Any advice on equipment for a greenhorn

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georgianative

Inactive
So I've just about talked myself into hunting whitetail next fall. A hunter's ed. course is required before licensing. My brother in law, who is an experienced hunter, offered to take me with him. (I hope I treated his sister right.):eek:

I'm sifting the used racks at my local FFL's for a bolt action .308. If you wish to opine on your favourite bolt action, I'm open. I'm in the $700 price range.

But aside from a rifle, what other equipment is needed? First aid kit? compass? Lunch? My brother in law will square away my equipment for me, but I would like to have most of it on hand.

I can tell you that the woods are thick here in N GA. Rolling hills, lots of hardwood, lots of underbrush, and limited range.

If you have questions for me, I'll follow up and answer as well as I can.

Thank you in advance.
 
Few modern bolt actions won't be plenty accurate for deer hunting. If the stock is a good fit to your body, most any bolt .308 will work as well as any other.

Pawn shops are full of good rifles. Scopes may or may not be of good quality, depending on the money and knowledge of the original purchaser. Most any scope in the $200 range (and up) will do okay. Leupold, Nikon, Weaver, etc. Generally, they have half the asking price invested in the gun, so always look to bargain down to a more reasonable price.

"Out there" and hunting? A canteen of water, mostly for some hand-washing after field-dressing Bambi. I've occasionally taken some sort of munchies on an all-day hunt. Some toilet paper to mark where Bambi is, so I can easily find him after getting my Jeep near his location. :) Sharp knife, of course; I use a 3-1/2" folding pocket knife.

I've been lucky enough that only one or two shots met the need. But, I've generally carried some extras, although rarely a full box in a fanny pack.

That's minimum basics. I've carried more stuff, sometimes, but as a walking hunter I travel light. In a box blind or tree stand, I've often taken an old blanket to wrap around my legsl.
 
Typical deer hunting equipment I take is a fanny or day pack with water, some sort of snack food, knives (a pocket knife and a larger skinning knife), diamond sharpening tool, string to tie on the tag (a law in my state), and cheese cloth deer bag (there are lots of insects where I hunt). I carry about 10 rounds of ammo in a folding belt pouch.
 
My bag is similar to Allen, but I normally only carry an extra round or two in my pocket - if figure that is plenty. Having a backpack with a camelback hydration pouch and tube is handy. No need to stop when you need a drink.

Your pack needs will be determined by where you hunt. If you are on big public land where you need to park and walk a long ways then your pack will look significantly different than it would if you were hunting on a farm where you could drive to near where you are hunting.

This goes double for your post-kill materials. When I used to hunt on a lease where we could drive a 4-wheeler to the downed deer there was no need to pack in any kind of cleaning tools, drag straps, meat bags, etc. We'd just go get the 4-wheeler and drag the deer straight back to camp. Now that I hunt public land exclusively, all the cleaning materials have to be carried in my pack out into the field.
 
A used Model 700 in 308 will work fine.

As to equipment to buy, my advise is NONE. Listen to your brother in law, I bet he knows more about hunting conditions in your area then we do.

For example, I could advise a good hunting horse, works good for Wyoming but I'm not sure its the way to go in Georgia.

Someone in Georgia might recommend a good tree stand for me. But it would have to come with a tree for hunting antelope on Wyoming prairies.

I know, the two examples seem silly, but you get the point. When I was a kid, I use to hunt in Arkansas, which would be similar to Georgia.

All I carried was a single barreled 16 gage and a knife.

In short I wouldn't buy anything until you've started hunting in your area and see what others use, and what you need.
 
1. ***Your TAG and license***
2. game bags, knife and gloves for skinning
3. 5 extra rounds of ammo. You probably won't need them, but...
4. rain gear
5. hat, sunscreen, bug spray.
6. hand warmers/toe warmers, etc if you're going to be standing/sitting in one place for a while.
7. water (camel back is best) and snack
8. patience

good luck
 
THERMACELL!!! It will pay for its self after the first trip. I do most of my hunting in SC and we have a horrible problem with mosquitos. Someone else mentioned, listen to your brother in law. A local for the area will have better advice than we can give you.
 
