August and September are soon to arrive, and although the heat and summer sun is not conducive to thinking about hunting, it is imperative that we do so now to make the most of our upcoming season. Here are four tasks that we should nail down before the big day.
Sharpen Cutlery
Very few things are as aggravating after a successful harvest as dull cutlery. Dull knives not only are frustrating, but they slow down the workflow and are much more dangerous than using a razor-sharp knife.
I recall one year having back-to-back success harvesting several deer within 24 hours, but not taking the time in between each animal to sharpen the various knives I use to butcher our deer. Later, after a long day and evening completing the task, I was finally sitting down and discussing this with my wife, who was also weary of all the work, and we realized that the job took almost twice as long as it normally did by the time we got to the second and third animal. Before we went out hunting again, we sharpened everything we use for processing game.
This includes not only your field-dressing knife, but the various knives used to break down the animal, and even those tools used for the final processing once in the kitchen. For us, this included the grinding knife in our grinder. We had neglected to replace that after 20 plus deer, and it really slowed things down. We had a new one by the time we butchered the next deer, and the grinding chore took less than half the time! What a difference a sharp blade makes.
For sharpening my knives, I like to use the Warthog Sharpening System. Out of the box it looks a bit intimidating, but users will rapidly find out it is foolproof, and quick and easy to put a nice edge on a blade. The stones do need replacing every so often to keep the job quick.
Pack and Repack
If you are like me, you might have stashed a granola bar or some other snack in your hunting pack, but never took it out. It is time to get those old snacks out of the pack and replace them, and the same goes for that spare bottle of water. Now is also the time to empty the pack entirely and clean it, air it out and then repack it. Think back to what worked last year and what did not work. Is there an item that needs to be more accessible? Is there something you doubt you will use that you can remove so that you can lighten the load a bit? I make a point to examine everything I have in my pack to determine if anything needs to be replaced. Sealable plastic bags sometimes get holes in them, medicines such as pain relievers might expire, and don’t forget to wash and sharpen your field knife!
Replace worn plastic bags, old batteries and expired medicines.
Ordering
Now is the time to take inventory so you do not get caught in a jam once the season arrives. Sadly, this writer has made this mistake more than once. I usually have all my ammunition ordered and some stashed as well, but my personal downfall tends to be vacuum sealer bags or game burger bags. I get in a hurry when processing our game and forget to order ahead of time.
Whatever it is you use regularly during the hunting season, whether it be freezer bags, a new crossbow string, ammunition, clothing, no-scent laundry soap or deodorant, now is the time to get those things ordered and put away.
Speaking of ordering, ordering also does include putting things in order. My gun bench is a total disaster as we speak. So many gun tests, projects and cleaning jobs have caused chaos. My first order of business this weekend is to clean that mess up so I can actually work on the gun bench, clean my firearms before the season arrives and inspect my gear!
Practice Shooting
I suspect everyone reading this article knew this was coming. Shooting skills do degrade over time. After patterning my turkey gun back in March, I did not shoot nearly as much before the June squirrel season came in and some cowbirds were seen in the pasture, necessitating some shooting at moving smaller targets at longer ranges. I am ashamed to admit a few of those squirrels and two cowbirds have lived to see another day. Off to the range I went with my .22 in hand to sharpen up those skills. I was surprised how my initial groups were a bit larger than I thought they would be. Half an hour later, one big hole was printing like a newspaper press, and I was much happier too. Trigger time IS happy time!
Don’t overlook doing some clay shooting for the dove, and early goose and duck seasons as well. Pick an evening that is reasonable weather wise and get with some buddies to do a round of clays. Round up the family and hit the rifle range or archery range to hone those skills too!
Summer is hot and sometimes unbearably so. However, the good news is that three out of four of these tasks can be done inside with the comfort of air conditioning. Take the time now to properly start your preseason. Get ahead of the game and enjoy a smoother season.
