Hey Riley...
Whattya wanna know?
Old man stuff: Wear the right boots. If you're going to be in areas which might be mucky, wear rubber boots...maybe with arch liners in them. Take care of your feet.
Carry water, for you, for dog if possible. Not a gallon, but...maybe a gator aide bottle's worth.
Get a purse. Well, like a purse. Screw the back bags/lower back game pouches, get some milsurp shoulder bag for shells, power bars, water, gloves, leash, and empty bread bags (for dressed-out game), and for the rabbits, birds, squirrels that run into the area you've shot at.
Gun almost doesn't matter. Shotgun is mandatory for birds and for me, rabbits as well. Over the years, I've gone from pumps to double (20 ga), to single shots (Old Hercules, both in 12 and 20, plus er...maybe an H&R? with a bent barrel that got cut down to an open cylinder 20ga--tell you that story sometime--neat hunt). Right now have pump 12s, double 20 and 12, and three singles--two 20's and a 12. Oh, and the SAvage 24s, .410/.22lr, and 20ga/.22lr.
Singles are lighter. Over the years, the first shot is the one I hit most often on. I don't need to cut a hunt short...(hah!) by filling my pheasant limit the first time two birds go up. Out here, I also am not trying to get ALL the birds...coyotes, farm cats, and elimination of hedge rows has done enough of that.
And practice with whatever you are going to carry. Even in my dotage, I practice with my shotguns a fair amount...in the house. No...not at trap...but at developing the move bringing the shotgun up to shoulder while my eyes track the bird. Can be in your bedroom, take a few steps, imagine a moving target in the air, follow with eyes and head, and work on the movement that (for me) brings the stock forward from the body and up and back to the shoulder, while bringing my cheek down to stock as my head continues to move with the target. Snick off the safey as your cheek hits the stock...or with a single, pull the hammer back as you are bringing the gun up to your cheek.
For me, this saves a huge amount of reaction time once I get out in the field on a hunt and a bird/bunny goes out of cover. I can do it in the house, and I can do it OFTEN. I think I'm building muscle memory. I mention lifting the gun forward up and back...because in a hunt...you often will have layered clothing...not shirt-sleeves. Snagging or dragging the shotgun butt just trashes the bringing the gun shoulder movement. I don't have snap-caps, but recommend them. I simply don't pull the trigger in home training.
On the clothing bit...don't know your physical dimensions, but check the fit of the stock to your arms. Most folks have longer stocks than they need. Again...Fall or Winter clothing adds bulk. You're going to be bringing the stock back to shoulder, putting your cheek down, but if your stock is standard, it may be that you will be reaching out for trigger, or have your fore-arm arm (did that make sense? the one you hold the forearm with) over-extended.
Think of the M161a or the M4...short stocks...quick acquisition...same deal with a shotgun. Most cop shotguns are have longer than suitable stocks...but they don't often train with them, in my experience.
Shooting the gun before the hunt practice is important...but really, in my opinion, less so than getting your eyes on the game as you bring the gun up. Trap shooting or any other repetitive practice can induce flinching. When you shoot at a bird or game, you won't feel the recoil. Honestly. It is a non-issue. When target shooting, be best to have some recoil pad on the gun, because you are going to shoot much more often and be aware the the recoil and may develop bad habits.
Don't know your shooting opportunties. I live in rural Wisconsin, alone. I've taken to getting a whippy plastic hand-thrower for trap. I go to the side of the hill outside the house, load the shotgun, hold it by the forearm in my left hand, sling the trap up and out, release the thrower at the end of throwing the trap while bringing the shot gun up with left hand, find hand-grip area of stock with right hand and use both to bring gun up and alligned...all the while tracking the trap with my head and eyes. Gun is often cocked while held, but not always. (It sounds more complicated than it is. It is NOT unsafe. No one else is around.)
OK...too much maybe, but anything else?
Have fun. Don't take it too seriously.
Carry what you want. Who cares if somebody thinks you're a dweeb? Sheesh.
