OPENING DAY CHECKLIST
With all the first time hunters that sent us photos for the archery season, we are guessing there will be quite a few first time hunters in the woods for the Michigan firearm opener on November 15th.
This post is mainly directed toward new hunters and is meant to be a fun way to get helpful info out to the new hunters joining us in the woods. MBP community - please share your tips to new hunters as well. For all of us - it's easy to forget something so here's a little "OPENING DAY CHECKLIST"
LICENSE
Don't get all the way out to your blind and realize you forgot your license. Keep it in your wallet or put it in a backpack that you know you will have with you in the field.
Also - Remember the RESTRICTED combo tag with the "4 plus" on it is for bucks that have four or more points on one side. That may seem obvious but a lot of deer end up being tagged with the wrong tag in the heat of the moment. Take a look at your combo tags in the light before you head out into the woods. Maybe mark one plainly with a sharpie on the back so you aren't trying to figure that out
in the dark with bloody, shaking hands.
Even though you will be wanting to grab the antlers for a photo the second it falls - you should tag your deer before you do anything else - particularly before moving it. Nothing spoils a hunt more than getting a fine for an untagged deer. Speaking of fines...
SHOOTING HOURS
Do you know the shooting times for your area? Know those before you get into your blind and see a buck standing in front of you in the dim light of opening morning. Here is a link to the 2014 shooting hours on page 12 and 13 of the 2014 Michigan Hunting and Trapping Digest. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/hunting_and_trapping_digest_461177_7.pdf
STRING TO ATTACH LICENSE TO ANTLER OR LEG.
How many times have you been ready to tag a deer and then start looking for a string to attach the tag the way the DNR guide book wants you to do it and now you have a boot with one lace?
Pack a string in your back pack - not dental floss or kite string - a string that will look cool later when you are showing off your 12 point! Also - when you photograph your deer - try to show the tag in the photo you submit to us. We believe that most hunters legally tag their deer but we get HUNDREDS of comments each year asking "where's the tag?" Or people commenting that "the tag shouldn't be stuck to the antler" Link to field dressing and tagging your deer.
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/deer_field-dressing.pdf
GUN AND AMMO This should not be a last minute decision. There are new rules for this season so know what gun you can legally use and PLEASE sight it in before you get in the woods. The people you are hunting with and near will be grateful. We have all been at deer camp when someone is sighting in their new gun as the sun is going down the evening before the season - or worse they shoot at a tree opening morning to see "if it's still on"
Hear all of those shots at 10AM on opening morning? A lot of those are at innocent trees being shot.
HUNTER ORANGE. Even if you are not hunting with a firearm you are required to wear an item with blaze orange on it during the firearm season. All firearm hunters in Michigan are REQUIRED to wear an outer garment of hunter orange color that is visible from all sides, when they are hunting on ANY land during daylight hours. An example of an acceptable garment is a hat, cap, vest, jacket, rainwear, or other outer garment. Camouflage Hunter Orange is legal provided at least 50% of the surface area is solid Hunter Orange.
SAFETY HARNESS If you plan to hunt from a tree stand you really should wear a safety harness. Trying to figure out how to put one on and secure it to a tree opening morning is definitely NOT going to increase your safety or quietness. Some safety harnesses are more complicated than the time and date settings on trail cameras. You should have a strap that you can easily attach your safety harness to already in your stand prior to opening morning so you are not fumbling around in the dark trying to secure yourself to the tree. Not talking down to anyone here but getting the height just right so that you can still stand and/or shoot in a few different directions can be a little tricky. It's best to test this out in the light not in the dark.
KNIFE If it all goes down the way you hoped it would - we recommend a knife with a gut hook which makes it easier to field dress your deer without cutting into the intestines. You really should watch a video of how to field dress your deer before you head into the woods otherwise this can be a bad experience for you and those who you love who will be eating the deer later and grimacing because you mixed things together that shouldn't ever be mixed together.
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/deer_field-dressing.pdf
WIND DETECTOR We know that some people already know where they are going to sit on opening day regardless of the wind direction but for those of you that care which way the wind is blowing don't forget your wind detector.
FLASHLIGHT(s) The amount of light it takes to get into your blind or stand or get your gear together at the car is quite a bit different than the light you will want when you start to track a deer in the dark. You may want to consider 2 different types of flashlights and make sure you have fresh batteries. We have been on quite a few tracks where everyone's flashlight is going dead.
TOILET PAPER Wet leaves particularly at temperatures below 32 degrees just don't add a lot to your opening day experience.
SNACKS You may want to unwrap candy bars from their ridiculously noisy packaging the night before opening day and put them in zip lock bags.
And this may seem obvious to most but we'll say it anyway - don't leave anything in the woods other than hopefully a gut pile that will feed other critters.
WATER BOTTLE/BEVERAGES Have you noticed how water bottles are getting thinner and thinner and that after two drinks they start to crinkle up in your hand and make a ridiculously loud sound? Think about getting a real water bottle. If you are planning on coffee - remember the toilet paper for sure.
BACK UP PHONE BATTERY if
you are hunting in a remote area you may want to consider a back up phone battery. There are several that can recharge your phone if you are without electricity. Also if you want to conserve your phone battery while you are in the woods - put your phone in AIRPLANE mode so it isn't working hard to get a signal. Of course you will have to turn that off when you check in on the MBP field report or send us your buck pic!
LET SOMEONE KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO BE. Many people are lost in the woods every season either for a short time or a long time. This year a few people we heard of had medical emergencies while in the woods. It's really best if at least one person knows where to look for you. Also - often a deer track can take several hours and cell phone service is sketchy or your phone battery is dead. One way to let someone know where you are is to open maps on your phone once you are in your blind - drop a pin on the map, name the location and email that to someone. Many deer hunters like to keep their hunting location a secret so this isn't for everyone but if you are new to hunting and your mom is go to be "worried sick" about you then this might be a good idea.
Most importantly - don't forget to be thankful and to bless someone else this hunting season by helping them retrieve, field dress or drag a deer or even just give them a compliment when you see their photo on MIBUCKPOLE knowing that they were able to experience something that is rewarding in a way that's hard to define and that they didn't just roll a grocery cart down an isle at a store to get all of their food this year.
We are looking forward to your opening day photos and stories MBP community!
OK - last minute check before you run out the door.
License/string
Hunter Orange
Knife
Safety Harness
Wind Detector
Flashlight (s)
Food/Beverage
Toilet Paper
Gun
Ammo
Binoculars
Boots
Hat
Gloves
Hand Warmers
Go get em and be safe doing it!
Allan Goetz
MIBUCKPOLE
Replies