Equipment Preparation for Hunting Season

Hunter zipping up his tent.

This list includes anything and everything you need to do, pack, or check before heading off to the hills to go hunting.

According to Webster’s equipment: 1. the equipping of a person or thing. 2. the state of being equipped. 3. the set of articles or physical resources serving to equip a person or thing: as (1) the implements used in an operation or activity, (2) skip this part- something about farm stuff, (3) mental or emotional traits or resources.

Equipment Preparation for Hunting Season

Well, I don’t know about you but I need to equip myself with a pen and paper or computer generated gear list for hunting season. The List includes anything and everything I need to do, pack, or check my hunting gear before heading off to the hills….banjo’s or banjo music is optional. So what I am babbling about this time is the need to get your STUFF out and make sure it is where you left it last (the wife may have moved it, sold it, or thrown it out) and make sure it is worthy of another season of abuse.

This is the part where you get to look at your STUFF and then decide which kid to beat for poking a hole in the water bladder, ripping the shoulder harness off your Blacks Creek pack, shooting your last few rounds of 06 ammo from WWII, and stinking up your Danner Boots. It seems like I pretty much forget about the condition of things at the end of the season so that I don’t have to add up the expenses after the fact. This is mental trickery at its best and besides new gadgetry always comes out just before the next season. I would prefer to look like I just stepped out of Cabela’s but generally I look like I stepped right out of Hank’s Trailer Park Hunting Supplies and Accessories.

Make Simple Repairs After Hunting Season

Since money is not made on trees any more I resort to being much thriftier and using duct tape as often as possible. However, duct tape does not fix everything, I realize that is blaspheme, but bear with me here…..binoculars are hard to make with duct tape. So if your last pair were stolen and you must get new ones, one does what one must! I hope she reads that “stolen” part. My point is DON’T wait until the last minute and either not find what you need or pay a lot more than you should. Additionally, if you wait until the last minute making simple repairs is no longer an option and the emergency run to Cabela’s is now your only choice. Even if by design that really is not a smart move because the store may not have what you need.

So take some time NOW and plan your equipment replenishment, repair, replacement, or add on. By doing this now you should be able to shop accordingly and save yourself and the family some last minute hustle and frustration.

Inventory Your Gear

I inventory all of my clothes and equipment and store them in large plastic containers. They stack nice, keep out the critters, and almost always remain where I left them last, unless I left them where they didn’t belong! By going through each container I will discover if I lost a glove or broke something from the season and forgot about it. I am also able to check consumable items such as scents, soaps, and batteries. By now I have a list of items I must think about repairing, replacing, or ignoring.

General Hunting Gear Categories

Full Gear List

*Modified depending on the hunt, travel method, etc.

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