What gear does everyone use...?

[Whitefeather]

What gear do you folks bring with you night hunting?  Figured it would be of help to each other to see what others are doin.

Rem700 .223
45ACP on hip
Power Dogg w/remote
two mouth callers.  Hot dog and Ki yi
12'x5' leaf blind
Primos silver cover scent
Primos rifle light (100 yard)
1) 1M handheld spot with red lens
1) 350M handheld spot w/red lens
Tripod for 350M spot light
550 Nikon laser range finder
field glasses (only during day hunting)
Dog leash with choker chain (for dragging out kill)  OPTIMISIM
Shooting sticks
Wind powder
Skinning knife and tail stripper.

[bigben]

thats a lot of gear.  

I carry this into the field.  

a .223 tikka or a mossberg 12ga shotgun
foxpro or preymaster
two hand calls on a laynard around neck
nite lite wizard headlamp
if using a rifle a pair of shooting sticks
if using a rifle a scope mounted light
string

thats about it.

if I am hunting out of my vehicle

I carry extra....
batts
hand calls
light bulbs
change of clothes
boots
munchies and water.
5 hour energy or red bull
knife and tailstripper along with trash bags.

I am sure there is more but when I hunt with another person I normally scale down to the shotgun extra ammo one light and thats about it.  sometimes we carry too much stuff and I think it can start scaring critters when we sound like a pack mule clanging our gear around.  plus depending on how you are hunting it could slow you down to be carrying to much stuff.  

grey fox hunting I carry only my shotgun 5 shells+3 for in the chamber, foxpro and a headlamp.  nothing more nothing less.  takes less then a minute to gear up and start walking to a spot.  very easy to get in call and get out.  

[Whitefeather]

We cant hunt out of vehicle in Pa.  Unfortunatly you have to pack it in!. If I am hunting 150yards from vehicle I will leave knife, stripper leash, 1M light and tripod in vehicle.  Most the time where I go though, I am trekking in 400+ yards.  Sucks if a light goes bad and your all nestled in.  All my gear is in a Army backpack and doesnt really make any noise.

[uncle buck]

I believe in the Necklace of Death...So I carry about 8 to 10 calls around my neck..

I do like to  go to Army & Navy stores or Waterfowl areas of stores and buy their bags to carry a little bit of everything I might need on stand.
The paratrooper type gear bags are nice to carry and they can take a beating...I don't like the kind you carry on your back..I like the kind you carry on your side with a shoulder strap..
Mask & Gloves for daytime calling, rubber gloves, small kitchen garbage bag with ties for fox..Flea killer to spray into that bag and seal it up..This remains in the vehicle of course..

I also carry extra gear in a large Homedepot or equal too tool box..Lights, batteries, nightstyks, extra Crit-R-Call call,

Good gift to get a tool box..You can make one up for all of your hunting you do.. One for deer, one for predators, one for chucks, one for black powder, etc etc etc...When it's time to hunt just grab it and go...Make sure you look inside so you take the correct tool box...

[foxtrot]

I like to travel light and move fast.
 -combo gun 17hmr and 20 gauge
 -shooting stick with 6 volt nite light attached
 -3 calls,2 around the neck one in the pocket
 -extra ammo and bulb
 -drinks and snacks in the vehicle
That about covers it.If you leave much gear in your vehicle they just steal it!

[Whitefeather]

Why so many calls UB?  Cant you make all the calls you need with 2 or three callers?

[uncle buck]

yep I could just take the three open reed Crit-R-Calls as is from the factory. However some of the other Crit-R-Calls same barrels as original  I change the reeds out on them and the pitch is a bit different That's just me... I do jump around to different sounds at different stands so I just like to have a battery of sounds available.. you do have to be careful that they don't click or clang and as you know the hunt is all over then...I keep them on the inside of my hunting coat and not on the outside...


I did go hunting yesterday for coyotes...I took the Powerdogg and one call type (comes in 2 calls) around my neck...The Primos Lil Dogs...

[scott]

.17 fireball with 532 lumen cabelas light
tripod
fury
two hand calls
bulb squeaker (UB, i know you always have one or two one you)
nite lite wizzard head lamp

12 guage side by side
fury
two hand calls
bulb squeaker
nite lite wizzard head lamp

in the truck i have on of those cabelas dry boxes.  that holds extra batteries, bulbs, and extra wizzard lite and battery, shells, extra lite sticks, extra weld sheild.   

in the back of the truck i have plastic bags and a big storage container for critters. 

also i will sometimes carry a ruger single six when i carry the shotgun for finishing shots and coons. 

i am sure i take other stuff i am forgetting. 

