Share Your Hunting Gear That ACTUALLY matters

[BuffaloBill]

I have a ton of gear, 3 or 4 different type of sticks, two hang ons, about 48 arrows, packs of broad heads that aren’t even open, no less than 2 of my own saddles, 4 Aerohunter saddles, a Cruzr XC, an old Trophyline Ambush, just picked up a side winder, platforms from barren ridge, lone wolf, XOP, the predator, and a ridge runner. I have two bows (hoyt rx5 and Bear Species LTD) 150’ of Samson predator rope, 40’ of sterling htp, ascenders, belays, tons of prusik cords 3 different sets of camo for the different types of weather (our hunting season could be mid 90’s one day and a high of 45 the next so it’s a variety) oh and processing gambles, sleds ect… My wife is so upset when she looks through our hunting (and an equally large fishing section) that I have gathered through the years. Out of all that junk, the only thing I can honestly say ever truly helped me kill a deer was a bow and arrows. I have sat in a ghillie suit between a palm hammock and an oak hammock and shot them from the ground. Is it as nice or comfortable as a stand or saddle set up? No. Does it put me possibly over the scent trail or field of vision? No. Does the camo and scent crap help you get a little closer on days that it’s tougher to keep a sustained wind in my favor? Absolutely but if we are being 100% true with ourselves a pair of old pants and shirt hiding in some bushes with a rifle (ok we will include a shotgun or muzzleloader) or a cheap bow and arrow set up helps us kill game. People have been successfully using it for long before any of us were here. all of the rest comes from product promotion, and tapping into our drive for an easier, more comfortable, and more efficient way to hunt. So if this post is what truly helps you kill deer it’s your weapon everything else simply helps you get your weapon aimed on a deer easier. I mean any one who has ever drove down a county road at night knows you can kill a deer (In my best Ron White voice) “with a van, going 55mph with the headlights on and the horn blowing”.

I don't have nearly that much gear but have accumulated plenty over the years. I would have to agree that not much other than my weapon of choice has directly helped me kill a deer. As much as we all like to obsess over gear, our time would probably be better spent scouting and shooting our bows/rifles. But that stuff takes more effort than watching YouTube and browsing the internet in your sweatpants ha.

Edit: Also I'm not being judgmental, that's what i'm literally doing right now. It's below freezing out and spitting snow.

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

A fantastic perspective for someone with this much gear knowledge to not only say you don’t need it to kill deer, but to go so far as to call it junk hahahah!

Man it’s by far the most expensive passion I have. My wife’s Valentine’s and Christmas gifts fail in comparison

 

[kyler1945]

Slightly tangential, but I would say one of the biggest advantages the last several years has been the classifieds here, rokslide, AT, eBay, etc.

if you put a little thought and time into it, you can try all the gear coming out, used, for basically the cost of shipping, until you figure out what you want.

I tire of threads asking for specific experiences of people who aren’t the OP on gear that is highly user specific.

You literally can have all the expensive stuff for a few hundred dollars in shipping, and sell it at the end of every season. Or, if you decide certain pieces of gear work for you, keep it.

You really can use awesome stuff on a budget. Huge advantage for new hunters, hunters on a budget.

 

[ketch22]

I’m going to say the saddle has helped me. It has helped me stay much quieter and more mobile which has equaled seeing more deer. I have not killed one out of a saddle yet, but it has taught me much more than my previous methods.

 

[Plebe]

Slightly tangential, but I would say one of the biggest advantages the last several years has been the classifieds here, rokslide, AT, eBay, etc.

if you put a little thought and time into it, you can try all the gear coming out, used, for basically the cost of shipping, until you figure out what you want.

I tire of threads asking for specific experiences of people who aren’t the OP on gear that is highly user specific.

You literally can have all the expensive stuff for a few hundred dollars in shipping, and sell it at the end of every season. Or, if you decide certain pieces of gear work for you, keep it.

You really can use awesome stuff on a budget. Huge advantage for new hunters, hunters on a budget.

Idk. I think there's a benefit to those threads. Folks that have been using a select item, have real experience with the item, well those folks are situated to possibly offer some insight into getting the best performance out of the item. Even folks who have never used the item might see or know something that could make the item better for an op or even another forum member.

It's true that poor information or information that doesn't apply is put out this way too.

