge.
Well, that’s it in a nutshell; probably nothing here you didn’t already know, but maybe reading this will spur you in to action. The beastly hot, dry summer in my part of Kansas will no doubt have some impact on this year’s hunting and trapping opportunities; I really don’t know what to expect. What I do know is that if I do my part by having all my equipment ready, there won’t be any unwelcome surprises in that category!
Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected].
