Gear List for Your First Hunt

Not having a mentor to teach you the ins and outs of the actual practice of hunting along with the price and knowledge of the gear required, pose the biggest barriers to entry for welcoming new hunters to the pursuit. One of my goals when I started Bull Moose Co., was to give people something to stand one when they begin their journey as outdoor enthusiasts.

In the past year, I’ve been fortunate to be able to work remotely and have the opportunity to go on my first tag along and solo hunt. Learning about gear from him and by diving deep into internet forums, reading blogs, getting confused, puts me in a unique position to offer my advice on the bare minimum gear required to get you in the field. Being a pretty frugal guy, it might also help that I try and make it as cost-effective as possible.

It is important to note, that if you don’t yet know if you intend to make hunting a part of your life forever, you might not want to shell out the cash for these things. Instead, have a mentor take you out once or twice to see if hunting is something you will be interested in for the long haul. You can also find a shop that rents out some of these things. An advantage of this list is that some of the items can be used for activities other than hunting as well!

Of course, we here at Bull Moose Co. promote responsible financial behavior - Don’t throw something on the credit card unless you can pay for it 3X over without blinking. Work hard, get a side hustle, save up, and pay for it. Trust me, it feels a lot better and it is way more rewarding, especially since you will be buying something that assists in a lifetime of adventure.

Gear/Tools

I will say that most of these recommendations might vary depending on what you’re hunting, where you are hunting, and the time of year you are hunting.

A Back Pack: Kuiu Pro LT 7000 - $529 or Rustic Ridge 30 Liter - $49.99

The size of your pack can vary depending on a number of factors, like where you are hunting and how long you plan to stay out in the wilderness. 

• Day Pack: Can be the size of a school backpack and carry the basics that I list in the rest of this article. Best when your vehicle isn’t too far from where you will be hunting, just in case you fill your tag and need to haul meat back
• Multi-Day Pack: Used when you will be camping out and hunting 2-3 days, or when you are day hunting far from your vehicle and might need to pack out your animal with a distance to walk
• Back Country Pack: As the name suggests, these are best suited for long trips, a lot of gear, and heavy pack-outs. If you have one of these, it is safe to assume you will be out for a week or more and you’ll be carrying all of camp on your back

If you have the buy once, cry once mentality when it comes to purchases, this is the pack I would recommend (I’m even looking at this one for myself): Kuiu Pro LT 7000 - $529

If you are just starting out, you can get away with a school-sized backpack for cost savings. It will make packing out your meat a bit harder, but bring help and enjoy the grind if you are lucky enough to tag out! It’s what I started with, and as I mentioned before, I am just now starting to look at a larger pack to prepare for my hunts later this year.

Rangefinder: Vortex Ranger 1800 Rangefinder with HCD - $349.99

A rangefinder is used for determining the distance between yourself and your quarry. This is going to be an expensive piece of equipment, where the buy once, cry once mentality will apply. But remember, work hard, and earn it. This particular one I recommended is good for up to 1000 yards, it’s easy to use, and Vortex has a lifetime warranty on all their products. So the way I see it, you’ll only have to ever buy one rangefinder.

Note: If you aren’t sure if hunting will be your thing, there are many shops you can go to rent one.

Binoculars (Binos): Vortex Diamondback HD Full Size Binoculars 12x50 - $259.99

Used for spot and stalk hunting where you pick a high vantage point and scan the landscape to “spot” your quarry before trying to close the distance during the stalk. The great benefit of the purchase of some good binos is that they aren’t only for hunting! Binoculars can be used during pretty much every single outdoor activity, from bird watching, nature walks, or even for a day at the zoo.

Again, there are shops where you can rent some binoculars or you can borrow some from a friend. I personally have the linked binoculars above and love them!

A Knife (preferably a butchering kit): Entry Level, Top of the Line, or a Full Kit

Everyone should have a pocket knife if you will be doing any sort of outdoor activity and for survival purposes anyway - this is your everyday knife and I personally have one from Gerber Gear (linked above) that has served me well in field dressing trout our of the Rio Grande and helping to break down a mature 6 point bull elk in Arizona. Some day, I will step up to Benchmade knives when I want to be a bit fancier, but for now, Gerber does the trick with an easy-on-the-wallet $35!