[Whitefeather]

Thisworkin pretty good.

[Whitefeather]

This is a picture of the tree line @ 64yards with 1M light.  The light is not quite as bright as this picture.  

[bigben]

yeah I know ya cant hunt out of a vehicle in pa.  what I meant is if I am hunting and am driving my vehicle to spots to hunt instead of my cousin driving or another fellow predator hunter I carry the stuff I mentioned about.  it kinda makes it a pain to have someone bring way to much stuff and it clutters the cab of the truck quick with too much gear.  in reality all ya need is your gun a call and a light.  sometimes I wonder how many of us carry too much stuff.  look at your gear and write down a checklist of what you actually used and what ya didnt use.  if the items on your list is in the didnt use list more then three times time to eliminate that from your vehicle and leave it at home. 

[Whitefeather]

yeah I know ya cant hunt out of a vehicle in pa.  what I meant is if I am hunting and am driving my vehicle to spots to hunt instead of my cousin driving or another fellow predator hunter I carry the stuff I mentioned about.  it kinda makes it a pain to have someone bring way to much stuff and it clutters the cab of the truck quick with too much gear.  in reality all ya need is your gun a call and a light.  sometimes I wonder how many of us carry too much stuff.  look at your gear and write down a checklist of what you actually used and what ya didnt use.  if the items on your list is in the didnt use list more then three times time to eliminate that from your vehicle and leave it at home.  

I am a firm beleiver in having too much, instead of not enough!.  I carry two spot lights bcause left on all the time, they will only last about 25minutes each.  I use everything mentioned in my list.  Only thing I havent used yet is the skinning knife and tail stripper.  Stripper weight about 2oz and the knife is on my belt.  All other gear besides rifle light battery (on belt) is in or attached to back pack which also has a belt strap so carrying it is easy. UB mentioned he liked carrying a bag with shoulder strap.  I dont like carrying things on my shoulder.  Rifle is bad enough.  I dont eat when I hunt for fear of scarin off a coyote.  I dont drink coffee or Redbull while hunting, because I need my heart rate kept optimum for shooting long distances through scope.

I know hunters who drag tree stands on their backs with other gear including their weapon.  I would say I am traveling light!

[Yotestalker]

Savage model 10 .243 or 870 12 guage
bark-a-lounger
about 12 mouth calls packed on my MOLLE vest or randy anderson vest(winter)
Camelback hydration pack
facemask gloves
primos 100 yd light
belleview boots
marine digital camo
bog pods

[bigben]

I think alot depends on your style of hunting as well though whitefeather.  when I hunt normally I make one or two stands at night.  I dont travel more then a quarter mile from the truck when hunting a spot.  my parcels of land are extremely small avg size is 20acres or less.  got a few that are 100 acres and got some that are 5.  all have their place but most of the time it is drive in walk to my spot call and then get back in the truck.  I only carry what I need.  daytime hunting though I carry too much.  a decoy caller seat gun shooting sticks is just some of the things.  and then if I am lucky a dead animal or two on the way back.  makes alot to carry.  there has been times I have had to make two trips back to the truck to carry stuff out when a dead animal is involved.  I am pretty phsyced about this season though and am looking forward to it. 

[muttbuster]

Let me see, 2 six packs in camo cooler, one camo coozie, a fifth of Jack, one plastic cup, (to keep the weight down), one bag of ice, (only if above freezing), one large bag of Pretzels, one large bag of Ruffels Have Ridges and one pint of Green Onion Dip. Sometimes I will take corn chips and salsa instead of the Ruffels. Other that that, not too much.

223wssm or 223 or 17hmr or shotgun. ( depending on the County I'm in) and what I'm hunting.
shooting stix
2 squeakers and 3 to4 hand calls
FoxPro Spitfire
Shoulder strap seat or seat pad
Lightforce light attached to gun
Nitelite headlamp (batteries fro Lightforce and Nitelite are attached to a belt)
Knife
Streamlight flashlight to find the kill.


I can't think of anything else right now. I believe in traveling lite.