Simplicity

[woods89]

What value do you put on simplicity in your hunting?

I get that gadgets are cool, and this is a gear website, so maybe it's the wrong place for this. But I have worked to simplify numerous aspects of my hunting in the last few years. I feel that complicating ones gear or processes results in inevitable inefficiencies. I'm also quite sure some of you are much better at this than me. A few things I have found to work well simplified-

-No bipod on my rifle. I spend a fair bit of time practicing off my backpack.

-Minimized my bino harness. I got tired of carrying a lot of stuff on my chest. Sold a AGC harness and switched to a Rick Young system. My stuff goes into my pockets or belt pouch. Hopefully it helps me be more selective about what comes along.

- Along those lines I also switched from binos and a rangefinder to rangefinding binoculars, which simplifies the shot process.

-Switched to a backpack that bridges the gap well from lightweight summer hikes to packing out meat. Now I just use one pack for pretty much everything.

-I've spent a fair bit of time finding a layering system that works in a wide variety of conditions, without having too many pieces.

-Sometimes rather than trying to make a hunt into a backpack hunt I've found it to be better to just camp by the truck. I find that I'm a much better hunter with just day gear on my back.

What have you simplified, and how has it worked for you? I need something to keep me away from the various ethical and philosophical dumpster fires the off season brings.

 

[Moose83]

I think you pretty much nailed it... keep on keeping on. Hunting doesn't need to be complicated.

 

[steelheadmike]

There’s definitely something to be said for this approach. I have definitely become less “gear-centric” the last couple seasons. I quit carrying extra stuff that seemed cool at one point. Everything in my pack has a purpose and will be used at one point or another (some more than others: tags and kill kit, I’m looking at you).

If I add something it’s only to increase simplicity or replace something less efficient.

It all really boils down to doing what works for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fngTony]

I’m definitely guilty of this. What I do is refer back to lightweight backpackers, not so much for cutting weight but for simplifying the gear. Because of the likelihood of colder weather and going off trail I’ll swap out some clothing with more appropriate options and add maybe one two additional items.

Hunting gear I keep simple, weapon, knife, game bags, license, optics (situational, don’t bring everything). I already have cord from my hiking gear so no need to bring more. Mostly use my ryo harness but picked up a minimal harness for when more protection is needed.

Water, just a couple plastic bottles and either aqua tabs or sawyer filter depending on what I’m doing. I hate bladders and the gadgets for inline filtering/ easy filling are just more fussing around than I care for as well as failure points.

Clothing has cost me some coin but I have a versatile system now that with a couple substitutes covers me for 3 seasons. Winter is a different animal.

Packs, I have three to cover everything. One that can haul meat but isn’t too awkward or overkill for lightweight backpacking. A lightweight pack that could cover three days. A small bag for short day trips. This wasn’t crazy expensive as the frame & suspension and lightweight bag were bought here used, hunting bag bought new but on sale. Day bag was ten dollars at Walmart.

My bow is ten years old and I still use a whisker biscuit.

 

[displacedtexan]

One rifle, one pack.

I like nice stuff, but can't afford/justify a huge collection of it. So I have worked to figure out the stuff with the widest uses.

 

[Beendare]

I’ve been hunting mostly with a recurve now…so yeah, I agree.
Shooting a Coues deer and other critters with my recurve means more to me than a couple of giant bulls I’ve shot with a compound. Funny how that works.

Its simplicity sure…but fwiw I try to put more emphasis on Skillset…instead of gadgets.

For the record, its all hunting…gadgets and whatever weapon you choose is great…..no better no worse. My choice is a personal one, nothing more.

 

[justinspicher]

I went the simple route a few years ago and decide to actually “focus” on hunting, not what it takes to hunt. I am fortunate to live in an area that is close to my hunting spots, within 45 minutes I can be in several spots to hunt elk at varying elevations and terrain. I day hunt for the most part, because it’s just easier and there is way less for me to carry. Most of the time I am not actually the hunter, I am out with someone else who has a tag and that is really stress free.

