All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General > Hunting Gate
What's your basic Hunting Kit?
Froghunter:
Mine is pictured below and what I will be using for the upcoming hunting season. The squirrel season starts the 15th of September in Delaware……Two weeks from today!
Gun Case: The gun case is a Cables padded rifle case 48” long and in Advantage Timber. One of these days I hope to build a hard case just for this gun.
Rifle: The rifle is a Diana Model 40….The same family as the Model 34. I have finished the stock in a Forest Green Textured by Rust Oleum paints. The barrel is wrapped in an ace bandage and secured with rubber bands. You will notice that the scope has blacking removed in spots. The story is that the scope was mounted on my HW-50S and I crashed the tube with the BKL scope mount. I had to sand the sides level/even to place it in the new mount. The scope is a 3-9 x 32 Golden Antelope and has done well so far with the tube being crashed. I’m can not remember the mount brand, but it has one inch rings. I purchase a small tube of goop this afternoon and need to do the lower part of the rings. The mount is turned around because of up and down scope adjustment. It’s centered in the middle of the clicks. Windage is off about 2/3 to the left of center. It has the scope stop bolt with in the mount and I’m pleased so far with it. I’m down to three pellets that shoot good at 10 yards and need to continue to shoot 20, 30, 40, and 50 yards for my plot chart. I will do this……this coming weekend. The pellets are the Beeman 8.6 grain FTS, JSB 10.2 grain Exact Heavy and the Crosman 10.5 grain Premier Heavy. I understand that the last two are heavy for the platform, but they shoot well so far and I’m planning on using the CPHs for my hunting pellet. To continue with the rifle; it is stock, but has been lube tuned. Once I get her the final zero/sighted in the turrets will be taped down with athletic tape.
Ranger Finder: Bushnell Yard Pro Sport 450 and this is the first year I will be using this system with the POI plotted chart. I’m not sure, but I’m thinking it will work on the longer distance shots 25-40 yards. I’m not feeling confident with shots over 40 yards.
Binos: Bushnell Trophy 8 x 27 good tool to have and was one of the first items I purchased.
Pruning Shears: I use these to cut the feet and head off the small game I harvest. I skin the game out first. Then dress it and use the shears to take the feet off. Works for me……. and a lot easier than braking leg bones and using a knife. Also used for cutting stuff for a hide and shooting lanes.
Pocket Knife: My is a small Case lock blade that is about worn out, but holds an edge and does the job of dressing the game.
Note Book: I’m not one who likes to take notes, but this year I’m going to try and start. I have a pencil and pen that go in the camo notebook holder. I also don’t seat my pellets in the chamber, but I have read on the forum that it can be done using a pen and I will be giving it a go to see if it works for me.
Flash Light: Mine is a small AA battery LED unit I take with me. It’s a cheap one we picked up from Auto Zone.
Gloves: They are not a matching pair?????? The left hand glove is an old leather glove I found on the ground at work. It has been cleaned up and condition with mink oil. It is lined with a brown cotton jersey glove that I also found along the road and it’s brand new. I’m glad it was a left hand glove to and it fit me. I looked for the right hand one, but didn’t fine it. The right hand glove is a black leather glove I also found in my travels. It has been cleaned and mink oiled. The index and thumb fingers have been cut and sew to keep the stitches from coming out any further. In some pictures on the hunting forum another member has his index and thumb cut out of his glove too. Homework, why do we have these two fingers cut out of our gloves?
Almost done!
Game Bags: I’m so confident that I will bring home the bacon that I have two plastic groceries bags to use for the dressed game I have harvested and will be taking home. Early part of the season I have a small cooler in the truck with ice.
Face Net and Boonie Hat: I believe in the face net and the gloves on the hands. They are going with me and I use them. They work for me and if you are not using them, give’em a try. You can use an old brown/green color t-shirt and cut eye hole to see out of.
Pack: I have a couple of different packs I use. The one in the picture is a Camel Bak pack and is small enough for my morning and evening hunts. The bladder has been taken out. I have a daily pack but don’t use it to much. It has a poncho and small blanket in it,
Hunting Clothes: For squirrel hunting I like the woodland pattern of the old Army BDU uniform. I'm retired army, so I have a couple sets of these. Camo or earth tone colors are import for success, A squirrel has shape eyes.
Some things that are not in the picture that I take are a small first aid kit, just for cuts, rubber gloves for cleaning and dressing game and the Camera so I can take pictures for the forum.
I'm hoping others will share with us what they take with them on hunts and what works for them!
Good Luck In Your Hunts!
Froghunter
Progun:
Bill, I'd say you've pretty well got it covered. I carry a small duffle bag that holds my thermos, water bottle,lunch,SHOOTING STICK (don't leave home without it), rubber gloves, flashlight, pee jug, tree umbrella, etc.. Oh yeah and TP. During deer season I carry my sling in my bag until I need to sling my rifle to free up my hands to do the dragging. Stays in the bag 99% of the time. Also I like those thick plastic sleds that fold around the deer like a taco shell for the dragging. I can get big deer out of the woods and onto the truck by myself with this tool.
JimH:
My Mrod with shoulder strap.
Pellets, two fully loaded 10 shot mags
Sharp pocket knife
GPS
2 one gallon Ziplock bags
Nikon SLR digital camera
Seeing this is my first full season, I guess I'll learn if I'm pack'n too light.
Not counting my back yard varmint exterminations, last season I never really saw any squirrels... got one crow though.
DougT:
Mostly just my 850 and a tin of pellets. Sometimes I'll throw in the digital camera.
If we go to The Farm, we take the spot light, dust masks, surgical gloves, garbage bags, shovel, baby wipes, camera, snacks and bottled water. It's pretty nasty there so we're careful about what we breathe and touch.
Mebits:
One thing that I bring with me into the field (even for target shooting or plinking) is a little tool kit. screw driver with torx bits, hexes for scope and trigger, and my swiss army knife (the long one with just long blade, cork screw, can opener, screw driver, small tools--in addition to the obvious, it's great for making a nice sandwich on good bread, and I can pop a bottle of wine at the end of the day. Yes, I'm a hedonist. Sue me.)
Otherwise, these are really useful ideas.
The ones that never crossed my mind are: Flashlight (duh!), pruning shears (BRILLIANT!), and mask and gloves (duh! I am still in "summer mode" but I should have remembered that game often picks up our face and the quick movements of our light -- for me anyway-- hands).
Really smart, and useful guys.
M
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