Preparations for Hunting Season
How to Prepare for Hunting Season in the Offseason
Submitted by Sam Jacobs
The dreaded offseason has come. It’s inevitable every year, and yet we all get a little depressed when it finally gets here. Whether you’re battling buck or duck depression, there are a few things you can do to help ease your pain and prepare for next year, which, thankfully, is just a few short months away!
Clean Your Gear
If you’re like me, you’re tough on your gear, and most of it remains uncleaned throughout the season. While I take time during hunting season to quickly clean my guns, decoys, clothes, and other gear, they still need a deep cleaning this time of year. This is a great way to teach your kids a little about firearms and the great outdoors; I developed my love for guns by breaking them down and cleaning them with my dad and grandpa. Lastly, don’t forget about your truck! My truck usually looks like a mud bomb went off on it and in it. Between hauling a dog around for duck hunting and hauling deer home in the bed after a successful hunt, my truck is ready for a bubble bath and scrub.
Take a Hike: Exploring to Stay in Shape
Literally, take a hike. This is the best time of year to explore the area you hunt. This might require a little creativity during late winter and early spring, as most hunting areas in Montana are still covered with snow. Instead of struggling on your hike, I suggest taking up snow-shoeing or back-country skiing to better explore the area you hunt. As a duck hunter, I’ve stumbled upon little-known spots that ended up being loaded the following season. The deer hunter in me loves getting in the woods, finding new trails, and shed hunting. This is my favorite way to get my daughter involved in the outdoors because there’s no agenda except to have fun outside.
Staying active during the offseason also ensures you won’t become terribly out of shape. I’ll never forget the early-season teal hunt when I thought I would have a heart attack just walking to our spot. I was out of breath and out of shape. I never want that to happen again. Learn from my mistakes; stay very active throughout the offseason. Taking hikes and hitting the gym don’t seem like they’re helping you become a better hunter until you need to drag a deer uphill for a quarter of a mile or march two miles through the mud with 50 lbs of gear on your back to get to the best duck hole.
Stay Sharp
My dad and I process all of our harvests, which means our knives are dull by the end of the season. Now’s the time to sharpen your knives; whether you process your game or field-dress it, you need a sharp knife. It’s also essential to keep your shooting skills sharp. Visiting the gun range to shoot your 30-06 is critical. I hadn’t shot my .270 Win rifle in a while and decided to visit the gun range a few weeks ago, only to realize I was flinching on the trigger pull. Guess that means I need to shoot more often, darn! I’d much rather fix the problem now than wait until right before deer season starts.
Many hunters take a break from shooting during the offseason. Then the week before hunting season opens, they shoot 3 shots on a good weather day to ensure they are still on target. This little bit of practice doesn’t help them in the nasty weather conditions they may experience on the day they hunt. Shooting more often lets you experience more weather conditions and ultimately helps you successfully harvest your target species. There’s not much worse than a bad shot on a live animal.
It’s also a great time of year to stock up on your favorite hunting ammo, as fewer people will be buying hunting-specific ammo, so in theory, you should have an easier time finding it.
Enjoy Your Offseason with Family and Friends
While we hunt because we enjoy it, it’s also stressful, and we work really hard to be successful. So don’t be afraid to take this time of the year to sleep in a little on your days off and relax. Take your significant other out on a date, and if you have kids, take them to the park to play. Let your mind take a break from trying to outsmart your favorite game animal.
Growing up, I surrounded myself with other hunters. This wasn’t intentional; it just naturally happened as we all loved talking about hunting. This led to us hunting together and many opportunities we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Now we look back on many of those hunts and reminisce over a few beers while looking forward to creating more memories. Reliving these hunts with my friends through our stories helps ease the emptiness left by hunting season coming to an end.
The offseason is also the time to start checking off the honey-do’s that have piled up over the last several months. Whether that’s getting the much-needed house repairs done or finishing a few projects for your significant other, build up the brownie points now. You can always mix in a few of your hunting-related DIY projects to keep things interesting.
Parting Shots
Preparing in the offseason shouldn’t be a one-time event; you’ll likely have to revisit these tips multiple times to prepare for opening day. Remember going to the gym once doesn’t mean you’re in shape; the same is true with relaxing and visiting the gun range; there’s always more to do. Don’t let that overwhelm you; let it fuel your fire and keep you motivated as you battle your way through duck and buck depression.
About Sam
Sam Jacobs is a 2nd amendment advocate, lead writer, and chief historian, at Ammo.
Growing up in New England, He practically lived outdoors: fishing, hunting, and camping. As a self-proclaimed outdoorsman, it’s his responsibility to use his knowledge and experience to educate others about ammunition, the outdoors, and conservation.