If you’re a standard big game hunter, the early spring is probably a down time for you…at least it is for me. Fall gets so much if our time, energy, and day dreaming. We spend so much time leading up to those big elk or deer hunts. Here in AZ we’re even blessed with a bit of continued joy in that our deer rut and prime archery season hits in January…so from September to January, it is pure hunting bliss. Then February rolls around, and compared to the anticipation and general awesomeness of the past five months, there’s just not much going on.
Already missing mornings like these!
So we have a choice: slip into a depressive coma until Fall rolls around again, or find ways to make the most of this down time and set ourselves up for an even better Fall this upcoming year. Personally, I’ve done both in the past, and this year I’m committed to going guns blazing like never before during the Spring and Summer months.
So, in no particular order, here’s how I’m making the most of this down time in 2020…
Scouting / Finding New Spots
This should be a no brainer, but somehow I find myself neglecting getting out and scouting for new spots when it’s this early before season. This year, I’m getting out as much as my schedule will allow. Yes, deer in my part of the country migrate. Also yes, bucks will be shedding their antlers and won’t look as awesome on the hillside. But, why wouldn’t I get out and spend some time hiking new areas and glassing fresh country? On any given day, I could be one short hike away from finding my next favorite deer spot.
Case in point: there is a massive mountain range stupid-close to my house, and up until this week, I had spent ZERO time in it. I had my other spots I’ve always hunted, and I’ve even driven all the way around these mountains regularly to get to a different spot. Every time I’d look at them as I drive by and think, “man, some of those drainages look like killer deer country.” So, I finally carved out just 2 hours on a weekend morning to get out and get some boots on the ground. I was 100 yards from my Jeep when I found my first of many deer tracks. I turned up some scat and glassed from a couple good points…it was a solid morning of scouting. Now, there are plenty of spots deeper in the range I want to check out that I simply didn’t have time to get to that morning, but my initial findings have me even more excited to get back there ASAP!
Seeing this nice track right after leaving my Jeep in brand new country definitely got the blood pumping a bit!
Here’s the point: during season, I was afraid to head blindly into an unseen mountain range and waste valuable hunting time in a place that might not pan out. But, when the next archery season out there is 10 months away, what do I have to lose by spending some time checking it out? Plus, it’s hard to argue with how much more hunting time I’m likely to get during season in a spot where I can have boots on the ground just 35 minutes after leaving my front door. It can be hard to find a full week or even a couple days to take a prolonged hunting trip far from home. But I can easily juggle work and family obligations around quick morning or evening hunts close to home. NOW is the time to be checking out those new spots! You’ll not only be setting yourself up for greater success in the fall/winter, but you’ll get a dose of that rush that comes from getting out there and tracking down these animals (even when there isn’t a bow in your hand).
Application Season
One thing that early spring always brings for the Western hunter is the joy, pressure, and absolute nerdery of application season. There is something I find so delightfully ironic about the mental image of thousands of tough, rugged, bearded outdoorsmen all over the country sitting at their computers late into the night pouring over nothing but data and percentage points. Any time I explain what goHUNT is to my non-hunting friends who see its logo in my hat, they can’t believe there is such a “nerdy” side to such a manly endeavor. I just so happen to be kind of a nerd, so I love it and wear it as a badge of honor! But I digress…
Who says hunting isn’t a desk-job?
Here’s what I’m getting at: to have the best Fall possible, it takes some advanced planning, and now is the time to do that. For many years in my early hunting life, I just applied for the same hunts in the same units, and put myself completely at the mercy of the draw and my own (usually bad) luck. There were many years where the results came in and my thought was, “I guess I’m just not going hunting this year.” I have since realized that life is too short to let valuable hunting years slip away based purely on luck! With a little time and research, you can intentionally plan your year around multiple hunts. There are a bunch of tools out there to help, but the most complete and user-friendly one I’ve found is goHUNT. I did a full write up about them a while back (check that out here), but I have been diving deep into it this Spring as I prepare for the Fall, and it’s proving to be worth its weight in gold.
