A cleaner gun leads to less hang ups in the field

It’s every hunter’s nightmare. You’re out on the stand and after hours of waiting silently, that big trophy buck lumbers out of the thicket into the right-of-way looking for food.

He doesn’t know you are there and you already have him in the cross hairs. As you slowly squeeze the trigger, the terror grips you.

Nothing happens except a click. Your gun is jammed and by the time you regroup that monster buck has detected you and made for thick cover.

How do hunters keep this bad scene from playing out? By taking heed of an old proverb when it comes to gun care. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

And as far as gun care goes, the above isn’t rocket science.

The most important thing is to have a good cleaning kit, which contains a powder solvent. Then, simply read and follow the step-by-step instructions carefully.

“A gun is like anything else, a well-oiled machine works the way you want it to,” McCann said. “It operates and shoots better. It’s just a really a good investment.”

McCann said he has heard all of the above type horror stories, plus those of the duck blind variety where the shotgun shell won’t shift because of a dirty chamber, and the ducks fly on by.

But, luckily, McCann admits, none of those things have ever happened to him.

“So far it hasn’t. We’ve been lucky,” he said. “But we’ve made our luck there because we clean our guns after each use and before and after we store them after the season.”

Weather is also a factor, as moisture will obviously lead to rust, so hunters should always remember to not forget their cleaning kits at home when they go away to the deer camp.

“It’s just a common sense habit that you would be surprised how many hunters don’t even think enough about,” he said. It is imperative that hunters do not forget to unload the gun before beginning any sort of cleaning process.

Other things hunters should take care of to improve their hunt is doing the little things to make the morning departure less stressful, such as laying out all equipment and clothing the night before.

It is also important to check equipment all battery-powered equipment such as flashlights.

“Just going at it fly-by-night won’t get you a good hunt,” he added.

This year’s opening weekend won’t see any area hunters worrying with too many clothes as the temperatures continue to stay fairly warm.

“Folks are upset because it’s still kinda hot, but I think everybody is just ready to get on the stands and see some deer and also get out to the camps to fellowship with their friends.

That’s the best part of it is the socialization aspect of it, spending time with your friends and family who also enjoy it,” he said. &160;

&160;