Game Bags: Koola Anti-Microbial Game Bag - $34.99

I’m a big believer in the power of positive thinking and by buying game bags, you are putting it out into the universe that you will be filling your tag and if you do that, you need somewhere to put your field-dressed meat to keep it clean. Enter game bags. 

Game bags reduce bacterial growth while out in the field, repel egg-laying insects, keep meat safe in warm weather and thus result in less wasted meat to spoilage.

Hunting Clothes/Boots: First Lite, Kuiu, Sitka, or Walmart (I won’t link it because I don’t like to support them)

Hunting/hiking boots can be interchangeable but whatever brand you choose to go with, make sure they fit you just right! I would not recommend the internet when buying boots. If you can, I recommend trying on a bunch of different brands and sizes in person to find the perfect fit. Take care of your feet - the last thing you want when 5 miles into the wilderness is a twisted ankle.

Now to clothing: If you look back at older pictures of people hunting, you might notice them in work pants and a red flannel and think to yourself “how are they not seen by the animals?!”. 

People nowadays, including myself, love to get caught up in the latest trends in technical gear - I mean, the stuff looks cool and it’s fun to shop for it! I would compare it to people who love buying closets full of sneakers that they don’t actually need, or really any sort of item that is nice to have but isn’t NEEDED.

Most animals you will hunt will probably be ungulates (hooved animals like deer and elk) - and ungulates don’t see the way we humans see. There are other factors such as the wind, the way you smell, your noise level, and sudden movements that can mean the difference between having some fresh meat in your freezer and getting skunked.

That being said, camouflage clothing does help! It helps in that it breaks up the human shape with the environment around you. 

You have a few options when looking for hunting clothing to buy and wear in the field:

• Walmart or Amazon: Walmart is cheap and carries some different variations of camo patterns that will do the trick. However, you get what you pay for. It’s cheap and might not feel the best on your skin. We here at Bull Moose Co. don’t support buying things from companies that do business in the way Walmart does, but if you have to, you can go here in a pinch.
• Plain colored clothing: A brown or green shirt with brown or green pants would also do the trick just fine. This can be a pretty cheap option.
• Local Army Surplus Store: The cheapest option is to find a local army surplus store and buy some camo patterns from there. This is a very underrated way to buy outdoor clothing and gear in general and you’d be wise to at least pay your local shop a visit! If it’s good enough to clothe our fine men and women in uniform, it’s good enough to clothe you while hunting deer.
• The Premium Brands: First Lite, Kuiu, and Sitka: I’ve said it once and I will say it again - Buy once, cry once. These brands are higher priced for sure, and their material and fit is why. I would rather spend more and be warm in merino wool than going cheap and be freezing in a cotton camo shirt. 

Before diving into a premium brand, make sure that hunting is something you will want to do in the long run. If you are young or in a situation where you might not have the financial means to buy a set of clothing from one of these, there are plenty of options such as Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, eBay, and second-hand stores. You can also pick up a side hustle and work hard to make it happen. Bull Moose Co. recommends the latter - work hard for the things you want.

For what it’s worth, personally, I wear First Lite and I love it. That is not a knock on the other two brands by any means, as I am sure they work great, I was just drawn to First Lite. I do love Kuiu’s patterns and I will probably pick some up at some point as well!

A Weapon

You might have been wondering when I would get to this point. All the hunting gear in the world is useless unless you have a bow or firearm to get the job done (unless you can sneak up on a deer with a knife, in which case I would love to chat). 

Choosing a hunting method and a weapon within your chosen method is a whole other can of worms that warrants its own article.

There are also laws and regulations that might apply to people in different ways depending on where you live and what you are hunting. 

Get out there!

I hope after reading this article, you have a better understanding of the bare minimum gear you would need to get out after it! Of course, there are things that others might deem as required tools, but I have gone on two hunts now with the above and have made out just fine.

Work hard, save up, and buy the things that fulfill you and allow you to enjoy your life. And remember: Buy once, cry once.