A question I get asked a lot is: What should I take to the woods with me when I go deer hunting in the fall? There is no single answer that fits everyone because we all have different things we like to carry and some people hunt close to resources while others walk miles to their hunting stands. What I’ve done is collected almost everything I take with me and put it into the bow hunting gear list I have laid out for you below.
I’m sure I forgot something…..I always do. But, I think this is a pretty good list for those of you who are just starting out and are looking for ideas to see what you should be carrying into the woods with you this archery season.
I do have a caveat to the list below. I have four different types of hunts I am planning to do this season and the list below highlights the gear I need for each one. The two main types of archery hunts I’ll be doing are:
- Saddle Hunting
- Mobile Stand Hunting
You might be wondering why I am doing all of this, but all I can say is, that I have multiple places I want to hunt and each location requires something different. Plus, I want to test a bunch of stuff out.
Let’s get into the list.
*Note: I receive a small commission for some of the items listed below if you make a purchase through one of the links. This does not influence what I carry or recommend.
Compound Bow and Arrows Setup
My compound bow and arrows setup for 2022 includes:
- Bow – 2022 Bear Alaskan Compound Bow
- Bow Sight – Trophy Ridge Pursuit Single Pin Sight
- Stabilizer – Trophy Ridge Blitz Stabilizer
- Arrow Rest – Quality Archery Designs (QAD) Ultra-Rest HDX
- Quiver – Trophy Ridge 5 Spot Arrow Quiver
- Release – Tru-Fire Edge 4-Finger Hand Held Bow Release
- Arrows – Vector Custom Shop HMR V1 Arrows (605 grains) – See how I put them together here (video)
- Broadheads – Tooth of the Arrow 1-3/16 inch Broadhead V-Series (XL) – (125 Grain, 3 Pack)
Saddle Hunting Gear List
My mobile saddle hunting gear list for 2022 includes:
- Saddle Kit – Tethrd Phantom Saddle Kit with 11mm Tether and 11mm Lineman’s Ropes
- Ascender – Wild Country Ropeman 1 Ascender (2 for use with the two 11mm ropes listed above)
- Saddle Rope Storage – Tactical Molle Magazine Dump Pouches (2 used for storing ropes on Saddle)
- Climbing Sticks – Tethrd Skeletor Climbing Sticks – 4 Pack
- Aider – 2-Step Amsteel Aider (for use with the climbing sticks)
- Saddle Standing Platform – Tethrd Predator Platform (with Predator Pack)
- Non-Screw-in Gear Hanger – Bow/Gear Tree Hanger Kit
- Binos – Vortex Crossfire HD 10 x 42 Binoculars
- Knife – Havalon Piranta Skinning Knife
- Pack – Tenzing Sling Archery Day Pack
- Rangefinder – Bushnell Bone Collector Laser Rangefinder
- Headlamp – Black Diamond Cosmo Headlamp
- Flashlight – Bushnell TRKR 400 LED
- Grunt Call – Primos Uproar Grunt Call (don’t think they make them anymore)
- Bleat Can – Primos Doe Bleat Can, small
- …and a few other assorted items you can see in the picture above.
I am looking at testing the Trophyline C.A.Y.S Saddle Hunting Pack to streamline my carrying configuration. You might see me wearing one if I can get one ordered before the season starts.
Mobile Stand Gear List
As you can see from the picture above, I carry most of the same stuff when I switch to my mobile stand setup. The big thing is I don’t have the saddle and ropes with this setup.
Take a look at what I use instead:
- Mobile Hunting Stand – Novix Helo Hang-on Treestand
- Safety Harness – Hunter Safety Systems Safety Harness
As you can see, there is a lot of stuff on this list, but I can fit all of it on my back no matter if I am saddle hunting or using a mobile hunt-and-hang hunting style.
If you have any questions about the list or see something I’m missing, let me know.
