LESSONS LEARNED : Since starting from scratch in 2014 to now...
Make sure to constantly check the hand-screw that attaches your on-board quiver to your bow. It really sucks having to backtrack on the trail outta there to find where in the hell it fell off at.
Range a variety of objects all about your sit area and all during the day silently repeat back to yourself the range of each object and and which pin, or between which two pins you'd have to hold to aim there. Visualize when you'll draw that bow back, when his eye goes behind THAT bush, etc.
Make sure you always remember to put your scope back to its lowest magnification setting after every single time you've used it and turned it up. And ALSO before you leave the truck at the hike-in.
Look up! Stop looking at your feet all the damn time during the hike-in! You'd be surprise what you're missing!
When possible, have your water split between at least 2 containers. So you don't f**k up and get yourself down to the bottom of a mountain and run out of water, when your car is up at the top of that mountain. (scariest night of my life! dehydration is so serious it ain't even funny) ALSO so that if one fails on you and leaks, you're not totally screwed.
Overshoot the projected low temps of the area with a bivvy that goes nicely below that amount. Sucks soo bad to wake up because you're freezing, and then having to put on freezing clothing that your body has to then warm-up besides the bivvy that is insufficient... because the area decided to be 10 degrees cooler then the forecasted low.
Always bring Rx pain meds! Not just NSAIDS! Always bring Imodium. Always bring Acid Blockers. Always being Alka-Seltzer. Acid-Reflux pain sucks! And you can smell that for a long ways away.
Don't forget to put on a lil bit of unscented baby sunscreen to tops of ears and tip of nose. Even if wearing facemask. Lots of clothing still lets some light thru it, so you can still get sunburnt.
Immediately reload/top-off magazine after each opportunity at taking shot(s).
Stop and swap out your socks if they've become too sweaty and wet, your feet (specifically your toes knuckles) will thank you!
Whenever you get up from the ground, check to ensure your pocket knife is still in your pocket and clipped. Same with car keys.
Learn to drink only the bare minimum when you're on a sit in concealment gear. (At least until 9-10am) And take out that water or anything else that you're certain you'll want to use or reach for and get it out of your pack and put it somewhere near you were you can reach for it without needing to look at it.
Always have a lens wiping cloth handy. Always have your scope covered when weather is rainy/foggy until you need to use it. And don't trust those flip-up scope end caps.
Don't ever trust that you'll be able to drive into SoCal's D11 zone. They'll close that damn thing whenever mother nature so much as coughs anything even remotely resembling the faintest of inclement weather. It's ridiculous.
On your way back out, if you cross paths with hikers, make it a point to purposefully smile bigger than normal and say something friendly so it puts them at ease and they don't get nervous, since they freak about seeing a gun.
Make sure to pay attention to how the shadows travel along the ground at your sit location, so you'll know for the next time you go back to that spot and pick a better location to plop down at. Also note the time of day when you noticed the wind direction has changed.
Don't wait until your normal aches and pains start to hurt before you dope up with your NSAIDS. Be preemptive with that!
Be polite, but always be very vague whenever anyone approaches you with questions about where you go up in there. There are people who will act like they are interested in getting into hunting and try to strike up conversation with you to try to non-chalantly gleen this info from you. Sometimes they are actually covert PETA/greenies that secretly wanna F**k up the success of you and any other hunter in that area, and they will do dastardly things to thwart your success.
