Hunting offers a lot as an activity. Aside from offering you a way to enjoy the outdoors, it also becomes an avenue to contribute to environmental conservation efforts. Hunting provides a means to help control the population of species that can breed out of control.
Hunting is also an activity with strict guidelines. Evident through the licenses and government regulations.
It is also an activity that requires a lot of preparation. You cannot go on a hunting trip without checking your hunting gear list.
Today, we will look at the essential items that you should bring before setting off to hunt. These items can help as you hunt, as well as ensure your safety while you stalk your mark in the wild.
1. Hunting Weapon, Accessories, and Ammunition
The item you should prioritize when prepping your hunting gear is the weapon you need to hunt your game animal. This could be a rifle, a shotgun, a muzzleloader, or a bow. Picking your weapon of choice affects how you pack the necessary equipment.
Make sure to have a varied assortment of ammunition that suits the animal you wish to hunt. As for accessories, this can include slings and optics for aiming. Having a tactical bipod for hunting rifles also helps with stability and accuracy.
Other gun gear will help you with camouflage and stability. Familiarize yourself with your weapon of choice and make necessary preparations. Most especially when using muzzleloaders and bows.
2. Hunting Knife
You also need a good hunting knife to bring with you on such trips. It comes in two types, folding and fixed. Make sure to have both types due to the capabilities that each knife offers.
Folding knives tend to be smaller. Easier to store and wield, they work great in cleaning and dressing an animal.
Fixed-bladed knives work great as field knives, serving a lot of utility due to its sturdy build. Also great for cutting and hacking brush. If it has a serrated edge, it can also work as a makeshift saw.
3. Pack and Sleeping Gear
You also need a pack where you can store your other essentials, while you have a separate pack for your hunting weapon. Your main pack should have the other essential items, such as your sleeping gear.
This includes your bedroll, your tent with needed accessories, and your sleeping bag. This helps when you go on a hunting trip and you need to camp out.
For your pack, you also need a pack liner to insulate to keep contents dry. This would include other items like provisions and essential clothing. A fresh change of clothes also helps, alongside toiletries.
4. Provisions (Food, Drink, and Snacks)
Hunting can also be rather taxing. You need energy sources that can help you with the trip. It becomes apparent when you go on a hunting trip and you end up staying in the wild long enough that you set camp as well.
Include several high energy foods and snacks as part of your supply. Along with it would be cooking utensils and cutlery to help you prepare them. Make sure to also have a stove and some fuel, or a means to set up a campfire for cooking.
Water is also an essential component. Make sure to have a sizable container for it, whether in the form of multiple bottles or the form of a high-capacity bladder.
5. Safety and Communication
Safety is also a priority when going on outdoor trips, especially when hunting. Necessary items to have would be a personal first aid kit, a survival kit, and a personal locator beacon. The beacon helps when you get lost and you need aid in getting back.
You also need a communication device strong enough that you can contact people while out in the wild. In such cases, go for mountain radios or satellite phones. These devices have stronger signals and reception that they work great while in the backcountry.
6. Hunting License and Permit
You need proper identification and permission before going on a hunting trip. This includes your hunting license and permits tag. While the ruling regarding these items varies per region, having these with you can help with identification and regulation.
7. Navigational Tools
If you set off to hunt in an unfamiliar hunting ground, you need navigational tools. This can come in the form of GPS units to help you map and plot your surroundings. It can also help set your home location, checkpoints, and so on.
If a GPS unit seems too heavy for your budget, you can also go for something cheaper. In this case, nothing beats having a map and a compass. These don’t rely on batteries and would only require prior knowledge in reading maps to know how to get around such locations.
8. Lighting and Spotting
You need tools and accessories to help you with respect to lighting and visibility. For lightning, make sure to have a flashlight. With different variants available, you can get flashlights that help with hunting once you reach low-light conditions.
As for visibility, nothing beats a trusty pair of binoculars. Having a scope on your rifle helps in measuring the distance between yourself and your prey, but you won’t be brandishing your firearm all the time. Your binoculars can help you with that respect, letting you spot at a distance when you don’t need to aim at a target.
Aside from a durable pair of binoculars, consider getting other forms of spotting instruments. Get a spotting scope and a rangefinder. This can help you with calculating distance, especially if you hunt from afar using a long-range hunting rifle.
Check Your Hunting Gear List Today
Check and double-check the contents of your hunting gear list. This way, you know what to take when hunting. Preparation is one aspect of hunting that lets you have the edge over your target.
Plan ahead and pack your essentials. This time, go with a hunting weapon that can serve you well during the season.
Do you want to learn more about hunting and the gear associated with the sport? Check out more of our guides to learn more about hunting today!