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New Hunter - Bare Minimum Necessary Gear

SolaBeard said:
This may be a silly question, but is there anything you need to do to your clothes after you buy them to prepare them for a hunt (mainly thinking that department store domestic smells, etc.)?
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The only bad question is the one you are afraid to ask. I used to spend a lot of money on scent free soaps. No that Free and clear products are widely available I use All Free and Clear. Then put my stuff in Trash bags with Cedar shavings. Just about anywhere you hunt in Tn there are Cedar trees. Ground Hunting if you can find a Clump of Cedars or a Big one the wind has blown down you'll have the start of a good blind.
 
lawdog said:
Get a portable power source to re-charge your cellular telephone while in the field. These are relatively cheap and are about the same dimensions as your cell phone. Will come in handy if you use your phone as a GPS, OnX hunt maps, to check in your harvested deer via the TWRA mobile app or to make emergency phone calls/texts. You can find a variety on Amazon for less than $75.
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I've been using a good one to Power Glove liners and a heated cushion. Makes a big difference when hunting when it gets well below freezing.
 
Basic 1st aid kit with some bleedstop. I hope you never need it. Thank The Lord I've only been been to the ER for stitches once over 40 years of hunting but accidents happen. I've read about plenty of them on here. Sounds like you are planning on going Solo you better be ready to take care of yourself . Try to let someone know at least the general area you'll be and when you'll be home.
 
1 good shot said:
Mora are great knives!
But they are high carbon steel which rusts bad. Point being, deer blood is highly corrosive and will ruin a knife quick. That being said, I've been using the same mora knife over 10 years. Regardless of the knife you use, clean it thoroughly as soon as possible
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Just an FYI....Mora knives can be had in carbon OR stainless steel.
 
Definitely wear as few layers as possible on the walk in. You'll warm up from the walking alone even if you're shivering when you step out of the car. Then, whether you put on several layers or primarily one mega-layer (a parka + bibs), you're good to go waiting to ambush a deer.

The only thing is, if you will be stalking through the woods at all, having multiple lighter, removable layers is superior. In some conditions, like windy days or light sleet, this approach is the ticket. If the deer won't move, you need to go to them instead of waiting on them to come to you, and the weather is giving you sound + visual cover. Sneaking up on bedded deer is how I killed my biggest buck—he was bedded under some mountain laurels when it was gusting 20mph.
 
On the totes for your gear, I use 2 of the large clear totes from Walmart. One for clothes and the other for gear, being able to see what's in the totes and where really helps. You can grab a thin roll of weather stripping that fits the groove in the lid of the clothes tote, it won't be 100% air tight but helps keep contaminating odors out.
A good backpack truly helps but doesn't have to be expensive, Academy usually has some decent ones. Look for one that has several outside pockets for small items and straps for securing extra clothes. Make sure the pack you pick out has a waist belt, most have small pouches attached for small items. The waist belt will make a HUGE difference when carrying heavier loads, it takes most the weight off your shoulders.
Head lamp as mentioned but also a small handheld light, I use both walking in as the handheld throws light farther for distance and you have a backup light.
6' of surveyors tape to mark the end of a blood trail that you will have to take back up the following morning. PLEASE REMOVE any surveying ribbon when you're done with it, you'll figure out why I say this once you start scouting. Use small pieces of toilet paper on a hard to follow blood trail, this will give you a good line of travel when looking for that next drop of blood, plus the rain will dissolve it later so no need to remove like ribbon.
Reflective tacks called Bright Eyes for marking your trail to a spot you want to hunt in the future. If you use an app like Onx then you'll only need to use the tacks to mark certain challenging sections of your path.
Kill kit for gutting.
Some sort of adjustable webbing strap for dragging deer out. I like one long enough to wear across my chest and one shoulder, then grab it behind you with one hand and use your body weight to help pull.
Dried milk weed! You will learn more about wind currents from watching this stuff float around in the wind than any manmade product. I don't go hunting without it anymore. Plenty of youtube vids on it.
A good emergency kit. You just never know.
Tree umbrella. Keep it in your gear tote unless a chance of rain, then throw it in you pack.
Note.....ounces add up to pounds and doesn't take much to make a pack heavy. Heavy packs suck and we've all been there. Do your research and don't blow your funds on unnecessary junk.
 
Lots of good info.

If you don't already know how, get good at using a GPS.
As well as a quality compass.

A particularly good thing is knowing how to "mark" where you park,
and know what bearing to take to return, using a regular compass.
That bearing would be roughly the opposite the direction you depart.

