What are your daily essentials when packing in for a day mule deer hunt?

[N_Steen]

I use a cow call more often mule deer hunting than anything else. Time after time it is ideal to stop a deer from walking without scaring the beegeezers out of them. The fallacy of deer just standing around giving unlimited time for a shot costs a lot of deer every year. Some guys can do a good job of making a sound with their own mouth, but nothing I have tried is as effective and easy as a cow call.

I’ve had a deer at 70 yards going full speed stop at a moderately loud “mew” long enough for a shot. We all know deer often stop and look back before going over a ridge and a cow call can get them to stop a second time. It can get a bedded deer to stand up, or get a deer to turn a little to get a better look at his head gear.

The kid in me also likes anything that plays with the brains of animals. Over the years I’ve had a lot of fun with young deer testing the most effective ways to use it.

Cow Elk?

 

[TaperPin]

Cow Elk?

Yes, although I suppose someone can do a mean “MOOO!”

 

[Mike Dettorre]

Everybody's comfort needs are different. In addition to hunting related gear, first aide kit, and that day's food and water; even if I am going in for what I think is a day trip, I make sure I have minimum gear to get thru the night if the unforeseen happen. 1000 calories of extra food, 12 ounces of extra water. couple of contractor clean-up bags to act as an improvised shelter, couple of ways to start a fire, an extra set of oversized thermals depending on forecasted lows for the area.

 

[Alpine4x4]

3L water
Bino harness with my 10x, benchmade knife, and rangefinder
Game bags
Outdoor edge saw
Zip ties
Sig 16s
Granola bars
Puffy
Peloton 97
Diamond hone
Glassing pad

 

[CaribooBC]

I see a lot of people carrying 2+ litres of water, is this because you are hunting an area where there is no water? I carry 500ml and a water purification kit

 

[coyote_out]

One thing I always carry, just have it in my Bino pouch, is a small powerful flashlight. I use it for route finding, when a headlamp does not cut it.
Sometimes I will add a glow stick to my pack, but I am starting to think a little piece of reflective tape would be better from a weight and use standpoint.
One thing I try and do at the end of each season is go through my pack with a pad and paper and write down items I used, and items I didn’t. Helps me decide what to leave off the list next time. It’s easy to fill up full of shit.

 

[Jeff5053]

Kill kit
A heavy duty trash bag for meat, a lite duty one for head.
Binos
Rifle and ammo
Foam sit pad
Enough food for the day usually cold food, sometimes splurge a bring stove and a peak meal and coffee.
3 liters of water
Mulie hunts are usually cold snowy hunts for me.
Serious Sitka puffy, puffy pants if extra cold
Old snowboard mittens
Tripod
Kowa 88 always goes with even tho(especially because)it's gnarly, huge country. I've seen bucks at last light, that drove me nuts not knowing if they were worth taking Monday off to go after because I didn't have a real spotter)
Small first aid kit
Flare for fire starter emergency
Katoola K 10 crampons in certain places
Trekking poles

I am fairly new to hunting (3 years). I have always been curious about what people include in their first aid kit. Would you mind sharing?

 

[akhunter3]

I am fairly new to hunting (3 years). I have always been curious about what people include in their first aid kit. Would you mind sharing?

A lot of this depends on your training and comfort level with rendering first aid/med intervention. Some people will go so far as chest seals, etc. Others will take tape and some gauze.

I usually have at minimum- coban, gauze, abd pad, dermabond. This will let me make a pressure bandage, stop bleeding, etc. Quick clot is a good thing as well if you know when to use it

 

[HuntHarder]

Depending on how far, typically 32ish ounces of water per mile. First aid kit, kill kit, tripod, trekking poles, tarp, inreach ( if no reception), headlamp, beef jerky, granola bars, sweets, PB &J.

 

[Jeff5053]

A lot of this depends on your training and comfort level with rendering first aid/med intervention. Some people will go so far as chest seals, etc. Others will take tape and some gauze.

I usually have at minimum- coban, gauze, abd pad, dermabond. This will let me make a pressure bandage, stop bleeding, etc. Quick clot is a good thing as well if you know when to use it

Makes sense. I appreciate your help. In terms of knowing when to use quick clot, are you referring to areas that you are unable to use a tourniquets?

 

[akhunter3]

Makes sense. I appreciate your help. In terms of knowing when to use quick clot, are you referring to areas that you are unable to use a tourniquets?

There is some literature out there on when to/not-to use quick clot. It does not clean off of wounds easily and comes with it's own set of issues in terms of wound healing after the fact. Ideally, only used if you can't stop the bleeding any other way. I do also carry a tourniquet separate from my med kit where I can get to it quicker