Even in your "net" shipping hunting budget model, if you try everything you're out a lot of shipping cost as well as the budget of what you hold onto through the season. (granted you can play to earn income, but risk losses too).

So those threads help your new or budget hunter determine what makes sense to "rent".

 

[Weldabeast]

Every year the same....ThermaCELL refills and permethrin are most important purchases.....

 

[woodsdog2]

EWO Ultimate One Stick with UP Platform hands down! It's lightweight but roomy, quiet, stable, safe and of extremely high quality. It is certainly a hunting tool that has made it so much easier for me to scout at this time of the year, identify spots that I want to hunt in the fall, and just go in with my saddle and set up. I don't have to monkey with multiple sticks and then installing and adjusting a separate platform. With this integrated climbing/hunting method, access and set up are now a part of your actual hunt instead of having to go in ahead of time and set up a stand. Some may say well you can do all of this with sticks and platform or ROS and yes you, absolutely can. But I literally get to the tree I want to climb, take off my pack, take my EWO UP out and hang it on the tree, get my sidewinder deployed for climbing mode and begin the climb. Once at HH, I spend more time getting my gear hanger and all that junk set up the way I want than I do actually climbing the tree anymore. It is hands down the most mobile but also comfortable piece of gear I have ever invested in. This combined with a very comfortable, uber adjustable saddle like the Sidewinder with Saddlespenders, and I absolutely have never been quieter and more mobile. I do want to try 2TC this year (and I've been saying this now for two seasons) and have put it off because I honestly enjoy the one stick method so much. I am excited for this season to incorporate the IWOM XT which along with the EWO UOS and UP Platform, I think I will really have the ability to stay all day during the rut!!!

 

[elk yinzer]

Good boots, good maps, a reliable vehicle that can navigate high clearance roads, and clothing to match variable weather conditions.

 

[Patriot]

Treehopper drill and bolts are great. I used to use them all the time on private land. I don't get to use them too much anymore since I hunt 95% public. I still use them on what private I have.

Have you considered presetting a ring of steps and skipping the platform? Then all you would have to do is climb, tether in and hunt.

my I have but predator is more comfy

 

[Bowtie747]

When changing from a climber to a saddle and sticks, which is what I did 5 years ago, the answer is yes. Tree selection isn't nearly as limited and the sticks, or in my case now, a single stick with a platform top, allow you to hunt deer instead of trees.

Switching to a saddle and sticks made me immediately more successful because I could hunt where the deer actually were, not just where the telephone pole trees were.

Yea I get your point! My point was more meaning to like having a set of Shikars and then switching to beast sticks. That kind of gear changed lol not sure they really kill deer. They are more creature comforts

 

[AttackMode]

Eberlestock Air Base base layers. I purchased these prior to last season and used them exclusively this year. Absolutely the fastest drying, most breathable base layer out there. We had a very humid start to the season here and I was able to hunt comfortably and was very successful because of that.

 

[philsanchez76]

Agree with @Weldabeast the thermacell is the only way I could kill early season white tails at all.

Other than that cell cams. I’ve got a cell cam addiction. The instant feedback is exciting and is what keeps me scouting a lot. I am obsessed with trying to figure out exactly how deer use an area and the cell cams either confirm or deny my assumptions. Then I can see where not to waste any more time and where to drill down further. Also a cell cam has never allowed me to get a pic and kill a deer same day. These are all on public and even if I got a pic of a 200 incher, he wouldn’t be there by the time I could drive there, hike in and set up.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

Other than my weapons my biggest need is versatile cold weather clothing and raingear. The majority of my hunts throughout the season are done in temperatures between 20F and 35F and in lake effect rain or snow conditions. If I can't stay warm and dry my time on stand is severely limited.

 

[Nutterbuster]

Hickory Creek mini is the single best expense I've incurred as far as killing effectiveness is concerned. Perfect weapon for somebody like myself who is really only interested in "archery" because it adds 1 month of season and 100x (easily) more property to hunt locally.

Boat. Opens up a lot of places to hunt that are easy if you have a boat, and impossible if you don't. Boat ownership is one of the few barriers to entry that works in my favor.

Pope and Young database membership. Let me learn in a few days what I may have never learned or only learned after decades of chasing my tail. Namely the two major areas in my state where the biggest and most deer live. 80/20 rule literally applies here, and the results of hunting those areas were immediately felt.