The only piece of equipment I would recommend that is useful anywhere you hunt is one of these packs that is a folding seat. The only items in that pack that have been useful eveywhere I've hunted is a water bottle, a short piece of rope, a few strings, and bread tie wires, toilet paper, a half dozen ziplock plastic freezer bags, and sandwich size bags, and a small roll of blaze orange duct tape, a Bic lighter, and a couple of short 3" pencils. Also a half dozen paper towels, folded and put in one of the freezer bags. Other items to be added based on your particulars. A small sealed box of the diaper wipes with a wet cleaner on them, or some Wet Naps are a godsend for big game. Water doesn't cut fast and body fluids from your hands and knife well, but whatever is on those things sure does.
 
I'm siding with kraigwy

I could tell you to bring everything but you really need to know what hunting is like with your brother-in-law.

Here's and example. If I said today to my dad I want to go hunting with you next season what should I bring. He would say to just bring a gun if I want or I can use his.

I went to a hunting camp this year with 400 acres butted up against state land. I stowed a bag at my treestand with:
Rope, knife, hatchet, limbsaw, tarp, flashlight, extra batteries, lighter, whistle, water, granola bars, extra ammo, extra hat, gloves, socks and probably some stuff I'm forgetting. Also kept a whistle, compass and lighter on me.

How much was needed? Just the water and granola bars. But I usually keep a stow bag like that in a permanent blind on private property just in case.

All you really need right now is a rifle, comfortable hunting cloths, a knife and ammo. Everything else is an accessory. If you were heading out into the middle of nowhere away from any form of civilization things would be different.
 
Are you sitting in a stand?

Bug Tamer and Thermacell, snake boots if you're in a area with venomous snakes. Binos for scanning the woods to pick deer out. No scent soap, laundry detergent, dryer sheets and deodorant, flagging tape, knife, bottle of water ammo and proper clothes. Scent control and being still in the stand are the two most important keys in Southern Whitetail hunting. Your rifle with a load of ammo and a few extra rounds (doubtful you'll need more than 2 for a hunt).

Most importantly, you'll need patience. Deer don't come out when you want them to. Good optics are a must at dusk, many times you'll see them right at last light or first light. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to find a deer in a scope that sucks in low light. I'd find a $300 used rifle and put a $400.00 scope on it than a $500.00 rifle and a $200.00 scope. SWFA Sample List is your friend for good used optics that'll give you more and save you some cash.
 
My brother in law, who is an experienced hunter, offered to take me with him. (I hope I treated his sister right.)

I'm sifting the used racks at my local FFL's for a bolt action .308. If you wish to opine on your favourite bolt action, I'm open. I'm in the $700 price range.
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The 3 most important and hardest things to come by when deer hunting are:

1. A place to hunt that has deer and does not have a whole bunch of hunters after them.

2. A mentor that knows the area, even if you are experienced..... which you are not.

3. Patience and Perseverence. Harder than it sounds .... stay still and stay on stand if you are ambushing them. Keep it slow and pay attention if stalking.

The first two are taken care of by your BIL ...... the third is up to you.

Which type of gun in what caliber is really less important than how well you prepare to use it in the field.

If you have a $700 budget for the rifle, I'd recommend you either get one of the entry level rifle/scope combos, or a used gun..... either way don't spend more than $500 .....spend the rest of it on practice ammo, or a handload kit and components to make same.

Ask questions of your BIL, and listen to what he tells you. He'll know what gear you need. It's up to you to make the shot. Do your best to prepare so you can make that happen.
 
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I wouldn't try to persuade a new or a old hunter to buy a expensive C/F rifle right from the get go for their very first Big Game hunt.

When in the heat of a buying experience. Before the opening of that wallet. Think first!! Is this the most practical for my needs?

A scoped 308? in those Northern Hills of Georgia back in those bushy bush areas on a stalk where good Moon is made. You might be better off with a old Winny or waffle top Marlin. Perhaps that H&R Handi~Rifle so many fellows like. All good possibilities to ponder.
 
Alway figure double on the gear. I have encountered so many out in the woods that don't that are cold and having a miserable time also if you have extra food and a way to make fire you can spend a night out if you have to. I carry my water in stainless steel bottles. Yes they area bit heavier but I also carry steilization tabs and coffee or tea bags too.
 
I would ask first about experience level of shooting first. Buying a rifle without a deal of experience is a recipe for aggravation. You cant outpower a poorly placed shot. That said recoil and such are a factor. North GA woods means shooting 150 yds or less, a .223 will do in such an event, meaning anything else above that will do just as well. I also like extra ammo in the event I am wandering, aka Stalk and Spot, and get lost for the whole three shots in the air thing.
Thermacell is a must if you're in a blind or stand, unless it's windy cause it loses a lot of its effectiveness. Water for sure some snack that dont have a lot of odor to them. Knew a guy who ruined a hunt for himself for eating cheetos.
A poncho in the event it rains.

