While everybody`s noggin` is thinking fishing right now, this is actually the time of year to be gearing up for fall hunting season.  Get that rifle or slug gun sighted in, get those bows tuned back up and replace any feathers or vanes that may need fixing.  It`s also important for we bowhunters to maintain our proficiency with our chosen bow.  Make sure those sight pins are in good shape and still zeroed if you use `em. 

      It`s also the best time of year to hang treestands.  But, before you hang `em, it`s imperative to make sure they`re in safe working order.  Check all nuts and bolts for tightness and excessive wear.  Make sure cables are not broken or kinked, chains are still the way they should be and that seat materials aren`t dry-rotted.  Also lightly lubricate any metal to metal contact points with vaseline to make sure the stand doesn`t squeak at the worst possible moment.

     Once you`ve decided where to hang your stand, use this opportunity to climb up in it, wearing a safety harness or course, and check shooting lanes for obstructions, trimming any small bushes or branches that might interfere with the shot of a lifetime.

     Above all else, make sure your safety harness is in good condition and use it religiously!  Good luck and good hunting!