The thrill of the hunt, one of the most ancient pursuits known to man brought to thrilling life by the abundance of hunting opportunities in the United States. Now, we make no comments or representations to any moral arguments around the topic, you’ll have to decide that for yourself, but if you are planning on going out hunting when the seasons call for it, you’ll be wanting to make certain that you have not just planned for deer season correctly, (or whatever wildlife you’re planning on hunting), but also that you have the best possible gear. 

So with those thoughts in the cross-hairs, let’s begin.

PORTABLE CHARGERS

Yep, we know. You go hunting partly to get away from it all, but with the way that technology has advanced around us, it doesn’t make any sense at all to be completely cut off. Not only will your loved ones thank you for it, but you’ll be grateful should something go wrong. When you’re out in the bush or forest, your mobile phone could be searching for a signal or mapping your route and in the process draining all of its power. 

So make sure that you have a couple of high-performance battery packs, and make sure that they are also charged up before leaving home. Yes, you will need guns, so get some good advice from those in the know (80 percent lower), and remember – a hunting rifle may not be ideal for self-protection or tactical reasons, so ask about those too, just in case.

TWO-WAY RADIOS

The jury is out on these because many hunters have complained about those crackling noises coming in at just the wrong time. After all, if someone forgot to turn the volume down, or turn the radio off, that could be problematic. 

The workaround here is to have regular ‘check-ins’ with your hunting party, and then keep the volume turned down in-between – but do remember to do it. In areas where there is no cell phone service, these devices can be life-saving, but can also alert your party to approaching trouble – or, prime game spots.

BINOCULARS OR RANGE FINDERS

The main driver of a successful hunt is being able to spot your prey before it finds you. A rangefinder assists you in evaluating the distance between where you’re located and your target. 

Binoculars magnify objects in the distance which makes it possible to see animals from long distances away. Each of these items is useful and fits nicely into the must-have category, but together – they pack a powerful punch.

GPS OR COMPASS

A no-brainer. We hardly need elaborate and your hunting and tracking skills aside (we’ll give you the benefit of the doubt), not everyone in your party may be equipped with those wonderful über-skills that you have, and when the chips are down – these tools are beyond life-saving.

KNIVES AND MULTI-TOOLS

You are never going to run out of uses or excuses to have a decent set of knives and multi-tools with you. These are basic survival tools that you can’t live without. You’ll also need a knife if your hunt is successful to clean your kill and yes, if you were not successful with your first shot, you’ll need a knife to finish the job too. There are hundreds of options, so check in with your local gear shop to see what they have, what you can afford, and what you can’t leave home without.