The 1 Piece of Equipment...............
Equipment
Contributors to this thread:
What would you say is the single more important piece of equipment to you being successful in your hunting. The piece that, over others, you would over-spend on and make sure there are no compromises.
Sharp cut on contact broadhead that flies true .
Tried to come up with something. It all really comes down to desire, drive, preparation, etc. If I had to narrow it down to a piece of equipment, I guess it would be a reliable vehicle to get me to where I wanted to hunt.
Quality binoculars have really helped me .
For me I think it has been the internet in the last 15 years I can narrow down a good hunt fast talk to more people and get more info than I ever have before , I this has helped my success the most
My body and mind. I have and will continue to kill things with cheap stick bows, wood arrows, and two dollar used broad heads. Up through customed rifles and handloads that cost big money per round. I’ve worn sweat pants up through high dollar clothes. I e stood on limbs and hunkered beside brush. I’ve set in high dollar heated blinds too. Point I’m making is it cmmes down to nothing more then my determination to hunt and the ability of my body to do so. Everything g else is just luxury
I’m not killing anything without my bow regardless of how good or bad I may be..even in Walmart Camo!
Binoculars. I live in NM and most of my time is spent glassing big country. I can’t think of anything more important than my swaro’s.
Binos… You can't hunt what you can't see!
I'd say the Turbo Diesel, but I threw my last two bucks in the back of the Camry. Tough to beat a pair of boots that functions like expected, whether that's warm, dry, breathable or all of the above. Blisters can really drop the morale
Hands down, my tree stand safety harness and lifelines. They give me the piece of mind, and utmost feeling of being safe whether I’m climbing up, leaning over for an awkward shot angle, or climbing down until my feet are back on the ground. Knowing my wife, my dad, and my kids all have the same setup in place, allows me to know we’re all getting home safe...and you can’t really put a price on that.
It's boots or optics and it's not close.
Definitely my ozonics...;)
OnX Maps...Been able to confidently go deep into some areas that I never would have ventured without it in the past. Have killed with different bows, clothes, glass etc but OnX or similar gps with ownership has made a big difference for me.
This question was posed about a year ago, and I said GPS, for SBH reasoning above. But now I’ve been tinkering a lot with OnX, and haven’t been using the GPS.
I hardly ever hunt without my Binos and a belt knife. I think I’d probably have to say Binos and bow
Quality binocular rangefinder combo
The bow of course. Otherwise you're just camping or out for a walk.
My release. I suck without it and wouldn't kill much probably. LOL. Everything else I could still be a killer with cheaper stuff.
Safety harness never leave the ground without hooking up, so far have never needed it THANK GOD!! Hunt smart be safe.
Great binos. I can shoot a cheap bow or expensive bow and kill stuff, but binos are hard to skimp on.
My "Bow'd up" blind and tracking spiders
A comfy, warm sleep system. A well-rested hunter is a good hunter.
Besides the obvious weapon, I do all of my hunting on the ground, ambushing on the downwind side of trail funnels. I haven't used a tree stand in decades. I haven't used binoculars for years but, since I sit motionless for 3-4 hours at a time, I NEED a comfortable stool.
Really depends on the species and topography. Honestly I don't think there isn't a piece of equipment where average won't cut it. The only thing I might say where average won't cut it is cold weather clothing for cold November sits.
Bowsite changed the game for me!!! Hunt
I'd have to 2nd HUNT, bowsite/internet in general has helped me the most. I've met some great buddies on here and have killed elk because of them for a variety of reasons.
My new right knee from four years ago.
Never leave home without it.
Not sure..... have to consult with my Sherpas.......
Actually.... thinking about it now..... the most valuable piece is normally the one I forgot....
My eyes. But since that is probably not what you mean, I would go with my climber. I love being mobile, and comfortable.
My brain. Can have all this fancy expensive shit, but if ur brain can’t keep it together you learn real fast money don’t buy skills
The arrows, any bow will throw one, but only a perfect arrow will make a perfect shot.
It's not a single piece of equipment, it's the preparation. The blue collar guy with a Bass Pro, cheap brand bow that knows how to tune it and has put thousands of arrows through it will always out perform the insta-famous celebrity who barely put a handful of arrows through Hoyt's latest carbon Ferrari. The will to prepare is everything..."fear the man who has but just one rifle, for he knows how to use it".
I believe the Basspro brand bow, Redhead, is actually made by Bowtech, so it IS better than the latest and greatest Hoyt or Mathews carbon Ferrari.
Bow hands down. Next is pack. It's all gravy after that......
