After hunting for nearly three decades, I’ve found five items that never leave my hunting pack, whether I’m chasing waterfowl, deer, or elk for the day or a week.

The following gear keeps me safe, comfortable, and on the hunt longer so I can provide more wild game for my family. 

1.   Spare Ammo

Packing spare ammo is a must, especially when hunting waterfowl. I only need the five rounds in my 270 bolt action rifle magazine on most short deer hunts. However, for extended big game hunts, I carry spare 270 ammo in my hunting pack in case I run across coyotes or hogs or have a few rounds that fail to fire.

Waterfowl hunting is entirely different because I shoot more than once on each hunt, so I carry at least a spare box of 12 gauge shotshells. On a recent conservation snow goose hunt, I packed seven boxes of shells because I knew there was the possibility of pulling the trigger that many times since there isn’t a limit on snow geese during that period.

It’s important to remember that some areas limit the amount of ammo you can carry, so always be sure of the local regulations before heading out.

2.   Headlamp

As darkness descended on the land, I climbed down from my tree stand and began to walk back to my truck. I followed our four-wheeler trail through the woods until I heard a noise that stopped me in my tracks. 

Frozen, I must admit I was a bit scared as I could barely make out the shape of an animal just a few yards into the woods. The leaves rustled as the terrifying animal approached me until I finally got my headlamp out of my hunting back and turned it on to see a giant… opossum. I chuckled and began making my way back to my truck, thankful it was just a greasy opossum.

I’ve used the light on my phone in a pinch, but I’ve always found that a headlamp works best because it keeps your hands free and always shines where you’re looking.

Another time, I got a call from my dad, who said he shot a deer but couldn’t find it, and the sun was setting. So I grabbed my headlamp and headed to our lease to help him search for it. He had a handheld flashlight and was able to find a small blood trail, but with the help of my headlamp, we were able to follow single drops of blood to a nearby creek where his deer was lying. 

One last thing about headlamps: get one that’s as bright as you can afford. I’ve owned several that barely emitted any light, and I was better off turning them off and using the flashlight on my phone. All headlamps are not made equal.

3.   Knives

When I first began hunting, I only carried a pocket knife. I now have at least two skinning and gutting knives, plus my pocket knife. When waterfowl hunting, this isn’t such a concern. However, on my snow goose hunt, I was one of two guys who brought a knife to clean our birds. 

I found out the hard way why carrying multiple knives was a must on my first elk hunt. I gutted my elk and began skinning it as my dad made his way over to help me haul the meat back to camp. Once he got there, it was much easier to finish skinning and quartering it because he brought more sharp knives. My first mistake was not ensuring my knife was sharp before the hunt, and my second was not carrying a spare or two because cutting through tendons and meat can quickly dull a blade.

Always bring a spare sharp knife!

4.   Bore Snake

While walking to our duck hunting spot one morning, a buddy fell in the mud and got mud stuck in the end of his barrel. We tried to clean it out with a stick, but it didn’t clean it well enough for the shotgun to be safe to shoot. Thankfully, I had a bore snake in my hunting bag, and we managed to clean it out so he could shoot that morning. 

I keep the bore snake in a plastic bag with a tiny bit of gun oil for occasions like that. You never know when you might get some debris in your barrel, making it unsafe to fire and ruining your hunt. Having one of these has saved me or my buddies on more than one hunt.

5.   Toilet Paper

If you hunt enough, it’s going to happen. You’ll feel your stomach rumble and know there is no way you’ll make it to the nearest restroom. I’ve lost track of all the hunts I or a buddy has had to use the toilet paper in my bag.

I also keep the toilet paper in a plastic baggie to protect it from the elements. You can also bring along baby wipes or Dude Wipes. I’m not a fan of baby wipes while big game hunting because they’re typically scented, so be sure you’re getting the unscented ones if you decide to use those.

Parting Shots

I add many other items to my hunting pack depending on how long I plan to hunt, weather conditions, and what species I’m hunting, but the five items above never leave my bag unless I’m using them! 

Happy adventuring, friends!

Guest Contributor by Wes Littlefield