The importance of having effective equipment for your hunt cannot be overemphasized. Many people ask us what gear we recommend - over half of the questions we get are gear related. While there are things that we use and love people have their own preferences so what might be right for us may not be right for you. There's a lot to consider with gear - how much will you use it, your budget, ect. Gear choices are entirely up to you. It's also important to remember that there's a difference between essential and extra gear. This is what we use for different situations.
THE ESSENTIALS
To start, we’ll outline items that come with us on nearly every hunt. They are simple but can be overlooked when packing for your hunt. It’s always a good idea to label your gear (name and phone number) in the event you lose it.
Food and Water
We pack hard plastic water bottles or a water bladder. These don’t crinkle and make noise than a typical plastic water bottle. It never hurts to have extra water stored in the vehicle as well. Lack of water can force you out of the woods early. Same goes for food. We pack Clif bars, fruit, and Mountain House meals with us during the hunt. We’ll also make sandwiches before the hunt and pack them. Main point here is this - take food and water along and you’ll stay in the woods longer. Here are some links to water bottles, water bladders, and 7 gallon water tanks.
Hunting license, ink pen, and cell phone
These are incredibly basic but more important than most other things. Store these in a consistent location on your person. That will help you keep track of them before, during, and after every hunt. If you constantly put them in different areas, it’s likely you will forget them at some point. Some may see this as non-essential but we also carry a small battery pack and charging cable for our phones.
Mapping
One of the most important tools we carry while hunting public land is our cell phones that contain the OnX Hunt app. We use this app to discover new areas of public land, ensure we remain within boundaries, record our findings in the woods, and overall navigate the land safely and effectively. This tool has changed the way we hunt public land and we use it every hunt. Use code THP when purchasing an OnX hunt subscription in order to save 20%.
Tree saddle, platform, and climbing devices
We still use a portable tree stand occasionally, but have been using tree saddles the past two seasons. The main reason is to be more mobile. The saddle enables us to get elevated fast or setup on the ground if the situation dictates it . Click here to check out the Tethrd saddle equipment we use. For climbing sticks, we use a variety of different products, Our favorites are Tethrd ONE Sticks, Beast Gear Sticks, and Wild Edge Steps. The combination of the saddle, platform, and lightweight climbing sticks allows us to always have the options to get elevated if the situation dictates it, without adding a bunch of extra weight to our packs. To help silence these products and reduce metal on metal contact noise, we cover our platforms, sticks, and other metal components with Stealth Strips.
Proper Clothing
We try to wear clothes that are quiet with several pockets so we can store as much gear as possible in our clothing. It’s also important to pack a beanie or jacket with a hood to keep your ears warm. Gloves are also important. When it gets cold, Hot Hands oo a long way for keeping your hands and feet warm. Face paint or a baclava is also handy for keeping you hidden and warm. Our whole crew wears a range of different clothing brands.
Bow, Accessories, Release
This seems obvious but most bowhunters have forgotten their release at some point and it’s never a good thing. Always store your bow with the arrows and release attached. Strap your release onto the riser every time you remove it from the bow. This keeps everything together and makes these three items harder to forget. It’s fine to shoot without your quiver on your bow but good to practice with it both ways. It’s good to have a backup release in your bow case at all times. For bow accessories, our whole crew mainly uses the same accessories from Trophy Ridge. You can find the whole package for the accessories we use here. Use code THP10 to save 10% on Bear archery bows, and code THP21 to save 20% on all Trophy Ridge accessories.
Arrows and Broadheads
Our whole crew uses a variety of products in the Arrow and broadhead category. For arrows, we have found success with Vector Custom Shop products. Their algorithm helps you select an arrow that will fit your bow based on the specs you are shooting. They also spine test all of their arrows before fletching to eliminate the need to nock tune. Use code THP to save 10% on all Vector Custom Shop products. The list of broadheads we use gets a little longer, but in general we are all using a fixed cut on contact head that we believe optimizes penetration. Here is a list of some of our favorites;
Bow hanger
We pack a strap on bow hanger or smaller clip-on hook to hang our bow once in the tree or on the ground. Here is the strap and hook we use most. These are not a traditional screw in hanger and are legal on most public lands.
