Deer Hunting Checklist
Deer hunting, whether it's whitetails or mule deer remains the most popular big game hunting venue by a wide margin. There are countless types of terrain you can encounter on an autumn deer hunt and each one presents a challenge in equipping your hunt, or hunting party for a safe, successful wilderness adventure.
We’ve assembled a checklist of the most common items deer hunters require when they take to the field. Whether you are on a day hunt, camping in a tent, or a large fifth-wheel camper, many of the essential items you require should be in any style hunt.
Hunting in relatively populated areas, like farms, and heavily utilized public land doesn’t require the extensive list that venturing into the vastness of the Rocky Mountain West or Great Plains. One of the biggest differences in modern hunting is cell phone service. There are large areas of the big western states that have no cell phone service at all. If you think you need a digital connection there are satellite-based phones you can use.
The sections listed below are to be used as a checklist, you don’t need every item, but you need to think about where you’re going to hunt, how isolated it is, what your limitations might be, and those of your hunting party. As the adage goes, failing to plan, is planning to fail.
Carried With You on the Hunt
If you want to hunt deer, you need a deer hunting license—and it’s not much good to you if you leave it at home. Keep your license stored in a safe and secure part of your pack: if it isn’t a waterproof pocket already, be sure to put your license in a plastic bag to keep it from being ruined. A photo of your license on your phone can also make a great backup in a pinch. A pen can also help you keep a harvest record or any other relevant notes on antler or other requirements.
If you’ll be hunting on private land, you need to carry permission. You may be stopped by authorities, and a handshake agreement could be verified in the long run, but still ruin your day with the investigation. Keep written permission safe with your hunting license, and be sure to look into what qualifies as private land in your area before starting your trip.
A deer hunting rifle needs to provide the power and precision necessary to ensure a clean, ethical kill at your chosen range. When choosing the best rifle for deer hunting, make sure to consider how much recoil you can manage while shooting accurately, your anticipated yardage, how portable your rifle needs to be (based on how far you’ll be carrying it), and the ammunition and ballistics that will get the job done. You can choose from bolt-action, semi-automatic, lever-action, and single-shot rifles for deer hunting.
The right ammunition is key when you’re heading out on a deer hunt. Ammunition will come in different sizes and weights, and your choice should be based on the distance you’ll be shooting, your ability to manage recoil, and your preferred firearm. Many deer hunters prefer 150-180 grain bullets, and varieties that expand upon impact to do the maximum damage to the deer after a single shot. Small calibers, standard calibers, straight-wall calibers, lever-action calibers, and magnum calibers can all be effective hunting deer at various ranges.
You need to be prepared for a successful hunt, and with deer, that means processing in the field. A hunting knife will help you process meat quickly and cleanly. You’ll have options for a hunting knife’s blade length, edge type, blade belly, and grip. Make sure the knife fits your hand comfortably and is the right size to break down a deer.
A quality skinning knife will help you process your deer quickly and efficiently. Look for a model that will allow you to cut with control so you don’t spoil the meat, is easy to maintain, and holds a sharp edge as you work through your cuts. While a serrated knife might be helpful for your kit if you’re cutting through bone, a fine blade will help you preserve the deer’s meat.
A hatchet will help you cut through bone, but it can also help you cut through vegetation. With the stealth work many deer hunters do, hatchets can make a big difference, allowing you to bring down branches to create concealment. If a hatchet is too bulky to carry with you over long distances, a foldable saw can fit more easily in your pack and help with large elements as you pursue your deer.
Once your deer is processed, you need a way to get it home safely. That’s where microbial game bags come in. These game bags should be lightweight, strong, and durable. Your bag needs to be large enough to fit a deer, breathable without allowing insects to gather, and stitched in a way that will hold easily during your carry. Consider whether you want game bags that are easily hangable, are reusable over several hunts, or have additional pockets and uses for storing accessories when not hauling meat.
Whether you’ll be making long-distance shots or you want to make sure you’re hiking towards deer, good optics will change your ability in the field. Your optics should be chosen based on the distances you’ll be scouting game through, your hunting terrain, and the space and weight you can tolerate in your pack. Choose from scopes and binoculars with different magnification, objective lens diameter, and eyepiece shape.