Besides that, most money spent on the hobby has not correlated to increased success. If my house burned down with all my clothes, gear, weapons, etc, I'd buy a hickory creek and a boat immediately, retrieve my spreadsheet from the cloud, and hope somebody would take pity on me and donate clothes and a stand.

A saddle for me just makes things easier sometime. But honestly more and more of my honey holes i could hunt with a steel Summit. Probably has something to do with my covid weight.

 

[BackSpasm]

Hickory Creek mini is the single best expense I've incurred as far as killing effectiveness is concerned. Perfect weapon for somebody like myself who is really only interested in "archery" because it adds 1 month of season and 100x (easily) more property to hunt locally.

Boat. Opens up a lot of places to hunt that are easy if you have a boat, and impossible if you don't. Boat ownership is one of the few barriers to entry that works in my favor.

Pope and Young database membership. Let me learn in a few days what I may have never learned or only learned after decades of chasing my tail. Namely the two major areas in my state where the biggest and most deer live. 80/20 rule literally applies here, and the results of hunting those areas were immediately felt.

Besides that, most money spent on the hobby has not correlated to increased success. If my house burned down with all my clothes, gear, weapons, etc, I'd buy a hickory creek and a boat immediately, retrieve my spreadsheet from the cloud, and hope somebody would take pity on me and donate clothes and a stand.

A saddle for me just makes things easier sometime. But honestly more and more of my honey holes i could hunt with a steel Summit. Probably has something to do with my covid weight.

I was hoping for a reply from you. I love that P and Y database is on your list. Lots of slander of saddles, bows, etc on here which is on brand. It says a lot that, for a guy who used to work at a bow shop, you would buy a hickory creek again immediately, not even a gun first huh?

 

[SNIPERBBB]

Everything boils down to what gives you more opportunities to kill deer. You can rationalize about any purchase under this rubric.

 

[philsanchez76]

Hickory Creek mini is the single best expense I've incurred as far as killing effectiveness is concerned. Perfect weapon for somebody like myself who is really only interested in "archery" because it adds 1 month of season and 100x (easily) more property to hunt locally.

Boat. Opens up a lot of places to hunt that are easy if you have a boat, and impossible if you don't. Boat ownership is one of the few barriers to entry that works in my favor.

Pope and Young database membership. Let me learn in a few days what I may have never learned or only learned after decades of chasing my tail. Namely the two major areas in my state where the biggest and most deer live. 80/20 rule literally applies here, and the results of hunting those areas were immediately felt.

Besides that, most money spent on the hobby has not correlated to increased success. If my house burned down with all my clothes, gear, weapons, etc, I'd buy a hickory creek and a boat immediately, retrieve my spreadsheet from the cloud, and hope somebody would take pity on me and donate clothes and a stand.

A saddle for me just makes things easier sometime. But honestly more and more of my honey holes i could hunt with a steel Summit. Probably has something to do with my covid weight.

x2 on the mini. I didn’t mention it earlier cuz I just assumed all y’all were smart enough to be using “Jerry’s deer gitter” (which I believe was the original name before “mini”replaced it)

 

[SEPA@73]

TNbowhunter - what model within the ororo line did you purchase? As I'm getting older, I'm finding it more of challenge to bundle and stay warm without too much bulk for a bow.

For me, base layers are important!
My #1 difference maker - the Artic shield boot insulators added time on stand in January. Very light and you dont even need to use the velcro strap!

Lighted nocks don't help you kill deer but they cut tracking time and almost always make the recovery easier! Your arrow can tell you everything - if you can find it!

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[TNbowhunter]

TNbowhunter - what model within the ororo line did you purchase? As I'm getting older, I'm finding it more of challenge to bundle and stay warm without too much bulk for a bow.

For me, base layers are important!
My #1 difference maker - the Artic shield boot insulators added time on stand in January. Very light and you dont even need to use the velcro strap!

Lighted nocks don't help you kill deer but they cut tracking time and almost always make the recovery easier! Your arrow can tell you everything - if you can find it!

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

I have the Classic Heated Vest and recommend it highly. They have recently come out with a new camo heated jacket that looks fantastic, but I haven’t used it.

 

[Noonespecial]

Becoming a saddle hunter 3 years ago for sure but this year was the Cruzr XC. Didn’t really help me kill anything directly but I am finally able to sit all day in comfort and not fidget.