Besides your rifle what else do you carry?

[cowboyfan]

This is my first year and I want to make sure that I will have everything that I will need once I get out in the field. Just let me know what you carry in your bag or in your pockets.

[FirstFreedom]

Besides gun & ammo eh? I'm more loaded down than most folks, I'm sure - probably some unnecessary stuff here but:

Always List:
1. Compass
2. Head-strap miner's light (indispensable)
3. Backup flashlight
4. Wallet containing hunting license/tags
5. Gloves, headcovering, etc. (if it's cold, this includes inner and out gloves, and seriously warm headgear)
6. Trash bag to pick up trash, or put deer heart/liver into
7. Extra compass and whistle
8. 2 or more knives (one of which is accessible as a neck knife, for in case I find myself hanging from my harness)
9. Keychain with car keys, 3rd compass, multi-tool, and penlight attached
10. Twisties to attach tag to game's body
11. String to pull up bow or gun to treestand
12. Earplugs

Almost Always List:
1. .22 revolver
2. Chair or pad to sit on, if not going to a stand
3. Urine Bottle (ewww)
4. Game calls/bleat can
5. Laser rangefinder
6. Binoculars w/ harness
7. GPS Unit
8. Telescoping Bipod
9. Mouth turkey call (to simulate turkey sounds as I walk to my spot)
10. Blaze orange vest & hat if deer gun or ML season.
11. Shaded eyeglasses cover for sunny days

Sometimes List (hunt by hunt basis):
1. Granola Bar, fruit, or other assorted snackage
2. Water bottle
3. Doe estrus scent & wick (deer only, obviously)
4. Extra cover scent spray (rarely)
5. Raingear in a side-pack
6. Centerfire sidearm (rarely)
7. Tree stand harness (worn)
8. Map of hunting area (rarely)
9. Cell Phone (I *should* take this always, but don't)
10. 2-way radio/walkie-talkie (only when going far and with buddy)
11. Book to read
12. "Confidence Decoy": a Featherflex folding hen turkey decoy, and decoy stick.
13. Small saw (rarely; only if I've not yet cut the shooting lanes well)
14. Large Gerber multi-tool w/ carbide cutter (rarely; for cutting old rusty barbed wire fences no longer used)
15. Camera (rarely)

Most of this stuff is loaded into a giant fanny pack, so that I can access it without taking it off.

Main thing is to be able to find your way back so that you don't have to spend the night in the cold, and that's where the compass, and 2 flashlights come in. Also, the cell phone, whistle, & walkie-talkie are for in case you are lost, or if you hurt yourself and cannot move and need to summon help. Everything else is just for fun - to get the game.

Did I mention I like compasses?

[VirgilCaine]

My license and kill tags, flashlight, latex gloves, knife, extra ammo, a book or magazine, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, bottle of water, binoculars, grunt call, cover scent, bandanna, compass, firestarter, and a snack.

It all fits in a small backpack and goes with me everytime.

On all day rifle hunts in a shooting house I may include a proper lunch and a deck of cards, a " pee can" and more to read.

good luck

Virgil

[rem33]

"Urine Bottle,"
No thanks I don't keep that stuff.


Lots of good stuff listed above. I might add a nylon strap in the pickup for dragging deer out with, A rope is always handy. We drug a deer the other day untill we were close to the road where it got real steep and used a rope and the pickup to pull it the last 75 or so feet up a very steep hill.

I always have,
License & tags
Gun,
extra bullets, hopefully not needed.
knife,
Binoculars,
plastic bag for liver, heart.

[guntotin_fool]

one small back pack, more of a book bag than a pack.. containing

1 stanley thermos. hot cocoa

water bladder. camel bak unbottle

three or more pairs of nytril surgeons gloves.

one small Bark River mini Canadian knife 2 inch blade

one larger knife about 4 inch heavy blade.

some string.

about 30 feet of 5/8'' webbing, as strong as rope, easier to pack and works great at dragging deer...

a couple of black diamond biners

small folding saw

bag of hersey bars.

Steiner 8x30 binocs

a firematch, a film can of waxed cotton balls,

a piece of cordura, blaze orange about 5x7 foot, gets used under deer dragging them on snow. the deer seems to float better. can be used as improvised shelter, as signal, etc. In warmer weather when we lose the heavy parkas etc to clean the deer, I throw the jacket and the tarp up in the trees around to make sure no one takes a shot at us.

about 20 pieces of 10 inch x1 inch surveyors tape, to tie off when trailing deer.

a 18 inch square piece of ensolite foam. from a torn up sleeping pad, keeps your butt warm and dry if you have to sit down.

baseball cap for if it warms up. even with all this, the bookbag is almost empty.

In the jacket, five extra rounds of .300 savage. a S&W .22 kit gun. with a few extra rounds, a small flashlight,

This is the normal get up, If it is REALLY cold, say 10 above to -20, then some added gloves, or overmittens and some of those heatpacks might get added

This is for Hunting on our standard area. we are inside county roads and we have a 450 foot tall radio tower just to the south of us, from almost every where we can see it. So no need for worrying about getting lost, compasses, maps etc, We sleep in a bunk house, we have about 320 acres that are ours and about the same in tax forfeit lands that we control access to.

