Hunting can be an incredibly personal and customized experience. Some people like to camp, others like to make it a day trip. Hunters prefer different weapons, different habitats, and different game. The ways to hunt are as varied as each individual hunter. How will you know what you prefer? How will you know what’s necessary and what’s just personal taste?
One of the best ways to figure out your own personal hunting style is to go with an expert hunter or to hunt with a variety of different hunters to try out the way others hunt. You can do extensive research online and take frequent trips to your outdoor warehouse to pore over the huge range of options for hunting gear.
At R & K Hunting we love everything to do with hunting, so we’ll start you out by sharing our 5 basic tools that every hunter should use. You can get creative and flexible with the style, shape, size, brand, and model of each, but the essentials are critical.
- A Good Hunting Knife. You may think you’ll never need it, or that it’s an awkward or dangerous thing to carry. A knife can help with cutting, sawing, opening, loosening, freeing, and even self-defense. We suggest a fixed, Bowie-style knife, but an everyday carry knife with other attachments can also be useful.
- Binoculars. Quality binoculars can completely up to your hunting game. You can see farther, clearer, and with more confidence. There are good binoculars at every price point so find something you like and begin using them.
- GPS & Map. You can’t rely on your smartphone for your hunts in the wilderness. Combine a map with a GPS device so that you can always know where you are. Some modern GPS units have capabilities to chart trails and plot your campgrounds.
- Camouflage. This is a very wide range of products, but every hunter uses them in some form. You may start with clothing, then work your way up to skin paint, and even to portable hunting blind that you can set up to shoot out of for maximum camouflage.
- Boots. Your footwear makes an enormous difference in your performance and general comfort level. Well-fitting, gripping boots will help you go harder, faster, and longer than a weaker boot that will give you blisters and even a sprained ankle. Invest in good boots and spend time breaking them in long before your hunt.
If you’re serious about hunting, you should begin with these 5 key hunting pieces. You can assemble them slowly and upgrade as necessary, but you should focus on these for your hunting foundation.
Ask your hunting friends or the experts at R & K Hunting if you’re in need of recommendations for starting points, such as their favorite hunting knife or where they go to try on and purchase hunting boots. We hope you find all the necessary tools to make your hunting trip a success!