It is not a bad idea even if the field is dry as animals have a tendency to dig holes in runways.
At my gliding club's airfield, there are ground squirrels and pocket gophers, which dig burrows. They are not generally a problem, but occasionally badgers will dig them out, which leaves a mainwheel-sized hole in the runway! So a morning inspection is called for.
Concerning checklists, for the SE aircraft I fly - mostly Scout and 182 towplanes these days - I use memorized checklists. I will admit that I occasionally miss something but nothing that would kill me.
The most embarrassing one recently was that I didn't notice the previous pilot had turned the fuel Off and was surprised when the engine stopped after starting. Of course I should have twigged that something was wrong when I didn't get the usual resistance when operating the primer.