Need some tips on getting things in order for fall? Here are some great tips from Pro-Staffer, Jaimie Robinson to help you be as prepared as possible.
If you are like me, there really is no off season. I try to work on my skills, actively hunt or fish all year. Here are a few tips for how I maintain my lifestyle and keep myself ready for the hunt. Planning, organizing & packing are all crucial steps to making sure you are prepared for your next outdoor adventure!
Organizing at Home
On my first group hunt, one of my hunting companions had his all his gear in a bin. He simply threw his bins and bow case in the back of the truck and was ready to go. Compared to my multiple bags, this seemed like the way to go and now I organize all my gear this way. I have a clothes bin or bag that all my commonly used clothes go in after washing and bins for each specific use like upland, backcountry, and tree stand or blind hunting. That way when I am invited or go on one of those hunts, I can just throw my bin in the car (after I recheck it) and be good to go.
Gear for the Hunt
Over time, I have figured out that having a bag for each pursuit. While I know this is not economical for everyone, I suggest if you can only have on bag for all hunts, choose something that has many pockets or storage pouches. I used the Kifaru Antero pack for everything from fishing to tree stand deer hunting.
We all have different requirements as we go in the field, but here are some basics for each season I use:
Whitetail Tree Stand
Bow/gun pull
Safety Harness
Grunt and/or Rattles
Elk
Calls
Binoculars
Pronghorn/Turkey
Turkey calls
Blind
Binoculars
Decoy
The only time most do not recommend binoculars is in the tree stand so I left it off. I personally like to have the opportunity to look around and binoculars can help you. I always carry a backpack or blind bag, even if I am shedding layers for a close stalk, choice of bag is its own topic.
I use Kifaru Ultralight Pullouts to keep myself organized. I use one to keep all of the things I must have for all hunts in, it has an extra knife, headlamp, my InReach, handwarmers, allen wrenches, extra packets of nuts, rehydration packets to add to water, and face paint. Depending on the season, I keep an extra bow release, bow wax, and extra calls here as well. For hunting, I depend on a good pair of knee-high boots and a good pair of hiking boots.
Weapon
Shooting sports is my method of relaxation so I use my weapons all year long. If that is not your lifestyle there are a few things you need to do to prepare your weapon in the weeks before you hunt. The most important is making sure your bow is tuned and that your gun or bow is sighted in. There is nothing worse, both ethically and emotionally, than having your weapon fail when you have done all the hunting part correctly. The second most important is making sure you have enough and appropriate ammunition for the game you are hunting.
The Night Before
Even though I have a system in place to keep myself on track, I always recheck my bags the night before. You never know if you took your headlamp out to do something the night before and it landed in your pocket instead of your bag. You don’t want to be the one that everyone is waiting on because you are not prepared.
