Seems lots of post are covered here, but some of my fav parts are the necessarys of the season per se I should say. Necessary for me anyway. Sharpening heads or knives as we think on an upcoming season, touching the edge to a forearm to ensure it shaves. Fletching arrows, practicing w broadheads, from treestands, more seriously at 3D deer or bear targets, glueing the sharpened heads on. These kinda things. The actual time doing something for me is more enjoyable than screwing some head on and switching the blade in some scalpel blade knife. Wonder if some guys even know that

Many fellows enjoy packing a bag or getting clothes ready. (I’m not knocking anyone btw,) My bag is still packed from last year so all I’ll do is maybe take a ski mask out and add a thermocell for early season. Clothes I don’t worry about, early season in a tree they won’t see ya. Half the time I just wear jeans and a flannel til the leaves drop so clothes aren’t on my list. We’re about a month away, some places some seasons are about to open. Have a great season to all no matter where your particular interest lies. Hope the newbies get their first taste of success this fall! Have a safe season as well, don’t forget your harness if you climb or to leave someone info (when you’ll return, how long you’ll be out of touch, where you’ll be) if on a remote hunt, really we oughta do this all hunts. And don’t forget the kids. Be a mentor, you’ll change a life

I'm in there with ya, Bowguy. I enjoy sharpening things. I'm constantly feeling edges to see if they need attention. I've scouted all year, since season closed last year, mostly public land. I've got a couple new areas picked out and will be hanging a few stands soon. As far as clothing, I'm with you in that regard too. I don't even care about commercial camo anymore. I now shop for good quality flannel shirts and wool in good neutral, natural colors, and usually wear a pair of carhardt work pants in tan or olive. My hats and bandanas are usually some sort of camo because that's what I have and whats comfortable. If I wear some commercial camo, its because it is a quality-made garment, not because of the camo pattern on it. I shoot broadheads year-round, but will be mounting freshly sharpened heads on new shafts for a test-shot within the week. I never take an arrow/broadhead combo to the woods that hasn't been test-shot a couple times. It bleeds confidence in the setup and all is aligned straight and flying true and that eliminates one arrow of the bunch that for some reason don't fly "quite right". Come on September!!

I don't enjoy it as much as I used to. Getting ready for an out of state hunt is a burden for me now because I don't have the time to prepare my gear and my body like I did in my 20's and 30's. Now because of family and work I'll be rushing to gear together the week before my Sept elk hunt. Once I get in my truck and head West the stress will be gone. I'm just greatful I still can do it. As far as preparing for the local whitails, I'll be doing my scouting in season once again unfortunately. I used to prepare all off season I just can't now. The only thing I do now is shoot with my 6yr old son most days. I wouldn't change a thing.

I think you can do too much scouting, especially early on. The bucks mindset changes once the antlers harden and the old rules can go by the wayside. It's always good to know where the deer frequent of course, and depending on where you live and hunt, there will be variances. As for me, what they do in August isn't necessarily what they do in October. Food sources change, acorns start to fall, and other browse takes precedent. Water sources can also dry up in late summer so staying current with the changes helps in finding them.

i paint my house and fix my gutters, at least that's the plan. I have been hunting the same three areas for years, pre season scouting does show what deer are in the general area, but things change during the first two weeks of the season.

For they guys that say the deer change patterns I must divert a little from the thread and agree. The changes are exactly why my “scouting” isnt the same as most. Imo knowing where the deer are now is useless. I scout the areas they’ll congregate come season looking for nuts in trees as they will follow their favorite types so it’s best to hunt them in order. Freshly cut cornfields are hard to beat so we need to know where they are in order to get be ready once they’re cut, bean changes. As it does our tactics gotta adjust but we also need to know where they are. Apples trees may or may not have fruit on em. Did anyone prune em? Is it too dry or wet? I’m the walking phase of the rut, standing phase and late rut deer act dif. We need to look ahead. Kind of like playing chess, plan a few moves out to win.

Planning a hunt going forward is much better than scouting where they are now. If not you’ll be sitting w the guys who’ve found where they were. Some guys sit where they went and not disturbed them doing so. Before the season I’d be looking for the oaks, alfalfa, (green) bean. It’s where they’ll be come season first thing. In your area dif foods/things may reign king come season. Looking ahead before season is something none of the outdoor “writers” write about. Use your head and look ahead

I've been going through last years note book. I keep a record of each day's hunt, each day, each location, what moon sign, wind direction, what I see, what time I see it.. etc.... That information reminds me of what took place and when it took place and perhaps why it took place.

My primary scouting was done last winter.. I may move some stands early so as to be in the right place later in the season

Anyway, I'm getting fired up.. going thru the rituals I've always done, wouldn't be the same with out them..

Chris

I start a beard. Other than that I'm pretty much always ready.

I keep the beard all year haha...Packhikes increase...what I used to could do requires more prep nowadays...Altitude eats up the Oxygen as does the Wildfires were having...SmokeySmokey...Best of Luck to All of You...4finger

I need to be practicing more but now is the time to be putting away fish for the winter & winter is the time to put away game for summer here's a pic of yesterday's catch. 27 Spanish mackerel & some bluefish. I do however plan on killing a few does in a few weeks season comes in Sept 1st

My Hunting/Hiking Partner Sweetie keep Me Humble...Always telling Me get Your Boots and Lets go :)...4finger

Hanging all my safety ropes in the morning.

Hanging my Loc-On(which I did today), that's probably older than most folks on this site. The days are gone when deer don't look up and over the last 40 years I admit that I've had to get far more creative in hiding it better. I hate getting busted the first hunt of the year because the deer already located it. I've moved lower so that I can "nest" it in the mountain laurel and don't stick out like a sore thumb when the leaves are gone. The problem is that I'm picky about the perfect tree and I've found it, but as always its never straight vertical. I was so determined to hunt this tree last year that I mounted a half-round of painted locust in the low side so that my stand would be vertical when hung, but getting that sucker up isn't the same as it was before I had a hip and knee replacement...but never underestimate a wily old graybeard!!

I get my hunting stuff ready early, yardwork and chores I work on now

well, let me check with my wife first! lol

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