Top Deer Hunting Picks for Your Pack
Top Deer Hunting Picks for Your Pack
Being prepared for that first cold morning in the whitetail woods is something we’ve been dreaming about since last season closed. Having the right gear makes a world of difference between planning in the summer and tagging your next buck. Don’t fall behind this fall; here’s what you need in your pack to stay sharp for the deer you’re pursuing.
Early Season Prep
Prepping your bow is the first step before you pick your ideal hunting spot. When upkeep comes into play, I always try to wax my bowstring to preserve its life through the offseason. When it comes time to sight in your bow, have a set of allen wrenches to adjust your sights to get an effective shooting range at the distance you feel comfortable. It also helps to have a case for your broadheads and field points when swapping between practice shooting and going to the stand.
Scent Control
The weather can be pretty warm and rather unpredictable early on, so you want to minimize your scent getting in and out of the spot you’re wanting to hunt. Always be sure to have some sort of scent control on you before you enter the stand to cover your tracks. Having scent control like ozone helps immensely, but if you’re looking for something budget-friendly, there are different scents as well as products like scent-free laundry soap and hand wipes.
Safety First
While getting your stand put in place, I always have my harness ready to use and make sure I have a safety line secured to the tree for the harness to clip onto while I attach the steps. Once my stand is up at my desired height, I keep extra nylon cord and carabiners in my pack to put on the tree for haul lines for my equipment, as well as extra straps to tighten down ladder steps and my stand if necessary. Other pieces like bow hangers will help with your setup and keep your hands free when the moment arrives. If you’re hanging cameras, always be sure to have extra batteries and SD cards on hand for continuous performance.
On The Hunt
When the time comes to execute your plans, I try to have a checklist with me because no matter how prepared you think you are, things can slip through the cracks. Always remember to pack your release if you’re bowhunting; nothing hurts more than being in that moment and not being able to utilize your bow. I always have my license and tag in my pack whenever I step into the field; this is a requirement to hunt in Iowa. As fall drapes the landscape, temperatures can plummet, so having spare warmers for your hands and feet can help keep you out longer.
Glassing Gear
Knowing your wind is crucial because a mature buck will pick you out from hundreds of yards away without alerting the whole herd. Having a wind checker will change where you decide to hunt and how to hunt certain areas like ridgetops where thermals can carry your scent. Having a great pair of binoculars and chest harness is huge for looking through the fields and timber for your target and figuring out where they plan to travel. Another optic you won’t catch me without is a rangefinder. Moments in the rut can happen in an instant, so getting the yardage for the shot is vital to maximize success.
Calls & Rattles
Calls can turn a good hunt into a great hunt. I try to have a grunt tube on me at times and a hand-held rattling set to entice bucks into thinking there are others fighting for their harem of does. A doe bleat is another wonderful tool that can bring the wariest of bucks into your shooting lanes. For rattling, I have used matched sets to create the realism of two bucks brawling. If you want more concealment over holding a pair of antlers, the hand-held sets offer a unique way to hide movement while mimicking the real thing.
Tracking and Field Dressing
Once you’ve made the shot, tracking can go from good to bad in seconds, so be prepared when something goes wrong. Always keep headlamps and flashlights on you for when the track job goes well into the dark. If the decision comes down to backing out until the morning, keep some reflective tape handy on you to mark a tree or branch where you last found blood or any sign indicating where you left off.
When you find your deer and the celebrations wear off into hard work, remember to tag your deer in the first 15 minutes of finding it. When it comes to field dressing, it always helps to have a knife sharpener on hand in case of any dull blades. For cleaner butchering, pack in some gloves to avoid messy handling and some smaller tarps to set on the ground to keep meat from getting dirty and contaminated. For smaller cuts, I like to have some zip-lock freezer bags on hand to get some ice right away.
You can take all of these tips I’ve given you here and make yourself a more successful deer hunter and outdoorsman. Being precise and ready is an edge for any situation and something you will always want to have on your side in the woods. Good luck and happy hunting this coming fall!
