Many hunters have a special hunting vehicle. It usually is an old, high-mileage, beat-up, four-wheel drive that looks like a piece of junk to the rest of the world. However, to the proud owner of such a valuable hunting vehicle, it is a treasure. You have no fear of the roughest back roads and brush-choked logging trails. You will take it places you would never dream of driving the family's new sport/utility. But it must be reliable to get you there and back. A vehicle that is seldom used except for a short period of hard driving each year needs a special maintenance program. Start every hunting season with fresh oil, fresh gas in a "cleaned" tank (use a gas-cleaning additive), a tune-up and a general check-out by a competent mechanic. Check hoses, belts, brakes and electrical system. Nothing is more frustrating than to have a really hot hotspot and a vehicle that won't crank to get you there before daylight.

If you can tear yourself away from the fall hunting season, you might want to pick up a fishing pole for a few last casts. In the autumn, fishing picks up again. Many species, particularly panfish, seem just as eager to bite as they did in the spring. Crappie, in particular, commence to congregate and suspend around bridge pilings and abutments. Usually the whole school will be hanging out at the same depth. Using jigs and grubs, try the "count-down" method to connect. Cast and count as the lure sinks. Keep increasing the count before retrieving until you get a strike. Now you know how deep the fish are. Besides crappie, many other species "wake up" for a bit of fall feeding before winter dormancy sets in. Bass, trout, walleye and even bream action heats up as the water cools down. However, part of the summer pattern hangs on. Disliking the light penetration of the high-angle midday sun, most species hang close to shady cover and bite best early and late.

If you own hunting dogs, early fall should be the "shape-up" season for both you and the pooch. It is unrealistic to expect you or your hard-working canine athlete to leap into hunting season in top form and deliver peak performance after loafing through the "dog days" all summer long. Run a bit of the weight off both of you. Refresh obedience training and handling commands. Because it is still pretty warm in the early fall, schedule these exercise periods early in the morning to avoid overheating either one of you. Because you'll be taking your dog to new places and possibly hunting with other dogs after opening day, you need to take Fido to the vet for a health check and refresh necessary vaccinations before hunting season. Low-fat diets help pare away ounces during the training. However, later in the season, when the real work and sometimes real cold begins, consider a higher protein diet for hard-working hunting dogs.

For best accuracy, a rifle's bore needs to be clean of excessive powder and copper fouling. When you prepare your rifle for off-season storage, clean it thoroughly. You might use special copper-removal agents and follow that treatment with a rust preventative. When your rifle comes out of storage in preparation for the season, clean the oil residue out of the bore before sighting in. Next, fire a couple of fouling shots, because the first shots from a really clean bore seldom fly true. After you finish zeroing, clean the bore again. Then shoot one more group to verify the zero, but remember the fouling shots. Unless you hunt in a very damp climate, you might not need to clean again until season's end. However, should the rifle get wet, you must clean it to prevent rust. Then you should foul the bore again to be sure of your first shot at a buck.

The most important factor for a successful sighting-in session is a steady rest. No one can shoot well enough to really zero a rifle without a rest. A rolled up sleeping bag or a sofa cushion is better than nothing, but a solid table or benchrest is best. Always make sure your bedding screws and scope mounts or sights are tight before starting a sighting-in session. Always sight in with the same brand of ammo and bullet weight you plan to hunt with. Most rifles will not shoot a variety of ammunition into a true group. Always base sight adjustments on the center of a group of three or more shots. Adjusting after a single shot can lead your group badly astray. Always shoot a verifying group. Don't assume that the final adjustment gives you a "good" zero. Always wear hearing and eye protection when you shoot. All centerfire rifles powerful enough for deer hunting produce enough muzzle blast to damage your hearing.