The best way to open a deer lease for season is to get out there at least two weeks before opening day, walk the property, check every feeder and stand, and fix what needs fixing while you still have time. What you leave for later becomes what you're doing at 4am the morning of opening day. And nobody wants that.
It is October. Which means opening day is closer than it feels. Every year there's a guy who shows up opening morning to find a feeder that's been empty since March, a blind that's developed a structural opinion about gravity, and a game camera with dead batteries that has been photographing nothing for six months. Don't be that guy.
Walk the whole property. Not a quick drive-through. An actual walk. Take photos as you go for the property log. If you're managing the lease with other families, those photos go in the shared notes.
The feeders. Check every one. Power, timer settings, corn level, physical condition. Timer settings are the thing most people forget. Deer don't care what your timer was doing in January. Add a recurring note to the shared calendar for feeder refill intervals.
The stands and blinds. Every stand needs a safety check before anyone climbs into it. Blinds need a sweep. Spiders have been living in there since February and they are not going to move voluntarily. Check the shooting lanes. Trees grow. Brush comes back.
Game cameras. Fresh batteries, fresh SD cards. Log what cameras are where in the property info panel. This sounds like overkill until someone is asking at 10pm the night before opening day and you don't have to search texts from eight months ago to answer.
The camp itself. Pest intrusion is the big one. Water system, propane, generator. Make a list of what needs to happen before opening day. Log it in the shared notes so every family on the lease knows what's been done and what's still pending.
The conversation nobody wants to have but should. October is when the season scheduling conversation needs to happen. Opening weekend. Thanksgiving week. Christmas break. Get into the shared calendar. Divide up the high-demand weekends. Write it down where everyone can see it.
How Dwelly helps
The shared property calendar handles hunting season scheduling. Recurring events for feeder checks and refills. The property info panel for stand locations, camera details, gate codes, and landowner contacts. Notes for the pre-season walkthrough photos.
$9/month for one property or $19/month for up to three. Fourteen-day free trial at dwellyco.com.
Opening day waits for nobody. Get out there before it gets here. Try Dwelly free for 14 days at dwellyco.com.