What Do You Bring With You?
Contributors to this thread:Connecticut
From: BBB
03-Dec-21
I was thinking about when I was in my 20's and hunted the Colebrook River Lake MDC property, and how I would stay in my stand ALL day, except for lunch when I would climb down to eat. Here's what I would bring: backpack stove for soup, can of soup, spoon, sandwich, 2 cans of soda, candy bars, 2nd pair of socks to change into at lunch time, hand warmers that used lighter fluid (and smelled), matches, topo map (no GPS then), compass, field point arrow to shoot into the stump by my stand, flashlight, homemade tree stand (no hand climber, bear hug the tree), fox urine, Qtips for fox urine to put in my boot laces, and toilet paper to mark blood trail and in case of emergency. I think back at how far I would walk, at the MDC and Housatonic forest properties and I just have to shake my head. A foot of snow was considered a positive, but today I'd rather have just a couple of inches or nothing at all.
From: Mtman
03-Dec-21
Did you paddle across the reservoir to access the land I live in Colebrook and have thought about it. I’m guessing there’s very little pressure
From: JohnNWCT
03-Dec-21
Close to the truck hunt...not much. All day hunt... Couple slim Jim's, sangwich, coffee, hand warmer, extra blaze ball cap and knit hat, antlers, and a packable down coat if I get cold.
From: BBB
03-Dec-21
I got to know the caretaker who lived in the house on the access road to the dam and he would leave me the key to the gate above the door at the garage. We would park on the dam, walk down the south side of the spillway, and then up the ridge to the fire road that headed north. We would strip down to our tee shirts and still be dripping sweat when we hit the fire road. We would walk for about 30 minutes, then down the east side of the fire road, down to a swampy area and half way up the ridge to our stand location. So many deer, it made it worth the trip.
From: Thisismyhandle
03-Dec-21
Because 99% of what I do is hang and hunt, I have to bring all kinds of shit with me. Plus now that I’m filming, I have all that gear too.
From: BBB
03-Dec-21
I can't see dragging cameras with me. My stand is getting too heavy lately. I'm considering leaving it at my tree and take my chances. You must be young thisismyhandle.
From: soapdish
03-Dec-21
Only what I can fit on my person.... even field dressing stuff is usually left in my truck. Kinda spoiled with first world problems
From: Thisismyhandle
03-Dec-21
I’m 42. I’m actually looking into saddles. Ditching the lone wolf treestand. My fiancée bought me(I’m 99% positive) new Novix double step mini sticks. They only weigh 7 lbs. I’d top that with the trophyline wingman stick/platform thing. That weighs 1.5 lbs. Go straight up the tree for only 9 lbs instead of 25 lbs. The camera gear doesn’t weigh too much. The base for the camera arm is the heaviest, I think it’s like 2 lbs. If I ditch the treestand and big heavy climbing sticks for a saddle and mini sticks, I’ll be looking good next year.
From: Blood
03-Dec-21
I bring a kill kit - knife, tag, pen and rubber gloves. A little iPhone tripod for selfies. Headlamp. Screw in bow holder. A protein bar. Water if it’s warm. And I hate bringing the tiny backpack I put that stuff in. Less is more.
I use the rope on my safety harness to double as a drag rope. And I put my pull-up rope in a pocket of my safety vest….grunt call in the other pocket. Treestand on my back and bow in my hand.
When I was younger I put everything I needed in my pockets.
From: Woodsnut
03-Dec-21
All day sit. I bring back back. With few snacks and drink - I have everything needed in it - if just a am hunt I just bring licenses and phone and what can put in pocket. I don’t like carrying bunch of stuff out.
From: Big Dog
04-Dec-21
Used to bring a pack; now, knife, drag rope, rubber gloves. I eat and hydrate before the hunt. Nice not feeling like a sherpa on the final ascent of Everest. Don't forget the toilet paper !
From: Woodsnut
04-Dec-21
I have TP in bag - for the main reason but 2ndly it great for marking blood trails and if left in woods it breaks down quickly.
From: Big Dog
04-Dec-21
Woods, you just reminded me to pick up the orange flagging used during blood trail in Oct. Gonna try toilet paper next time.
From: BBB
04-Dec-21
Notme - I guess you're the only one who brings the girlfriend.
From: STM
04-Dec-21
And maybe the need for TP ??.
From: N8tureBoy
04-Dec-21
I never used to carry TP. Couldn't figure out why people just didn't take care of business at home. Then, last season... the reason suddenly occurred to me. And I mean suddenly. I tried to deny it at first, but I eventually lost the battle. Let's just say I am now a believer....
From: BBB
05-Dec-21
When N8tureboy calls you must answer!!
From: Big Dog
05-Dec-21
N8, did you have to shred your undershirt, LOL
From: N8tureBoy
05-Dec-21
Hahaha BBB! Big Dog - It seems mylar balloons are everywhere, except when you need one.
