Hunting Equipment

[AZ-Robert]

...nylon deer drag w/ten ft of 1/4" drag cord...

All great ideas, but I add a hearty second to this one. That harness makes things much more comfortable than a plain rope arrangement.

I also carry a "snake stick" - something to keep him beyond striking range while I find a way around him. Especially handy if you are making your way to your spot before sunrise, and your first hint he is there is that funny buzzing sound. One with a fork at the top can double as a rifle rest, but I generally like my snake sticks longer than I like my shooting sticks ::

 

[doc623]

"Compass (always used) to check wind direction."
Was this a misprint? Not nit picking just trying to learn.
How do you check wind direction with a compass?

 

[Bill41]

I agree with most every response posted so far. I can even agree "to a point" that there are no accidents, but like somebody said @#%& does happen. I carry enough food and water in my pack for 2 days. Figuring if something does hit the fan it may be awhile before I get out. I would also suggest that along with the matchs carry a candle and some small pieces of dry wood. I carry two pieces of fat pine, at least that's what it's called where I come from. It's just wood that has a lot of sap in it. I don't even need paper to get it to lite. Matches are no good if everything around you is soaking wet.
Here's another thought or question. With all the stuff you do carry how many of you have spent the night (or two) living off of it? Like a controlled experiment. You would be surprized at what you "actually need". You also have the confidence knowing you could do it.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Getting up to still hunt and take a pee is a needed relief and circulation starter. Any days much below 20 degrees I welcome a stretch and walk about 9:30AM.

At that temperature, it would just be a big icicle and you could carry it out !!
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:

Boy! You ain't a kiddin. Last year it was 15

 

[ashtar13]

Deer drags are nice, but I like to go on the cheap. It took my 1/4" drag cord and thread it through a small piece of pvc. This gives a handle that prevents the rope from cutting into your hands. Tie the ends together so their is enough rope to use a lark's head to go around the deer's head/horns.

Also about the stuff that you really need to take along, here is what I normally carry:

1. 1st Aid- Mainly to stop bleeding.
2. Two different ways to make fire- Lighter don't always work in the cold.
3. Tarp/plastic sheet- Rolled tightly and put in back pouch of hunting vest.
4. 2 quarts of water- Camelback badder in vest or pack.
5. 2 Whistles- One on self, one in pack.
6. Map and 2 Compasses- They can brake.
7. 2 Flashlights w/ extra batteries
8. 2-way Radio (walky talky)- Search patrol and many hunters use them.
9. Extra Socks and Gloves and Hat
10. Small Ax or Folding Saw
11. Multi-tool
12. Candles
13. Cell Phone
14. Small Pot w/ instant ramen noodles- For collecting water and something to eat.
15. Rain Gear
16. Chemical hand warmers- Helps with hypothermia
17. Book- Helps psycologically

I probably missed a couple of things, but I like to hope for the best and prepare for the worse. I could do with a lot less, especially on a day hunt. That is why I started this thread. In real life experiences, I would say fire and shelter are at the top, followed signaling help and basic 1st Aid. Just prepare for the life saving stuff. Exposure and injury kill the quickly. Starvation/dehydration can take awhile. The quickest way to die is panick. Just remember STOP- Stop, Think, Observe, and Plan. Not making any more mistakes when your in trouble is the key to survival.

 

[Darkhorse]

The "Pee" jug is an essential Stumpy, not for the sake of the environment, but to keep from spreading any unnecessary, steaming hot, human scent around the stand site.
I want to kill the big buck, not educate him.

It's essential to hunt from a stand? ::

So, go pee in a spot that is away from the stand site but in a section that would be a couple hundred yards below and 45 degrees off downwind of your stand. You might turn a buck towards you who avoided the "contaminated" spot when he's walking into the wind. When I do stump sit I usually get numb after three hous anyway. Getting up to still hunt and take a pee is a needed relief and circulation starter.
Any days much below 20 degrees I welcome a stretch and walk about 9:30AM.

