Intelligently Prepping All of your Gear for Fall Hunting

Fall is sweeping across the US and for sportsmen and sportswomen like us that means we have a multitude of fall hunting seasons to look forward to! It is important though to not get so swept up in excitement that we make childish mistakes like forgetting our quiver of arrows or box of ammunition back at the hunting shack. To avoid Homer Simpson “D’oh!” moments we need to prep our gear and ourselves for all of the fall hunting we might be doing. These are simple precautions and reminders for all of us as we begin to journey afield in pursuit of small or big-game.

Are you Charged, or Running Dead?

This is a problem that plagues all of us and we do not notice it until it is too late. If any of your gear requires batteries, whether it is flashlights, optics, or anything else, make sure to test them, and ensure they are good to go for a few consecutive months of hunting or at least a weekend’s long hunt. No one wants to be out in the woods trying to trail a deer with a dead flashlight, or see a 10-point buck and your red dot on your shotgun is nowhere to be found. Spring the extra money for fresh batteries and avoid headaches in the future.

Confirm and Get Zeroed

This is another thing that far too many of us confidently and knowingly overlook. We might have our ol’ trusty bow we shoot once a year that drives tacks so we never bother to confirm that the pins are zeroed from year to year. The time you finally notice was your moment of truth while trying to shoot an animal, and you miss! It is a heart-sinking feeling and can make you judge everything you had done leading to that moment. “Did I forget to wear my lucky hat today?!” Before you run off to your secret hunting spot, be sure to zero your bow, rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, or whatever it is you are hunting with.

Don’t Hang Loose

When it comes to treestands most of us likely have been in our fair share of less than stable ones. Maybe it was something built from pallet wood last minute, or it is a treestand that has been through 20 Wisconsin winters and is in dire need of repair (but it never gets it). Always verify the safety of the treestand, ladder stand, or even ground blind you are hunting in. Conditions change and you should never endanger yourself or anyone in your hunting party with an unsafe stand. Also, if you are going any distance up a tree you should use a harness as an additional safety precaution. There is no victory in boldly climbing into a treestand that is disheveled and shakes like a leaf. Be safe and ensure yourself many years of future hunts.

Collect the Correct Tags

Make sure you have the correct tag to be hunting the game and season you are in. Some states sell a sportsman’s license that is a do-all type of license while other states charge you for every discipline of hunting (archery, firearm, and muzzleloading). Whether you are hunting in your home state or have committed to an out-of-state hunt. Make sure to read up on the laws so if you harvest some game you can legally keep it.

Season your Clothing

Some people hang their camouflage clothing outside on a cloth’s line for a week in advance while others use special hunting detergents. Whatever the method to your madness is, do not forget that crucial step of your hunt. If all of your clothing is piled in the corner of your garage collecting dust and soaking up motor oil it will not help you bag a deer this fall. Adequately prep your clothing just as you do any other tool in your arsenal.

Leave the Kitchen Sink at Home

Verify your pack is full with essentials, but leave the kitchen sink at home. There are a plethora of things you might need out in the field like water, tree climbers, gutting knife, gutting gloves, or an emergency Snicker bar among other things. Do not get so swept up in being a good boy scout that you need to start a bodybuilding program to carry your backpack out to your treestand. Verify you are prepared with the essentials, keep extra tools and equipment on standby in your vehicle, and take comfort that you are a knowledgeable, capable hunter. If you forgot something, you will find a way to make it all work out in the end like the resourceful hunter you are.

So for some of our veteran hunters out there, what do you think? Are there any other nuggets of wisdom you would impart on younger or less experienced shooters when it comes to hunting? Is there a tactic you regret having tried for fall hunting? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Adam Scepaniak