By Cole Van Lue

November is upon us, and that means firearms season is almost here for us whitetail hunters! The opening weekend of firearms season is often described as a “war zone”, as gun shots can be heard sometimes as often as every 10 minutes. Hunters usually compare the first day of firearms season to Christmas day, and are filled with excitement as they head out to the stand.

While I enjoy bow hunting, there is nothing more satisfying than pumping a 12 gauge or having a cloud of smoke around you after shooting a muzzleloader. I have had so many great memories gun hunting, and I am excited to create more this year.

If you have been hunting for awhile now, you know there is a lot of preparation that goes into getting ready for gun season. In this blog post, we will cover some of the important things you should do before you head out on opening day.

  • Shoot Your Gun

You need to make sure your gun is sighted in properly. While it is rare, it is possible for your sights to get messed up if they are bumped or if the scope is loose. You may also need to sight in your gun if you plan to hunt a different setup this year or use a different amount of powder. Bullets also differ in weight, so if you change the bullets you use, you may also need to sight in your gun again. If nothing else, going out to the range before opening day will help you get used to shooting again. After all, we all get a little bit rusty if we haven’t shot a gun in a while.

  • Get Out To Your Stand Early

It is always a good idea to try and get to your stand early when you can be quiet and unseen. I typically try to be in my stand about an hour before sunup, as you have enough light to shoot a half hour before sunrise. Getting to your stand early allows you time to get to your stand while its still dark and get settled in without a whole lot of noise. You will likely have to use a flashlight, but no worries. Deer usually aren’t too bothered by light, so just try to get to your stand as quick as possible.

  • Wear Enough Layers

Whereas the weather can be brutally hot when bow season starts, the weather can also be brutally frigid in November. There is nothing worse than sitting in a tree stand in the freezing cold if you are not properly dressed. An important thing to note is that your head, feet, and hands lose heat quickly, which means you should try to cover these as much as possible when it is cold. Remember you can always take clothes off when you are in the stand, but you can’t put more clothes on. No matter how many layers you put on, make sure to have your hunter’s orange visible.

  • Have All Your Gear Ready

Nobody wants to go searching for their hunting stuff at 5 AM. Have your binoculars, calls, extra bullets, flashlights, knives, and everything else you need together the night before. It will save you some stress and ensure you have everything you need.

While these tips seem fairly simple, they are easy to overlook and neglect. Even as a seasoned hunter I still sometimes forget to do some of the things above. If you take the time to prepare for the upcoming season, it will put you in a much better position to be successful and walk out of the field with a deer.