Staying sharp in the off season can really improve your results when Fall rolls around.
Especially when hunting public land, where every hunter is looking for the advantage.
When the birds aren't flying, and the pressure is off, this is the time to hone your skills.
Here are a few tips to stay on top of your game this off season.
Keep a call in the truck and practice while you're running errands.
Don't just blow the same sounds over and over. Imagine a group of ducks working the spread just like you would see in the field. Run the whole spectrum of notes to keep sharp or develop new skills too.
Change it up once in a while and find the real difference in all of those calls sitting on your shelf and collecting dust. You might also find that by experimenting with your calls it will help you finally master that rolling feeder or Cajun squeal.
Switch species, and practice that widgeon whistle or specklebelly call also.
Teach that old dog some new tricks. Now is the time to tighten the screws and drop bad habits.
Maybe it's time to get on a force fetch program, and have your dog properly deliver to hand. Most are easy enough to do in the living room and don't take more than a few weeks of good work.
Run the baseball drill to work on casting. Sit your dog facing you at 20 yards. Toss a bumper to his left, right, and behind him. Take turns sending your dog after the different bumpers.
Stretch your dog's comfortable retrieves further out. Go to a large field with short cut grass. Have a friend stand 100 yards straight out from you. When your dog is at heel, have your friend blow a duck call and throw a bumper high into the air so the dog can see it. Send your dog on a straight line right to the bumper. If he hangs up short, just move closer in. Be patient, and slowly move back, increasing the distance with each throw.
Spruce up the spread. Some new paint can breathe life into some of those tired old decoys.
Try painting some of your old mallard decoys to look like divers. They are a great confidence decoy, and it leaves room in that slot bag for some new toys.
Re-rig your decoys. There's nothing more frustrating than watching a decoy float away on the first day of the season.
Improve your shooting by finding the right load, and patterning your gun.
Take advantage of the out of season prices on ammo. Buy a few different loads and use some paper plates as targets. Shoot once each at 20 yards, 30 yards, and 40 yards. Each time you shoot, count the number of pellets that impact the plate. Then take the total number of pellets per shell, and find the percentage of pellets that connected. Using the percentages from each load, decide which best fits your gun.
Scouting, probably the most important thing during the season, is also very important in the off season.
The summer is the easiest time to get out and learn that lake. So while you're out fishing take your GPS and make notes of possible duck holes. The low summer water levels also make building and working on blinds much easier.
Get out and talk with landowners. It's much easier to get permission when there aren't other hunters banging on his door every weekend, and who knows there might be some monster bass in that pond as well.
Volunteer for your local conservation association.
Help build hen houses, restore habitat, and plant food plots. Organize a fundraiser or auction. Put together a bird banding. There are many great ways to get involved.
So this summer when everyone else is sitting on the couch, get out there and try the things you never had time to do during the season. The pressure is off, the weather is great, and fall is absolutely on the way.
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