8 Items Every Hunter Should Always Have In Their Bag
Many of us hunters know that we often tend to get a little lost… And by lost, we don’t mean lost in the woods, we mean lost for time. We can easily get caught in the moment and begin hiking, glassing, scouting, and hunting for way longer than planned. Therefore, we want you to be prepared for almost anything that may come your way afield.
No matter what type of hunter you are, whether that be deer, rabbit, elk, waterfowl, or all of the above, these 8 basic items are something every hunter should carry with them in order to take on whatever comes their way.
Head Lamp/Flashlight
A light source seems like somewhat to a given, as our plan our known to change often as hunters. Sometimes you might take a nice 8 point later in the day and find yourself field dressing as night, or you might even have a rabbit hunt that turned more into a coyote chase. Either way, it is best to be prepared for whatever comes your way and always have light readily available, hands free if needed. Click here to shop our favorite headlamp that is pictured below, the Browning 1AA-USB Rechargeable Headlamp.
Knives and a Knife Sharpener
Having multiple knives on you at all times is never a bad idea. From scouting to processing, you never know when you are going to have to trim shooting lanes, or skin a nice 8 point. However, nothing dulls a knife out faster than skinning and field dressing your game. Therefore, we recommend that you always have a knife sharpener on you as well. Having both a knife and a knife sharpener while allow you to be ready to conquer whatever the day brings your way. Click here to view some of our favorite knives from Bench Made, such as the one pictured below.
Binoculars or a Range Finder
Another smart piece of equipment to have readily available is either binoculars or a range finder. Not only can either of these items be useful when spotting game, but they also help you prepare for upcoming seasons. Understanding your distances from various spots (i.e. tree stands, duck blinds, etc.) during the preseason is key to a successful season. Therefore, we feel that it is very important to invest in either of these items, and keep them with you at all times. You never know, in using one of these items you might scope out an ever better place for your next hunt. Click here to view one of our favorite pair of optics from Cabela’s, as pictured below.
Rope
Rope is very versatile. And, it also doesn’t take up too much space in your bag, so why not have it readily available. Not only can rope be used to hang game for skinning, or for dragging game out of hard to reach areas, but it can also be useful for getting your weapons into your stand (i.e. your gun or bow). Therefore, invest in some nice rope and be ready for whatever. Click here to view some affordable rope from Harbor Freight, as pictured below.
Toilet Paper
This item may possibly be quite overlooked, however, it is very important. After all, they always say “better safe than sorry” and I mean c’mon, we often lose track of time out here in the woods. Therefore, be prepared in every way possible and pack yourself some TP.
Snacks
If you aren’t hungry after sitting in your treestand for 3 hours as daylight starts to set in than you must be lying. As we stated before, us hunters can be afield for hours at a time, and there is nothing worse than giving in to your grumbling stomach and ending a hunt early because you need some lunch. Therefore, stay prepared and pack yourself some grub. Many hunters will often resort to the typical jerky, trail mix, granola bars, however, HuntWise CEO, Jeff Courter, says the best hunting snack is Honey Buns.
Scent Protector
Whether you are scouting, hanging a new tree stand, or hunting for that big buck on your trail cam, don’t let ever give your game a chance to smell your presence. This is an easy game changer if you are not covering your scent up while you are scouting, hunting, etc. as deer have been known to sense human odor for up to 10 days after it's left. Therefore, do yourself a favor and purchase some scent blocker. Click here to view our favorite, Wildlife Research Center Scent Killer Autumn Formula Pump Spray, as pictured below.
Navigation Tools
Finally, it is important to navigate your land with ease. As hunters, there is nothing more frustrating than finding an awesome new spot, yet forgetting how you got there because you’ve been scouting for hours. That is why it is super important understand your land and have navigation tools on hand at all time. With the HuntWise app, outdoorsman can easily mark new territory by taking note of scrapes, scat, ridges, etc. Users can also create walking paths to remember every step of both the entry and exit to a location. Every PRO user also has access to any public and private land boundaries, making the navigation of new land a breeze. Click here to download your free version of HuntWise.
Although there are billions of items us hunters feel that we need, the above 8 items are very necessary for any quest that you may be on. Whether you use these items scouting during the preseason, or during your first elk hunt of the year, we guarantee they are going to benefit you on your future hunts.
Good luck hunters, and shoot straight.