Well, I'm going to suggest a couple things:
1. Get a good rental car. This has the makings of an epic road trip.
2. Put your plea up on the main page.
3. I'm going to impinge on post-er Skeettx. From his manifold posts, he seems to have hunting time and shooting time in abundance. He's from Amarillo, which is a two six-pack drive from El Paso, IIRC. Get in pm contact with him. Likewise guys like Last Dollar (who seems to live on the road now) and some of the plains region folks. See if you can work out hunting/shooting expeditions.
4. When you decide where you want to go, buy hunting licenses in advance online. Get some paper maps. Remember there's a lot of public land in many states where you can hunt freely upon pulling in to a parking space and having a valid hunting license. You may want to pick up a cheap propane camp stove and camping cook kit, so you don't wind up eating bad convenience store food all the time. Wal-Mart will be able to fix you up in that department for under $50. Toss a cheap sleeping bag in the trunk, in case you get stuck somewhere. A prepaid cell phone.
5. If you get all the way to Maine, pm me in advance and I'll shake free at least a day or two to try to show you some grouse hunting.
6. If you've got guns in the car, avoid places like New York City (and the counties directly adjacent to it), Chicago, Washington DC, Massachusetts, New Jersey. Their gun laws are very troublesome. In Washington DC it's still effectively a total gun ban. In NYC and Chicago, pretty much the same. In Mass., an empty shotgun shell is considered "reloading material" and illegal without permits. In New Jersey (where I used to practice law), the laws are so complicated I've seen it more often than I'd like to admit where someone is perfectly legal and they still get busted and their guns seized because all the cop sees is a gun. Even when you were legal, you'll likely never get your guns back and, if you do, the cops will have wrecked them somehow. Most of these places you can steer clear of relatively easily, and the back roads are prettier this time of year.
There are bird seasons open throughout the country for the entire time you'll be here. Have fun.
