Must have:
- a place to hunt
- license/tags to hunt
- ink pen to fill out the tags
- weapon that is legal to hunt, well tuned, and that your proficient wth
- time to hunt
- appropriate clothing - seasonally appropriate, weather appropriate, and something that doesn't stand out. It doesn't have to be fancy camo, but does need to generally blend. If hunters orange is required, put it on. I hunt as much in flannel shirts as I do high dollar camo.
- Flashlight if walking in/out at dark - any that you already own is fine
- A way to haul out the animal - cooler, truck bed, whatever works
- A knife that cuts - any old pocket knife or kitchen knife will work in a pinch
- means to get to/from the woods - I've hunted hundreds of times out of a 15+ year old Toyota Camry work car that I got for good gas mileage to/from work because that's what I was driving when I needed to hunt on the way home. It's done well hauling out boned out meat over the years in a cooler that I literally keep in the trunk loaded with ice all fall long, barring the weekends when I move the cooler to the SUV.
Things that make it better:
- quality drop point skinning knife in good steel
- quality camo/wool clothing
- quality headlamp for the trek in to keep your hands free
- treestands for deer in some areas, sometimes ground is better. If in a stand a safety harness is a MUST.
- quality, waterproof boots
- quality binoculars
- game calls appropriate for what your hunting
- toilet paper...just in case
- water and possibly a snack
- Thermacell when the bloodsuckers are out
- Small, self contained first aid kit...just in case
- Cell phone to call in tagged animals with a GPS app with stand/blind/ambush locations tagged
- friends and loved ones to share the hunts with
- a good dog to share your time outside with
- a good 4x4 truck or SUV
I prefer to hunt with arrows on my bow and binoculars on a chest harness. All my other stuff goes in either my pockets, or if I'm bringing a snack and water in a SMALL fanny pack. I don't like to be weighed down with all sorts of unnecessary junk. What's above is basically my full load out year round, regardless of whatever animals I'm chasing.
The two biggest "luxury" items that I've spent money on have been binoculars and clothing. Binoculars make it easier to hunt, scout, and watch other critters while waiting. Quality clothing makes you comfortable even in poor weather conditions.
As hunters, we locate, identify, track and stalk game with sight and sounds. Quality binoculars improve vision in a way that can't be replicated. On a budget I'd recommend the 6x or 8x Leupold Yosemites. To get more optically speaking for a basic hunter's needs you'd have to spend A LOT more money.
An old quote is "There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing." In a lot of ways this is true. When your not comfortable you won't have a good time and being comfortable requires proper clothing for given conditions. As seasons move on pick up what you can that's well made and versatile. As the collection grows you'll find yourself able to hunt wider temperature ranges comfortably, wider wind conditions, various seasons, and various precipitation levels with ease.
Topic: Fist time hunter needing help on gear selection (Read 1010 times)
