How do you hack for a hunt?

How do you guys pack for a bow hunt? Do you hack different for morning hunts vs evening hunts?

I see all kinds in my group from the backpack that is loaded with every possible accessory, extra jacket, extra hat, gloves, snacks, thermos of soup, 2-3 knives, extra socks, and about anything else he saw laying around to the guy that has does not use a bag and slings his bow and carries an insulated seat and has snacks in his pocket.

I'm the guy in the middle. I do not like big bags because you tend to fill them up with useless stuff. Getting into the late season I use a climber more often and just carry a small bag that hangs on the stand and I can throw it over my shoulder for the walk in/out. I usually leave the stand out there and move it around as I choose.

This is my bag after yesterdays evening hunt:
- Paperwork in sealed container
- Neck gater and touque
- Gloves (fingerless and regular)
- Grunt call & doe bleat
- Rangefinder
- Knife, gut hook & Nutt out tool
- Snack
- Wind indicator

https://i.imgur.com/Fn5bQ1c.jpg

I would consider myself in between, knife, TP, water, compass, a couple garbage bags to encase my bow if I'm past dark, and whatever clothes I can wear, sometimes I take my jacket off and strap it on my pack for the hike in to keep from sweating. I often cover ground by bicycle to get in deeper where motorized vehicles aren't allowed so trying to pack alot of clothing along with my bow is a pain.

I always try to avoid the extras because I never seem to use them. Just carry them around for no reason. I have also been known to stash some gear if I know I'll be back that way to pick it up.

I think this will depend from the hunt itself-deep hunt, no return till the end of the day is one thing ,half a day sit or a whole day sit is another,when weather man says it will be ok.

I carry in my back pack a parka,always always walking in light.Bow sock-gun sock(if going in for the afternoon)a toque, fleece gloves and a pair of silk gloves to act as liner if needs be. Chocolate bar or 2,little water,toilet paper ,some bandage,deer calls,tree steps(if hunting from tree and not using climber-just the bottom 5 though)extra bow hanger,licences,2 flashlights, pocket knife, bone saw(small)wind checker, ammo or x bow bolts strapped to my backpack.That is it.My car is a warehouse though ,for equipment to haul out deer,but stopped carrying 2 sets of clothes many moons ago.Waterproof parka and bib suffice for the whole day- have no intention to fall into water:ashamed:
Oh -and i carry a climber,or have the Trophy Line Saddle strapped on me,or carry the el cheapo WalMart beach chair(i guess i hunt many ways)

No pop up blind used for many many years-but i guess next year i may need one .

I like to be a minimalist when it comes to my backpack. Knife,cord,lighter,mini flashlight,thermos,extra ammo,gun sock,gloves and lunch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gbk

I think this will depend from the hunt itself-deep hunt, no return till the end of the day is one thing ,half a day sit or a whole day sit is another,when weather man says it will be ok.

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This^^. All day at -20 and several miles into the bush is a whole different game than sunny +6 or 7 and a 1/4 mile from my back door or the cabin.

im 73, and gave up on backpack many years ago because I would put too much stuff in it. I use a fanny pack with chest wader suspenders on it to keep it from sliding down when walking.
Inside it - vinyl gloves, small branch saw, limb snips, spool of paracord, scentkiller spray, grunt and bleat calls, pack of kleenex, spare gloves.
Attached to outside is leg quiver for crossbow bolts.

I guess it all depends where you are hunting.... For me, since most of my hunts are just a few hours long and relatively close to home, I just carry the bare minimum with me.... My crossbow, a knife, my deer calls and a seat (cushion if it's wet out to keep my butt dry) if I am going to lie in wait for a bit....
I will keep the extra stuff in the truck itself, rope, sled, water....but in the field bare minimum so I can move around easier....

I carry a pretty bulky pack, so it might look funny some of the time, but I need it in the cold weather for the size and carry it on warmer days and shorter hunts for the convenience of knowing where I keep all the essentials. It also save transferring stuff from one pack to the other in November.

On a short, warm hunt I'll usually only carry the basics and maybe my outer upper layer in the pack. On longer hunts and during cold weather I might carry as much as a folding chair, thermos, lunch and all outer layers to change into when I get to my spot.

Seems to always be a balancing act.

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Totally depends on the hunt and weather at the time. All day hunt crossbow/bow arrows, case, coffee?, water, flash light, snack, lighter, range finder, couple calls, rope and a knife. Sometimes a pack of hand warmers incase I need them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fratri

I guess it all depends where you are hunting.... For me, since most of my hunts are just a few hours long and relatively close to home, I just carry the bare minimum with me.... My crossbow, a knife, my deer calls and a seat (cushion if it's wet out to keep my butt dry) if I am going to lie in wait for a bit....
I will keep the extra stuff in the truck itself, rope, sled, water....but in the field bare minimum so I can move around easier....

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This is pretty much the same thing I do. I like to move around freely so the truck stores anything that's not essential. I'm not very far from civilization so it works well.

I pack what I need according to the hunt at hand.

Pretty cushy hunts for me around home. The walk from where I park is typically only 400-800meters and most hunts are only 4-5 hours or so.
A fanny pack does all I need. Bow hanger, mini hangers, green headlight, SD card reader, lineman rope, binos, rangefinder, milkweed stuffed in a breathmints tin for a windchecker. Grunt tube and hand saw/knife stay in my harness vest.
Bow rope stays attached to my stand via 32" gear ties that secure my sticks to the stand. Jacket gets tied to the stand. Everything has glow-in-the-dark paint on it in certain places so I can hang and tear down in the dark without needing a light.
Attachment 41144Attachment 41145

Fortunately or unfortunately the county forests, and little farms I hunt are relatively small so I'm never more than roughly half a kilometer from the truck. That said, I only bring in the essentials. Should the gods of hunting send good fortune my way that day, all the necessary accoutrements to dress and haul a deer are only a short walk away;
Climber
Hip pack with credentials, head lamp, little flash light, orange tape, bow hanger, soft case, lighter, rangefinder, doe bleat, grunt tube, binos, release, card reader, wind checker, and rope to pull up my bow. Come to think of it, I haven't seen my knife in my pack for a little while. Need to find that, but there's always back at the truck.
Aside from that the odd time I might bring in corn or minerals in a 5 gal pail, or if I'm going to hunt a new tree the trusty ole' machete.