I'm going for the big tackle reduction program this year. Used to carry everything around, and almost never used but a few things.
Bow with rope and extra Crazy Farmer arrow, knife, flash light, scents, bottle of water, camo, boots, cell phone, wallet, sun glasses and hat, and a He-Wee - and everything else stays at home. May take some rattlin' horns a couple of times. May buy a rattle bag of some kind.
Going to sharpen the knife and wash the BugTamer camo. Then pickup a horse blanket and give the clothes a wipe down, and hang all of them in the pines for a few days- rain or shine. Boots too. I have until last week in October to get ready. That's our big time crossbow season here, and it will be bucks only, of course. But those bucks will have the fever and that is all the edge a man needs.
This weekend I will put a big feather in my hat and do some scouting for rub lines. Rubs are like surveyor flags. Takes awhile to read them correctly and ignore ones that are meaningless. Might be some scrapes around, have to go look.
Amazing how much owning a rangefinder, and playing games with it, has helped me to estimate distances. So will play with it some while I am out and about- trampling around. But it will stay home, too.
The pompano and redfish have been in the surf lately, so must schedule my time wisely. It's the annual mullet run you know. But I did manage to schedule a vacation week just for crossbow, and I really want to score a ten ring with the thing.
I'd rather be careful and certain in my preparation of a few things, than be lax and loose trying to manage alot of little things. No backpacks or rough sacks needed. Just make me sweat all that much more.
I should have some nice lines in the woods. Boundaries have produced for me in the past during muzzle loader season. Crossbow season will be a little sooner. Fences, roads, anything that seperates this buck's property from that buck's property. Then set out some tarsal gland and sit still, and put in the time.
It is my theory that while a dominate buck is cruising around checking on does, he will ALSO check his boundaries. They love to fight, and I think there are times when they would rather fight than chase a doe. All I do is convince both bucks that the other has been a cheatin'. And I don't hang my tarsal from a limb, I sneak it into a thick bush instead. That holds them still for the shot. They can locate exactly where that smell is comming from, and if it is in a bush, they think he is in that bush. Hanging from a tree, he knows something is wrong- no deer there. Doesn't come in, but rather scans the area. I want him flipping his head and blowing rasberrys when I ease that claw. Suprise.
I guess we all prepare ourselves differently. It is certainly part of the fun. I intend to prepare myself mentally to stick with the plan and not cut and run on day two.
Glad I have been shooting alot, that just adds to my confidence factor. Gonna be hot, so I will have to monitor the wind carefully. Ground blinds this year, trees are too small.
Just an over informed newbie with a misinformation spreading disorder- and a Vortex
