Must have gear for beginner

[Woodzach08]

Take care of your feet first. Nothing else will matter if you're dealing with blisters or other soreness from cheap boots. Lots of places to cut corners, but footwear is not one of them.

What do you recommend for boots?
My buddy swears by Crispi, but im wanting to hear other suggestions as well

 

[NealS02]

There are a lot of good options. I’ve had good luck with Schnee’s.

 

[Grassymike]

Boots are personal. What works for me may be way different for your feet. Try on every one you are interested in. I have wide feet that need wide sizes. Lowa Tibets and Miendl have been the boots that fit the best in wide sizes on my feet. I have not tried all of the boots out there but a couple others I have used or have are Kenetrek mountain extremes and an old pair of Zamberlan hikers.

 

[Pony Soldier]

15' of tow rope. 4 or 5 bundels of parachord.

 

[Pony Soldier]

15' of tow rope. 4 or 5 bundels of parachord. A pack saw.

 

[Davyalabama]

Your starter list looks solid. Go hunt and reevaluate gear that works vs stuff that sucks and determine if you need anything additional or different.

Agreed!!!!!!!!!!!

I only laugh at this because I’ve been with a couple of new guys that forgot to pack half a roll of TP. Lol

Over time you’ll find the comfort items that work best for you. I really like to have a little square foam pad to sit on - if the ground is wet or cold it keeps your butt warm and dry, and it’s more comfortable when sitting on a rock.

A really warm fleece beenie is also a must have - pulled down over the eyes I can lean back on a pack and take a nap any time of year. It is also a life saver if you ever get caught out over night.

I don’t do well if food runs out so I’ve always keep an emergency stash that isn’t normally eaten of a couple ramen noodle packs to eat dry and half a dozen packets of instant oatmeal to eat dry, but it could be anything that holds up to not being eaten right away and has calories. These two things never sound good unless I’m hungry.

I give one of these cow calls to everyone in the family - not to call elk with, but to stop a walking elk, deer, or antelope. It works so well I’m amazed every hunter doesn’t have one on their binocular strap - keep it handy and over time it becomes second nature to slip it in your mouth. Blow it just barely loud enough to hear and a walking animal will pause for a second or two. It will get a bedded buck to stand up, or sometimes get a stationary animal to turn for better angle. I’ve been a couple hundred yards from a mulie running full speed away from whatever was chasing it - at 70 yards blowing it stopped the deer in its tracks for a second.

The Elk Inc model is durable nylon with a rubber band for the reed - with a new reed every few years it will last for decades.

During the rut when spikes are kicked out of the herd it’s really fun to mess with them with these calls. Blow it just loud enough to hear and wait until it goes back to doing what it was doing, then blow it again - each time he will get more excited and some times they’ll run right at you. lol

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I’d also recommend keeping your daypack packed all the time, even if it means duplicating some items. If it’s always packed and ready to go fewer things will be forgotten and what works well for hunting is also good for fishing and hiking in the off season. As we speak, if someone called and wanted to go shoot coyotes, pick up the pack, rifle, and head to subway for a sandwich.

A little 1/4” wide X 36” long micro tape measure can be a good learning tool. When you see animals actually make tracks in soft dirt or snow, measuring them will eventually give you a very good idea of the age. Old deer and elk often have big feet, and some individuals can be identified by an unusually large track. I also measure bear tracks on trails to give an idea of how many are there - one trail had 7 different bears using it, something that would have missed if they hadn’t been measured carefully.

Ok, day hunts, half a roll of TP will do ya. I also like the stronger shop towels and form to fit in a zip lok baggie in my back pocket.
Foam pad, yep, older you get, you'll understand.
Food, find what works for you. Gummies ain't going to cut it for fuel. Protein bars/Payday bars/etc.
Day pack packed always and bino harness (both go in a 72 qt bin) - a copy of my hunting/fishing license is also in my bino harness

Franklinbluth - yep, know how to protect your feet

West.mas.hunter - yep, compass and know how to use it - don't depend on GPS points (just when you need it, it will fail) Nothing wrong, just the old compass works

RayPorter -desire is vastly underrated. you cant do it from the couch or keyboard.

Just three/four/five adds
1) Me, I'm a dark face guy - I use a Derwent XL Charcoal - Sepia - it helps even with a facemask - sometimes I forgo the mask and just use it - up close with quarry sometimes.
2) water - stay hydrated,
3) learn a lot of patience ----- have a positive attitude -----
4) learn how to be still - if you hunt turkeys (they can see you blink from 1,000 yards, much less move an arm - exaggeration, maybe, but don't count on it - I've chased those buggers for almost 52 years.
5) Be prepared to spend the night in the woods or on the water - it can happen, probably won't, be ready - water/warmth/protection - one can go without food a night or two - be able to start a fire
6) I know I said 5, can't help myself ------ get out there, know your woods/land, quarry at different times of the season and time of day (the more you know the better you will be) I enjoy prepping, (scouting, etc.) as much as the kill after 55 years of this. I've killed and experienced a plethora, it's still enjoyable. BE A WOODSMAN
7) Know we have all been through what you are about to go through - Can I kill one? How many can I kill (a day, a week, a season)? Can I kill the biggest for "braggin" rights? Can I kill the oldest because he's the hardest to kill? What can I do to help others?
8) maybe a small roll of electrical tape - great for band aid, fixing things (it's waterproof more than duct tape), wrapping a splint (don't laugh, shot a turkey once - stupid thing went flopping off - didn't want to waste a shell so went to run him down - leg went in a hole running - broke it - had to shoot the turkey again after all - had to walk out broke leg, turkey and shotgun - drove myself to the ER - was back hunting in a week not walking as far (it's turkey season man, I ain't giving those buggers an inch), electrical tape, yep

You're day hunting, I get it, you never know what can happen, accidents can and will happen.