From: Woodsnut
05-Dec-21
Yup I got caught out there too- AM coffee kicked in. But TP works great to mark blood when tracking, breaks down easily- good for environment and better than surveyor tape-
From: Hrtfdbowhntr
05-Dec-21
If all day I bring- small backpack with a water bottle (tape around it so it doesnt crunch or make other noise), large nalgene to pee in, tp incase that has to happen plus zip lock to put in, three arrows, layers for cold/rain if thats in the forecast, wind poofer, hand warmer fanny pack thing, 2 headlamps, field dressing knife and gloves, apples nuts and small boiled potatoes for food, rattle bag, grunt tube, phone, spot device for emergency. Screw in bow holder, 2-3 screw in footpegs. Am/pm sit mostly the same minus the food and tp. Soundslike a lot but its all compact and fits into the pack which i then can strap my bow onto for climbing. Also a hand saw. ??
From: Big Dog
07-Dec-21
Hrtfd, a thoughtful list of bow hunting necessities but no chocolate chip cookies ?
From: BBB
07-Dec-21
On really cold days, I'll fill my thermos with tomato/basil soup. Just before I start to shiver I'll take a big sip and I can feel the warmth go down my throat to my belly, and then I'm good for another 30-45 minutes.
From: Garbanzo
07-Dec-21
Well big difference between when I started and now. 35 years ago, it was a heavy climbing stand, A 3 compartment fanny pack with knives, compass, binoculars, Tp (for marking trails) Extra TP just in case you had to go, Boot Pads with Fox urine, an extra rest (because once I slipped and snapped mine off the bow), an arrow with a judo point, a bunch of stuff I rarely used but felt I should have with me and a water bottle. Now I hang a stand and it stays there. I bring in, Water, a sandwich, Granola bars, Candy (usually Swedish fish) a pack with knives, Trail marking tape, TP (just in case), twine, compass, binoculars. I also walk in with very light cloths and pack in my heavier layers At 59, I still stay in stand all day on occasion. If I come down it is to eat lunch on the ground at the base of the tree and/or to move to a secondary stand.
From: Big Dog
07-Dec-21
Garbanzo....Swedish Fish ,a bold choice, but deer would prefer the anise breath odor of good Australian licorice. They might go right up your tree steps, LOL
From: Peregrine
07-Dec-21
I have a small pack that I keep on my climber, not including the climbing gear (harness, strap, pull rope), that pack contains...
License, tags, property permission slips, pens. Havalon gutting knife and Gerber gutting saw. Water bottle. Range finder, bow hook, quiver hook. Headlamp. Bandaids. Possible pack of hand warmers and possible protein bar/pack of nuts.
In the car will be a tarp, dragging rope, flashlight and larger knife. As well as spare harness strap and spare pull rope.
From: Hrtfdbowhntr
08-Dec-21
Big Dog- had a snickers bar once and it definitely was responsible for me getting winded. Had a few does around me that had bedded in the morning I and held off until noonish but got inpatient and hungry.. opened the snickers bar and they blew out right away. Never have brought unnatural smelling food since
From: Big Dog
09-Dec-21
Hrtfd, years ago I was hunting and stopped at a country store for lunch. In my stupidity I ordered a Linguica and egg sandwich; I could literally smell them making it . I was starved and ate it ; then I reeked. Went home early and my wife looked at me as if I'd rolled in something. It was a great deer conservation tool,LOL.
From: Rackem
09-Dec-21
Small backpack, with knives, rangefinder, rattlers, grunt, TP, water bottle. I use my safety harness as my drag rope.
From: Big Dog
12-Dec-21
Your pack can't hold the most important thing you bring to a bow hunt....determination.
From: BBB
12-Dec-21
Linguica ??? Never heard of it, but sounds delicious. That's a funny story. I played golf in the Stanley league and I was walking behind a fellow employee smelling the strong scent of oil. I said, Hey Rick, how much oil did you put on your pull cart? He said, that's not the cart, it's me. All of my clothes and hair absorb the clouds of oil in the screw machine dept and my wife makes me get naked in the breezeway and go right into the shower each night.
From: Big Dog
12-Dec-21
BBB, it's a sausage , standard fare in Portugal. I grew up with a lot of people from the Azores and loved all of their traditional foods. It's very popular in SE Ma. where a lot of Portugese people settled. They are great folks.
From: Thisismyhandle
12-Dec-21
Just ate linguica this morning on a egg sandwich. It’s delicious. I’m engaged to a 100% Portuguese woman. There’s always some delicious shit in this house or her moms.
From: BBB
12-Dec-21
So where does one find this special sausage? Sounds like I may need it the way my hunting year is going.
From: Thisismyhandle
12-Dec-21
Stop n shop has them. In the case with the bacon, hot dogs kielbasa etc.
From: soapdish
12-Dec-21
Handle.....I worked with Portuguese women years ago and I saw/heard about the weddings. They lasted like 3 days with 30 people in the wedding party. Sounds like a lot of fun
From: BBB
12-Dec-21
We had a fire pit with some Portuguese friends, roasted a whole pig and drank homemade wine. My wife fell off her chair and we had to sleep there for the night. Guess we had a good time!!
From: Grate-ful-draw
12-Dec-21
BBB, Was the fox urine a cover decent and where did you get it? Neat to read everybody’s description of their system.
From: BBB
13-Dec-21
Yes, a cover scent. Dip a Q-tip in it, and stick under the laces of my boots when I'd get within a couple hundred yards of my stand, and then hand a scent wick on a branch. I don't think it worked too well, but it made me feel more confident.