If we go somewhere else or out west where things can go badly in a short time, there is a lot more that would get brought along. but with a tarp and fire, i am pretty confident I could make it pretty much anywhere.

Added ideas for hunting in unknown areas. GPS< GMRS radio< map, compass, (batteries do die) extra socks, extra gloves extra hat. not unheard of to lose one of these or get them wet.

Some sort of added food, instant soup, just add some hot water, some sort of small cook pot, drinking cup that can be used over fire. perhaps a roll up inflatable sleeping pad.

[FirstFreedom]

Oh, and be sure to take extra precautions to NOT LOSE your wallet & car keys. Keep them in a separate compartment that you don't open to get other things out, if possible. And put fresh batteries in your flashlights at the beginning of the season.

[SavageSniper]

WOW guys, I don't think I carried that much stuff to Iraq back in 1991! Just kiddin'. I am spoiled. where I hunt, it's a 30 min walk to my buddy's Dads house. I carry water, a can of snuff, a piece of 3/8 nylon rope, two knives and my rifle.

[SavageSniper]

PS Yea!! I made Senior Member

[Clayfish]

I don't carry much.

Grunt call
Doe bleat can
Headlight
bottle of Fitzgerald deer dander
Pee bottle
Thermacell with extra pads and gas
a couple extra rounds besides the 5 in my rifle

A word about the pee bottle. It's a must for any stand hunter or still hunter. It will extend your hunt by hours cause you never know when nature is going to call. I always get a gatoraid or power aid bottle with the large opening so nothing spills :barf: .

[Mannlicher]

my rifle, with a few extra shells
handgun, usually a SA Ruger in .45 Colt
A couple of knives, my #11 Randall and one or more other ones
fanny pack, with TP, flashlights, plastic bags, snacks, two water bottles, extra socks, space blanket, fire starting stuff, para cord, and other odds and ends like
compass, GPS unit, paper and pencil, nite eyes tacks, marking tape
Binoculars, paperback book, signal mirror and a cop whistle.

over the course of deer hunting for some 50 years, I never noticed that deer cared one way or the other about where you pee. Frankly speaking, that is.

[22-rimfire]

First Freedom has a good list. I'd add trail mix (dried munchies-nuts and fruit); no compass unless you are a fair distance from the road or land is very flat, repetitive, and thick; paper towels; pipe cleaners. I carry a parka if it is likely to rain or it is cold and windy. Also like to have a wool scarf. Everything fits in blaze orange vest. Carry monopod too since I hunt with hadgun. Carry parka in day pack if it "looks like rain" otherwise I leave it in the truck and have a disposable poncho.

[trooper3385]

Damn, how do you guys move around with all that stuff. Firstfreedom, all that fits in a large fanny pack. Thats more like a large duffle bag tied to your waste. I take off with my gun, bonoculars, knife, and a few extra rounds.

[FirstFreedom]

If I do find myself without the maligned urine bottle when nature calls, I kick into the ground in a soft spot multiple time, forming a little divot, go into that, then recover with dirt & leaves. But I have been in the woods when I whizzed into the ground and within 30 seconds start hearing deer snorting very close (downwind of course) and seeing white tails bounding away - ones I didn't see, but that were there and I could have snuck up on in theory but for alerting them with this activity.

Firstfreedom, all that fits in a large fanny pack. Thats more like a large duffle bag tied to your waste.

lol, yes it does. But its a pretty good sized fanny pack. If you look at the items on the first two lists (always and almost always), they are all pretty small items (stuff like compasses, string, earplugs). And, the following are worn on my person, either in pants pockets, or strapped on, or carried in hands:

1. Miner's light
2. Binoculars
3. Keys with accessories
4. Pocket knife
5. Neck Knife
6. Harness
7. GPS Unit
8. Chair or pad to sit on

Everything else in the fanny pack, except for the urine bottle, which is hanging off the side, clipped to the fanny pack. Only things that take a lot of room are the rangefinder and the .22 revo, so if I run out of room, one or both of those stay behind in camp.

[gunslinger1911ACP]

Ditto to Savage. I usually just park my SUV about 1/4 mile from the stand. The stand is about a 1/2 mile from the camp sight. I bring:

license/tags
knife
bottle of water
range finder
binocs
flashlight
rifle/ammo

[nickE10mm]

Rifle and/or Pistol
Deer Tags / Permit
little extra Ammo and/or extra magazine
Two knives
Rope
Latex Gloves
Ballistics card
Cell / Walkie Talkie
Flashlight
Lighter / Matches
Compass
Ear Plugs
Water / Snacks / Sandwich

[davlandrum]

Excellent list by FF at the top of the thread.

I carry most of that stuff, but have moved to a daypack with a water system in it, since I am walking all day. I do carry a GPS and a radio, although when I have ever needed the radio, I have never been able to reach my buddy to help gut and transport (or at least he never answered). I figure if I am down and hurt, it will reach when he gets in the same vicinity.

