New Hunter

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pdowg881

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I'm going to be taking up whitetail hunting next season and will be spending some of my christmas money on it. Aside from fireamrs and firearm related things, what are some of the essentials I need when deer hunting?
 
Good coveralls and good gloves. You can't hunt with your hands frozen and your teeth chatterin.
And I second the boots. I can stand quite a bit of cold, but once my feet get cold, that's it, I'm done for.
 
Here's a general checklist from the International Hunter Education Association: View attachment Checklist.pdf

Here's a Deer Hunter's Checklist:View attachment Deer Hunter's Checklist.pdf.

As for specifics:

The right boots make a huge difference, and they should have waterproof bottoms at minimum. I use discontinued LaCrosse lace-up rubber boots and love them for deer hunting -- they're warm, dry, and quiet. Lots of people will use other LaCrosse and Muck boots for the same reasons. Remember that the Granite State has swamps in profusion, notwithstanding its moniker. And the deer know how to navigate them very well.

Make sure you have a compass and map and know how to use them.

Dress in water-phobic layers (wool and/or synthetic, never cotton) so you can still hunt and sit on a stand in the same day without sweating and shivering.

Binoculars are essential. Seven or eight power is pretty ideal for the Northeastern woods. (Carry ten power only if you have no alternative, or you're out West or in AK, where even a twelve might not be a bad idea sometimes if you can hold them steady.)
 
Location, location, location

Whenst hunting my local mountains in Sept, I generally drive my Jeep to the hunting area. I wear Levis, tennis shoes (usually white), tee shirt and yellow vest. I keep lots of stuff in my Jeep, but I usually just walk and stalk and usually get a deer (blacktails out here). Some times I see a deer from my Jeep and just jump out and shoot him.

I don't get all scented up and wear all the latest camo garb.

When I go to Colorado in very cold climes, I put on extra clothes.
 
Uh...I don't think I'd be wearing tennis shoes and Levi's in NH, at least during gun season .

Depends on the area and time of the year..

for example, in early bow season here it may be 90 degrees. Gun and muzzle loader can be sub-zero. I'd strongly recommend rubber boots (not felt pacs as they're way heavy). I got some sox off QVC called Comfort Temp. I've hunted for 40 years, and nothing has kept my feet as warm, and this combo is light. Leather boots leave scent.

Wash your rubber boots with scent killer soap. Spray your rubber boots with scent killer spray. I know some guys get away with smoking, wearing leather, etc. While that's true, everything that you do that puts the odds in your favor increases your chances. If you walk thru the woods in leather boots, deer can smell your trail up to two days later.

I have a light Gore-Tex camo jacket/bib combo. Layer up underneath with polypro and fleece as the temps drop. They're scent blocker. It works. Leave your clothes in an area that they won't pick up smells from the house or garage. Wash them in no-scent soap and store them in unscented plastic bags with pine boughs.

I wear an orange sock hat.

Small but good binoculars (Nikons are good)

I started a thread maybe a month ago about keeping warm. Some good ideas in that. HTH
 
You gotta have these.

Good boots and hat. Head and feet get cold it can go from inconvenient to dangerous, depending on the weather.
Warm coat, but remember to dress in layers so you can adjust for temerature variations and activity level. You're in New Hampshire, so think like an eskimo.
Insulated coveralls or insulated pants. When you walk and get the blood pumping through your legs it will pay to keep them warm, too.
Gloves or mittens. I prefer mittens with the cutouts for your fingers. Personal preference
Wool socks. They'll keep your feet pretty warm even if you get in water over your boot tops. If you're alergic to wool you can either wear them over athletic socks or find a synthetic alternative.
A good knife. Gutting game is secondary if you get stuck and need a camp knife. Carry two.
Rope. Drag your deer out or tie it between two trees with a tarp for emergency shelter.
Small first aid kit. Don't go overboard, just take things you can self-administer for yourself or hunting buddy.
Waterproof fire starting tools. Prepare for the worst and you'll never need it. Don't take it and we'll read about you in the paper. Murphy's Law.
T.P. When nature calls, she will not be ignored and there's no reason to be stuck ten miles from nowhere and hike back to your truck, drive twenty minutes and ruin a days hunt to take care of it.
Water and snacks for an all day hunt. Hunger and fatigue will get you in the cold.