Firearm and ammo
When it comes to rifles, we use a variety of firearms and ammo across the group. The main goal when selecting a firearm and ammo is to find something within your price range that you can shoot accurately and comfortable using. The biggest factor here is to practice with your weapon and make sure you are sighted in prior to taking it afield. Our favorite scope to put on all our firearms is the Vortex Diamondback 3x9x40, which is a great combination of affordability and quality. For muzzleloaders, we have found success with the following combination of products.
Barnes Spitfire TMZ Bullets 250 Grain
100 Grains Blackhorn 209 powder
In addition to these firearms, we like to carry around BOG shooting sticks to make sure we always have a sturdy shooting position to make a clean ethical shot.
Grunt call
We try to pack one with us on every hunt, despite the timing of the year. Calling deer is most effective in and around the rut but keep in mind deer vocalize year round. Grunting can be effective outside of the rut depending on the situation. It’s best to pack a grunt call every time in the event you need it. Use code THP2018 to save 10% on Woodhaven Calls.
Optics
Binoculars are most important to us with rangefinder in a close second, especially when bowhunting. A bino harness/strap is handy always have them ready, and store your rangefinder in a place it can be accessed quickly with little movement. We prefer the Vortex Diamondback 10x42’s for deer hunting and their Impact rangefinder. Use code THP10 to save 10% on Vortex Optics.
Boots
We like to have a pair of knee boots, hip waders, and hiking boots in our vehicles. We’ve used Dryshod, Muck, Cabela’s, Lacrosse, and several other brands of rubber boots. Frog Togs make quality hip waders at an affordable price. We’ve used Merrel, Keen, Danner, and many other brands of hiking boots. We go through a set of knee and hiking boots per year. Main thing to remember is to keep moisture out of them. If they get wet (trust us-they will), take them home, remove the soles and use a boot dryer after your hunt.
Knife(s)
Having a sharp knife is very important. Most of them will work-just make sure it’s sharp. You’ll hopefully be using it to field dress a deer at some point! Havalon knives are great! They are small, and the replaceable blade options always provide a sharp edge.
Milkweed or Wind Indicator
We take a pods worth of milkweed seeds in our packs. One pod of milkweed can last 3-4 hunts depending on how often you check the wind. We also use this milkweed indicator which holds between 3 and 4 pods worth of milkweed. If milkweed doesn't grow in your area, or you want a cool pouch to store it in, shop our THP Milkweed Wind Indicators.
Trail Cameras
We have a number of different strategies for using trail cameras to assist us in gathering intel. The most common ways we use cameras are; monitoring areas to focus on hunting pre-season, letting cameras "soak" through the full season, or cell cameras to monitor bedding areas in order to know exactly when a buck is using that specific area, The two primary cameras we use are the Exodus Lift 2, and the Exodus Render Cell Camera. Use code THP10 to save 10% on all Exodus cameras.
Camping Gear
We are typically camping when traveling from state to state hunting. We like to stay at local campgrounds for access to electricity and water, but like the ability to remain mobile and able to adjust camping locations quickly if needed. Each of us has a camping set up that suits our needs, but in general our gear is very minimalistic. Below is a list of a handful of items most of us use to keep comfortable when spending much of our time camping;
-0 degree portable (for backpacking) sleeping bag
GEAR FOR PACKING OUT AND QUARTERING DEER
NOTICE: Be sure to check your state and local regulations to confirm this is a legal practice. Some states DO NOT allow quartering deer in the field.
1) Frame or Backpack
We use a variety of different packs. Frame packs are better suited for packing heavy loads but we’ve managed to pack out deer with traditional back packs as well. A pack with lumbar strap is helpful to distribute weight. We’ve used brands like Exo, Mystery Ranch, Alps, and Cabela’s. As with most things, you get what you pay for in a pack. If you plan to pack out multiple deer or use your pack for Western trips, we’d recommend investing in a quality frame pack like Exo or Mystery Ranch. Aaron’s pack is an Exo 4800 and works well for packing out deer.
Note - bungee cords or Niteize gear ties are handy accessories to have when packing gear.
2) Game Bags
There are tons of different brands. We’ve used Caribou and the Born and Raised Outdoors game bags for elk and deer. Smaller “deer” sized bags work best for whitetails but you can make just about any of them work.
