Adult Onset Hunting Gear Recommendations

I've taken 2 guys out this year who are 30+ and just getting I to hunting. Both have gotten on their first animals and looking to invest in their hunting gear. What I'd like to hear from everyone are recommendations on gear they should start acquiring. These guys basically have rifles, the oddly assorted clothing, and a camo backpack. Nothing really hunting specific. So they are starting from scratch.

Here are the three categories:

1. Get Now: this is must have gear that you will need or will significant increase your odds of harvesting. These would probably be the larger dollar amounts.

2. Get Next: these would be items nice to have but you don't have to have. These would be purchased only after the Get Now list is done.

3. Get When You Can: these are things You'd get if you had a chance and saw on sale, Christmas gifts, etc. Ypu wouldnt grt these unless the first row lists were done.

1. Boots, binos and quality pack that can haul out an animal.
2. Upgrade clothing as appropriate.
3. Bino harness, knives, upgrade GPS/Nav equipment, lightweight tent and bag, misc. tools.

jryoung said:

1. Boots, binos and quality pack that can haul out an animal.
2. Upgrade clothing as appropriate.
3. Bino harness, knives, upgrade GPS/Nav equipment, lightweight tent and bag, misc. tools.

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I think you nailed it.

jryoung said:

1. Boots, binos and quality pack that can haul out an animal.
2. Upgrade clothing as appropriate.
3. Bino harness, knives, upgrade GPS/Nav equipment, lightweight tent and bag, misc. tools.

Click to expand...

I would put mapping app up in #1 (OnX and Earthmate have really helped me pick spots when having to call an audible).

Headlamp is a buy now kind of thing. The priority with clothing is to purge any cotton from your outdoor clothing then worry about better/hunting specific stuff later.

As most big game hunting is a fall/winter gig, warm clothing so that you can go out and stay out is imperative. Camo clothing is optional, matching camo definetely optional.

Knowing where you want to go, and getting there safely (GPS or Map App/ headlamp, trekking poles, proper foot coverings) are important for upping your harvest opportunity.

jryoung said:

1. Boots, binos and quality pack that can haul out an animal.
2. Upgrade clothing as appropriate.
3. Bino harness, knives, upgrade GPS/Nav equipment, lightweight tent and bag, misc. tools.

Click to expand...

The only thing I would change is moving a GPS/Nav unit up on the list. I think the options with OnXmaps makes this much easier than ever before, especially if they are only hunting one state.

1. COMPASS
2. COMPASS
3. COMPASS
And learn how to us it !

1. Boots, binos and quality pack that can haul out an animal.
2. Upgrade clothing as appropriate.
3. Bino harness, knives, upgrade GPS/Nav equipment, lightweight tent and bag, misc. tools.

Agree with this... the equipment list gets exponentially more complicated if they want to get into backpack hunting.

I'm 39 and just started hunting this year but I've also spent the last 39 years fishing, hiking and back country camping. So I guess it would depend on how experienced your friends are outside already.

My priority list
1) Get Now: appropriate gun/hunting licences, a gun and/or bow, binoculars

2) hunting specific mapping app

3) truck

The number one thing that helped me was having a friend who shared my same ideas about hunting, camping and how we wanted it all to play out.

Biggest challenge I've had with somewhat older guys that I've brought into hunting is that they don't spend enough time shooting their firearms or archery equipment to understand it and to consistently kill with them.
Result is a lot of missed animals and sometimes wounding unrecoverable game which is never fun. One buddy blew two chip rifle shots at nice bucks under 200 yards on a KS paid hunt a couple years ago. Standing still deer, shooting out of a box blind.

Steiny said:

Biggest challenge I've had with somewhat older guys that I've brought into hunting is that they don't spend enough time shooting their firearms or archery equipment to understand it and to consistently kill with them.
Result is a lot of missed animals and sometimes wounding unrecoverable game which is never fun. One buddy blew two chip rifle shots at nice bucks under 200 yards on a KS paid hunt a couple years ago. Standing still deer, shooting out of a box blind.

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I think you bring up a good point. When I was introduced to hunting as a kid I spent a ton of time hunting rabbits and other small game with a bow or a .22. This really helped me understand animal movement as well as improve my ability to shoulder a rifle quickly in a controlled manner. As I am teaching my son I have realize how much I have taken for granted those skills. I think its important to express to an "adult onset" hunter the need to spend time in the field hunting small game and/or hunting birds/shooting trap to help refine those skills.

