What are you going to work on over the summer?

[spotstalkshoot]

I started working on a deer/coyote spot. Abandoned farm barn/grove, so far most of a shooting lane cleared north of the barn. Sliding window installed in the hay mount door opening. Going to spray and seed clover in the lane, start a mineral lick, possibly a waterer.

 

[mac50]

Just bought a Ruger predator in 6.5 creedmore, planning on getting some kind of a night scope and set it up for night hunting coyotes.
Any suggestions on a night vision scope would be great.

 

[limbhanger10]

Thanks 22magnum22... I think we had 11 inch snowfall every day for 4 months! We still have some snow in the woodlots and on north facing slopes!

...as I was getting close to my properties last night I could see really thick fog in headlights(just had a little rain storm the past 3 hours) and was like -are you kidding me....well here it was about a mile section , there was still snow lined along the road.

 

[bohunr]

We have room for you here in southeast Oklahoma! We did have an 11 inch snowfall here in January, very rare and lasted about 4 days.

we dont even blink over an 11 inch snow fall here in Erie. back in 2017 we had 5 feet in 3 days, this year we had 3 feet in 2 days. more in some areas.

 

[jmeddy]

I'm going to burn my snow shovels and blow up my snowblower. After this winter, I never want to touch either of them again!

Bob, I advise against that unless you are gonna move.

 

[jmeddy]

...as I was getting close to my properties last night I could see really thick fog in headlights(just had a little rain storm the past 3 hours) and was like -are you kidding me....well here it was about a mile section , there was still snow lined along the road.

we dont even blink over an 11 inch snow fall here in Erie. back in 2017 we had 5 feet in 3 days, this year we had 3 feet in 2 days. more in some areas.

Ahh, to live just South of Lake Erie.

 

[limbhanger10]

Ya from Thanksgiving to end of February it was a bit ridiculous...missed a lot of coyote hunting, plus when the road plow pushes 6' of snow where you need to pull off road can be a bit crazy.

 

[wolverines]

i'll add woodchucks / groundhogs to the shooting menu.

Best summer time hobby outside of fishing IMHO.

 

[bohunr]

i'm retired, live on the east side of Erie County, PA less than 2 miles from the lake and several great tributaries for steelhead fishing and i dont really fish that much. i guess that might change this year...hopefully

 

[Don_P]

Shoot trap, repeat
Reload shotgun shells, repeat
Catch trout, repeat
Reload the perfect grouping 204R load
Reload the perfect grouping 223 load
Shoot my rifles repeat
Shoot my pistols repeat

......not necessarily in that order

 

[Samsquanch]

I hope to do some shooting with the boys this summer working over some p-dog towns as well as some catfishing. Most of my free time this summer will likely be taken up by processing though. Since coyotes hunting has ended for me for the year, yesterday I knocked and hung the first beef of the year. He was one of our own but I figured I'd probably better get him out of the way before I get overran with other folks'. Last beef I killed was in December and I regret agreeing to do it at that time as it did cut into my hunting time lol, but they needed it done and I was happy to help.

 

[Lazer32]

I'm gonna practice shooting off my tripod and get a better set-up for my remote. I have it on a lanyard when I move but I'm thinking of getting a basket for my tripod to set it in when I am on stand. Gonna practice my had calls, particularly a howler I got. Gonna finish load development for a 22ARC rifle, a 6ARC rifle, a 300WSM rifle, and a Ruger 450 Bushmaster rifle. Finally, gonna try and shoot some woodchuck as well. I'll throw in some fishing and a couple overnight camping trips. I'm excited for the weather to improve here in Michigan. I would argue Michigan has some of the best summers in the country.

 

[Infidel 762]

I am planning to hunt coyotes, work, and sleep. I might also cut down some cedar trees, clear the land around my deer stands, and have some big fires. I’ll probably go camping a few times with my girlfriend, where she’ll remind me not to build such a big fire. I’ll drink a lot of coffee, and she always asks, “How can you drink that when it’s so hot outside?”

Next month, my twin daughters will graduate from college, marking a new phase in my life. I plan to work for nine more years before retiring. When I retire, I intend to become nocturnal and sleep all day. I have been battling insomnia for so long that I’m ready to let it win—my internal sleep clock is completely out of sync. I tend to get the best sleep during the day after a full night of hunting.

I plan to focus on self-awareness, striving to maintain a peaceful, spiritual state while staying present in the moment. I'll avoid worrying about the future or dwelling on the past, and instead, embrace being comfortable in my own skin, trusting that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. Rather than getting caught up in the news, I’ll simply gaze into the distance, grounding myself. If the world feels like it's falling apart, I know the only thing I can truly control is the 48 inches around me. Projecting anger or anxiety serves no purpose—so I’ll just breathe and be myself. That’s my intention for this summer.

My name is Jeremy, thanks for letting me share

 

[DoubleLungRage]

We don't have a season for coyotes so I hunt all year round. However, I do slow down whenever it gets too hot and the mosquitoes get too bad. I also slow down whenever I start working in the deer woods and doing my food plots.

 

[Spurchaser]

So when does Summer start for y’all?

We start burning in March and have finished all but two courses. We won’t burn those until mid April just because it’s Wiregrass.

Right now it’s turkey season so I’ll be turkey hunting until about mid May. I leave April 25 heading to the PNW to hunt/fish Washington/Idaho/Montana.

Trapping goes on almost year round.

Thermal hunting (coyotes/hogs) is all year long. Plan to start trying some daytime hunting this Summer as soon as pups get out and about. Also going to put in the effort with daytime coon calling.

