"Must Have" Gear for First Time Hunter?

Good on you for passing up that doe at 400 yards. Off hand at that distance would be incredibly challenging even for a great marksman.

The rangefinder is nice, but probably not necessary for most of your hunting with a gun. Bow maybe. Its a good skill to have to be able to judge distances off hand and using a rangefinder for a bit might help you with that.

You can never bring enough guns. I forget his name but one of the fellows on here brought up enough guns for every day in the week. But they each have their slight advantages and a rifle vs. shotgun would cover two huge gaps.

I've found that over the years, nothing has ruined more hunts for me than being uncomfortable. If its cold or rainy or both and I'm freezing my butt off, or my hands have seized up, I'm going in. If my tree stand is uncomfortable and I'm fidgeting or my back starts to hurt, I'm going in. I've had many hunts tossed away to those basic problems, and its started to really add up.

Years ago when I tried hunting out of a tree stand for the first time it was one of those cheaper ones with just the butt pad and you had to use the tree trunk as a back support. I couldn't handle that for more than a couple hours otherwise my lower back would start to hurt. Did that for a couple of seasons until last year when I got a tree stand with a nice seat with a back and can now put some serious hours in during good weather.

Same thing used to happen when it rained, hunting jacket would get damp and then it would slowly seep through and chill you to the bone. A "cheap" pair of goretex gloves and paclite jacket and bottoms and problem is solved for good.

For some reason this year my legs are getting cold faster and my current lightly insulated bibs weren't up to the task for even a 0C day as the wind blew through them like a screen door. Mind you I usually don't hunt many days at that temperature in a stand but will be this year. I've upgraded my bibs and have a new set I got on a killer sale on the way with 180g thinsulate that should be up to the task (knock on wood). My hunting jacket at the moment should be OK too because I can layer up fairly well underneath it.

So hopefully after a while of doing this I can just keep taking out the kinks, but it takes a lot of time and money. Something most new hunters don't have the luxury of. You'll definitely make some changes for next year, and the next, and the next. You'll just keep adjusting your equipment to the way you hunt the most and eventually get the right stuff.

Best of luck next year.
 
we have a back pac that hold everything and is at the ready.
rope, knives, rib spreader, bones saw, binos, range finder, extra socks etc. get all your stuff together, then get a decent pack and put your stuff in there, and it will always be at the ready. you wont forget things, and once in a while you'll find something in the bag and say "OMG i am so glad thats in here!"
 
Being warm and dry takes the cake. You can't stay on stand if you are uncomfortable. Can't make the shot when it counts.

Next...can you make the shot? Rifle (or bow, spear, etc.) and ammo. Rangefinder to range your area for accuracy of shots.

Binos to ensure you have the right animal.

Made the shot, now, find it. Good boots will help.

Gutting...decent gut hook, I like the Kershaw one. Sharp knife. Rib spreader (carry, barely use). Saw for the pelvis (I don't cut out and tie the anus). Latex gloves (cotton glove liners for cold weather). headlamp.

In the pack...survival items, second knife, first aid kit, rain jacket, GPS, headlamp, extra batteries, Cobra radio, Fire making tools, bags, bottled water. Paracord, thermal blanket, chap stick, bug juice, sunscreen, wet wipes, 15' braided nylon rope, game bag. Eatmore bars. Hunting summary, grunt, bleat, various scents and lures.

In pockets... Bic lighters, lock blade knife, Chapstick, tags, phone,
 
Gotta agree with the warm and dry part. My hunting is way more enjoyable than when I used to tromp around in old army surplus pants and unlined boots. Now I keep two sets of hunting clothes, a lightweight set for early season or days when I'll be doing a lot of walking and a good water resistant set of insulated bibs and matching parka for the cold and snowy. Heavy and light pairs of boots too. Canadian Tire sells 10 packs of hand warmers and toe warmers, they make the difference between staying on stand and packing it in during cold snaps. And always bring spare socks.
 
rifle ammo compass at least 2 knives a bic lighter some warm clothing and more socks then you will think you will need some foot powder or talcum powder to keep your feet dry
 
jraab said:
Knife, First aid kit, Compass.[/QUOTE]

And a topographical map.

With a knowledge of how to use both. (basic orienteering skills)

It really helps if you have prior knowledge of the land; IE-fenced perimeters, pasture, cultivated fields, unpassable or dangerous natural barriers, paved roads or railway tracks, and high reference points on the far horizon for easier navigating.
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Just looking through my pack ... 8x compact binoculars, grunt call, lock back folding knife, about 25' of 3/8" nylon rope and same of nylon string, 1/2 roll of TP in a zip lock bag,
a 12" x 12" square of red T-shirt material ( i.e. ... a rag that isn't white), a pair of pruning shears, a dozen cable ties, a compass, a small thermos & small plastic water bottle,
plastic garbage bag, an extra pair of gloves and a zip lock with some assorted candy. I'm rarely any more than a kilometer from our camp ... and those things (plus a cell phone)
tend to make life easier.
Warm, dry & comfortable is the order of the day.
 
No one has mentioned a sharpening stone, maybe an overlooked item if many are carrying 2nd and 3rd knives? I carry a stone as I have no issue putting an edge on someone else's knife when you see them struggling to make a tidy job of their animal.
 
effinggoof said:
Hot Seat is priceless, and belongs in anyones hunting gear.

0750012_1
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Cambodian Tire has a much better air filled hunting seat for $20. It's warmer, more comfortable, quieter, can be strapped around you or open the valve, roll up and put in your pocket... ;)

Camo tung said:
No one has mentioned a sharpening stone, maybe an overlooked item if many are carrying 2nd and 3rd knives? I carry a stone as I have no issue putting an edge on someone else's knife when you see them struggling to make a tidy job of their animal.
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An accusharp tool is great as well, especially for those not that good with a stone, but I generally carry 2 sharpened fixed blades in the truck, and a razor sharp Kershaw folder in my pocket....
 
CV32 said:
Appropriate boots and clothing are far more important than most everything else.
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Until you have to wipe your *ss bare-handed!

In my pack I have at least 2 fixed-blade knives, energy bars, spare gloves/toque, baby wipes (or TP if it's really cold), paracord, matches, headlamp, flashlight, GPS, Sat Phone (I hunt in the arctic so if it goes pear-shaped you need to be able to reach out for help), laser flare (these things are amazing at signalling at night) and a battery-operated strobe light. In my big pack I have some field stripped CF rations, hatchet, saw, tarp, sleeping bag, tent, sleeping pad, reflective tarp (poly tarp on one side and foil on the other - great in the extreme cold), more rope, stove, cooking pot set (in case I need to make water), spare ammo, another knife, more fire-making stuff (dry birchbark in a Ziploc bag cotton balls soaked in Vaseline, newspaper and more matches) and spare warm clothes (I have a 1 piece Helly Hansen pile suit and HH socks which will keep me super warm in case I have to hunker down to wait for help).
 
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"...Worry about yourself keeping warm..." Yep. Warm and dry. Good boots, a hat and mittens. Mittens are better than gloves. And something to carry water.
 
Boots and warm socks plus extra warm socks. If your feet get soaking wet and then cold, you're in for a rough time. Don't skimp on good boots.

Make sure your knife is sharp and bring the sharpener with you.
 
Good boots. And whoever said toilet paper wins the prize - you never think about bringing it, but god forbid you don't have it when you need it; things get ugly real fast lol
 
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