Waterfowl hunting is entirely different because I shoot more than once on each hunt, so I carry at least a spare box of 12 gauge shotshells. On a recent conservation snow goose hunt, I packed seven boxes of shells because I knew there was the possibility of pulling the trigger that many times since there isn\u2019t a limit on snow geese during that period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important to remember that some areas limit the amount of ammo you can carry, so always be sure of the local regulations before heading out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Headlamp<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As darkness descended on the land, I climbed down from my tree stand and began to walk back to my truck. I followed our four-wheeler trail through the woods until I heard a noise that stopped me in my tracks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frozen, I must admit I was a bit scared as I could barely make out the shape of an animal just a few yards into the woods. The leaves rustled as the terrifying animal approached me until I finally got my headlamp<\/a> out of my hunting back and turned it on to see a giant\u2026 opossum. I chuckled and began making my way back to my truck, thankful it was just a greasy opossum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve used the light on my phone in a pinch, but I\u2019ve always found that a headlamp<\/a> works best because it keeps your hands free and always shines where you\u2019re looking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another time, I got a call from my dad, who said he shot a deer but couldn\u2019t find it, and the sun was setting. So I grabbed my headlamp<\/a> and headed to our lease to help him search for it. He had a handheld flashlight and was able to find a small blood trail, but with the help of my headlamp, we were able to follow single drops of blood to a nearby creek where his deer was lying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One last thing about headlamps: get one that\u2019s as bright as you can afford. I\u2019ve owned several that barely emitted any light, and I was better off turning them off and using the flashlight on my phone. All headlamps are not made equal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I first began hunting, I only carried a pocket knife<\/a>. I now have at least two skinning and gutting knives, plus my pocket knife<\/a>. When waterfowl hunting, this isn\u2019t such a concern. However, on my snow goose hunt, I was one of two guys who brought a knife<\/a> to clean our birds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I found out the hard way why carrying multiple knives was a must on my first elk hunt. I gutted my elk and began skinning it as my dad made his way over to help me haul the meat back to camp. Once he got there, it was much easier to finish skinning and quartering it because he brought more sharp knives. My first mistake was not ensuring my knife was sharp before the hunt, and my second was not carrying a spare or two because cutting through tendons and meat can quickly dull a blade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always bring a spare sharp knife!<\/p>\n\n\n\n While walking to our duck hunting<\/a> spot one morning, a buddy fell in the mud and got mud stuck in the end of his barrel. We tried to clean it out with a stick, but it didn\u2019t clean it well enough for the shotgun<\/a> to be safe to shoot. Thankfully, I had a bore snake in my hunting bag, and we managed to clean it out so he could shoot that morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I keep the bore snake in a plastic bag with a tiny bit of gun oil for occasions like that. You never know when you might get some debris in your barrel, making it unsafe to fire and ruining your hunt. Having one of these has saved me or my buddies on more than one hunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you hunt enough, it\u2019s going to happen. You\u2019ll feel your stomach rumble and know there is no way you\u2019ll make it to the nearest restroom. I\u2019ve lost track of all the hunts I or a buddy has had to use the toilet paper in my bag<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also keep the toilet paper in a plastic baggie to protect it from the elements. You can also bring along baby wipes or Dude Wipes. I\u2019m not a fan of baby wipes while big game hunting because they\u2019re typically scented, so be sure you\u2019re getting the unscented ones if you decide to use those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Knives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Bore Snake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Toilet Paper<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Parting Shots<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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