The seats of ATV's you come across parked in the woods are usually good choices, too.

And here I thought those old prints showed woodsmen with a priming horn and a main horn. Maybe it's a small powder horn and a "pee" horn? ::

If you are going to stomp through the woods spreading human scent around, thereby announceing to every deer in the woods that a human is in the area, then you might as well "Pee" while standing in your stand.
I come into my stands downwind, on a trail precut to keep brush from rubbing my stinky human body, and I wear knee high rubber boots. Then I stay for 5 to 8 hours. When I leave, I don't come back to that stand for a couple of days.
Sure, I'm nit picky about human scent while deer hunting. But then again, I don't hunt the dreaded, olfactory gifted, killer stumps of the great north woods. :crackup:

As for checking wind direction with a compass: All my stands and stand sites are mapped out. I know, 90% of the time, from which direction buck is likely to be traveling. Before I leave each morning or evening I check the wind direction. If neccessary by throwing dust, powder, smoke, a lighter, or anything that moves with the wind and check this direction against the compass. Then I make the decision which stand I will hunt.
I know where he's "probably" coming from by hunting the same 5,000 acres for over 10 years and from lots and lots of pre and post season scouting.
Of course sometimes the other 10% of the time he will still fool you and you get burned.
I am real serious about all this as, in the areas I hunt, once a buck is spooked and knows you're there, you seldom get another chance at him that year. :results:
It works for me. Luckily most of the guys in my lease don't go to this trouble. That just leaves more mature bucks for me to hunt.

 

[Stumpkiller]

If you are going to stomp through the woods spreading human scent around, thereby announceing to every deer in the woods that a human is in the area . . .

I just hope that the other 15 hunters per square mile (& 60% of that fields) make the deer think their sections are more peopled than mine. I "stomp" by taking one or two steps every 30 seconds or so and listening very intently while looking for any hint of movenment or part of a deer in the underbrush.

Ain't no sense peein so sneaky when three more guys are going to walk by in the next hour and pee near your spot, anywho.

In bow season and again by late muzzleloading the deer are behaving like deer. As soon as gun season begins they are in full time "ALERT" mode and hugging cover.

I can think like a deer 20% of the time, so the rest I think like the other hunters. I get in the thick stuff when they're moving out between 10:30AM and 2:00PM to get home or to the car and nap or to the resturant/bar to tank up. I'm in the woods an hour before sun-up so all's quiet in the thick stuff I hunt by the time the ATV's and clod-hoppers truck past (with their guns slung even in daylight); and I stay in all day and until after dusk (No legal shooting before sun-up or after sun down hereabouts; uh huh. And the speed limit's 55 mph :shake. There's so much pressure where I hunt that I've learned to pattern panicked and sneaky deer instead of working the rut. Other hunters are just another "natural" funnel to consider.

I lost my ground blind spot(s) of 25 years to a lease last fall (got booted out opening day). I was able to harvest two bucks after that ( a five and a six point) in semi-unfamiliar territory by being flexible, patient and quiet . . . and a good shot, of course. :winking:

Adapt, adopt, improvise, overcome.

We've all got different hunting environments, different hunting conditions, different hunting methods, different interpretations of "success". If carrying a pint of pee around works for you, go for it.

I just checked my notebook and 24 of my 32 deer were taken in the morning before I would have had to pee. Two bucks while cleaning other deer (so I should worry about tinkling? :haha. Of those, 20 were within the first two hours on opening day. The rest I had to work for. :front:

 

[Halftail]

Wow,
I feel under packed for my outings in the woods.
I carry in my fleese pack,Spare Socks,GPS,extra knife,Depending on the weather a spare hat and gloves(usually have them on)Water bottle,Deer call,Junk o rope.That's pretty much it.

 

[Hoyt]

When I first started deer hunting I carried a couple extra shells and a knife. Killed my share of deer got them out of the woods.. got lost and made it out..found my way around in the dark..climbed trees and stood on limb forks for hrs. at the time and thought life was wonderful..and it was. One of these days I'm going to hunt like that again and leave all my junk behind.

