The day before panic stories

With the general season opener just a couple weekends away, the mind often turns to thoughts of being sure to avoid past events that created a sense of panic just a day or two before a past season opener.

I remember that one Friday many years ago when I went out to the shed to crank the ATV so I could load it in my truck, only to press the start button and hear, yes, you guessed it - "Click". Thankfully, it was still early in the morning, which gave me time to buy and install a new battery before the opening day traffic turned horrible.

I'm sure there are those who have stories to share, such as getting 100 miles into a 200 mile trip before realizing something critical was left back at the house. And just maybe, a story shared here will help someone avoid their own "the day before" panic situation.

I remember having to work on opening weekend. While business was slow, a couple of us stood and watched guys hauling tower blinds and feeders on their way to the lease. Nothing like waiting until the last minute

Before I pull out of the driveway for any hunting trip, I always ask myself if I have these essentials:
1. weapon and ammo/bow and arrows/crossbow and bolts
2. knives to field dress animal
3. cooler for dead animal
3. clothes to hunt in
4. boots ( I drive to and from hunting in different clothes and shoes)
5. backpack-contains hunting license, flashlights, thermacell, rangefinder, binos if gun hunting, and everything else I want to take along (calls, etc)

Everything else is extra and not necessary, but I do like to take chairs, bipod, hitch mounted hoist with gambrel, thermal monocular (esp useful for morning hunts) and some other stuff

Buckeye is spot on. I have a list and check them off as they're loaded. Just can't afford to leave something behind when driving 9 hours to the ranch.

Make a list check it when you pack and again when you load into the truck.

I've gotten basically to the lease and realized I left my keys with the gate, RV and UTV keys at home. My wife drove an hour to meet me with them so I didn't have to drive all the way home. I remind myself often of how lucky I am to have a woman that would do that.

I have a running list of stuff to bring now, keys are permanently on there.

This. I pack a lot of stuff and used to always carry around the nagging feeling I was forgetting something. Now, before I pull out of the drive I think. "Gun check, ammo check, knife check, whiskey check, beer check." Everything else is nice, but unnecessary.

i left my hand crank for my crossbow at the house found out opening morning of bow season

About three years ago I made the drive out to my buddies ranch about 3 1/2 hours away for an early November hunt. I got there after midnight, unloaded my gear and went to bed. Woke up the next morning for the hunt and started pulling out gear. I was shocked when I opened my gun case to find my shotgun and not my rifle. That is when it hit me that I had never switched guns back after an elk hunt earlier that year. Luckily, one of my hunting buddies had an extra rifle that I borrowed, but you better believe that I double check my gun cases before I leave the house now.

License, weapon, ammo. Everything else can be improvised or worked around.

I make a list in advance before I make my 3 hour drive.
The list changes as to: Work time at the lease, Bow season, or rifle season.

But yes, there have been panic moments when I failed to go over the list one last time!

Wise words.

Nailed it!!!

I always make a list. As soon as one trip ends a new list starts and I add to it throughout the week. As I get the things packed and set aside I put a check mark beside it. Once its loaded in the truck it gets a second check mark. If anything on that list doesn't have 2 check marks then it didn't make it into the truck.

A check list is also a good thing to have before returning home. There has been many a time when it eliminated a trip back to do something I failed to do before leaving.

My "Before you leave" list includes...

1. Check and lock all gates.
2. Turn water off at the meter.
3. Remove trash bag and replace with a new one.
4. Close valve on the propane tank
5. Disconnect power cable at the pole
6. Crack open trailer ceiling skylights
7. Lock camper door and windows.

Key copies are cheap. I own two vehicles and drive a third one for work. All three have a key ring in them with copies of the lease keys.

Oh, and an extra boat key. I've made that 4 hour round trip one too many times as well...

Same here when hunting at Leakey or Rocksprings. Here at the family place I keep everything in the house. 10 minutes from processor. Life is good.

Yep, I've fixed the problem now. Also I trailer my UTV each time and have to drive it on the trailer. So unless I set the keys back down I won't forget. Still have extras in case.

I left boots at the house once but it was a heat wave in Dec. Tennis shoes worked fine in 93 degree temps that Dec day and killed my first buck. Dripping sweat. Dropped into 40s for high next day. I don't forget stuff though. I locked the keys in the truck before which was interesting since I waded in shoes to get a duck when it was 32 degrees.... Thank goodness locksmiths answer their phone and take 2 hours to find you hypothermic. My deer hanging at camp was nice and cold at least.

I text the LO if a surprise cold front hits and we didn't turn the water off before go up next. Last year had a surprise and didn't expect a freeze for 5 days. We were wrong and won't make that mistake again. Turn off water anytime after Nov 1 when we leave camp...

Gotta have some ribeyes and crown for the night before....

Drive two hours the night before, to tent camp, and wonder where you put the bag with your clothes? Have to hunt in khaki office pants and a nice shirt opening morning (luckily I had my outer gear with me).

Do it again 2 years later, but remembered on the way and stopped at WalMart and had to buy everything.

I usually head out 2 or 3 days before opening day just to make sure everything is setup. So that gives me time to go buy anything I forgot. Normally I can never remember if I have ammo in my trailer, so I tend to bring a box or two with me. After 5 years, I probably have more rifle ammo in my trailer than I have at home.

The one big thing I forgot one time was the keys to my travel trailer. It was my first year on the lease and I was bringing out a trailer I just purchased. For some dumb reason, I locked the door to the trailer with the spare tire inside just before leaving the driveway. I then went back into my house and managed to leave the trailer keys on the kitchen table. I got to the west side of Houston, blew a trailer tire, couldn't get to the spare, and had to drop the trailer in a business park. I pulled the shreaded tire, dropped it off at discount tire and drove an hour back home to get the keys.

Super big buck dreams. I also always kill the buck and wake up when I walk up to it. It's always a picturesk dream with a B&C buck involved, but it's just another dream kinda like the short lived super fantasy sex dreams. Always wake up before things get surreal.

When I was a young buck it was easier for me to just grab stuff and go. As I've gotten older and developed CRS, I've come to depend on my lists. They get fairly detailed and I check the list a second time before I leave the driveway. Even with that I sometimes manage to leave something because I forgot to put in on my list.

I'm driving to Montana on Wednesday. I have about 4 lists, ergo, I will forget something. And, I will take too much crap.

License, rifle, ammo. License, rifle, ammo.

Isn't that the truth.

Good luck, have a safe drive and if you forget something and remember before you hit DFW I probably have you covered. Lol

This thread has made me a 9 page list, 4 checks each!!

my list is pretty simple hunting around Texas ... gun, ammo, license, knife and binoculars ... those are all the must haves on my list. Going out of state is a different beast ...

You hunt elk with a "shotgun"?

Neil

Got to lease opening weekend of bow season and realized I'd left my crossbow cocker at home. (Had a neck fusion, still too scared to pull a real bow back). At about 250 # draw for my crossbow, I realized I wasn't going to be hunting. Had to drive about an hour and half to the closest Academy to buy one. Made for a long night.