5 Tasks To Complete In July To Get Ready For The Upcoming Season

Matt Opsahl- Maverick Outfitters

I don’t know where you live or what your weather is like, but if it’s Maryland, it’s been hot and miserable. For me, when the weather is like this, I know waterfowl season is around the corner. Rather than sitting in A/C, I like to really start to prep equipment, dogs, land, and calls. I’ve compiled (5) tasks that you can get started with right now to make your upcoming season that much more efficient and rewarding. 

1.) Clean, paint, repair decoys 

If you run flocked decoys or plastic decoys, spread them all out in your yard or driveway. I actually prefer the driveway so I’m not getting more dirt and grass on the decoys while I’m cleaning. I start by thoroughly and gently power washing each and every decoy I have on the power washers lightest setting. While they are drying, I look at weights, lines, and paint to make sure they are all up to snuff. If they’re not, I repair them while the decoys are drying. Once the decoys are dry, I like to patch holes from errant shots, and then I use white or black paint to fill in any areas that need it. Once the flocked decoys are dry, I go over each one to see any loss in flocking or areas that don’t look as good from wear and tear. I then take a can of rustoleum non gloss black paint and LIGHTLY dust each head of each decoy to make them look new again. This process takes time, but it's worth it. 

2.) Practice your calling

July provides you with an awesome month to try and learn new notes on your calls or perfect notes that have given you a hard time. I have a routine I go through almost daily. For duck calls, I work simple quacks and greeting calls at different cadences and tones. I’ll then progress to comeback calls (hails) and feeds all mixed in. Once I’m comfortable with how my calls sounds, I’ll dive into more complicated notes (cajun squeals, bouncing hen, etc) and make sure I’m feeling ultra confident once the season rolls around. For goose calls, I have a routine. I blow simple honks and moans and really focus on tones. I then move to clucks and variations of clucks. Once I’m pleased with how I’m sounding I start envisioning different groups of Canada’s and how I’d like to call them depending on different situations. I also really like to focus on getting really clean, proficient notes this time of year. Additionally, it's a great time to learn new notes, IE- trains, spit clucks, spit moans, etc. TIP- Don’t be afraid to reach out to call makers, contest callers, or guides that you’ve hunted with for help. I don’t know of a single guy who wouldn’t take time out of there day to help you get better. 

3.) Dog work 

It’s hot and your dog is going to feel it. Train efficiently and smart. I have two dogs that are at very different stages of their careers. Maverick is 9 years old and has been a full time guide dog his entire life. I take it really easy on him in July. I mostly just keep him in shape by swimming and light runs. Riggins is a 10 month old pup who needs as much work as I can get him. I train Riggins each morning before it’s unbearable outside. We focus on mastering the basics. Recall, place, singles, doubles, casting, and learning patience. It would be really unfair of me to ask my dogs to simply jump off the couch on September 1st for Early Goose and hunt. They need the reps, they need the work, and they need the confidence. Wake up early, train your dogs, and you’ll reap the benefits the entire season. 

4.) Patch/ fix daily gear 

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am completely obsessed with all things waterfowl. Mostly, I’m obsessed with great hunts and I believe that a part of having great hunts is having gear that you can trust. If you hunt a fair amount each year, test your waders and anything waterproof that you rely on. Jump in a pool, walk to a creek, find an area that you can test your waders in. If you have holes, fix them. Additionally, check your gloves, jackets, vests, etc for any holes or waterproofing issues. Also, clean your guns! While you're watching TV, pull that old trusty 20 out and give it a proficient and full cleaning. 

5.) Study 

I have a love/ hate relationship with social media and Youtube. Social media/ YouTube is a wonderful tool if used the right way. For any ex or current athletes reading this, July is a month to study “game film”. There are some great Youtube channels providing tons of hunting videos. Rather than watching for kill shots, study what guys are doing to be successful. Watch how they scout, call, and finish birds. Look at the habitat they’re hunting and when they’re hunting it. Focus on decoy spreads and what type of spread they’re running depending on different winds and conditions. We have so much content available to us that allows us to get better as hunters each and every year. To give you a few of my favorites to watch- anything Fred Zink, Daybreak Outdoors, or Slade NW. Lastly, don’t be afraid to call guys whose opinion you trust and value, ask questions!