 

[KampKool]

I carry a backpack. Inside are essentials likeGPS (Never used)

A 'never used' GPS may not be too much help unless it has been marked w/ some of the locations in your hunting area, or has the local topo added to the basemap.

GPS tidbits. The GPS is a receiver and it relies on position infromation from a key statlite in your area. If you use it reguarly and store it w/ batteries to keep the memory alive; it retains the positional info and aquires your position quickly. Once you loose the 14 day postion info the unit must first locate, and re establish this info from the key statlite. this can take 15 - 20 min.

'Trackback' is a collection of points from your walk in that are saved in order to make a backtrail. This feature works real well in strange places but only if you have it turned on.

My e-Trex legend has a reputation for loosing the signal in heavy follage cover. I bought a back that fastens w/ a belt clip [like a cell phone] that let's me clip it on the strap to my bibs...and even on my belt this let's the antenna focus on the sky keeping contact 99% of the time.

I can walk around my cabin and turn it on at any time and zoom in & out to find a waypoint and can select 'GO TO' and just follow the arrow as I walk along...but you need to mark the points first...

:m2c:

 

[AZ-Robert]

Also about the stuff that you really need to take along, here is what I normally carry:...

Great list, but I'm getting a chuckle while looking it over. Really highlights how much significance the "local situation" has on everything we do. #14, for example - won't be doing any 'collecting water' around here. If you didn't bring it with you, you don't have it! And the axe in #10... while it could prove useful, there is not much wood around here that is bigger around than my wrist; just stomp on it and it will break. And #15...rain gear!...only during a six-week window in the middle of the summer, and then all you have to do to get out of it is move over ten feet!

And, while I always have a map and compass, and sometimes a GPS (to mark interesting places I want to get back to someday) I would put them in the optional category in this corner of the country. You would really, really have to work hard to get lost around here. Clear line of sight for spotting landmarks on a bad day is 60+ miles - you might not know your exact location, but you could find your way back 'out' just by looking around. (But I've lived in other places and know how easy it is to get "misplaced" when you have trees and busy terrain all around you, and old habits die hard so I still have a paper map and my 40 year old Silva compass with me.)

And if you're planning for the worst the "local situation" here puts having something to make some shade with (the light tarp or a light blanket) way up on top of the list.

Like that FRS radio idea in #8, though. Hadn't thought of that as there is usually no one out there with me I might want to talk to. But those things are pretty cheap nowadays, and tiny - having one along to help searchers find you is a great idea.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Yep. Ya have to make substitutions for locality. I have no more use for a snakebite kit than I would shark repellant, but might appreciate extra wool socks (what a treat if you've ever overstepped your boot top in a frigid creek).

With a GPS you should at least pull it out and mark your car/camp before heading out. Otherwise, it's just a heavy compass that you might be able to use to pass along your coordinates via a cell phone.

Good to test them in the woods, too. I have a cheap Magellan 300 that won't track satellites while in the woods, where my Garmin 12XL does fine.

 

[bbassi]

All these things are useful and practical, but I have one suggestion to add....

BABY WIPES!!!

for several reasons;
1 - nothing gets deer or other critter blood off you better.
2- if you want to clean up a kill for pictures nothing works better. blood, mud, you name it.
3 - and most important - TP just don't cut it as well in the woods. Just think of it as mom's little touch.

I usually carry about 20 in a zip lock no matter what I'm doing in the out doors. I may not use them all in a season, but I'm always glad they are there when I need them.

 

[arcticap]

If you or anybody else wants to try out a warmer second pair of socks, give some neoprene socks a try. I picked up a pair or two at Kmart or Walmart. If you can find a pair that fit well and you layer them over base socks, they help to keep feeling in your toes, especially when wet. Just make sure you have a little extra room in your boots, which shouldn't be too hard if you're already wearing two layers of socks or pac boots.
Some brands of neoprene gloves can also be very hunter friendly "life lines" during the winter. But they really have to fit right in order to provide adequate trigger feeling. The ones with a better lining & fit tend to be more expensive. :blue:

 

[ashtar13]

Really highlights how much significance the "local situation" has on everything we do.