If I were just starting out, I'd focus first more on quality clothing & footwear than expensive other stuff.
I don't want anything made of cotton in my deer-hunting clothing.
Velcro needs to be replaced with buttons or simply removed.
 
Common mistake many make is buying a rifle scope with too much magnification.
For most TN woods hunting, a 2-7x is actually advantageous over a 3-9x, and greater magnification can actually be a handicap.

With higher magnification comes a much smaller "field of view".
This often means the shooter cannot "find" his target thru his scope.
Average "woods" shot will be under 100 yds.
2x magnification turns a 100 yd target into a 50-yd view with a lot of "view" around the target.
7x magnification turns a 100 yd target into a 14-yd view with very little peripheral "view" around the target.
 
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EastTNHunter said:
Where in East TN are you? I'd be willing to let you try some seats out and may even have some spare clothing left, although I gave some away.

Don't spend tons of money on expensive hunting clothes. Camo is overrated and unnecessary. Military surplus can be your friend for many things. Get mil surp polypropylene waffles base layers. Use Walmart fleece pullovers or thrift store wool for mid layers. Use mil surp BDUs in any color or pattern available except for white or the urban stuff. Get a cheep fleece neck gator and toboggan. Buy mil surp wool glove liners and wash them well in advance of the season because they will stink. You can upgrade individual items later if needed, but these items all work. Your hunting coat may require you to buy something for hunters because it's designed for a low activity level, and will need to be really warm and quiet.

Cheap no name blaze orange is all that you need, not some chic brand name.

Don't buy scents or gimmicks or items just marketed for hunters. Wash your clothes in whatever brand of "free and clear" or equivalent detergent you want.

Most importantly, hunt the wind.
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Good advice
 
Comfortable & warm clothes, good boots, sharp knife, binos(not a necessity), knowledge of the current game laws is about all a man needs to hunt.
Just mainly get out there, learn the land and the woodsmanship that comes along with hunting. You'll pick up on the equipment needed as you go. I'd recommend finding someone local in your area to mentor with.
 
Longbow2240 said:
Comfortable & warm clothes, good boots, sharp knife, binos(not a necessity), knowledge of the current game laws is about all a man needs to hunt.
Just mainly get out there, learn the land and the woodsmanship that comes along with hunting. You'll pick up on the equipment needed as you go. I'd recommend finding someone local in your area to mentor with.
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Great advice. Thanks!
 
TNGunsmoke said:
I carry unscented baby wipes. Good for cleaning hands up after field dressing a deer, cleaning hands up while out fishing, good for a clean up before going into a restaurant, and good for wiping your rear end when necessary.
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A hand held bidet also works for the field, they make one for that millennium seat
 
DMD said:
I'm going to gum up the works here, but in the area of the state you are hunting, I'd HIGHLY recommend getting a treestand. You have 9+ months to find one and practice with it. I hunted the first several years of hunting life on the ground - when I finally got a decent treestand, it was the best move I ever made deer hunting. So many advantages, they are too numerous to name. And also get a safety harness. Hunting on the ground is okay for some places. Some highly experienced hunters can still hunt in large wooded tracts, but it is an absolute art that very few master. Being in a treestand increases your odds of seeing and killing deer astronomically. My hunting success and enjoyment increased exponentially when I started hunting out of a stand. Today's stands are lightweight, comfortable, quiet, easy to hang and climb. Keep your eye out in the classifieds for a Summit Viper or Goliath. Either is fantastic. There are other good ones as well. It won't take you just a few minutes to learn how to climb. Good luck, be careful and have fun.
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This is the mist important reply to this thread.

If you have private land, get a a tree stand now and get it set up in the spring and get it all figured out. Going on my third season and finally getting a tree stand and not looking back.

i've hunted out of both tree stand and ground blind this season (fall 22) and you'll have deer come in 10 yards from you when you're in the Treestand to the point where you can get your cell phone out and take a video

Big game changer and also you don't have to worry about all the scent control when you're in the tree stand, you're physically above the deer. That means you're sent trail is also 20 feet above the deer to which helps a ton.

Other than washing your clothes detergent, scent control, is all a scam, and I learned that the hard way. This forum was monumental in teaching me this lesson.

Huge rookie mistake. Other than some detergent, I would not spend a single penny on any sent stuff, urine spray, apple spray, corn spray, etc.

All money wasted. I learned that lesson in the fall of 2020 the hard way lol.
 

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