Time management is a critical skill needed by everyone.
Personally, I have countless examples of poor time management decisions I have made, from not planning out enough time to complete my homework or study for an important test.
I have been downright lazy and chose to watch Netflix all day long when I have had school work that needed to be done. College would have been much less stressful, if I only managed my time as wisely as I do for hunting.
If you’re like me, you plan out your hunts at least a week ahead. You know the general area you will be hunting, how many birds are in the area, and how early you will have to get there to get access to the prime spots. To be successful on a continual basis you have to manage your time in the field as well as in the classroom.
Plan time to prepare –
This means get the needed materials to be successful in the class and in the field. Preparation is an often overlooked but extremely important part of school and hunting.
Planning to prepare increases your chances of being much more successful. You can plan to prepare by gathering all the books and materials you will need for a particular class well ahead of the day before everything is due.
Planning to prepare in the hunting arena means planning out your next hunt and having all the gear you are going to need ready to go to the field, before the morning of the hunt.
Plan time to study and to do homework –
This is obvious for the classroom. You want to know the material that could be on the test you have to study it. If you do not know the material and do the work chances are you are going to fail.
The same is true for waterfowl hunting. Study the birds or scout, such as, their feeding patterns, flight patterns, and roosting patterns.
If you can understand what the birds are looking for and doing and why they are doing it before your hunt, then you will be that farther ahead of all the other hunters in your area.
By studying the birds you greatly increase your chances of greater success on your next hunt.
Plan time for success–
All the time spent preparing for and learning the material for a test would be wasted if you didn’t show up to take the test.
In the same way all the time and money spent on preparing for your next hunt would be wasted if you didn’t actually wake up and go out to the field. The times of success are the times we all dream about.
They are few and far between typically but with correct planning, hard work, and proper hunting techniques they can become a regular part of your season!
For more waterfowl hunting tips and tactics follow me on Instagram @WesleyKLittlefield.
Comment below with your time management tip!