Things like shooting sticks, binoculars and GPS units can be nice, but choose them based on need for the terrain you hunt. If you're hunting close timber, binos will be useless. Open spaces, they are priceless.
 
Good suggestions so far. What about backpacks or whatever I would need to comfortably carry all of this stuff?
 
Two things you can't buy are patience and perserverence. Patience keeps you out there hunting, and perserverence gets you out there again.

However, clothing would be the number one thing that helps make sure you have enough patience and perserverence. I used to tote a very expensive rifle and scope out deer hunting dressed in cheap K-Mart tube socks, six pair for a buck, and suffered through the season, rather than enjoying it.

I actually pick up a lot of my hunting clothing at the local thrift shops, looking for heavy duty flannel shirts, wool pants, and nice turtleneck sweaters. I even bought a brand new pair of insulated Snow pac boots for 10 cents, though they had no shoelaces.

My coat is a nice L.L. Bean one that I ordered though, as sometimes value has to override cost, and I love that coat even at twice the price.

Binoculars and a nice knife are two other places to look at value rather than cost, since the extra money spent will be spread out over a lifetime. Get the best you can afford with these two items, and you won't regret it fifteen years from now.
 
I use a Mountainsmith Day lumbar pack with their "Strapettes" shoulder straps added as an option. (The Strapettes work very well despite the cutesy name. At least they aren't pink. :rolleyes: ) Low profile for bushwhacking and enough room for a day's worth of stuff.

There are Lots of camo hunting "packs" out there. I use quotes because you want to be sure they're actually designed and constructed to be comfortable and durable. Never buy a pack without loading it with weight equivalent to what you intend to carry in it.
 
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A good compass and a good GPS unit. In that order. (GPS can drop signal at very bad moments - spoken from experience.)

I used to swear by a climbing tree stand, but I fear gravity more as I get older. I now appreciate a good seating pad to hunker down at the base of a tree. Fewer deer, but more fun than sitting in one spot for hours and hours. I also have a few cheap folding chairs scattered throughout the hunting area.

As mentioned above, boots are key. Here where it's very cold, Sorels and wool socks do the trick.

In MN, a good set of hunting overalls and jacket are essential. There are many seasons that start at -10 F below zero. Layer on blaze orange clothing so you can shed as it gets warmer. Mix in some wool -- it's still the best hunting material.

A nice hunting vest can distribute the load and be your outer layer when it's warmer.

Finish off with a good pair of gloves and a hat. I have backups for each in my vest in case of wetness.

Knife, binocs and rifle. You can start small and move up on each.

There is no such thing as bad weather....there is only bad clothing.;)
 
I have nice binocs, and I'm using a shotgun becuase the woods I live in are restricted to shotguns. Got an orange vest tonight and one of those things that go around your waist and hold water bottles and a pouch in the back for whatever else. I have some knives, but I have no idea what kind I should really be using.

I also am told it is a requirement to take a hunter's safety course in Nh before getting a liscense. Any info on that or where I would go to do it?
 
November 29th, 2006, 12:39 PM #7
pdowg881
Senior Member


Join Date: 03-14-06
Location: NH
Posts: 240
Does anyone know if NH requires an education course?, found at OK, serious beginner question.

Right about now I'm wondering two things:

1. Why are you posting this question here on THR again, after it was answered in the original thread?
2. Why are you posting this question again, after I sent you a PM in November with the info, including my rec to take the course at Owl Brook, and you thanked me for it?
 
So, the link I gave you to the NH Fish & Game web site, which states the hunter ed requirement and displays the course schedule, was insufficient. As was the link another THR member gave you, in his response to your original post in the other thread.

Anyone else who wants to spend time helping you is welcome. I'm done.
 
Relax pal I just want all the advice and info I can get.

What kind of knife and price range should I be looking to buy?
 
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