Some basics
 
I've carried my 'possibles bag' for about 30 years. I've had it with me in many different places with different terrain and cover. What I think a hunter needs are: binocs, bug spray, compass, good knife, white toilet paper, flashlight, matches/fire starter, small DMT diamond grit sharpener.

Other things I use a good bit, but could do without: rangefinder, camo cotton gloves and face cover, grunt call, snakebite kit, KaBar.

Used to have a small 22 pistol (Colt Diamondback) in the bag, but quit carrying it.

On morning hunts I also take along my small LL Bean thermos, with coffee.

I also have a Leatherman tool in the bag, but may start leaving it behind since I rarely use it. I started carrying it when I did a lot of customer hunting, and this Leatherman is rare, in that it has a corkscrew, which I needed for the evenings.

As for ammo, I carry 5 rounds when deer hunting and 8 rounds when varmint hunting. For deer, 5 is more than enough. For coyotes and pigs, 5 has often been not quite enough.
 
white toilet paper
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Let me give you the Doyle opinion on this - don't bother with regular toilet paper. It is too soft and weak. You are very likely to heed nature's call in less than dry/perfect conditons. In a damp environment, toilet paper becomes useless very quickly.

Instead, pre-make wiping strips from a high-quality paper towel. A full sheet of a paper towel can be cut into 3 strips - the size just perfect for it's intended use. I'll fold each strip into halves and stack a dozen or so together. A quart sized ziploc baggie keeps them together and dry.

As an additional cleaning measure (for both post dump and post animal cleaning), you can buy a box of individual pre-moisened towelettes at Walmart for only a couple of bucks. I keep a few of those in my backpack too. They are great for wiping blood off your hands.
 
I would like to add, when marking a blood trail many like to use surveyors tape, red,yellow, etc. I learned from a guide in Pa that white is much easier to see in the woods when marking a blood trail, so, just another use for the white paper towel/toilet paper. His explanation was and I saw, the colored ribbon blended with the colored leaves of autumn. Like he said, you ever see a white leaf? I guess this goes mainly for bow hunters, since we tend to have to follow a blood trail but then again, they run after being hit with a rifle also..Just my .02...
 
Oops forgot to comment on what to take along in the "Old Kit Bag."

I've had a few hunters come hunt my place over the years that were so laden down with "this and that's" they had to sound like a Irish dry goods peddler walking around back there in those tall green pines of mine.

I don't drink water out of a hoof print or nor will I drink from a stagnant crick. You will never catch me eating anything in the food groups. I'm out there in that timber seriously hunting not on a site seeing M&M camping trip. So here's what I take for the day in my pockets.

4 pcs of anise wrapped hard candy. Same with butterscotch. No chocolate candy ever.
4-5 cartridges (total) for my 300 Savage and/or my 94 32 Special.
2-hunting licenses. Small Game & Deer.
15 ft of hemp rope looped & coiled tight and hung from my waist.
2-gutting knives. A EKA Folding Fillet Knife & a Wyoming knife.
1/4 roll of toilet paper more or less.
2-Hankys.
6 oz small container of tap water.
And my old faithful. [something I wouldn't be without.] Swiss Army Ambassador knife. Primarily taken along for those darn wild rose bush sliver/stickers.

Absolutely no back pack will I tote. I find them cumbersome and after a long days carry my back is stiff from their use.

You can take aspirin bandaids pepto-bismol and your tooth brush. Even the wife's coffee pot frying pan with a stick of butter along. But you are the one carrying that extra >stuff!! Not only will it slow you down and tire you out but seldom will you use any of it in the field. Stick to the basic's. "Less, light & little" is the motto I and perhaps you too should adhere too.
 
Doyle, the white TP is white because that's the best color for use in tracking. If I was just using it for that other use, I wouldn't care what color it is. And as good as white is during the day, it's even better at night when the beam from a flashlight hits it.

And, speaking of flashlights, finding just the right one has been tough. Seems like the primary options are: very bright/short battery life; less bright/long battery life. I went middle ground on the last buy and got a Browning labeled light that's pretty bright and has long battery life. And it needs to be small. Light weight is also a positive.

I'm open for suggestions on a small bright flashlight that'll last an hour or two in full power use. And don't recommend something you don't actually personally use for hunting/tracking. I want real world suggestions, not what you read somewhere.
 
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