As I woke up this morning to head off to work, I remembered that today was August 15, that meant only one month until opening day of bow season in Maryland. Opening day is a big deal to a lot of bow hunters, so big in fact that a lot of them take off work just for the occasion. Well, now that we are just one month away I thought I would remind all our readers.
I find that the next month will go by real quick. My wife Amber and I sat down earlier this evening and were starting to map out our calendar for the rest of August and the beginning of September and found that every weekend between now and then was packed full of things needing to be done before bow season started and Saturdays got consumed by hunting. You mix work and the rest of your honey-dos in there and we are pretty much booked.
So, I sat down and wrote out a list of things related to hunting that needed to be done in the near future. I wanted to share the top 3 items on my current list so that maybe they would help you remember these items as well. Many of you are probably ahead of me on the list, but these are a few important things to think about over the next couple weeks.
1. Setup a Shooting Schedule
Now is when shooting on a regular basis is very important. I recommend 2 - 3 times per week, 24 - 36 arrows each time or until you are happy with your shooting session or get tired. I personally set goals for each shooting session and add different shots or distances in each time. This gives me goals set for each date, allowing me to know how my shooting is progressing.
2. Seal Boots (how to article coming soon)
Protecting your feet is a must when hunting. Now is the time to do it. If you seal your boots too close to hunting season, the smell will likely still be fresh and allow the deer to smell you a mile away.
3. Scent Protection
Wash all hunting clothing with scent free detergent, put in scent free bag. I like to wash my clothes again, even though they were washed at the end of the season last year. This makes sure any scents that they may have picked up over spring and summer will be washed away (yes, even the plastic smell from the bags or bins). I then place them in a scent free bag with fresh cedar branches from my yard.
A little work over the next few weeks will allow you to be ready to hit the woods on opening day and be prepared! I will check back in with our readers with my final update two weeks before opening day of bow season.
Share with us what you are doing to prepare for hunting! Are you ready for the upcoming hunting season? We love comments and questions, so leave us your thoughts!
