Getting ready

[FullChoke]

I know that our frozen comrades in arms are quite a ways away from their season (and my heart hurts for you guys), but down here in the balmy south we are looking at go-time in just a few weeks. Everyone needs to make sure that all of their turkey tackle is organized and ready. Today I plan on treating the clothes with permethrin so that they can dry out completely and checking out the mountain bike to make sure that everything is in good working order. I will also head out to the woods to clear out some trails. I sewed a decoy bag last weekend and cleaned all the trash and sticks out of the hunting vest.

What pre-season preparations do you go through? Getting in shape? Break in new boots? Condition yourself to function on 4 hours sleep?

Cheers 

FullChoke

[3bailey3]

I have been out to clear trails a few times, switching from a vest to Glenda's satchel trying  to decide what calls are going to make it in it, need to shoot my gun with my new ff3 on it, weather has not  been nice enough to try it out yet and waiting on a nice clear morning to get out and listen.

[Twowithone]

Im in the scouting mode right now after that when the weather warms up Ill sight the shotgun in and wait for April 27th.up here in Pennsylvania.   

[TKE921]

Since I am going to FL I am a little ahead of the game this year.  I already deep cleaned my shotguns and verified POI/POA then cleaned again.  I ordered some new mouth calls from Houndstooth and used them a little to get them broken in.  Probably the week of March 11th I will take out my clothes, boots, and backpack and spray them all with sawyer.  I have been running pot calls off and on.  There is a Daybreak aluminum with my name on it.....just hoping Gary will give me the call before it is time to head to the sunshine state. 

Scouting will probably begin in the next two weeks.  A friend just got me access to 1450 acres not too far from where I live.  It is a typical WV active cattle farm with 60% pasture, and a bunch of hillside.  The guy who owns it has already been seeing turks in the "back meadow" nearly every day around 9 or 10 am.

[cramerhunts]

I've been spending quite a bit of time on google earth going over areas that I know and fine tuning ways into them. Spent some time this weekend getting the vest loaded, got all the dogs in the neighborhood wound up running some pot calls. Waiting on some new mouth calls to show up and find time to pattern some Apex 9's.  Looking at a little over a month before I can kick the party off with a quick trip to Texas.

[paintbrush]

  I'm going to have to follow along on your guys tales and stories for quite some time yet as for up here in MN. where I live we have over 2 feet of snow on the ground at this time and with below average temps called for thru March, this darn snow is going to stick around for a long time yet I'm afraid! It's suppose to in the teens below zero again by the end of this week. We haven't been above freezing since around the first of the year. Got as cold as -42 a couple weeks ago with a -60 wind chill. This is one old fashion Minnesota winter we are having this year. Have been seeing some turkeys tho. Some people feed them up here to help them get thru the winters.
  With all that being said, I will get my hunting season started down in NE. starting April 19th. I sure hope they don't have any snow on the ground down there then as I am getting darn sick of seeing all this white stuff.

[TKE921]

Man those temps are insane!  We complain about single digit temps and 5" of snow here in WV.

[rangerGT]

Good luck this season Roaring 20's!   

[3bailey3]

finally got to pattern my gun, I think this will work

[FullChoke]

Dwayne, That's a beautiful, even pattern that will work for days.

In the immortal words of Doug Marcaida, "This Will Kill."

FC

[3bailey3]

a buddy sent me this pic Sunday morning on the way home from his camp

[TKE921]

I am going to have to get some of those turkey head targets with the splatter.  It will be much safer than stealing the wife's left over christmas wrapping paper.

Got out and shot the 20 on one of the few decent days we have had this Feb.

[3bailey3]

very nice pattern

[harleytom]

Weatherby SA-459. 55 degrees, 40 yards Apex #9 TSS 1&5/8 oz. Mad .560 choke https://flic.kr/p/RiP8e8

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[harleytom]

Same load at 55 yards, just gotta know.

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