The dog days of summer can be long and boring especially when it’s 100+ degrees outside! For me this means prep time for the upcoming seasons. Goose, dove and duck all open in September so prep can be as simple as practicing your calling. I have my calls in my car all season long and practice a little every day in the parking lot at work at lunch time or breaks. This is a good time to also repair, touch up paint, check weights and tie new lines onto decoys. Organizing decoys by species and application all set in their decoy bags ready to be grabbed in a minutes notice depending on where the opportunity is. This is the time of year that I also like to reload some target loads and a couple cases of clay pigeons for a fun evening of practice on the farm with my hunting partners. Getting used to tracking and swinging the barrel on those crossing rising away shots. We like to practice in the same realistic scenarios we may encounter in the field, either sitting in a pop up blind or out of a box blind. Take the time to set up realistic shots like coming from behind overhead, crossing right to left or those after burner teal that come in hard and fast then flare rocketing straight up!
This year I am going to switch my puddle duck decoy cords over to the new non-tangling plastic cord to see if it really works as they claim. If it does next season I will switch over all my long line diver decoys to match. There is also lots of field work to be done early in anticipation for opening day, such as mending old blinds and adding new cover. The wheat fields have started to be harvested and the geese are already starting to pattern them from their roosting water. I scout new and old fields every day as I drive to and from work. If I really need a pick me up to get me through the long summer months I just take out the old photo album of waterfowl seasons past but that usually makes the itching worse. Regardless of your addiction, one thing is guaranteed, there is always a next season!
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Great Post! I am the same mode here…can’t wait for that first set of whistling wings overhead!
Gretchen I am so excited to. It kicks off the whole fall hunting season here for me! Have not missed an opening day duck season ever and I don’t want to date myself!
I love reading about the fall season that we used to spend together in the field, or in the boat , it brings back great memories. Thanks Jason… DAD