Gear for deer

There is a lot of deer hunting gear and equipment on the market, but is it all necessary?

Walk into a sporting goods store today to look at the gear you can purchase for deer hunting and it can be somewhat overwhelming; there is so much that a hunter can buy to take to the woods. It might come down to the hunter deciding how much he or she wants or needs and how much free money they have to spend on gear. Is this item really necessary or is it something that I can do without?

My focus for this column will be on the gear that a new hunter really needs to hunt deer. Of course, when one decides to start hunting deer they have to decide if they are going to use a gun or bow. Each hunting activity requires some different equipment and gear. Statistics show that most hunters who hunt deer use a modern firearm, so that is what I will be addressing in this column, gear for gun hunting.

Having secured a place to hunt, whether public or private, the next step would be to become a legal hunter and obtain your hunting license. The new hunter should also become aware of the deer hunting rules and regulations, the deer area they will be hunting in, season dates, etc. Keep in mind that regulations and dates are different between private and public lands, and between state and federal lands. I can’t stress enough on how important it is to know the law if you want to stay out of trouble.

Now that you know where you are going to hunt and have obtained the proper license, it’s time to go to the store and gear up.

A deer rifle

Obviously you will need a firearm. When I began deer hunting in the 1960s, I hunted with a 20 gauge bolt action shotgun using slugs and buckshot. I must mention that I killed a 135 class buck (B&C) with that first gun. It was the first deer killed with it and a well-placed slug put the buck down. My son, Ruffin, later killed a nice 8-point with it. I say this just to say that you don’t necessarily have to purchase a deer rifle to have success, but I would recommend that you invest in one.

There is much to select from at the gun counter. If you have never hunted, get with a friend who deer hunts and has a few deer rifles and shoot them to see what interests you.

The caliber of rifle is also a decision the new hunter must make. If you have plans to hunt larger game, such as bear or elk, you may want to invest in a caliber that is good for those game animals as well, such as the 30-06. I would also suggest that you invest in a good rifle scope, again keeping in mind whether you are going to just hunt deer or if you might go out west and hunt other game. The scope is an important item.

Ammo

Buy enough ammunition for target shooting and hunting and use the same ammo for both. Do as much shooting as you can to become comfortable shooting your rifle.

We have an arsenal of rifles in our household and I try to spread the love around. I have killed a lot of deer with my .270 Ruger; for many years I hunted with just my single shot .444, which is deadly on deer and hogs; my Remington 30-06 shoots extremely well as does my Winchester .308; the Browning lever action 7mm-08 is mainly used for the woods. As I said earlier, get with a friend who has a variety of rifles and shoot them to see what suits your fancy.

Binoculars

The next item I would suggest buying is a good pair of binoculars; again, choose a quality optic. You do not want to use your rifle scope for looking at deer to see what it is.

A deer stand

Deer stands are not necessary, but they certainly will help you see the deer on the landscape when you are elevated. But ground blinds can be quite productive, very affordable and are mobile. Climbing stands are portable and will get you up over the landscape but safety is of utmost importance. On private lands, most hunting is probably done from permanent box or ladder stands. Again, always think safety when hunting from an elevated stand, so buying safety gear for the type of stand you are using is money well spent.

After the hunt

Once the deer is down it is important to have the necessary gear to clean the deer. If a slaughter house is available in your area that will process the deer, skinning and butchering, that is always an option. Otherwise, you will need to purchase a good knife or two to take care of the job.

The first thing is to get the deer out and to the skinning rack. A drag rope is cheap but a lot of work. A deer buggy or cart will help get the deer out where ATVs are not allowed. The off road vehicles of course are what most private land hunters use, but these are not cheap. We use John Deere a lot on our place, in addition to it doing all the habitat and food plot work. If you know what you are doing, one knife will butcher a deer and get the meat in the ice chest. I would suggest purchasing a good ice chest or two that will keep ice for several days without melting. This is especially important when hunting in CWD areas where meat should be tested before consumption.

Have a great season. Hunt hard, be safe, help others and share your success with those who have needs.

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