 

[Rich M]

Ever go hunting with a bottle of water and a pbj and granola bar in one pocket, knife and short length of rope in other?

 

[fngTony]

Ever go hunting with a bottle of water and a pbj and granola bar in one pocket, knife and short length of rope in other?

Yep, can be regrettable not having a couple more things but that’s a good problem to have.

 

[Zdub02]

I've enjoyed ditching a lot of gear and ground hunting whitetails recently. Brings back nostalgic memories from childhood and has made the hunt more enjoyable. Feels simpler without toting a pack with a bunch of gear and a stand around and allows me to be lighter and more mobile.

 

[awbowhunter]

I remember back east as a kid I carried whitetail hunting whatever fit in the pockets of my army surplus camo. Got older and started using a fanny pack...small.

Now I am guilty of being the worst geat whore ever. Elk hunt with a fella 10 years older. He carriers a cheap pack you'd probably get at Walmart he's had 20 plus years. Light weight with only essentials. Trail head....he looks over at me....kifaru frame pack, AGC harness, And says what the hell you got in that thing. He had a good laugh as we went through all the stuff I thought I "might need".

I'll say over the last 5 years I bet I have cut the weight and amount of items I carry in half.

However, a couple essentials that are gadgety are: Garmin Inreach, OnX on my phone, rangefinder, headlamp, flashlight, extra rechargeable battery.

 

[5MilesBack]

Simple but functional for my purposes. I know what I like, and I know what works for me. I try to hunt ~20 days every September. I only need my hauling pack once my elk is down, unless I decide to pack in for part of the season. So the rest of the days I'm just carrying my day pack which I rarely even recognize that it's there. I also don't need to pack a bunch of stuff in except for the essentials. If I need anything else beyond that I can always hike out and get it.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I have always been a, KISS ( Keep It Simple Stupid.) kind of guy. My friends may disagree.

 

[long hunter]

Ever go hunting with a bottle of water and a pbj and granola bar in one pocket, knife and short length of rope in other?

Yep

 

[VernAK]

I keep my rifle as simple as I can get it. No ammo pouches, no bipods, Take the sling off when in thick cover. No flip up caps on scope but a Scope Coat or piece of therapy rubber band over the scope when hiking. I much prefer a good, fixed power, simple scope with a simple reticle.

Quality, moderate power binocular on Rick Young strings. For most hunting, I don't use a range finder. If the critter is that far, I slip in closer. I also avoid Velcro as I've seen moose spooked off by buddies opening Velcro to get to bino etc .

 

[jayhawk]

I find the more I hunt, the less I carry. Also the more I think “There’s got to be an easier way to do this….” It’s just trial and error.

 

[Dos Perros]

I still use a whisker biscuit.

Jesus Tony!

 

[Yoder]

I like to keep it simple. I drive my side by side out to my heated, enclosed blind overlooking my corn feeder. Generally I just bring my ozonics, binoculars, range finder, grunt call and lead sled shooting rest with extra clothes and my portable propane grill to cook lunch. Weapon of choice is a $5k bolt action in 6.5 PRC with a 6-24x56mm scope for those long range low light shots. When you hunt hard, you don't have time to mess with a bunch of gear.

 

[woods89]

Interesting stuff!

I definitely have some things that always come along. Zoleo, phone with Onx, small first aid bag, usually a Nalgene, headlamp, etc.

 

[nphunter]

Depends on the hunt for me,

Went on a stick bow hunt a couple of years ago, high desert deer, slept in the back of my pickup, hunted in my tennis shoes with no pack 90% of the time, just a water bottle in my pocket. Got within 15 yards of a giant but his little buddy got between us. That was such a fun hunt, I would love to hunt every hunt like that but most of the time I'm hunting areas where I need to go into a shithole to be successful so I end up packing everything in with me so I don't have to come out empty.