The sun is going down on yet another bird season. Anticipation has turned into reality, which has turned into memories, some good, and some not so good. Turkey hunting is in full swing, and although it is a bird, it is hunted more like a game animal. The weather has begun to mellow out. Winter is over. My tomatoes are 4 feet tall and setting fruit. It’s time for me to wind up my hunting season.
Each year at the end of the competitive clay target year, we encourage all of our competitive shooters to review their year: what they learned, how well they shot at the major tournaments, did they achieve their goals, etc. We also encourage them to check out all of their equipment. Repair or replace anything that needs to be and get everything in order for next year. That is what Vicki and I are doing now with all of our hunting gear.
By this time of year, I’ve got stuff strewn all over the workshop. Waders, boots, decoys, half-empty boxes of heavy shot, bismuth, and tungsten matrix, leggings, 20 and 28ga. 6’s for quail, sporting clays ammunition, game bag with feathers still in it – – and this is just the stuff on the surface! Now is the time to go through all your hunting stuff and clean, repair, or replace it as needed.
At the top of the list should be your shotgun(s). Take it (or them) to a qualified gunsmith to be stripped, cleaned, lubricated, and checked for function. We take ours to Briley Manufacturing in Houston. Give the gunsmith 30 days to do their job. This will cost somewhere between $50 to $100 dollars, depending on what kind of gun it is and what needs to be done. It is worth every penny.
Do it now! The majority of people wait until four to seven days before their hunting trip to get this done. “It is not worth a good man’s time to be in the majority; there are already too many people there!” The time to do this is now.
Stripped, cleaned, lubricated, and checked for function means everything is disassembled. Each part is cleaned and inspected for wear, properly lubricated, and reassembled. Then it is checked for function. This simply means that there are no parts left on the workbench and that the gun functions as it should. When you pick it up go to the sporting clays range and shoot a round of clays, it ensures that all parts were put back in the right place! If there is a problem, you want to know about it now—not a week before the season starts!
If you are planning to go to Argentina or Mexico or anywhere outside of the U.S. to hunt birds, definitely have your gun stripped and cleaned. Don’t wait until the last minute. If a part is needed, it could take a week or two to get the part. Once a gun is registered for an out-of-the-country hunt you have to take that gun!
It also would not hurt to take a couple of lessons prior to going on your hunt. When I say prior, I don’t mean one or two weeks before. I mean at least a month before so you can go and practice at the clays range and practice your gun mount at home.
Remember, it doesn’t kick when you hit the bird!
Go through all your ditty bags and inspect and replace worn or used items. Take the batteries out of the flashlight. Leave them in the bag if they are still good, but take them out of the flashlight. If they leak, they won’t ruin your flashlight.
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