How are your preparations coming along? You ready?!

Lark Bunting

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 8, 2018
Messages
140
Location
Colorado
Hope everyone is doing well. How are your preparations coming along? Do you have all your gear sorted, patched up from last year, shooting a bajillion arrows each night? Do you have your dates set, Units figured out, drainages highlighted, scouting trips planned? Fitness in check for your area? Working out kinks with new gear?

I'm doing a backpack trip again this year here in Colorado, limited draw unit, and am really excited. I have equipment pretty much sorted out, weighed, cleaned (disinfected my Platypus Gravityworks for the first time yesterday), and made some repairs. I haven't been able to shoot since we moved in March and the local bow range is closed due to Covid. I will be shooting in our basement more starting tonight but would like to stretch it out more...just don't know if the neighbors would be okay with me shooting in the greenspace behind the house.

We know the area we are hitting (shot my bull there a few years ago), Plan A and B. Plan C - Z is in the works.

We're planning a scouting trip in the next couple weeks just waiting to see which weekend we're doing the family camping trip.

I went back to the gym when it reopened but then got nervous with all the new cases so have spent more time with my weighted pack on and walking the dog every night. I run 4 days each week as well but I've always done that. It was surprising how fast 50lb didn't suck as much and am now at 60lb. Will do a few trips with more but I feel it in my knees when I have more than 70 for a long hike. Anyone else get weird looks from neighbors because your mowing the lawn with a 50lb pack on your back?

Hope everyone is enjoying the planning, e-scouting, anticipation. This time of year is a conflict for me where I wish it were here tomorrow, yet I sometimes feel like I need a few more months to prepare.
 

CMF

WKR
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
664
Location
Mississippi
Not ready enough! Harder to get as excited as I was last year for my NM tag, waiting on CO secondary draw results to know unit for sure where we're going. Definitely wish i had more time

Anyone else get weird looks from neighbors because your mowing the lawn with a 50lb pack on your back?
Not anymore, lol, they're probably happier when I'm cutting the grass with it then when I'm walking up and down the road at 5am waking all of their dogs up!
 

bradr3367

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
106
Location
Iowa
Meal prepping as we speak. Plus all of the above. I wake up in the night & think of things to add to my list. Pretty sure my wife will be grateful when September is over
 

Gerbdog

WKR
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
819
Location
CO Springs
I have had really nice folks stop and ask me if I'm homeless and offer my dog food when I'm hauling my pack around town for the exercise..... maybe I'm due for a shave or a haircut or something..... to the original topic, yup, things are in order, just need to stay healthy
 
Joined
Feb 9, 2015
Messages
654
Location
SE Michigan
Everything is planned out for our trip. Same spot 3 years in a row. Our group does an early September goose hunting weekend where we finalize our gear and make sure everyone is good to go.

Ordered a backup backup pair of boots and while breaking them in, agitated heel bursitis I had a couple years ago

PT to begin Monday and hopefully by the time it subsides, I’ll be able to get a couple weeks of conditioning in....I do believe I’ll be sitting more water holes this year as a result


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Joined
Aug 7, 2017
Messages
349
Location
Colorado
I have had really nice folks stop and ask me if I'm homeless and offer my dog food when I'm hauling my pack around town for the exercise..... maybe I'm due for a shave or a haircut or something..... to the original topic, yup, things are in order, just need to stay healthy

Local neighborhood watchdogs call cops at least once a summer as I walk around with my training pack on and my dog, thinking I am homeless and scoping the neighborhood. Always good for a laugh (after the first time...), especially when cops are advised I am armed and find out I am a pastor at the church that sits on the block where we do our evening laps at. (may or may not have given the pup extra treats the day he peed on the shoe of one of the officers who was giving me an especially hard time.....)
 

Gerbdog

WKR
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
819
Location
CO Springs
Local neighborhood watchdogs call cops at least once a summer as I walk around with my training pack on and my dog, thinking I am homeless and scoping the neighborhood. Always good for a laugh (after the first time...), especially when cops are advised I am armed and find out I am a pastor at the church that sits on the block where we do our evening laps at. (may or may not have given the pup extra treats the day he peed on the shoe of one of the officers who was giving me an especially hard time.....)
Always wondered how that would play out... its crossed my mind, cause normally I'm not carrying ID and figure sooner or later ill get grief for it
 

tburkepa

FNG
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
14
Leaving for CO muzzleloader hunt in 65 days and I've been saying for past 3-4 months that I need to get moving on the workout program, and it's going to happen tomorrow I know it!! When I was in mid 30's it was easy to get around in the mountains even coming from PA, I got around very well. Now that I'm 49, the packs of meat get smaller but heavier and the trips back to truck longer...
 
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
Messages
57
Location
Green Bay
I get all sorts of weird looks as I’m rucking through the neighborhood! I’ll have people cross the street when they pass by. Lol

I’m doing my first ever elk hunt this fall. Archery in Idaho. Solo for 2 weeks.

I’ve been hoarding gear for 8 months, and hopefully don’t forget anything absolutely essential. My pack is dialed in, boots are almost broke in, and my bow just got new strings and a solid tuning. I have a few more minor purchases to make (organization bags for the little stuff, range finder, first aid stuff, freeze dried dinners). After that it’s just more E-Scouting, shooting bow nightly, and training!

Good luck everyone!


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Mosby

WKR
Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Messages
1,913
Stuff with my kids keeps coming up and I have had to drop everything and help them, which has cost me the last month. I am not even close to ready.
 

tburkepa

FNG
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
14
It was great 2 years ago with my daughter as she fit in a pack that I carried on my back and off we would go around our farm. I got exercise and she got to see critters. Now she wants to walk with me and a 5 1/2 yr olds walk and willingness to keep going isn't doing a thing for my cardio and now she doesn't fit in the pack so I can't carry her like that anymore.. But I do love the walks with her. Got to show her the bones from den of foxes we have.. turkey legs, rabbit fur and still trying to figure out where the pile of white feathers came from as nobody has any white chickens around that I know of..
 

Pwells10

WKR
Joined
Feb 26, 2018
Messages
582
Gear wise and plan are golden.... Shape wise....not so much. Started back in the gym and will start rucking here this weekend.
 

cnelk

WKR
Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
6,847
Location
Colorado
Finally been shooting my bow a few shots a day after wrist surgery 6 weeks ago.
Headed to the Bighorns Thursday for a scouting/set trail cam/fishing trip.

Other than that, it’s sure nice being retired
 
Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Messages
685
Location
Idaho
I have everything in line except one thing, still getting over a herniated disc. Trying to nurse it back to health before mid Aug
 

Laramie

WKR
Joined
Apr 17, 2020
Messages
2,618
Other than shooting my bow, I haven't done any prep. I know where I'm hunting as I have 20+ years of scouting in the unit. I usually don't get too worked up until 30 days out. Too many other fun things to do in the summer.
 

Catahoula

WKR
Joined
Jul 25, 2018
Messages
1,851
Location
Loveland, CO. was AZ.
Went west last week for a scout, hikes and give camp gear a shakedown. Will go back for scouting 2 or 3 more times before archery opener. New tires on truck tomorrow, alignment Thursday. Time can get away from anyone. I’m happy to be retired and have time to take my time prepping. Spouse and I have been shooting bows 3-4 days a week as well.
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Messages
1,079
Location
NC
I was hoping to be much further along with my bugling but I still have a ways to go before I'm where I want to be.

All set with gear & logistics and I'm in better shape than in years past.
 
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