Must haves for 2015
Wisconsin
Every year there are a few things we all must add to our arsenals. Lots of things we all would like. Some things are must haves for what they provide. My list is fairly short.
Hooyman- dont know why I dont have but will this year!
Folding wheel setup for otter sled. This I will have to make, but high on my project list.
Tablet setup for GPS tracking.
Real short list for us. What about you?
NILGAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!not equipment but number one on list
I got the larger Hooyman from Santa this past year. You will love it. BC
Don't go with the Hooyman, they are poorly made. Look up Wicked tree gear, best saws made. I use them for hunting and for work(property maintenance). They stand up to anything I dish out. I have no affiliation with them.
I took in my bow for a new string. Mine needed a few twists last year after I could see my arrows hook left like my golf drives. After 5 years on that string, I decided it needed to be replaced.
Building a couple of gun hunting tower blinds too.
A new bow hunting spot , lost mine .
I agree with Rut..... The Hooyman is made for light work, have one, not that impressed.... saw that wicked tree at a show last year, see it next time I will buy one
Don't buy a Hooyman then! LOL. So far, I'm happy with mine but from the above posts (except mine) I would buy a Wicked Tree. I put mine through a good workout this weekend. Yes, I guess it was sort of light work. I will test further.
We (okay, I'm) creating new access trails throughout our property. I think we haven't been smart about how we access our stands. Anyway, buy the end of June I may have another opinion of the Hooyman. BC
More time in the fall to hunt........work is the real 4 letter word.
Bow Crazy, trails are very rewarding. They not only offer easy (in the dark) quiet access, but they certainly allow you to enter with other winds not tripping up your hunt. I take great pride during the early summer trimming up previously used deer trails, widening them, and actually raking them when debris makes for noisy traveling. The deer love them as well, and will use them in as little as a day. I like to bend deer trails and make new trails that pass my favorite "woodsy" tree stands. The deer I shoot walk within 20 yards of my stands, because they also enjoy the quietness of these same trails. Of course some are meant for my access, and others are meant for the deer. To bend a trail, I simply dump extra thick brush and tree limbs across the existing deer trail, and manicure a new trail that they cannot resist. After a couple trips down the new path, the deer forget about their old travel routes.
Must haves for me are typically the same every year. A couple more 20 foot ladder stands, and this year a new string after August perhaps? Need a dozen new arrows, and any old sharp broad heads will do. I think I'm trying something new. No cameras. Seems silly maybe, but I'm conducting a mental experiment. I have a harder time hunting, knowing what is there. I'm taking the "knowing" (pictures of the deer) out of the hunt. I like the idea of "hope". When I was a kid, and before using cameras, I actually think I enjoyed the hunt a bit more, anticipating what "might" walk down the trail next. Last year, I never had a picture of a deer I would have shot (self limitation). I must admit, it was difficult to force myself to do it every day for my 21 day vacation. I understand the rut can bring a deer from a neighboring property, but I also realize seeing it first hand, without the camera capturing a night dweller first, is just as rewarding. I did shoot a little 2 year old buck with a blown out shoulder with the bow, so I didn't exactly hunt for nothing, but I think I would have enjoyed the hunt more putting a bit more guesswork back into the hunt? It might seem like backwards thinking, but I'm sure some of you older hunters who dislike change, can agree with my thoughts on this? The camera and many other things has changed hunting, and maybe for me, not always for the better? This is personal preference. I'm really not caught up in what other people prefer. Happy hunting!
Some quality spots to hunt!!
Only used one once last fall. Was a whole lot nicer than carrying a big pole saw in. Will take a look at that wicked.
Some things are like bug spray. Always going to need them.
