My husband's drill is too heavy for me to use, so he gets that job. He always drills a small pilot hole, before putting in the screws. This helps the screw go in easier and helps prevent the wood from splitting. This is especially useful to do on older, recycled wood and small pieces like 2x2s that are often used on chicken tractors. I'm not saying Home Depots don't have some crappy wood, I just forgot to add this tip to my original post.
