Well I don’t know how but it has happened once again. Time has flown and September and hunting season are here. I don’t know how it sneaks up on us every year. The cherry trees in the back yard are losing leaves and we are having some cool nights. By the time you read this dove will already be underway, your buddies have had their treestands up for two weeks, and your hunting dogs are so fat they may not be able to get off the porch!

OK, let’s calm down, all is not lost. There will be some kind of hunting season open through next February so we have some time. Like our friend Red tells us we are all in this together, so let’s talk about some things you need to do to get ready.

Just a side note here, wives, girlfriends, and significant others will most likely not understand any of this last minute getting ready frenzy. I assume it is the same for lady hunters who may have husbands or boyfriends who do not hunt. Wow, that is a novel concept, are there any of you out there in that situation? Maybe you can let me know.

If you are a bow hunter you may be on the most critical time line. If you don’t have any treestands up yet I would say do that now, like this week. Do I have to tell you to give the stand a good going over for safety? OK, I will.

Take some time and check all the parts of the stand, are all the nuts and bolts tightened? Did you replace that frayed strap from last year? (I didn’t think so) Is your safety harness in order? Do not even think of getting into an elevated stand without a safety harness pilgrim. One of the best is the Hunter Safety System, (www.huntersafetysystem.com ) if you hunt from a treestand and do not have a safety harness, go on line and check out this product today, do it.

Every year I tell you to check out your boots and make sure they are functional for the coming season. Unless you plan on not getting out of the truck this year your footwear is the most important piece of gear you own. This year I am giving a serious look at the new Danner Explorer 650 boot. Maybe you remember the Danner Light model boot from forty years ago, the first light weight hunting boot with a Gore-Tex liner. Danner is saying they have brought back this concept with better and more modern materials. This is an uninsulated, light weight boot, which for me at least is meant for early and mid-season. (www.danner.com)

I mentioned the dove season opener for most of the country is within a few days and you may think it is a bit late to be looking at a new shotgun. What? You really didn’t think that did you? Could it be you have not forgotten Case’s Shotgun Theorem #1? OK, let’s go over it one more time just to be sure.

“You can never, never have enough shotguns.”

Now that we have reestablished this in your mind, I have been looking at a new shotgun lately I want to tell you about. Browning firearms has been turning out fine shotguns since the days of firearm designing genius John M. Browning, and for the past few years Browning has offered the Cynergy line of over and under shotguns. The Cynergy guns feature several advances in engineering including the Reverse Striker ignition system which is a striker-based, mechanical trigger that offers the benefits of a crisp feel, reduced locktime and less overtravel than other over and under shotguns.

Browning’s back boring on these guns, the Vector Pro system; minimize shot deformation and maximize pattern uniformity, consistency and density. What you over and under guys may like most on the Cynergy shotguns is the MonoLock Hinge design, the engineering behind the Cynergy’s low profile receiver. The MonoLock Hinge is the integration of the monobloc and the hinge, and has up to 300% more surface area to pivot on than traditional trunnion-style hinges.

I also like the Impact Ejectors on these guns, Browning added an extra spring in the ejector system and they get those empties out of the gun in a hurry. The Cynergy shotgun I have been looking at is the CX model (new for 2017) and Browning is billing it as a “crossover” gun meaning it can take on several different types of shooting and comes with three Midas Grade Invector Choke Tubes. The Cynergy CX should be equally at home on the sporting clays range or in the pheasant and dove field. At a suggested retail of $1,739.99 this shotgun is not cheap but you are getting a lot of gun for your money and a shotgun that can do several different jobs. (browning.com)

You seasoned veterans out there know this is but a partial list of “get ready” things to do. Take it easy, be methodical, and you will get there. O yeah, almost forgot, the slightly pudgy bird dog on your porch asked me to remind you, take it easy getting him back in shape this year. He may have mentioned you have added a few pounds yourself.

– Larry Case. HashtagWV #117. September 2019. If you would like to contact Larry Case, email him at Larryocase3@gmail.com. See Larry’s online blog at GunsandCornbread.com