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A good day pack will fit all the gear you need to carry for your deer hunt. Most deer hunters head out and back in the same day, but you’ll need a larger pack if you’ll be backpacking. Consider your preferences for storage and accessibility, internal or external frames, and whether you’d like a dedicated place to strap your rifle.
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If you can’t carry all your water with you, or even if you just want a good backup plan, water purifying tablets and filter straws enable you to turn water from rivers, lakes, and streams into potable drinking water. Water purifying tablets are very light, allowing you to bring plenty without creating bulk. Filters remove protozoan cysts and bacteria, while water purifiers also remove viruses and are most needed if you’re traveling through developing nations. Water filters come in pump, gravity, ultraviolet, bottle, squeeze, and straw-style models.
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Carried in the Truck
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Deer hunting requires serious stealth, and being elevated keeps your scent and sounds farther from the deer while giving you a greater field of view. You may need to use a tree stand that you build each time, or if you have consistent access to a large tree throughout the season, you may be able to build a permanent structure. Ladder, hang on, climbing, and tower varieties of tree stands help many hunters—just make sure to pack your safety harness, too.
You need a way to get your deer from the backcountry to your home. A game cart will help make this possible, and when you’re deer hunting, even a sled can work well. Make sure your cart or sled is durable, waterproof, and of course, large enough to fit your intended harvest.
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Clothing
A good deer hunting jacket will help you blend into your surroundings while keeping you warm and protected from the elements. Consider your expected temperatures, your anticipated activity level, and your terrain when choosing a jacket. A camouflage jacket should be durable and breathable, standing up against brush while leaving room for you to work up a sweat. If you’ll be hunting in tree stands, your camouflage pattern should take the deer’s angle of view into consideration. Choose from hunting jackets with hoods, built-in face masks, zippered vents, and different approaches to organization.
Your hunting pants should be lightweight while still providing enough durability for any brush you’ll be walking through. Deer have excellent hearing, so make sure your pants are designed for stealth and won’t alert them to your presence. Your expected temperature and terrain will inform the pants you need. Hunting pants come in puffy, brush, and insulated bib varieties.
A hunting vest will add an extra layer of insulation while also giving more storage options for small essentials. Your vest can help conceal you, or help highlight you for the sake of other hunters. Your vest should be the right camouflage pattern for the terrain and have a pocket storage system that works for your needs.
When you’re out searching for deer, you want protection from mud and streams. Waterproof boots help you move through your terrain while protecting your feet from blistering and discomfort. You’ll want to think through the comfort, durability, boot weight, and fit when choosing your boots. Consider your terrain to determine how much traction and technical performance you need.
In any temperature, you’re likely to work up a sweat while hunting. A breathable base layer underneath your jacket and other clothing helps to wick away moisture and keep you cool. If you want the option to use the performance base layer as an outer layer during the heat of the day, make sure to bring it in camouflage that matches the terrain.
If you don’t want blisters, you need moisture-wicking socks. Find a pair that are taller than your boots and fit your foot well. You may want different amounts of cushioning depending on personal preference and the temperature. Choose from wool, polyester, nylon, silk, and spandex for your deer hunting socks.
A hunting cap can camouflage your head, keep you warm, and protect from the sun. Different models have different purposes, with wool caps protecting your ears and focusing on warmth, and baseball caps and brimmed hats protecting from the sun and the elements. Choose from cotton, nylon, wool, or polyester caps depending on your expected conditions.
Hunting gloves keep your hands warm, but they also provide extra traction on your rifle. Consider the material that will help you grip best, while still offering breathability and warmth. Many deer hunters prefer leather or synthetic gloves, and you can choose from camouflage options. For added dexterity, you may want flip-style gloves that can transition to being fingerless when needed.
