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Hunting Gear - Help.

Viper22

Viper22

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So as a newbie hunter, I'm sitting here wondering what gear I need to buy for the fast approaching shotgun & blackpowder seasons. First off, I need to buy camo. Something inexpensive. Doesn't have to be insulated, as I can layer underneath the camo. Any recommendations?

As far as boots, I'll be wearing workboots. Yup. I'm cheap.

Gloves? I'll need to keep my hands warm, but I will need to fit the gloved hand inside the trigger guard. Again, any recommendations?

Also, should I get a backpack? Is there any gear I need to carry in the backpack?

I'll most likely be purchasing gear at either R&R in Belchertown, or DSG in West Springfield...
 
Viper22 said:
As far as boots, I'll be wearing workboots. Yup. I'm cheap.
Click to expand...

Good luck with that. If I were going to reccommend ONE item for hunting, it would be a good pair of hunting boots. As for the rest of the stuff, save your money. You won't be in the woods long enough to need any of it without a good pair of dry hunting boots.
 
cricco said:
Good luck with that. If I were going to reccommend ONE item for hunting, it would be a good pair of hunting boots. As for the rest of the stuff, save your money. You won't be in the woods long enough to need any of it without a good pair of dry hunting boots.
Click to expand...

Agreed! I like to layer some wool socks under a pair of these...

s7_830378_imageset_02


http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0020948830378a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&QueryText=lacrosse&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

Some other items:

Knife (gutting)
Rope (dragging)
Little Saw

I am sure others will be along soon and add quite a bit more...
 
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rubber gloves for gutting

cover scent

hand warmers if your getting cheap gloves

flashlight to help find a deer that managed to run a bit after it was hit. preferably one that has the colored lights as an option so you can see the blood trail.

some sort of SEALED snack in case your out there for awhile

bottle of water

deer drag or rope as mentioned in a post above

bag for the heart, liver, kidneys if you plan to take them.

rangefinder

binocs

i agree with the boots, once your feet get cold/wet your all done. you'll be saying f this i'll come back out tomorrow. same goes for gloves

there could be a lot more or a lot less depending how YOU want to do it and how much you want to spend, how hungry or thirsty you get, how much you can carry etc etc
 
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Dick's has a great selection of hunting gear, that's where I ended up getting most of mine.

Always throw a container of waterproof matches in your bag as well.
 
cricco said:
Good luck with that. If I were going to reccommend ONE item for hunting, it would be a good pair of hunting boots. As for the rest of the stuff, save your money. You won't be in the woods long enough to need any of it without a good pair of dry hunting boots.
Click to expand...
I second this one. Even with my "good boots" my feet can get really cold sitting in the stand on some days. Go for warm and dry.
 
Shotgun and M'loader season in Ma can be COLD, Forget camo if you don't already own it. It's over rated anyway, especially if you have to wear a big orange vest over it. Think warm and think layers. I like wool because it stays warm when damp or wet. Then a cheapo orange vest over it all. Waterproof warm boots ARE A MUST. Warm knit hat and decent gloves.

Knife, rope, flashlight, waterproof maches or lighter, spare ammo, and compass is a minimum that you can get by with. It can all fit in pockets or a cheap fanny pack.

Also one of the foam pads to sit on will go a long way to keeping you comfortable enough to stay in the woods longer.
 
Same again what everyone else said. Camo during shotgun and muzzleloader is optional as it will be covered by orange anyway. Boots, Gloves, and Hat are key. Chances are you'll be walking through water, snow, etc and cold feet will shorten the day pretty darn quick. A good pair of 100% waterproof boots where the waterproofing goes at least 3/4 up the boot is a must. As for gloves, I prefer the flip kind which has thin fleece glove inside a mitten. This way you flip the mitten back when you need to pull the trigger, operate your gun, or do whatever and don't have to take them off. They usually have a pocket for warmer packs too which is nice for the really cold days. They are pretty cheap at Wally World. I've been using them for years and they work out well.

I prefer a backpack too since I like to bring a bunch of stuff out with me. Some powerbars, water, knife, rope, scents, binoc's, rangefinder, flashlight, headlamp, extra long sleeve shirt, latex gloves for gutting, ziplocks for wallet & cellphone etc, and some warmers is my usual gear. Oh, and I highly recommend a sitting pad. I strap mine onto the backpack. It makes a big difference if you are sitting in a cold steel stand or on a rock. The cold makes its way through your pants regardless of how many layers you have on.
 
Dick's has mittens (great for putting handwarmers in) with a flap that flips back to expose your fingertips for shooting/gripping.

The Thinsulate boot insulation runs from 200 (light, cold, cheap) to 2000 (heaviest, warm, most expensive). In my mind, if I could afford it, I'd go with nothing less than 1200. I have some light, dry, Wolverines from Sportsmansguide, that are serviceable now, but at 400 won't be later.

I've noticed the rubber swamp boots on the pros on Versus, in all kinds of terrain/climate. Pants tucked in to eliminate your odor rubbing against vegetation.
 
Check out the Camelbak's that DSG has for sale. They cover the storage problem and the water bottle issue in one conivent package.

extra ammo
batteries for the moonbeam
space blanket
spare knife
extra boot laces
pair of thin wool glove liners, work good when the day heats up or walking in/out.
extra pair of socks
glow sticks
small package of baby wipes. good for cleaning hands after whatever.
small carabiner or two

I carry way to much junk with me but thats the boy scout in me.
 
I agree with many here. good boots are a priority. Actually several pairs, different ones for different temperatures. I have lightly insulated rubber boots (scent control) for early to mid season bowhunting. Hiker (comfortable and easy to walk in) type for pushes and stillhunting. And sorrel dominators (large and difficult to walk a lot in but warm) for cold weather sits.

I have a multi compartment fanny pack I keep my licenses, permission forms, a pen, 3 knives, cover scents, wind indicators, small flashlight, deer urine, car keys, knife sharpener, purell hand sanitizer and heat packs and a small utility saw on the belt.

I also have a back pack for lunch, rattling horns, camera, water, drag rope, extra gloves.

Extra bullets are kept in my left pocket and deer calls in the right pocket. Binos around my neck along with one grunt call.

I wear a very light too small pair of gloves when hunting. I want them to fit very tightly to my fingers so I have good feel of the trigger. If my hand gets cold it will go in a pocket with a hand warmer for a little while.


If it is going to be really cold and you are sitting these things are invaluable.

thermacare.jpg


Put them on so the heat is right over your kidneys and they keep you warm all day long!!
 
rubber band or safety pin to attach your tag to the deer.

lip balm if its windy.

sun glasses if its a BRIGHT winter day with snow on the ground.

face mask or a hat that has a part that would cover your face on those extremely cold days.

whistle + signal mirror in case you get lost.
 

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