Beckerhead Hunting Packs. What do you carry and why?

[dresnor]

I am new to hunting and I would like to get some discussion going about what you guys carry in your hunting packs as well as show you what is in my pack for critique.

Here is my pack. I bought a Feildline backpack on closeout a few years back and never put it to use. I like it because it is small enough to not stick out past my shoulders and get hung up while walking through the thick brush. The organization is good. The only thing I don't like is the color. The tan looks close enough to the color of a deer to make me attach a blaze orange bandana to it for greater visibility.

Knives. I have never dressed a deer but I have dressed rabbits. I understand it will be different but the needs in a knife in my estimation are the same. That being said, I am a knife guy. I like to bring more along than I need sometimes.

Here is my selection in my pack. Usually I have a BK-11 on my belt in my Dex scout style leather sheath.

My knife, a BK-14, and an Opinel #8

Here is a rough breakdown of what is in my pack. I am trying to leave enough room for any clothing that I shed when things warm up.

From left to right: Small hank of 550 cord, Small fire kit, Opinel knife, small binoculars, BK-14 with a Northeastkydex1 kydex sheath and 710 micarta scales, Life+gear glowstick, game dressing kit and real latex gloves, my knife with a ferro rod and tinder in the pocket as well as a daizee kirdashi, a deer drag harness and rope, Orange flagging tape, compass, diamond knife sharpener, small kit with a space blanket, fire starting and first aid stuff, and lastly a camo sit pad. I also bring plenty of water. Not shown is a headlamp that I forgot to add in the pictures that is in my pack until I need it, a Maglite LED flashlight that is in in my pants pocket and a whistle that I wear around my neck. Ammo is in my hunting vest. Digital camera as well as my phone to help document anything.

Things I might add: Gun cleaning supplies as I acquire them. Quick energy food like Cliff bars and trail mix. Cough suppressants, ever have a coughing fit while trying to be quiet? It sucks. Saywer water filter.

That is it. Please show what you carry during hunting season and any advice, tips or tricks are welcome.

Good luck and happy hunting!

Jeremy

 

[Dexwithers]

Everything you have looks good!

Only thing I would add is good folding saw. Used to carry my old gerber folding saw that is probably at least 20 years old now. But I have since switched to silky.

Anyway, it is great for trimming branches out of the way if you are in a lean to tree stand or even a box stand. Used mine the most when I used climbing stands. There were always branches in the way on the way up. Can also be great to trim a branch to hang your pack on and other gear so it doest get in your way and you can have easy access to it.

You may want to look into getting a Buck Grunt Call, maybe some antlers to rattle, and a good bottle of doe piss.
Even coon piss and stuff is great to cover your scent.

And just a tip, don't know if it makes that much difference, but we used to always wash our hunting clothes in unscented soap, as well as shower with unscented soap.

I know some of that matters but I have walked out of the woods to where we parked the four wheelers and have had deer 5 feet away eating. Crazy.

I always carried a couple plastic bags too. Just incase you shot the deer and it ran somewhere where you couldn't carry it out. Like down a steep hill to a creek bed. Then you can quarter the deer up and wrap the exposed areas. And also put the back straps, tenderloin, and heart (yes, I love the heart) in a bag and put in your pack.

Don't forget your gloves and a good hat. Sometimes it can get really cold when you are just sitting for so long.

Yes the cough drops are a great idea too. Get the honey ones so it smells natural. lol Snacks are a great idea too. Just don't get anything too crunchy like those natures own granola bars, because they are so loud when you they them. Really, when it's that quiet out there, they sound like you are eating jawbreakers.
And do not forget your chapstick. The wind can be brutal.

A light rain jacket or poncho would be great too. Don't know how many times I sat in the rain for hours and ended up killing something. You never know what the weather will do, especially if you head out when it is still dark in the morning. Do not trust the weather people. haha.

Good luck buddy.

 

[DunkEm]

All good stuff.

I don't have anything really useful to add. I haven't really hunted in years. Last few years have really been harvesting. I'd use a family barn as a blind, so I'd take my gun, three bullets, a pair of binoculars, a chair, a camera, ear plugs, a bottle of water and some Pop-Tarts.

Again, it hasn't really been hunting, but it put some venison in the freezer.

Also I could park close enough to the barn to keep anything else I might need in my truck. But it even turned out that the local processor preferred that you didn't even gut them. Too many rocks and twigs and dirt in the meat from people dragging open deer through the woods. Just throw the dead deer in the bed of the truck and drive. They'd even take it out.

