Deer Gear You Can’t Hunt Without

When I look back at my first whitetail hunt, a sheepish smirk involuntarily forms on my face. As a first time hunter all on my own, I knew just enough to be loaded down with too much gear and not enough gear all at the same time. By this I mean some of what I carried was useful and needed while other gear was excessive and still more was very much needed, but not with me. Each successive deer season I fine tune my gear list a little more, and probably will continue to keep tweaking that list for the remainder of my hunting days.

Of course this is an assumption, but if you are a new hunter you probably are planning a gun hunt. While not always the case, many states’ gun seasons are during the colder time of the year. So with that in mind I created a gear list suited for late November-mid December stationary hunt.

If you aren’t comfortable you will not hunt long enough to have many high quality encounters with deer. Comfort gear is a must.

+Insulative base layers- Fleece and wool are significantly warmer than cotton. Many new hunters make the mistake of only wearing cotton layers and shiver for a few hours before leaving the stand early.

+HEAVILY insulated boots- I strongly suggest a minimum of 1600 grams of insulation. Stationary hunting tactics generate very little body heat and your feet are the first appendage to freeze.

+Gloves that allow you to pull a trigger, but still keep you warm while sitting still for many hours

+Heavy wool socks -not only to keep your feet warm, but to cushion your feet during long hikes to the stand and back.

+Fleece lined hat- No, most of your body heat does not escape from your dome, but brain freeze will send you running for the truck almost as fast as cold feet.

+Fleece neck gaiter or balaclava- frigid wind biting your neck feels like being chokeslammed by Jack Frost himself.

Some gear is always needed when deer hunting regardless of the weather.

+Quality binoculars- You have to be able to see what’s coming. Furthermore, some states where antler point restrictions must be followed, binoculars are needed to be able to determine whether a deer is legal to take or not. I strongly suggest a minimum magnification of 10x. Here’s what I use.

+A headlamp- Most hunts start and end in the dark. 

+Scent masking spray- I strongly recommend Nose Jammer products

+A backpack- You can’t forget things like water, snacks, a med kit, reading material and some gear and rear wipes.

+Sharp field dressing knife (Gut hooks are nice, but not necessary)- Cheap, dull knives are dangerous.

+Field dressing gloves- Being covered with blood is not a necessary part of hunting.

+A portable phone charger- Your phone battery cannot be trusted in cold weather, and using your phone to keep you occupied during long waits in the tree stand along with using navigation apps puts a serious drain on your phone’s battery. 

+Sunglasses- You can’t shoot when you can’t see.

+Knowledge of the forecast- You may need to bring rain gear.

When it comes to facing the elements and hanging in the stand long enough to have the high quality encounters needed to kill a deer, your gear is your biggest asset that will help you reach success.