Hunting may be seen as a cruel hobby in itself but it can actually help not just you, but the environment as a whole. When it comes to the environment, hunting helps in controlling the population of various game animals which is important in order for our ecosystem to survive. But when it comes to you as a person, hunting can be beneficial for the development of your mental strength as well as for the improvement of your physical fitness and stamina.
Hunting trains both your body and mind to be persistent in the physical and mental parts of hunting. This can help you become a more determined person in your everyday life too, since hunting is an activity that can also help ease off stress and boost wellbeing too. If you hunt with your mate or a family you create a stronger bond between the two of you. But no one can enjoy going on a hunt without the essential hunting equipment.
What Hunting Gear Should I Buy?
Apparel
Hunting apparel might not seem like the first type of hunting gear on your checklist but it should be. Why? Because hunting apparel keeps you both concealed and warm. Quality hunting supplies and apparel are good at providing you comfort, with some prime examples being scent control jackets, camouflage gloves, camouflage head nets, balaclavas, and coveralls. You might want to bring extra socks on your hunting trips no matter how dry or warm the area you’ll be hunting in is.
Boots
No matter where you go, you need some form of footwear. Since hunting is no walk on a sandy beach, you need to have proper boots for it. Proper hunting boots will be waterproof, have enough ventilation to keep your feet dry and be properly insulated for when you need to hunt in a cold climate. A snugly fitted pair of hunting boots that aren’t too tight are highly recommended. If the boots are too tight they can negatively affect your hunting experience.
Water
When it comes to bringing water on a hunting trip it’s best that you look for both bladders and filters. You should also have a stainless steel water bottle with you for backup. A compact water bottle is preferred, but if you can bear carrying bigger filtration packs then go for it. A water bladder should always be big as it will be your main source of water when hunting.
Backpack
To be able to carry all these hunting supplies and gear you should get a rugged backpack, preferably one with either MOLLE or PALS system. These systems allow you to attach anything that’s compatible with either of them. This way, you increase the cardigan capacity of your backpack. Anyway, your hunting backpack should be made of nylon preferably, as it is a tough material, and a long-lasting one too. You should also look for a backpack with plenty of small easy access pouches to store your frequently used hunting gear.
Calls & Decoys
To help you lure game animals towards you, you should make use of decoys and bird calls. No matter what you’re hunting for, there is always going to be either a decoy or a call, and sometimes even both. Not utilising any decoys or calls can result in a burdensome experience especially if it’s your first time.
Binoculars
No one can spot game animals far away without a good pair of binoculars. With binoculars, you can uncover game animals around you without getting too close or blowing up your cover. Just make sure when using your binoculars you have high ground so that you can scan over the terrain thoroughly.
Torch
Something you’ll definitely need when hunting at night is a proper hunting torch. Most people go for LED flashlights and there are many reasons why. LED torches will last you a lot longer on one charge and they can illuminate far better than any other torch. You can even get LED torches with different coloured lights to help you make hunting for certain game animals a lot easier.
Scopes
No matter if you’re hunting with a firearm or a bow, a scope can help you be more accurate. Even when it comes to nighttime hunting, you can get a night vision scope to help you identify targets more easily. The scope magnification levels you’ll need will be determined by the type of game animal you are going to hunt for.
Rangefinder
This is a device that helps you measure the distance to a target. With the help of lasers, the accuracy of a rangefinder is impeccable. But why would you need it? When it comes to determining the right position of your scope on your target a rangefinder can help immensely. This is because it gives you the exact distance between you and your prey which then you have to adjust your scope according to that data.
Multitool
There are various types of multi-tools but the one you should get needs to be rugged, meaning either made of stainless steel or titanium. The more tools you can have on your multi-tool the better, but make sure you can make use of most of them, otherwise, they are just going to be a waste of space. A multi-tool can help you open cans, cut branches and everything else that is important for survival.