I'd agree with Steiny. Learning to use a rifle and/or bow well should be the first expenditure. I started hunting as an adult and this was difficult for me. Where I live the gun clubs are all full with 15-20 year waiting lists so I have to drive an hour or more to shoot my rifle with the exception of a few public range days at the local club. I try to get out as much as I can but it still amounts to a handful of times a year. The bow was easier. There is a very good club 20 minutes from my house and I get to shoot my bow weekly if not more. I'm probably more comfortable with my bow than my rifle now just because of repetition.

I'd say the nav/gps should be way down on the list. Like pabearhunter said, COMPASS and learn how to use it. Learning how to know where you are is way more valuable than any gps based device. I see too many people glued to their electronics instead of paying attention to where they are, where they've been and where they are going.

Boots are second on my list after proficiency with your firearm.

rideold said:

Like pabearhunter said, COMPASS and learn how to use it.

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I'm curious how often the two of you use a compass while out hunting? Are you advocating a compass over a GPS, because a GPS can die? I'm also slightly curious on the age of you two. From years of scouting and being a scout master I can use a compass without a problem, but I dont think I have ever used one in the woods. I have a GPS, but most of the time its shut off unless I need to arrive in a very precise location. Am I taking for granted the ability for people to understand where they are according to the sun, where they have been and the terrain around them?

jryoung said:

1. Boots, binos and quality pack that can haul out an animal.
2. Upgrade clothing as appropriate.
3. Bino harness, knives, upgrade GPS/Nav equipment, lightweight tent and bag, misc. tools.

Click to expand...

I think I'd move knife up to the top line. My first year hunting, I'm also adult onset, I just had a folding knife/saw combo. It was a struggle just to field dress a whitetail since the thing couldn't hold an edge. I couldn't even imagine trying to fully quarter something with that garbage blade.

utahminer said:

From years of scouting and being a scout master I can use a compass without a problem, but I dont think I have ever used one in the woods. I have a GPS, but most of the time its shut off unless I need to arrive in a very precise location. Am I taking for granted the ability for people to understand where they are according to the sun, where they have been and the terrain around them?

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I think a lot of it depends on the type of terrain someone is hunting. When I lived in BC, navigation and getting lost was almost not even possible with so many landmarks almost always visible. After moving to much flatter terrain in Alberta covered in mixed prairie/boreal forest with no real high point landmarks, I always have at least a compass with me.

I'm 33 and just started hunting--I too have a experience with fishing, hiking and camping and agree this is the most fair list of priorities right down to a like-mined friend. In fact, this is my first time on any forum whatsoever and have no clue how this even works...but either way, Great to hear other AOH's stories.

Nick AOHpodcast said:

I'm 33 and just started hunting--I too have a experience with fishing, hiking and camping and agree this is the most fair list of priorities right down to a like-mined friend. In fact, this is my first time on any forum whatsoever and have no clue how this even works...but either way, Great to hear other AOH's stories.

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Send me a PM. I very much like helping AOH.

utahminer said:

I'm curious how often the two of you use a compass while out hunting? Are you advocating a compass over a GPS, because a GPS can die? I'm also slightly curious on the age of you two. From years of scouting and being a scout master I can use a compass without a problem, but I dont think I have ever used one in the woods. I have a GPS, but most of the time its shut off unless I need to arrive in a very precise location. Am I taking for granted the ability for people to understand where they are according to the sun, where they have been and the terrain around them?

Click to expand...

I use my compass mainly for shooting azimuth to keep a heading. It is rarely needed, but if you get to following animals or it gets dark on you its easy to get turned around. A gps is good to have and is no doubt a powerful tool, but I ALWAYS have my compass with me while out.

I went through this very thing last fall; right after turning 33 this past season I tagged my first whitetail. I tagged two more before season was done. I had grown up in a family that was very familiar with firearms but my parents didn't hunt and I only occasionally went with uncles/cousins/family friends, and then only for dove, coyote, and hog. I had actually not hunted in over ten years before a friend talked me into getting back into dove hunting, and I decided to try hard to find deer access and actually get after it. Even though your friends have some of this stuff, I'll just discuss what process I went through (basically starting from scratch) on the chance it may help someone else.

Get Now:
Gun and scope: A scoped rifle was a must. I owned several firearms but had always borrowed a scoped rifle and had little experience with them. After some research and recommendations I set myself up with a Tikka T3X Lite 25-06 and mounted a Leupold VX-2 3-9x40. I bought several boxes of Hornady American Whitetail and put a lot of rounds down range before I ever took it hunting. I'll be chasing more whitetail later in the year and will be flying to Alaska for blacktail, so 25-06 suits me fine. In 2019 when I'm looking to try my hand at elk and maybe nilgai, I'll probably get a 7mm-08 or a .308 and spend a little more money on a scope. I'm also going to take a look at the Barnes VOR-TX ammo that I've heard a lot about, and will begin hand-loading sometime down the road.