Nothing has made me more successful than my HECS suit
12yards beat me to it.... my release. I can shoot all kinds of bows. But my release... that thing took my target panic away.15 years panic free.
Looking back at what either failed me or let me down over the years and it revolves around cold temps and getting cold on stand. Modern clothing systems and tree stands have made huge advancements. Learning how to properly layer with clothing systems is a game changer, combined with use of "hot hands" all the time/everytime out, makes me more effective on stand. Even if it 30 degrees out, I have one in each pocket of my coat...no sense in being even remotely cold out there. Modern stands like my lone wolf setups make me not have to worry about stands making noise at the wrong time. One of my best hunting buddy's moved up to IL from Mississipi and swore up and down on the quality of his summit stands. One season in below freezing temps and they are all replaced with lone wolf now. Half dozen blown chances cuz your stand squawked will make you rethink your brand.
15x binoculars and tripod... game changer. Ed F
A large black dunkin coffee:)
Bow/release/arrows/broadheads are obvious choices. Clothing/rain-gear/boots keep you in the field longer but? Range-finder/optics can be helpful. Number one “thing” that I’ve contribute success to is not an object or a piece of hunting gear but PREPARATION!!!
My huntomatic 90000 Xl. Ozone system, scent dispersal system, mineral feeder, corn feeding coon catchen. Has the rattlemattic doe bleat enhancement option as well. I can true spin my arrows and get my thwack em six blade cut on contact broadhead obsidian sharp. Fits in a nice duffle bag but weighs a ton with the extra car battery I have to haul in my fifty yards to use it. I have never been busted deer come in on a string and the big bucks can't resist it. I think I'll try and use it elk hunting in my UTV and just drive country roads until it's thermal actuating sensor text my cell phone to let me know there is no game in them there hills. Good luck y'all. Yee Yee!
My 3 blade Rocky Mountains I've used 45 years now
Woods Walker for the win. I do not skimp on TP, only the softest, most absorbent TP caresses my crack. It is always in my hunting pack. It should go without saying that hand sanitizer and a few field wipes accompany it.
Elk--Good boots and a comfortable bed.
Whitetail--a solid treestand.
Turkey--A good blind
Antelope--a good blind
Seems like there are three buckets of items
the terminal tackle itself
the gear that keeps you comfortable and in the field
the gear that helps locate game
I guess you sure can tell who is putting his faith in his equipment instead of himSELF.
JMO, you can’t kill anything that you can’t get to or can’t find. Boots & binocs would go a long way.
I have zero reservations about hunting Elk with a bow that cost me $150, brand new, in 1990. I have a ‘67 Thunderbird that cost me $65, used, and the only reason I wouldn’t hunt Elk with it is the #44 net draw weight.
I have no qualms about broadheads costing $35/ six; no worries about the straightness of the cheapest Aluminum Easton makes. Camo is a joke. You could hunt in a Magnum, PI shirt and the animals would never know the difference. All the “digital” Camo is designed to fool NVGs and Suckers, so unless you’re hunting after legal hours (and the Elk have NVGs), I hope that stuff is comfy enough to make it worth your money.
No, I do not believe that I am some kind of Super Hunter; just a guy who has been at this long enough to know that I’m my own worst enemy and that there is NOTHING that I can buy that will put me within range of a deer or Elk if I don’t get everything else pretty much right on my own. And a side of good luck never hurt anybody.
Woods Walker's Link
Condoms? RIGHT!
So THAT'S why the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society at their recent fundraiser event had a live auction with a "His" package and a "Her" package, and the item for the "His" was a VASECTOMY! Makes sense to me!
Not sure if this qualifies as Equipment but for me it is my physical conditioning year round.
If I can't get there to the game/species I am hunting, then I don't need any equipment!
Good luck, Robb
IMOP there is no right or wrong answer. However, I think the question goes much deeper. For me it's desire. The desire to get out and be in the woods before sun up and to watch the sething sun. The desire to be the best hunter I can be. Through preperation. The desire to consistently put meat in the freezer hence providing food for my family. The desire to be as profeciant as I can possibly be in respect to the animal I am hunting. The desire to experience God in what he has created and given us the ability to enjoy.
When elk hunting in Wyoming I’m pretty sure I’m going to have my bow and license but one item I never go without whether packed in or day hunting is a way to filter water.
Oh, just be like Bear Grylls and recycle your urine!
I feel like a weapon is too obvious of a choice. Excluding that, it would be boots for me. I hunted for years in “good” boots that didn’t fit my feet and suffered for it not knowing any better. I couldn’t believe the difference when I upgraded to boots that actually fit my feet.