 

[TaperPin]

I just watched an interview of some search and rescue guys in Colorado describing trends. This year has been a big increase in rescues - a major factor they say is technology - when someone has cell service, a digital map, and is light on experience, they push a little harder, go a little further, and feel a little more capable than in previous time periods. Southwestern areas sound warm, but weather fronts will drop temps along with rain/hail/sleet/snow - if it’s rough terrain and bad weather, good chance nobody is coming to get you until the next day, even if you’re on the phone with teeth chattering.

 

[shootnrun]

1. The best glass you can afford. Buy once cry once. You can't shoot animals you never see. And you don't want to be forced to take breaks from glassing because they mess with your eyes or give you a headache. A good Tripod and head are great, too.

Gear doesn't make the hunter. Knowledge and experience will keep a lot of people alive and hunting longer than cool gear they don't know how to use. Invest in yourself. I don't carry a ton of extra crap. I always have a puffy, longjohns, basic first aid stuff, tape, bic, waterproof matches, kill kit, iodine and some 550 cord in my pack. The rest may vary depending on trip duration and quarry. But I have the skillet to survive with the basics I have on me if things go sideways.

Lastly... As much information about the critters you intend to hunt you can possibly garner. I cannot believe how many folks spend a ton of time shooting and buy every flat brim and giant bugle tube they can get their hands on but have no idea how to actually find elk. And then spend their 2 weeks vacation in an area that is void of life. Most FnG agencies love these sorts of folks.

 

[lynnk1007]

Get good puffy for the long sits. The right boots for the terrain is key, sore feet will suck when hauling out your kill.

 

[Mike 338]

Aside from lots of range time, what gear is a must have? I’m just gearing up for next season as a beginner hunter. I have my rifle, scope, knife, bino’s, and rangefinder. I plan to grab some shooting sticks, base and outterlayers, a pack, aswell as some quality boots. Anything else you’d recommend? I don’t plan to hunt multiple days just yet.

Located in Southern Utah, will be after Deer & Elk.

Headlamp and backup flashlight for sure. A way to make a fire. A lightweight tarp to butcher meat on or as an emergency shelter. Paracord. A sit pad of some type isn't necessary but can sure be nice. For years I just used a piece off of a old beat up closed cell sleeping pad.

A compass. You'd be surprised just how messed up you can get if you get socked in with fog or have to walk out of a new (or familiar) area in the dark. Just have a plan like... "East for two miles gets me to the main road". A compass has gotten me out of a cold night in the woods several times although you may need to spend the night in the woods. A map can be useful too although if you've thought about it in advance, a simple plan can save you. Seen phone navigation fail a couple times.

No need to spend big money. When I started out they didn't even have "gear". You just wore your Sears work boots and whatever coat you had. All scopes were crap and almost nobody used binoculars. Success rates were about the same. It's just a walk in the woods.

 

[Mike 338]

I just watched an interview of some search and rescue guys in Colorado describing trends. This year has been a big increase in rescues - a major factor they say is technology - when someone has cell service, a digital map, and is light on experience, they push a little harder, go a little further, and feel a little more capable than in previous time periods. Southwestern areas sound warm, but weather fronts will drop temps along with rain/hail/sleet/snow - if it’s rough terrain and bad weather, good chance nobody is coming to get you until the next day, even if you’re on the phone with teeth chattering.

Yes Sir... I think a young man in Finland recently died that exact same way. Called for help but the storm held off Searchers till the next day. Frozen hard as a stone.

 

[FranklinBluth]

What do you recommend for boots?
My buddy swears by Crispi, but im wanting to hear other suggestions as well

I like Crispi's as well. Other guys that I hunt with like their Kennetrek's. Footwear is fairly person-specific - finding the right boots are definitely a part of the offseason prep process. Lots of good footwear threads here to search for more specific recommendations.

 

[DeePow]

I am surprised no body has mentioned a filtration system. If you NEED to purchase a filter and bladder I'd recommend the HydraPak. I have slowly transitioned over the past four years to this as I need to replace pieces. This 600ML fits in a hip pouch for easy access when crossing a creek so you can fill your water bottle with their water filter. If you backwash and take care of the filter it will last you a long time. I have two just encase one fails, but I have used one extensively and its flow rate hasn't slowed at all. They also make a 3L storage that also fits the water filter. While getting links I noticed this new item - Seeker+3L I'm not sure what could make it UL, but it appears you get the filter and reservoir for $60 which saves you some cash