If you’re hunting into the late season, a balaclava will keep you warm and protected. It’s also an extra layer of stealth to keep you hidden from deer. When choosing your balaclava, consider how much of your face, head, and neck you want it to cover; how warm you need it to be based on your expected conditions; and what style of camouflage will help you blend in with your surroundings. You can choose from hunting balaclavas, neck gaiters, and mesh masks.
Your hunting belt can do more than just keep your pants up—it can also provide a place for extra gear storage. Some hunting belts may just be extra-sturdy for clip-on knives and accessories, while others provide pouches for additional storage. Choose a belt that is durable and lightweight. Nylon and leather are popular hunting belt options.
Lightweight, breathable gaiters might make the difference between a comfortable hike and a wet, muddy one. Gaiters are waterproof sleeves that go over your boots and up your calf, and should be abrasion-resistant soft-shell fabric. Consider how your gaiters come on and off, how tall you want your gaiters to be, and what size is best for you. Gaiters are often found in hiking, mountaineering, and trail running varieties.
*Please Note: One or more of these should be blaze orange to meet state hunting regulations.
Camping gear
If you’re going out for more than a day trip, you need to consider your shelter. If you’ll have access to roads, campers and RVs can be a great choice—just make sure your model will stand up to the terrain you’ll be moving through and provides everything you need for your game and gear.
Tents can also provide shelter either out backpacking or in one dedicated camping spot. If you’re backpacking, a lightweight tent is key, while a camping tent can be a bit larger and heavier. Your tent should be warm enough for your expected temperatures, keep you safe from rain and insects, be easy to set up, and have a solid ventilation system. You can find tents made for 2-, 3-, and 4-seasons sleeping 1-10 people.
Your tent rain cover and footprint keep you and your tent protected from the harsher elements. Your rain cover is a fitted tarp that goes over your tent during storms or to keep heat in. Your footprint is a patch of material that goes between your tent and the ground: this way, the wear and tear of the earth only affect the footprint, and that’s much cheaper to replace than your entire tent.
Sleeping bags keep you warm and comfortable in the great outdoors. Check the temperature rating of your sleeping bag against your anticipated lows, and decide how important compression and packability are to you. You’ll be able to choose from down or synthetic fill sleeping bags, temperature ratings from 0-40 degrees, and shapes including rectangular, semi-rectangular, mummy, and double bag.
A sleeping pad gives an extra layer of insulation and comfort between your sleeping bag and the cold ground. Make sure your sleeping pad is an appropriate size for your tent and portable enough for your packing needs. Self-inflating pads, thick air pads, ultralight air pads, and foam camping mats are all good options for hunters.
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Headlamps offer hands-free illumination of whatever’s directly in front of you, which is very helpful if you’ll be setting up, cooking, or hiking after dark. Flashlights help you point a brighter beam across a wider range of space, and lanterns can bring light to a specific area once you’re set up. Consider how bright you want your light, what kind of batteries you hope to use, whether you need waterproof lighting, and whether you want LEDs. You can choose from rechargeable, battery-powered, strobing, colored, flood, and spotlight headlamps; rechargeable, compact, flashlight/lantern combo, mid-size, large, and keychain flashlights; and propane, candle, or hurricane lanterns.
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Camp stoves elevate your camping experience tremendously by bringing hot meals and drinks to the table. Consider whether you want a backpacking stove that can fold up easily, or if you have more space for a single- or double-burner stove for larger meals. You’ll want to consider the wind protection, time to boil, burner setup, and fuel type your stove offers. Choose from canister stoves, alcohol stoves, liquid-fuel stoves, and multi-burner stoves.
If you’re not backpacking, a portable grill can bring even more cooking options to your trip, especially for larger parties. Consider how you will transport your grill, the fuel type you prefer, and what accessories and cooking areas are important to you. You can also bring a grill rack to sit over your campfire if you’re willing to sacrifice temperature control for a more portable option.
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Emergency Gear
A first aid kit helps you prepare for a range of minor emergencies and is a must for heading into the backcountry. You’ll need a kit sized for the number of people in your party and your expected trip length. Make sure your kit covers the basics, including wraps, splints, wound care, thermometers, tweezers, headache medication, allergy medication, and any additions that you personally need.
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