With August behind us and September here, this is the perfect time to go through your gear and take stock of what you have, whether that be just to take a physical inventory of things or to check the integrity of your gear.
For me, this starts with pulling all my hunting gear out and laying it out on either the ground or the garage. This helps me remember what I have or have lost from last year and also gives me the opportunity to see what I want to upgrade for the coming year.
First, for my style of hunting, I like to get my day pack in order. My day pack is with me on every hunt and if it is in order, it makes grabbing something out of it easier, while under pressure. I make sure my grunt tube is working and cleaned. I make sure my Knife is sharpened and a small sharpener is also with me. I have a small gutting kit I put together, including rubber gloves, a twist tie, and a small plastic bag to put the heart and liver in. I also keep a compass and fire starter in case of emergencies.
Next, and maybe the most important, is to go through my tree stands and safety straps. I set each stand up on a tree in my back yard, at ground level. I will make sure there are no broken welds or rusted cables and I will jump up and down on the stand to make sure it can handle the pressure. I go over all my straps and make sure there are no tears or weak spots. I check out my safety harness to make sure everything is in working order, as well.
It almost goes without saying, but this is the time to step up your practice shooting. Try to shoot as much as possible, even if it is just one round of arrows a time, make sure you know your yardages and what you are comfortable shooting from.
This is by no means is an all inclusive list, but it is somewhere to start and a great way to kill time while waiting for the season to start, because once it does, time seems to fly by.
Ralph Cody's Public Land Blog 