If I could have talked the deer into walking to the processor's place I might have even left the gun home.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

My "hunting" location is 200 yards down the waterway from the house to the pasture, so I don't really need to pack a lot of stuff. My kit includes a 30-30 w/ 5 rounds, a small pack w/ 2 water bottles - 1 full with unused water and 1 empty for the used water, some energy bars (non-granola kind - the granola bars can be heard 100 yards away by deer), flash light and a roll of toilet paper (and not for the expected use ).

My half-brother (10 years older than I) learned to use it as a trailing tool from his maternal grandfather back in the late 50s and he passed the tip on to me when I got old enough to start hunting. TP makes great little flags that can be seen for quite a distance and as you track blood spoor, you can look back and see the path and use it to judge where you should look next if it peters out. And they're bio-degradeable, too. No need to back-track and remove all those surveyor's tape pieces that so many people seem to have been taught to use somewhere along the line.

 

[cbwoods67]

I am in the same boat as zz. I walk a couple hundred yards down the road and I am at my hunting spot. So I usually take with me my gun, slugs, sharps (knife and multitool), necessary documentation (licenses, permits), and a pair of latex gloves for the dirty work. Some times a flashlight if there isn't enough moonlight in the mornings.

Many times a hunt turns into doing deer drives with my neighbors, so all of the things are carried on my person so I don't have to worry about lugging around a pack.

 

[rkmoore]

Definitely add some rain gear and vaseline. Vaseline is a good replacement for chap stick and is also good for cuts and scratches. It seals the wound and creates an anarobic environment keeping bacterial growth to a minimum. Always pack an extra pair of wool socks and a wool scarf if possible. For me, a scarf is in addition to a hat and doesn't weigh much. Same goes for the toilet paper. Doesn't weigh much and sure comes in handy.

Doe piss, Buck call and antlers to rattle are all excellent additions but if you are hunting with others they may already have this covered.

That's all I got for now but I'll give it some more thought and revisit if I come up with anything.

 

[Vaquero45]

I hunt closer to civilization vs. 10+ miles out in the middle of nowhere.

5.11 Rush12: ESEE 5, BK11 and BK16, Kershaw folding saw, canteen & canteen cup, poncho, wool blanket, garbage bag(contractors grade), Flextone call, Steiner Predator binos, Bushnell rangefinder, license in ziplock bag, VA. hunting regs. in liplock bag, camo seat cushion, portable blind.

Spare crossbow parts: string kit and batteries for scope(illumiating reticle)

Thermos(x2): both large mouth openings. 1 filled with chicken soup, 1 filled with coffee. Empty bottle(for urination). TP.

 

[daizee]

off the top of my head, here's what's in my pack:

GPS w/ spare batteries
first aid kit plus accessible hand sanitizer
rubber gloves (2pr)
spare warm gloves and hat - stuff that's not dextrous, but warm
spare compact orange hunting vest - to go on me, a partner, or the deer if necessary
small roll of paper towels
13gal trash bag for packing out the gloves, paper towels, etc.
area map (paper)
multitool
flashy signal thing like you've got there so I can mark something in the dark - like my pack!
Two compact flashlights
50ft of orange paracord for whatever - or hauling the shotgun up into a perch
10ft or so of 1" tubular webbing - used to loop around the deer's head for hauling it through the woods. DRAG, don't carry!
a bottle of water with a squirt top for rinsing (or drinking in an emergency)
hunting knife (3" daizee ) on the shoulder strap
some of those little hand/foot-warmer pouches. It gets COLD sitting very still or up in a tree.
orange bandana on the pack of my pack like you've got there. Good move. (I do the same bicycling and motorcycling!)
I plan to add a few small zip-ties for an idea I had for field dressing... haven't tried that yet.


I'd skip the gun cleaning stuff. It can be smelly or noisy. I can get three shots with only a patch swabbing from my smokepole without concern.

Good luck out there!

 

[dresnor]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the advice.

One thing I have learned about hunting so far is that most people are not afraid to give a new guy tips. Some won't giveaway their secret spot though... LOL. That is understandable.

I am trying to keep cost down and enjoy myself. Good thing some of my gear crosses over well.

I never would have thought to use TP for flags for marking a path.

Last time I went out I used some doe estrus sent. I went a little nuts with it but I got some deer running around me and one close sighting. It was a little too dark to tell if it was a buck or doe so I didn't take the shot. I would rather be safe than sorry.

Jeremy