Boots: I bought a cheap pair of Magellan's at a local sporting good store because I wasn't hiking much this past season. I later bought a pair of LaCrosse Aeroheads for some later-season sits when it was wet and cold. I'll spend some cash on some very good boots before I head to Alaska, and I know I'll need them for future backcountry hunts anyway.

"Entry level" clothing: I picked up some generic camo shirts and pants from a sporting good store, and when it got cooler, I put on my old cotton long johns underneath. This was my number one eye-opening lesson of the season. My Cabela's "thinsulate" jacket and Amazon balaclava did all they could to keep me warm, but I had some miserable sits where I was cold but also soaked in my own sweat, which I'm sure didn't help my scent situation. I'm fully aware that great hunters can slay deer and elk in jeans and a t-shirt, but having better clothing for various conditions is important, as I'll discuss below.

Basic pack and basics: I bought a cheap camo hip pack with shoulder sling to help me carry my small amount of gear into the field. I got an Extinguisher call but started hunting just after the rut here so I didn't rattle, and other than my knives I didn't have a whole lot to carry around at first.

Head lamp: I didn't own one during the season but I wish I had. I purchased a Black Diamond Spot soon after the season ended, and I'll never go hunting without a headlamp again. Stumbling into an unfamiliar stand at 5am would have been much easier with my head lamp set to red. Luckily, I didn't have to track or recover a deer after dark.

Navigation: Whether you're using a map/compass or GPS, you need to know where you are. I picked up the On X Hunt app for my phone recently and it has already greatly helped me while scouting a couple of new hunting areas.

Get Next:

Better camo: Upgrading my clothing is my top priority this off-season. I need better base layers, better layering in general, materials that aren't going to trap moisture, and more versatility. I don't want to be stuck wearing the same things for an August Alaskan alpine blacktail hunt, September archery hunts here in Texas, and the rest of Texas deer season from the rut through late January. I need it to breathe and be light when I'm climbing, and keep me warm when I'm doing an all-day winter sit. I've been scouring spring camo sales and have already picked up a few deals online.

Binocs: After Christmas I used some gift card money to pick up some Vortex Diamondback 10x42s. They didn't help me much this season (I was hunting in fairly scrubby terrain, and my longest shot was around 125) but they're already coming in handy for scouting new areas.

Game Cameras: If you're starting out with someone else's help, you may not be doing much of the scouting. If you're finding your own places to hunt you'll want to start building a collection of trail cameras. It's currently being discussed in another thread, but I went fairly cheap ($100) to begin with. I use my cameras to inventory the deer in my hunting areas, so I don't use the video features that most come with, I don't need anything over 12mp quality, and reaction time and sensor range are things you can get on cheaper cameras if you look hard enough.

Better pack: I purchased an Eberlestock X2 and love it. Whichever pack you get, I recommend something with a frame that can strap down small when needed but also expand out to carry a lot of gear or meat. I bought a Platypus Big Zip 3L water bladder and some roll-top dry bags to go with it.

Bow: There's no time like the present! I picked up a Bear Wild bow to start practicing in the off-season. If you're going to dive head-first into hunting like I did, you'll want to take advantage of opportunities that only archery will provide, both in locations and seasons.

Get Later:

Memberships: Read a lot! Ask a lot of questions! Don't be afraid to admit that you're learning. I've joined BHA and begun interacting with members here in Texas, even though Texas isn't a big public land state. I'll look into RMEF in the future, and may give goHunt a try later in the year when I begin looking at elk tags. Even just joining and reading this forum has been beneficial.

Rangefinder: On my list of acquisitions for later in the year. This past season I wasn't hunting anywhere that I'd be shooting beyond 200 yards, so my flat-shooting 25-06 wasn't worried about exact ranges. As I start going further afield a rangefinder will become more important.

Binoc Harness: Not real necessary for the casual Texas deer hunter, but it's handy when hunting or hiking with a pack on.

Trekking Poles: I still haven't purchased any but probably will before I hunt the Alaskan alpine later in the year. Watching Randy's shows and reading comments here has brought the idea to my attention.

Camping Gear: I'll start looking at good-quality camping equipment in the future so that I can be self-sufficient on longer backcountry hunts.

Spotting Scope: Once I spend money on a good spotting scope I'll finally feel like I've caught up on gear. I don't presently need one, but I know I'll want one for hunting larger areas in the future.