Depending on your stage of life, this early spring planning can be even more crucial. This year, in addition to my own hunting, I have my wife and oldest son to consider. My son is almost sure to draw a youth elk tag here in AZ, which will affect what deer hunts I put him in for later. My wife is rocking that wife/first time application luck, so despite all odds, she’ll probably draw her first archery elk tag. With those two to guide and prepare for, I need to plan my Fall around that. Fortunately, I can use a tool like goHUNT to help me whittle down where I can and/or should go this year. My point is this: don’t let your Fall be solely at the mercy of your luck in the draw. Yes, that’s always going to play a part in it, but do your research to see the vast amount of hunting opportunities available if you’re willing to shift some dates, try a different weapon, and even cross state lines. Plus, deep-diving into your Fall tag planning is one more way to scratch that hunting itch when you can’t be out in the field chasing animals.
Staying Dialed
I’ve written about this before, but I think a lot of us have a tendency to take our foot off the gas when he hit this post-season period. I will confess I haven’t shot my bow once in the month of February. I’m not proud of it, but it’s the truth. And after making a bad shot and losing that javelina in January, I REALLY need to further dial in my shot process. I also just sent my rifle scope into Vortex for repair, so once that comes back I’ll need to do a full re-zeroing and further practice with that weapon. My goal this year is to send 1,000 arrows down-range and at least 5 boxes of ammo through the rifle before season kicks off. That may sound pretty conservative (and it is), but it’s more than I did last year and it’s achievable based on my schedule. My encouragement to you would be to set your own goals for keeping your shooting sharp this year. Don’t fall into the trap of leaving your bow in the closet all year and then flinging a few arrows a week before opening day just to make sure you’re still zeroed.
Another place we let ourselves slip in the off-season is fitness. We’re at the end of February now, so I know a huge percentage of New Year’s Resolutions have already died. No judgement…it happens to all of us. What I think sucks about the New Year’s mentality is that once you falter, there’s this built in subconscious belief that you have to wait until next year to get back on the wagon. We all know that isn’t true, but I think our brains kind of trick us into thinking that way sometimes. So, if that’s you, today’s the day to get back on the horse. Don’t leave “getting in shape” until a couple weeks before the hunt when you try to hurry up and take a few hikes or go for a jog to get ready…prepare your body now and you’ll be able to push so much farther when season finally does roll around. (If you’re looking for some specifics on fitness, check out this article on the joys of deadlifts and this one about a more balanced approach to hunting fitness)
Any time of the year is a good time for deadlifts!
Spring Seasons
Okay, I realize I’ve talked this whole time as if you can’t pick up a tag and a weapon until the Fall, which is obviously untrue. In virtually every state, there are Spring hunts for an assortment of animals. Now, they aren’t the big antlered ones that everyone tends to obsess over, but there are still adventures to be had and meat to put in the freezer during Spring seasons. For some better opportunities, your state may have a draw to consider (which you would have needed to deal with late last year…mental note to catch that at the end of this year). But, you can still grab an OTC tag for bear or turkey in AZ…check your state’s regs and see what’s out there for you. It may not be the animal you most want to hunt, but it will get you out in the field and will only serve to sharpen your skills as a hunter in general…making you even better prepared for those coveted Fall seasons.
You may also consider some of those year-round general animals your state may allow. Some small game hunting for rabbits or squirrels…still valuable practice and edible meat. Out here in AZ, coyotes do a number on fawns, and they don’t really have a lot of natural predators. While I tend to not hunt animals I don’t plan to eat, doing some predator management in one of my go-to deer spots is definitely on the to-do list for this Spring. The whole discussion on predator hunting is a topic for another time, but I think the science is pretty much decided that we can’t manage some species without managing all of them (you know, ecosystems and whatnot). Regardless, it’s one more opportunity to keep your skills sharp during the off-season.
Those are just a few ideas that I’m leaning into this year. I’m sure there are things I missed, or other ideas that will work better for your life, the region you hunt, or whatever. Ultimately, I believe as responsible, ethical hunters, we should keep ourselves dialed-in all year round. Whatever specific steps keep you from scrambling to shake the rust off when Fall rolls around…do that!