Skill and knowledge definitely play a decisive role in hunting. However, even the most skillful hunter is certainly going to benefit from having the right gear.
Equipment probably won’t make a better hunter from you. However, it can allow you to plan your hunting more efficiently. In addition, it may help you with landing a kill.
Limited space forces us to really think what to actually take. The bad thing about this is that there are so many useful tools that could immensely help with hunting! Unfortunately, one would be able to take only the most necessary items.
But there are things that we think any hunter should have with him. On today’s material, we’d like to introduce you to our top 5 accessories to take on a hunting trip.
Trail cameras
Trail cameras allow hunters to keep track of the game for extended periods of time. Using trail cameras implies a number of advantages for you.
First of all, trail cameras allow you to remotely observe the prey without disturbing it. If the prey feels secure and doesn’t suspect anything, you are much more likely to land a kill.
Secondly, you won’t be able to watch your prey constantly, so a trail camera will allow you to compensate for it. Plus, if you set up trail cameras in several locations, you’ll be able to watch a number of spots simultaneously. And you may even be able to do so even if you are away from the hunting grounds.
Lastly, trail cameras can provide you with crucial information on the behavior of the game. Equipped with motion sensors, hunting trail cameras are capable of taking photos upon detecting animals nearby. Not only that, but the photos will also be stamped with the time and date, which would allow you to gather additional information about the behavior of your prey.
Now, getting several trailing cameras will likely cost a lot of money, especially if you’ll be going for high-quality models. But it can be worth it because it will save you a lot of time and will provide you with crucial information.
Decoys
As a newbie, not using decoys in hunting is one of the biggest mistakes that one could make. While you may have successful hunts with no decoys, using them increases your chances.
Decoys don’t cost that much money, but the opportunities they deliver are boundless. Noticing an intruder in its territory, the prey sure is going to want to drive the foreigner away. Lured just where you want it to be, the prey gets exposed to a clear shot.
There is simply no reason why you should not use decoys. However, when preparing a decoy, you would also want to do things right, or you’ll get the opposite effect.
First off, placement is crucial with decoys. They need to be set up in a way so that your prey notices it from afar. And besides, it needs to be located in a spot where you’ll have a clear shot.
In addition, you should take care not to leave any weird scents on the decoy. Using rubber gloves and scent-eliminating sprays is imperative.
In the end, what we meant to say is that while decoys can be immensely helpful, improper use may result in the opposite effect.
Rangefinder
Regardless of how good of a shot you are, a good rangefinder is a tool that you should definitely be using. You may be skilled enough to measure the distance offhand, but you run the risk of making a mistake. A rangefinder would allow you to lower that risk.
Now, a rangefinder won’t be able to compensate for bad shooting skills. You would still need to be good to actually land that shot. But this becomes immensely easier with a rangefinder.
There are plenty of rangefinders out there, and they differ from each other widely by what they can deliver. Cheaper rangefinders have lower-quality optics, worse accuracy, and slower speed. Thereby, you’d actually want to go for a pricier model that could offer more accuracy and reliability to you.
But make sure not to opt for a laser rangefinder. It may just give away your position, which would basically make your investment a waste of money.
Shelter
For the cases when you get stuck out in the wild for some reason, you should have some shelter options prepared. There are plenty of ways to go about making a shelter.
If you have room, you could just take a compact tent or a shelter tarp with you. These would allow you to quickly set up a cover.
Another option would be to go for a bivy sack, but again, you would need to have room for it.
If you have very limited space in your backpack, then an emergency blanket could be great as well. An emergency blanket is made of weatherproof fabric, allowing it to be used as ground cover, an emergency shelter, wind/rain blocker, and whatnot.
If you don’t have the room for any of this stuff, then you would need to make a shelter on the spot. And to do that, you would actually need to learn a couple of additional tricks.
In the end, each of these options is great as long as you can ensure that you will be safe and won’t get cold out in the wild.
Bone saw
In addition to a pocketknife and maybe a gutting knife, you should also pack a bone saw with you. Knives just aren’t going to suffice for sawing bones.
A bone saw can be used for cutting the thick bones or joints of the prey to quarter it so it fits in your backpack. In addition, you could use a bone saw for cutting wood, which could come in handy in emergencies.
Aside from the saw itself, you should probably also carry a sharpening rod with you. The bone saw will get dull very quickly from cutting bones, so you could be left out with a blunt tool very unexpectedly. And speaking of sharpening, you should also get a sharpener for your knives for the same exact reason.
About Me
I am Morgan. I run RangeFindersAll.com where I talk about rangefinders (you kind of guessed that, right) and how it can be used for purposes related to hunting & sports. Feel free to reach out to me for anything related to rangefinders and I will be happy to help.