Important Hunting Gear for Preppers

What do you carry when going big game hunting? Different people carry different tools; some carry compound bows while others carry rifles. Regardless, there are certain essential items that you simply cannot go without. With this in mind, let us look at some of these essential items that are must carry for any prepper or wild game forager.

Quality optics

Due to the heightened senses of big game such as deer surveying an area is the best way of increasing your chances of bagging yourself a deer. Unfortunately, we humans do not have the same heightened senses as our animal counterparts. As such, relying on your eyes alone to survey a large patch of a forested or open area is near impossible. This is where the best compact binoculars for hunting come in handy. A good pair of binoculars lets you survey a large area without having to move a lot. Therefore, they are an essential item for big game hunting. Binoculars increase your chances of spotting a deer before it spots you.

binoculars

A binocular cannot help you make a precise and accurate shot from a long way out though. For that, you will need a riflescope, which is the other essential tool for big game hunting. Attaching a good quality scope on to your rifle or bow will improve your accuracy. In turn, the improved accuracy will help you make precise and ethical shots. The riflescope you carry should be compatible with your hunting weapon of choice. Thus, the scope you use on a shotgun is not the same as the one to be used on a 30 caliber rifle and is not the same as that needed on a compound bow. Before settling on a rifle scope do your research on which scope is best suited for your specific hunting weapon.

Scent blockers

As already stated animals have heightened senses, meaning they can see and smell you long before you even have a chance of spotting them. Since, neither a binocular nor a riflescope will prevent a deer from smelling you, you will need something else for this. To be more specific you need scent blockers. The latter are liquid based substances that help mask the natural odor of your clothes and of your body. Scent blockers make it difficult for deer and other animals to smell you.

For efficiency, I recommend going for scent blockers that can be applied even when your hunting clothes are wet. This way you are able to continue hunting even when it is raining. There are many types of scent blockers out there. Some are spray-on, meaning all you have to do is spray it on to your clothes. Others are detergent-like and require you to wash your hunting clothes in them. Irrespective of the kind of scent blocker you go for, make sure you have a scent blocker in your hunting gear, or you have applied it before going hunting.

Rangefinder

While there are some who say that you can do without a rangefinder, I believe that this tool is as important as any other on this list. That being said, there are many reasons why you should invest in a rangefinder. For starters, this device lets you know how far away your target is from you. This is important as it will influence your decision on whether to take the shot or not.

The number one reason why some people consider them optional is additional weight. As a hunter you want to carry as little as you can. This is especially if you will be doing a lot of walking during the hunt. To minimize the amount of gear you carry to a hunt you can opt for a rangefinder binocular. As the name suggests, the latter is binocular that has a rangefinder built in. Investing in the best rangefinder binoculars is one way of reducing the amount of load you carry. Also, rangefinder binoculars lack some of the cons that stand alone rangefinders are known for. For example, laser rangefinders can give away the users position due to the light they use.

Two knives

There are many types of knives out there, which come in all shapes and sizes. As a prepper and wild game forager, you should have at least two different knives on you. The first should be a good quality fixed blade knife. This is the knife you use to cut all sorts of things. Additionally, it is the knife you go to when you need something extra to defend yourself in case you have to.

small fixed-blade knife

The second knife you should carry is the everyday carry or EDC knife. This can either be a small foldable knife or a Swiss Army pocket knife. I recommend going for the Swiss Army knife though. The reason being that the Swiss Army knife comes with additional accessories that you might need. Some of the accessories you get with this knife include screwdrivers, pliers, scissors, leather poke, saw, etc. This type of knife can come in handy in a wide array of scenario and having it can be of great benefit.

Backpack

As a prepper, you will want to carry all your gear in a convenient and easy manner. In a nutshell, you will want to get a pack for all your hunting gear. The pack makes it easy to carry all your essentials in one place. Always go for frame hunting packs as they make carrying heavy loads easier.

First aid kit

Another essential component is the first aid kit. The hunting kit you carry should be equipped for the kind of terrain you will be hunting in. However, there are some items that ought to be in any first aid kit. These include bandages, duct tape, medicines, thread, and chapsticks.

Conclusion

Apart from the above-discussed items, there are other items that are optional but beneficial. Trekking poles are such items. These poles can be a necessity especially if you are going on a mountain hunt. The trekking poles add a level of stability that you will need for navigating mountainous terrains. In conclusion, for a prepper, the above-discussed items will be of great importance.

4 thoughts on “Important Hunting Gear for Preppers”

  1. Optics, two knives (SAK is indespensible – good pick!), spare ammunition, flashlight, canteen (or at least a flask of water), drag rope and a pack to carry it. That is how we roll down here.

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  2. MATCHES in a water proof container. I keep 3 different containers of matches with me. A small one in my pocket, one in my belt bag and one bigger in the back pack. A cheap plastic painters drop “cloth” ( keeps big game meat clean) when you field butcher and debone the animal . Can also be used as emergence shelter with a bit of cord. Small plastic bags for cleaned small game and organ meat (hart, liver and ect.) I use bread bags. Can also be use to keep your feet warm and dry in an emergence. I have never found “sent blockers” al that important. And 550 cord it sucks to need it and not have a 50 to 100 ft of it in you belt bag.

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  3. Bread bags – good idea ! I will add those to my truck’s kit, those containers do come in handy. 550 cord is good, but check out ‘mule tape’ , a lightweight flat cord that is easier to tie. Found at Lowes and Home Depot, good stuff. That is what my drag rope I mentioned above is made of.

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  4. I put a 4×12 scope on my center fire rifle. Many people use a 3×9 but the 4 x 12 was on sale so what the heck. 550 cord is always a good idea.

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