September is the time to prepare for fall seasons
There is another side to September that does not involved hunting doves or geese. By the end of the month, deer have reached their full antler growth and will have begun rubbing off the velvet that covers them.
That means September is the time to prepare for the upcoming archery season.
If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to place a trail cam along a deer path. It’s always a boost to know just what is living in your neck of the woods.
On the other side of the coin, any feeding areas you set up must be removed 30 days ahead of time from near a location you are going to hunt.
That means if you are going to hunt Oct. 1, the bait must be removed early in September.
Many people will bait the area near where their trail camera is placed.
Baiting is one of the most common deer hunting violations. And in the case of baiting, not knowing that the bait is there is no excuse.
It is a hunter’s responsibility to be sure that the area in which they are hunting has not been baited by someone else.
The most dangerous thing a hunter does is climb into a tree stand. The danger of hunting is not the possibility of being shot. That part of hunting is more safe than you’d expect.
Tree stands, however, are another subject.
I know people who have had a stand collapse under them. Others have fallen asleep while waiting, only to find themselves on the ground.
It’s also easy to step off the edge of a stand. That can cause an unpleasant meeting with Mother Earth.
The use of a safety harness can prevent a fall. Also, any homemade tree stand should be checked thoroughly before use.
Rain and weather can play havoc with a tree stand, as can a simple thing such as tree growth.
I don’t want to be in a tree stand when it is waving in a strong wind, and I certainly prefer to be on the ground when lightning is striking nearby. In fact, even a storm five miles away can bring lightning that is close enough to strike.
Don’t hunt in a thunderstorm or from a rickety tree stand.
It’s really not too early to get prepared for the November-December deer season. It’s easier to sight in a rifle during the warm weather than it is later in the year.
Not only that, but ranges tend to be a lot more crowded the later you wait as hunting season draws near.
If the outfit or any part of the combo is new, the first shots should be fired at close range. Put a hole in the center of the target at close range first, then move out to 100 yards. It saves a lot of ammo.
All sight-in shots should be made with a solid rest under the forearm, not the barrel. And when sighting in at a place other than a rifle range, make sure you’ve got a good backstop.
Here’s another tip: scope adjustments are not as reliable when near or at the end of the adjustments.
You might click and get a varied amount of movement from shot to shot when near the maximum adjustments.
This is not true in all scopes, but it is a common problem.
If the gun shoots erratically, make sure all the screws are tight. This could include those holding the stock and action of the rifle itself.
There will be those who are looking forward to their first hunt. They might be children or an adult. One word of advice is this, don’t overgun a beginner.
Also, buy your ammo early. It has become hard to find in many calibers.
George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.