Survival stuff
-First aid kit
-solar blanket
-whistle
- 3 ways to make a fire (lighter, water proof matches in the whistle, flint and steel)
-small gerber hatchet (sometimes, not always)

Hunting stuff
-calls and scent
-3 good knives (I am not going to stop to sharpen in the middle of an elk)
-tags and license

Other
-Toilet paper
-travel pack of baby wipes (makes everything better)
-50' 550 cord (parachute cord)
-snacks (trail mix, jerky, granola bars)

Lot of stuff, but I am confident I am OK if I have to spend some unplanned days in some deep dark hole with a busted leg.

Heaviest thing is the water.

Obviously, spending a day in a stand with-in easy distance of your vehicle is a different set of requirements than plunging in to a deep dark hole in the middle of nowhere. When I lived back east, I took a thermos of coffee, etc.

[Twycross]

Always:
.40S&W pistol
Knives: 3.5" pocket, and a gut hook.
100' of 0.25" rope.
Rangefinder
Binocs
Headlamp.
Cloth game bag
However much food/water I think I will need.
Extra ammunition for rifle
Lighter
Leatherman multi-tool
Ballistics chart (taped to rifle)

Most of the time:
6" knife
Bone saw
Gloves/balaclava
2-way radio

Oh, yeah the rifle and license/tags too.

[kjm]

I guess that it depends on what you're hunting, where and how. I've never hunted the bigguns in the West. I'm never out more than a day, and rarely am I more than a mile from my folks' home, so I just take a knife, a rifle or shotgun and some ammo.

If I'm hunting deer, I use the rifle, if I am hunting pigs, I use a 12 gage with #4 buck. I sometimes take water, and if I'm sitting in a deer stand, I take coffee in the morning or tea in the afternoon. I sometimes take something to read if I am bored. Snacks are good too!

No- I am not a real hunter. I only do it for meat, so I remain as comfortable as is possible.

[SavageSniper]

KJM, don't cut yourself short. IMO that is a true hunter.

[22-rimfire]

Stuff I carry fits nicely in a Cabela's blaze orange vest. I really like their vest. Buy it big to fit over a coat though. Ammo-I once shot 10 shots in one day when I was young.... since then I have never fired more than a couple rounds at a deer.

The key items are for the most part in FF's posting. Compass, ammo (two reloads), SOG Revolver Hunter fixed blade (with saw) and folder knife, spare car key, a couple water bottles, gloves, wool scarf, digital camera, cell phone, topo map, small bar of soap (motel soap) and baby wipes, small roll of surveyors flagging, scents, paper towels, disposable poncho, trail mix & granola bars, hard candy usually, paper back book, rope, pipe cleaners, oily cloth in zip lock, zip lock bags and one garbage bag, matches (and extra matches in zip lock), ear plugs, and binoculars.

I also will be carrying a monopod this year. I carried stoney pt shooting sticks and don't find them very flexible. Also considering game ear (muff type). I might add that I hunt now with a revolver only.

[BIGR]

2 or 3 knives, water, rope, pee jug, rolaids, advil,striking paper, backpack, extra ammo,2 flashlights, cell phone, walkie talkie, whistle, grunt call, lil can, cover scents and alot of clothes if its cold.

[FirstFreedom]

I really should add flagging tape, for tracking. But thus far, I just grab sticks lying around and bury them sticking up, next to every few drops of blood; then clear out leaves around the stick so it's easy to spot them.

And I may have to beg to differ with the gentleman who said you don't need a compass unless you're going far. Maybe you don't if you have an extraordinarily good internal compass, or if the land is mostly open fields, where you can see a long ways by moonlight. But personally, where I hunt, in thick woods, finding your way back at night is very very difficult without a compass, even with a flashlight, and especially in the summer & early fall. I tend to veer left or right when I think I'm going straight, and in the summer, you can only see about 20 yards, if that, and everything looks the same. I can get lost for an hour or more (wasting time and getting frustrated) not 200 yards from camp, if I don't have my compass. Moonlight doesn't make it through the woods canopy very well, so a flashlight is a must as well. My .02.

[Art Eatman]

Extra ammo. Maybe 20 feet of light rope. Sometimes a canteen on a belt. Three-inch folding knife to field dress Bambi. Some toilet paper as a locator beacon if Bambi is well away from any jeep trail.

I rarely have enough stuff to fill my light fanny-pack. Less weight = more miles of travel without fatigue, back in my walking-hunting days.

Water is easiest carried if it's inside you. "Water up" before leaving camp.

Art

[ZeroJunk]

I take a 20 ounce plastic soft drink bottle full of water and a sandwich..Some toilet paper for a trail and it's intended purpose.Pocket knife.Lighter.Flashlight.Cell phone if there is service.I use the cargo pockets on my jacket instead of a backpack.If I am hunting in a flat coastal area I take a compass.If you get in an eastern NC pine forest on a cloudy day you can find out what REALLY lost is.

[FrontSight]

FirstFreedom: Good list, but you forgot to mention baggage carriers to haul all that stuff...lol