New to hunting..whitetail as an adult- gear check list / help.

[brokencar91]

Thanks fornthe reply..camo is the last thing I am trying to get into this year..break my outline the best I can.. the tape for the markers is a great idea
.scent killer some of the best killers I know in the tree

 

[KnCaffre]

I'm back into hunting after some time away, and in New York at that! I was always a minimalist of a sort hunting out West, and I suppose I will continue that...so this thread has been especially useful to read! Of course, it helps that two of my three hunting spots is within a few acres of my house...

 

[matt grieger]

range finder

 

[Tegr0429]

As others stated, don’t get caught up in all the brand new “must haves”. For clothing I’d get some solid wool garments (kuiu,smart wool, woolrich, cabelas) you can find all of those on eBay for pretty cheap. You don’t necessarily need a pack, I run a stone glacier 2200 avail but hunted without one for most of my life. For broadheads everything on the market will work as long as you put an arrow behind the shoulder. I would invest in a solid headlamp. Blackovis has a great rechargeable headlamp that’s my favorite. Let this season show you what you need vs not. Good luck this season man if you need anything feel free to PM me!

 

[Lumberjack09]

Hey...getting into hunting a bit late in life..I am primarily going to bow hunt.
I have some private land and some public i am looking to hunt.
I got a mathews vrx 31.5
Ordered a saddle and accender
Built out vap tko with micro hades 3 blade fixed heads.
I need a pack..I think?
What else might I be missing?

MR makes a great day pack for day hunts off of a tree. Called the treehouse I believe

 

[summs]

If you need more than an fanny pack, your doing it wrong IMO, unless backpack hunting in the wilderness with camp on your back.

I roll with a fanny pack that has a compass, pen, 10' of paracord, extra release, water bottle, snack, headlamp, knife, license. Back packs tend to acquire extra weight and gear that isn't needed.

I also usually have a bino pack on my chest, with milk weed on the side, I skip the range finder, it's white tails, just take shots closer than 30 yards. Odds are you will carry your sticks/stand with a back pack, it's hard to wear 2 back packs when one has gear and other has stand/sticks, again why I do a fanny pack.

I do wash my clothes 2x a year in scent killer, not because I think it works, but because I like clean clothes, even though wool is anti microbial, it gets hot and sweaty early season. Realizing I should probably just use baking soda as I type this. I dislike gloves or face coverings, but I dislike mosquito even more. I haven't had much luck with thermocells, but a lot of people love theirs. I just use bug spray and play the wind.

KISS - keep it simple
Just like fishing, the lures are meant to catch people and money - not the fish

 

[Joe Schroeder]

Hey...getting into hunting a bit late in life..I am primarily going to bow hunt.
I have some private land and some public i am looking to hunt.
I got a mathews vrx 31.5
Ordered a saddle and accender
Built out vap tko with micro hades 3 blade fixed heads.
I need a pack..I think?
What else might I be missing?

Not sure if someone mentioned it, but a small foldable saw is always handy. If you can, getting in there before season and picking your tree(s) to do a little trimming is ideal.

ALPS OutdoorZ has 20% off for the Rokslide folks till February. Code is ROK20. Plenty of options, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

I don't carry a lot when I saddle hunt, but I do bring a 4-pack of 20" sticks. I run a smaller pack called the Crossfire with my saddle setup. Has a good frame and waist belt, and a removable accessory pouch that can mount to your saddle. Pics are of my pack ready to go for next Friday here in Missouri.

 

[ghenson82]

Several others have said it, but i'll reiterate- the smaller the backpack the better. We tend to fill up a pack because we "might need it" and end up packing WAY more than needed. Go minimal & you'll enjoy it more.

 

[scottstef]

My $0.02: There are plenty of people who were or are successful bow hunting with only a bow, arrows, a knife to gut a deer with and a little pack to carry some water and snacks and headlamp in, and rudimentary clothing. NOTHING more. I bow hunted for over a decade without most of the stuff I carry around now. You dont need scent killers. You dont need fancy boots. You also dont need expensive camo. You dont need a rangefinder. You dont need 95% of all the crap people (including me) carry around. Use what makes sense to you, practice so you know what it and you are capable of, and go have fun. You have plenty of time to accumulate all the excessive crap in the future, dont worry about doing it all at once. IMO 95% of it is time in the woods scouting so you know where to go, time spent shooting your bow so you can execute a shot when you are shaking like a leaf, and a dose of luck. The "crap" makes up MAYBE the other 5%.

*a rangefinder is nice to make sure you are aiming where you need to be--wounding a deer is easy to do and it sucks. but you dont need one--if you are using a fixed stand just pace off 15 yards or 20 yards in a couple directions from your stand and tie a tiny piece of surveyors tape to a branch--presto, you have a range marker (do this ahead of season so you dont leave your scent all over). If you are capable of making longer shots, a short and a long marker to show your max range can help you from wounding. Also when you are scouting or hiking, practice estimating range to a tree, stump or rock, then pace it off to check yourself. Most people can pretty quickly get good at estimating range pretty well out to 30 yards or so, which is more than enough for most people to be successful bow hunting--This lets you make successful shots when hunting from the ground or at an unprepared stand site. I know a number of successful bowhunters who still dont use a rangefinder becasue they practice this skill and dont see the point.

*camo...eh, read up, its scientifically debatable whether camo actually works on deer anyway. deer see movement though. simply making sure you have a screen behind you to break up your sillouette and covering up your hands and face goes a long way toward not being seen. I'll show you half a dozen videos of deer walking right up to within 5 or 10 yards of me on the ground, and that's wearing an orange hat and not wearing a stitch of camo--those are public land deer on state wma's in many cases, too.

*scent killer--for every hunter I know that swears by scent killer, I know 2 that swear it doesnt work. This stuff literally didnt even exist not that long ago anyway, and people got along just fine. Scent is the hardest thing anyway. Just learn to watch your wind and plan your hunts around the wind. Milkweed is the best windchecker on earth, and it's free.

If you are going to hunt from a tree, you do need a way up the tree (sticks, etc) something to stand on (platform or stand), a harness (saddle or harness), as well as a tether of some sort (short for hang and hunt or full length for a fixed stand) and a way to attach yourself to the tether. Not much else that you probably dont already have except maybe something to carry it in.

Once you get addicted and start refining this, optimizing that, trying to cut weight, etc, then you can start adding more or better gear.

thanks for sharing that GREAT answer

 

[ILHunter2022]

Definitely take as little as needed. That's something I learned pretty quick last year.

 

[Ditt44]

KISS. packs depend on where you're hurting and how far you're walking. I like a sling pack. Easy to find on Amazon for $15 to $30 and more than enough room for small binos, water, headlamp, snacks, knife, tags/license, car keys, wind check, etc. I have two that I use, one small size I paid about $15 for that is early season and one twice bigger for late season to hold more food and drinks if I'm out all day, then larger binos for rifle season. Not always a fan of a bino harness but they can be very useful depending on your hunt method. For early season, I leave the binos at home and use the harness for minimal must haves. A range finder is enough magnification in most archery scenarios.

The sling style is easy on and off vs a typical pack and in my experience much more practical. If you drag sticks and seats with you then maybe a traditional pack is better. Again... how far and how much stuff?