I agree with you completely! Where I come from, you are lucky if you can clearly see 100 yards in any direction. But when I took a backpacking trip in New Mexico, I could not believe the difference in surroundings. I could survive quite awhile in land I'm familiar with, but in that environment, I wouldn't last 2 days. That's why I put down the essentials to survival after my list. No matter where your going, you have to learn what is essential for survival there. Some other ideas from different environments would help this thread greatly.

BTW, I forgot to list baby wipes ( I have found great use for them too), and my basic knife for field dressing. I think I forgot this because I always have my multi-tool and "tactical" folder with me. Usually have about 2-4 knives on me at all times. Like the saying goes, "A man with a knife is a man with hope." :front:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Got a PM that raised a good point.

Do any of you/us ever hunt with only "traditional" equipment; besides the firelock and related accessories to shoot and clean the gun? I scout and small game hunt with only my "trekking" haversack, but I do generally carry more with me when I'm away at my deer hunting spots. Mostly the safety related items. Many times I have trotted up the hill behind the house in late regular season or muzzleloading season with just the rifle, horn (bone measure & three balls in a block on the strap) and lightly dressed, no hunting pouch even. It does have a different "feel" to be packin light.

The exception being footwear. Those must have been the days of iron toes and wooden feet when men hunted the woods hereabouts in November and December with center-seam moccasins. Once the snows hit the ground I'm in Vibram soled pack boots or heavy hiking boots.

I only ever use the GPS whan I'm scouting unfamiliar regions. Too heavy to carry for casual trips(mine are the old six & eight battery jobs).

 

[Ron LaClair]

The exception being footwear. Those must have been the days of iron toes and wooden feet when men hunted the woods hereabouts in November and December with center-seam moccasins. Once the snows hit the ground I'm in Vibram soled pack boots or heavy hiking boots.

I made a pair of winter moccasins out of elk tanned cowhide that pulled over an inner pair of sheepskin sherling mocs. I greased them heavily and they worked great in cold wet weather.

 

[scott fellows]

i do about 98% of my hunting, big and small game in period clothing. usually the same things that i wear when i got to the rendezvous. it really adds to the hunt for me be it whitetails or tree rats. you get some weird looks when you meet up with other hunters on state lands though.......hehehe, does them some good to see how the other half lives.
pieman

 

[WSmitty01]

GPS, Cell Phones, 2-Way radios, tree stands, flashlight, handi-wipes, pee-jug, rubber gloves, etc, all of this for a "traditional hunter", HUH??? I carry a knife, fire starter, water and jerky and a piece of rope (plus my possibles). Hunted all over the USA and Europe for close to 40 years, never needed anything else. If you look around you, your environment will supply you with anything you might need in an emergency, just got to learn how to use it, just like our forefathers did when they went huntin!

 

[roundball]

GPS, Cell Phones, 2-Way radios, tree stands, flashlight, handi-wipes, pee-jug, rubber gloves, etc, all of this for a "traditional hunter", HUH??? I carry a knife, fire starter, water and jerky and a piece of rope (plus my possibles). Hunted all over the USA and Europe for close to 40 years, never needed anything else. If you look around you, your environment will supply you with anything you might need in an emergency, just got to learn how to use it, just like our forefathers did when they went huntin!

:hmm:...another view could be that "Hatchet Jack" might not have died if he'd had a cellphone and GPS to call in air rescue after the Grizzly attacked him.
::

And to an extent I agree with your point about 'living off the land'...always thought it would be interesting to learn and do all that.

However, I am neither trained nor capable of doing that, and at age 60 with a 5 year old quadruple bypass in my chest, I have no time or interest in starting down that road...I don't go into the woods alone anymore without a cellphone...don't need a GPS where I hunt but if I did, I'd sure have one of those too.
:thumbsup: