First Tag Guides

With both waterfowl and whitetail seasons arriving — here's the one thing most new hunters haven't done enough of.

Scouting.

Not every day. Not all summer. Just a few intentional trips to the right spots in August and September.

If you're watching field edges at last light and identifying where deer are consistently feeding right now — that information is gold come October and November.

If you're glassing your water and watching where ducks are landing in the morning — that's your opening day setup before pressure changes everything.

A few hours of paying attention right now is worth more than weeks of guessing once the season opens.

Have you been out scouting yet or are you still in prep mode? 🦌🦆

Here's something every new waterfowl hunter needs to hear before opening day.

You can do everything right.

Scout all summer. Build the perfect blind. Set the decoys exactly where you want them. Call at the right moment.

And the birds still might not show up.

They might flare at the last second. The wind shifts. The flock finds someone else's spread down the river.

That's hunting. That's the part nobody puts in the highlight reel.

Learning to accept that things don't always go your way is what separates the hunters who stick with it from the ones who quit after one slow morning.

The bad days are part of it. They're what make the good days mean something.

How do you keep your head right when a hunt doesn't go as planned? 🦆

Waterfowl opens in 3 weeks.

Whitetail follows weeks later.

If you're pursuing deer this fall — right now is precisely the time to be boots on the ground.

Find the big three. Food. Water. Cover.

Then find the travel routes connecting them. The trails deer use to move between their bedding area and their food source are your best stand locations. Walk your ground this week and find those corridors before season pressure changes everything.

The hunters who fill tags early didn't get lucky. They did this work in late August while everyone else was waiting for September.

My complete beginner's guide to whitetail deer hunting covers exactly this — from scouting fundamentals all the way to opening day.

Link in the group description. The season is almost here. 🦌

Here's what nobody tells you about opening day waterfowl hunting.

One minute you're telling jokes in the blind, laughing with your buddy, maybe starting to feel like it's going to be a slow morning.

Then a group of ducks appears on the horizon working toward your spread.

Everything changes in about ten seconds.

Suddenly you're watching them circle. Calling. Timing it. Waiting for the right moment to pop up and take your shot.

New hunters who have never experienced that transition from quiet to chaos are never quite ready for how fast it happens.

The best thing you can do before September 12th — know your role in the blind before the birds show up. Who calls. Who shoots first. When you stand. Get that sorted now so when the moment comes you're ready for it.

Have you ever been caught off guard by how fast a hunt changed on you? 🦆

I pulled out my waterfowl gear today.

Organized everything. Checked my new waders. Made sure we're ready.

Opening day is 3 weeks out, and I'm not going to pretend I'm not excited about it.

There's something about this time of year that just does it for me. The thought of being back on the river. Watching ducks and geese working into the spread.

The blind that took four years to build finally getting its first real test of the season.

The anticipation of opening day is half the experience.

What season are you most looking forward to this fall? Drop it below. 🦆🦌

Fall is no longer something coming eventually.

It's here in two weeks.

If you're heading into your first whitetail season and that reality is starting to feel a little overwhelming — that's completely normal. Every hunter sitting in a stand on opening morning for the first time felt exactly what you're feeling right now.

The difference between a frustrating first season and a great one usually comes down to one thing — preparation done before opening day not after.

My complete beginner's guide to whitetail deer hunting was built specifically for this moment. Two weeks out. Nerves building. Not sure if you're ready.

You're more ready than you think.

Link in the group description. Go get your fall started right. 🦌

Late August checklist for the hunter with a full fall calendar.

Whitetail — Get off the digital maps and get your eyes on the ground. Glass field edges at last light this week. Find where deer are feeding consistently right now before season pressure changes their patterns.

Waterfowl — Scout your water. Watch where birds are landing at first light and last light. That pattern is your opening day setup before pressure moves them.

Black bear — Check your bait sites if you're running them. Late summer bear are in full feeding mode before they start transitioning toward fall patterns.

Small game — Know your opener dates. Grouse and woodcock seasons sneak up fast and the birds are there if you know where to look.

You don't have to do all of this in one weekend. Pick one species and move the needle this week.

Which season are you most focused on right now? 🦌

This is my favorite time of year to be a hunter.

Not because of what's happening right now. Because of what's coming.

Waterfowl season. Whitetail rut. Black bear. Small game. The fall calendar starts filling up and suddenly every weekend has a purpose again.

The anticipation of a full fall season is something non hunters will never quite understand. That quiet excitement building in the background while you're still going through your regular routine.

Stands getting checked. Blinds getting brushed in. Licenses sorted. Gear laid out.

This is the best part of being a hunter. The buildup.

What's at the top of your fall hunting calendar this year? Drop it below — I want to know what everyone in this camp is chasing this fall. 🦌🦆

If you're heading into your first season this fall — the nerves you're feeling are completely normal.

Every hunter you've ever admired felt them too.

It's not about being perfect. It's not about filling a tag on day one. It's about showing up, paying attention, and learning something you'll carry with you for the rest of your life.

The woods will meet you where you are.

Are you heading out for your first season this fall? Drop a comment — I want to know who's in their first year.

Yesterday we were on the river brushing in our duck blind for the season.

Every branch placed with purpose. Every gap filled. The blind that took four years to build getting its final touches before opening day.

Preparation isn't sexy. It's cutting brush on a hot August afternoon because you want to be ready when the birds show up in November.

What does your pre season prep look like right now?