Apparently, summer is over. The kids in our neighborhood have been back in school for days, the last super moon is waning and Labor Day is the next federal holiday.

But the final confirmation of summer’s end is the fact that Lowe’s halloween decorations have been out for two weeks. Based on that timeline, Christmas decor will be out by September 10, and the January white sales will commence on or about November 12.

Guess it doesn’t matter than it’s 93 degrees outside, my yard is crunchy underfoot or that our dogs only go out under duress; summer is over. But I’m not wandering around looking for my sweater.

But the signs are there. There are a lot fewer jet skis and many more ATVs in camo on the highway.

There are also shooting houses, hunting blinds and ladder stands riding in the backs of more pickup trucks than just a few days ago. Further confirmation of the impending arrival of hunting season is the number of outdoor stores running countdown calendars to dove season.

Outdoor retailers like Mark’s Outdoors in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, are prepping their stores for the inevitable rush of hunters. It won’t be long until the sunscreen and shorts are swapped for camo and pocket warmers.

Unless you live in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York or Alaska, you know “dove day” (if you’re talking mourning doves) is the official kickoff of hunting season.

For outdoor enthusiasts, it’s time to start storing the water toys and cleaning and prepping the gear for hunting season. Hopefully, you did a good job of cleaning, lubing and storing your hunting gear before you put it away last year. If not, you’re going to be busy repairing what you were too busy to clean until the time you hit the fields. By the way, the mints you left in that hunting jacket won’t taste the same as they did last November. Trust me on that.

If you know where all your gear is, you’re probably forgetting something. OK, the boots (top) need some cleaning, but the headlamp works, the jackets (middle) were washed and hung to air out, but the “other” camo (bottom) appears to have been stashed, not stored. Fortunately, camo gear seldom gets judged on wrinkle-free appearance.

Getting ready for hunting season reminds me of another “thing" that creeps up on almost everyone: SHOT Show. SHOT Show 2025 opens January 21 - less than five months from today.

Before you start to relax, remember that big chunks of that time is lost to three minor interruptions: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. They don’t just take a day out of weeks, they rip whole weeks out of our planners.

Earlier this week I spent a few minutes on the phone talking with Derick Nawrocki of Grandview Outdoors. Grandview, if you didn’t know, is a partner with the NSSF on the expansion into the archery business. I wanted to see how the sophomore season of the Archery Pavilion was shaping up. Nawrocki told me that the area was filling nicely with both traditional and more technologically advanced archery gear. Earlier this week, NSSF put out an update on the Archery Business Pavilion, and it was pretty obvious the area’s getting traction. But he told me there were still spaces available. If you’re interested, click the link for more info.

The 2024 Supplier Showcase was a huge hit with exhibitors and attendees. This year’s two-day event promises to be even bigger.

Another SHOT area that’s doing especially well is the Supplier’s Showcase. That is literally a two-day “show within a show,” running January 20-21 on the fifth floor of the Venetian Expo Center. If it were held by itself, it wouldn’t be a small show. More than 500 supplier companies will be exhibiting again this year.

Last year’s Supplier Showcase is the reason we added The Supplier Wire to our services. We’ll be expanding that service’s frequency as we get closer to SHOT Show, and it will also be benefitting from some of the many new innovations we’ll be introducing across all our services in 2025.

Guess we’d better get busy here, too. Get out and enjoy those last few summer weekends-and take someone with you. The outside’s good for your insides.

We’ll keep you posted.

— Jim Shepherd