It’s Spring

Posted On: 03-24-2022

Another year of shooting is here finally and there are so many possibilities ahead.  We hope you have a great season. 

A little planning goes a long way.  I read somewhere a good quote that goes something like this,  “Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent return on energy!”  I have discussed this before, but for parents, coaches and youth shooters nothing corrupts a good day of shooting more than showing up unprepared.  So lets all help this season with being prepared.

It might help to make a checklist:  Gun, ammunition, eye protection, ear protection, and choke tubes.  As easy as this sounds, sometimes getting it all in the same place before the car leaves the driveway can be a challenge.  Often times without going back and making sure, the bus has left and you haven’t got a clue of what you forgot. 

This may seem strange but acronyms help us remember lots of things or condense what we need to know: ASAP, BOGO, and all you texting folks, LOL, ICYMI and IDK.  So what about one for making sure you have everything you need before you leave the house.  Try this one:  CAGE – Choke Tubes, Ammunition, Gun and Ear and Eye protection.  Pretty good way to just remember the basics you need.  Certainly other items might be needed like a towel, rain wear, cleaning kit, shell bag, vest, gloves, jacket, and maybe snacks, but none of these are absolutely required to shoot.  You can always improvise with the later but you need the CAGE.

Yes a stretch here, but the message is be prepared for travel.  Get the CAGE items ready the night before and make sure it all travels together.  Keep track of everyone’s stuff too.  Help them remember.  Again, mental preparedness is all about not losing track and staying focused on what you need to do next.  Like old Ben Franklin said, “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” 

David R. Vaught, Ph.D.

Executive Director