The wife and CJ have a cruise in May. We have a family cruise in June. I think they have another cruise in October.

We have a house booked at the beach for Labor Day weekend.

I’ll still work Monday-Friday 8-5 for the next 3-5yrs then retire. My schedule is pretty much the same every year. Never really have a break, but never overload myself either.

 

[bohunr]

i've been down for a few months. i rolled both ankles during deer season, then my wife had her right hip replaced 4 weeks ago, my daughter, son in law and brand new granddaughter are visiting from April 5th to the 15th, hopefully i will be able to get back out after that and hit the ground running...or limping

 

[Huachuca Caller]

I typically predator hunt from October thru March. No closed season on coyotes here in Arizona but I normally don't hunt during the summer. All other furbearers are only August thru March. This summer I'll be tanning my furs and working on several gun projects to get ready for next hunting season.

 

[e204howler]

I've seen several posts about the season winding down. Mine is no different, have effectively ended in February (there is no coyote season in NM, and other furbearers go through March 15). I won't really get back to calling until the fall, so I'm 6-7 months away from my next stand. Some of you are in the same situation. That got me to wondering - what are you going to work on over the summer to get you ready for next fall? What improvement or modification do you want to make?

There are three things I want to get done.
1. The first relates to firearms. I have two ARs that I typically use for calling. The main one is shown in post 29 of the Show me your calling rifle thread. The other is a similar build, but with a little different theme. It's much shorter and lighter. However, it is currently unsuppressed. I'd like to send the barrel/upper off and have it threaded so can use my YHM suppressor on it. Any tips or suggestions for who should do that work?
2. The second relates to optics. My main calling rifle is set up with a Nightforce SHV 3-10x40. It's a great scope, but presents two issues for me. First, I noticed this calling season that the fine crosshairs are a lot harder for me to see than in years past. My aging eyes just aren't happy with things up close. I also find that 3x is a bit much for some calling situations. Though I still use a shotgun in some really tight places, I find myself using the rifle on stands where action can be up close and personal. With that in mind I ordered a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x. I have a 1-4x on my "little" AR and like it, so I'm going to try that on the "big" AR. I'm not a fan of cluttered reticles, so there is some risk with the Strike Eagle. Time will tell.
3. The third relates to sounds. My old Shockwave is full of sounds from 2011 or so (when I won it in the Championship Egg Shoot). These are still effective, but I want to spice it up a bit. I think I'll add some MFK and Cal Taylor sounds before I start calling later this fall.

So, what are y'all going to work on? If you made a change this year and it worked, share that with us. My best "predator calling hack" was the addition of sunglasses with cheaters. Yeah, eyes again. The remote was getting harder and harder to see, so I now use sunglasses with a 1.25x bifocal area. What a difference that makes on stand. Can't wear them walking in though, that sucks. But swapping to them once on stand has made a big difference.

Having to do with calling in general I’ll definitely work on hand calling and trying to add sounds that may be different than what I already use. My foxpro gave up the ghost and I am going the non electronic way! My aging eyes can’t see those little screens without bifocals anymore. About the only other thing is to go to the range and try to shoot maybe once a month. I still see great through a 6.5-20 power scope or 3-9. Above all else have a safe and fun time. Happy Calling!

 

[LONEHOWL]

Taking up a new hobby for fun. Love shooting around in hunting camp.

 

[e204howler]

I've seen several posts about the season winding down. Mine is no different, have effectively ended in February (there is no coyote season in NM, and other furbearers go through March 15). I won't really get back to calling until the fall, so I'm 6-7 months away from my next stand. Some of you are in the same situation. That got me to wondering - what are you going to work on over the summer to get you ready for next fall? What improvement or modification do you want to make?

There are three things I want to get done.
1. The first relates to firearms. I have two ARs that I typically use for calling. The main one is shown in post 29 of the Show me your calling rifle thread. The other is a similar build, but with a little different theme. It's much shorter and lighter. However, it is currently unsuppressed. I'd like to send the barrel/upper off and have it threaded so can use my YHM suppressor on it. Any tips or suggestions for who should do that work?
2. The second relates to optics. My main calling rifle is set up with a Nightforce SHV 3-10x40. It's a great scope, but presents two issues for me. First, I noticed this calling season that the fine crosshairs are a lot harder for me to see than in years past. My aging eyes just aren't happy with things up close. I also find that 3x is a bit much for some calling situations. Though I still use a shotgun in some really tight places, I find myself using the rifle on stands where action can be up close and personal. With that in mind I ordered a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x. I have a 1-4x on my "little" AR and like it, so I'm going to try that on the "big" AR. I'm not a fan of cluttered reticles, so there is some risk with the Strike Eagle. Time will tell.
3. The third relates to sounds. My old Shockwave is full of sounds from 2011 or so (when I won it in the Championship Egg Shoot). These are still effective, but I want to spice it up a bit. I think I'll add some MFK and Cal Taylor sounds before I start calling later this fall.

So, what are y'all going to work on? If you made a change this year and it worked, share that with us. My best "predator calling hack" was the addition of sunglasses with cheaters. Yeah, eyes again. The remote was getting harder and harder to see, so I now use sunglasses with a 1.25x bifocal area. What a difference that makes on stand. Can't wear them walking in though, that sucks. But swapping to them once on stand has made a big difference.

Work on hand calling sounds mainly to learn new sounds I don’t already use. My foxpro gave up the ghost this last season and I’ll just switch to all hand calls. My old eyes can’t see the remote screen well enough to use much anymore. Target practice once a month if not more often might be something I will do. Have a safe and happy summer.