Share Your Hunting Gear That ACTUALLY matters

[overspined]

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.

I haven’t used my LW climber in years. Which coincides with many large buck kills…. Coincidence? I’d say nope

 

[overspined]

Most of my bow kills have been longbow. So here’s my “must haves” regardless of weapon.

#1 always-First off hunt the wind, so a compass and milk weed
Lately I use topos to hunt the terrain with wind combo so on-x or whatever
Clothing-stay warm & dry. I use 90% wool & down top to bottom head to toe, heated insoles and heated pnuma vest, muff
simple weapon configurations including fixed broadheads, no excuses about equipment failures
safe and mobile stands/saddle
ground seat/set-up for unconventional sets

 

[SEPA@73]

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.

Thanks for response!

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[Hall17]

We could all kill deer with less gear. However, gear can make you more comfortable, keep you warmer, etc. When I think about gear that helps me I think back to the clothing I used to wear. I would be cold and uncomfortable most days. I wouldn't be able to sit as long which meant less time in the woods. So for me the clothing I now wear has kept me more comfortable and warmer which has certainly helped.

Saddle - allows me to hunt differently than carrying around a climber. I can hunt more places easier and more effectively helping me to more success.

OnX - allows me to narrow down my search for new areas. Less time walking around the woods trying to find specific terrain features

There is a lot I could toss and still kill deer but there is a lot of materialistic things that I feel help me be more successful. Being more comfortable allows me to enjoy the process more. I am 38 years old and have been hunting since an early age. I get more and more excited for each new season and I believe that is because I am more and more successful each season. A lot of that comes down to becoming a better hunter but the gear I have has allowed me to explore those new 'areas' of the hunting process

 

[Deltahuntr]

Read all the serious comments. Tell the truth the most important thing was CORN ! Haha!

 

[WISCO]

OnX pushed me out into public. Knowing where I can go made that enjoyable and me not as anxious about it.
A bow that fit me a little better made my accuracy increase which gave me more confidence.
Saddle hunting has made things more exciting. But for me I wouldn't say it made me more successful. But it has got me to try public some. Which has made me less successful. But has put more enjoyment in hunting.
All the tinkering is fun. But starting to feel like I am wasting money to gain minamal improvements.

I second OnX. The App showed me all the public land that I was over looking.

 

[Maverick1]

None of the recent purchases I’ve made have “lead DIRECTLY to more deer on the ground.”

Gear is helpful, but it’s mostly a case of exponentially diminishing returns.

 

[raisins]

a lot of stuff matters for me

of course bow and arrows, but my saddle gear is selected to balance comfort, speed, and lightness and my clothing is a series of layering systems of my own creation that allow me to walk and climb without sweating and stay warm on stand

the big name gear and clothing brands want to sell it that they've figured it all out and have a system just for waiting....i'm not believing it

you'll do better for yourself if you develop these things for your particular needs

 

[SILhunter]

I'd have to say climbing sticks with a saddle or light weigh lockon have made a big difference to me, getting in a lot of trees a climber never could.

 

[Micneador]

Ultimate one stick.
My first year saddle hunting I used several brands of sticks, and bolts. Never really was satisfied.
Bolts were my preferred method of the two but I never truly was satisfied as my go to method, that and I hate climbing down for some reason. One sticked this year and I have never been more confident. I may like one stick climbing as much as actually hunting.

 

[Petrichor]

OnX and my bow. All I actually need. I love sitting under a tree or trying to move silently in the woods like the primitive people of the past.

 

[BTaylor]

Thermacell and GOOD toilet paper, not that John Wayne brand butt sander stuff. Gotta be properly prepared for drawer droppin.

 

[neonomad]

Hate to admit it, but in the past five years nothing has taught me as much about the deer I’m hunting as a Cuddelink system. I’ve learned more patterns in the past two years than in the prior 20.