The countdown has begun. The lazy days of summer are coming to an end. School supplies have taken over the local stores. You know what this means….hunting season is coming! It is time to pull out your old gear and see what needs replacing, or buy gear for the first time. Whether you are a seasoned hunter who has been wearing the same camo jacket for the last ten years, or you are the new kid who is relying on good advice, there are some items every hunter can agree are a must have for those excursions into the woods. This list covers the top five things you need to be ready to hunt.
1) Camouflage
While for some camouflage is nothing more than a fashion statement, it is an essential part of the hunters wardrobe. It is so essential, there is different camo for different woods types, snow, and even for hunting waterfowl. It is important that you
consider what kind of hunting you plan on doing before making your camo purchase. For instance, Duck’s are able to see color so a camo that blends in with the marshlands they inhabit is very important.
It is even important to consider whether you are hunting while there are no leaves on the trees, or while the tees are covered. Camo that features big leafy greens on it would not be appropriate if your hunting environment is nothing but bare branches. While larger game cannot see color, they can see silhouettes; it is important you wear the right camo to blend in.
Another important aspect to note is that some states require hunter’s to wear some kind of bright orange apparel (i.e., hat or vest) so other hunters do not mistake them for deer or other animals and shoot them.1
2) Boots
It is easy to ignore the importance of our feet. For many of us, it is easy to throw something cheap on our feet and figure that’s good enough; they are just getting tore up in the wood anyways, right? WRONG. There is much to take into consideration. If you are hunting during turkey season, there are usually also a lot of snakes about. A snake boot could truly be the difference between life and death. Not only that, the confidence of having snake boots on will allow you to concentrate on the important stuff, like finding Thanksgiving dinner.
Another consideration is whether you stalk your game or if you sit in a tree stand and wait. If you stalk your game, or are a bow hunter, the last thing you need is to make a noise at the wrong time and scare the prize away. It is important to have an out sole with a large amount of ground contact in order to reduce noise.
Suffice it to say, this is not an area to skimp or ignore. Do your research and get the right boot for your needs! This may mean more than one pair of boots to cover different seasons.2
3) Your Weapon Of Choice
Of course you won’t get very far hunting without something to hunt with. This means a hunting rifle or a bow and arrow. Furthermore, this means bullets or arrows depending on your weapon of choice.
While picking out any kind of weapon, keep in mind your level of expertise and safety. If it is a gun familiarize yourself with proper care for it, as well as safe storage. Also, be sure to purchase ammo that is appropriate for your gun of choice.
Bow and arrows can harm as well, so be sure to learn proper safety techniques and not leave the bow around for children to pretend to be Robin Hood with.
4) A Trusty Knife
Every outdoorsman knows that a good hunting knife is invaluable. The type of knife you carry is going to depend on a lot of factors. For instance, what are you hunting? If it is small game, like duck or rabbit, or you going to clean them in the woods? If so, you need a knife appropriate for gutting and skinning a small animal. Larger game requires a larger knife.
Knifes are also essential for the need to sometimes cut rope or even use as a weapon. Sometimes, more than one knife may be necessary to meet your needs. A pocket knife, multi-tool and fixed blade hunting knife will meet most needs, but make sure you do your research. If you need a knife mostly for protection and to cut back limbs, a fixed blade hunting knife may not be quite what you need. Again, this is an area to do some googling on to make sure you get exactly what you need.
Stay in shape or this could be you!
5) Be In Shape!
Even if you do not stalk your prey, you never know when you might shoot something huge and have to drag it out of the woods. Not only that, being in shape is going to help you stay out longer and also will help ensure no medical crisis happens while miles deep in the woods. I read my friends fitness blog over at FitClarity a lot, it’s a great resource that covers a wide range of topics. Check it out, you might find something you like.
There you have it, those are some of our top items and tips to be ready for when it comes close to hunting season. Of course, there are a million other things besides our top 5 list, you have everything from hunting dog convenient essentials like a led dog collar so that you can easily identify your retriever or even a ATV to travel around in. Also consider the drive to your hunting destination. There are a ton of things that make your ride out that much more enjoyable, like a DVD in Motion setup to have your passengers watch (or to just keep your kids quite!) or your favorite playlist to listen to. But what ever you end up bring on your trip, best of luck on your next hunting adventure!
Resources
- http://protips.dickssportinggoods.com/hunt-fish/camo-101-a-basic-guide-to-choosing-the-right-camo-pattern
- http://www.tractorsupply.com/know-how_clothing-footwear_footwear_choosing-the-right-hunting-boots
- http://ushuntershq.com
