The wait for bow season is finally over. The field work is finished and all that’s left is to pack gear and pick a stand location.

Bow season opens next Thursday, October, 1. If you have done everything properly, all of your stand and blind sites have been prepped and abandoned for at least a month. There are trails going into and out of all sites, which will facilitate a speedy and stealthy approach and retreat. You have been shooting your bow all summer and can hit a dime at 40 yards and have ordered and received the newest and best gear and camouflage. What could be left but go hunting? The truth is, most of the important stuff. You still have to shoot some more, get your clothes, gear, and vehicle organized, and finally, make a game plan for the first morning. And you thought it was time to hunt.