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Essential Hunting Gear Under $20 That You Can’t Go Without
If you’ve even had a sniff around a hunting store, you know that you can spend a lot of money there really quickly. But not all hunting gear has to set you back hundreds of dollars. Here’s a list of some useful essentials that you can throw into your hunting bag for less than a couple of sawbucks.
Old Timer Sharpfinger knife
One of the best-ever blade shapes for cleaning small game, big game, even fish and birds. The cheaper made-in-China versions are difficult to sharpen, but patiently using a motorized sharpener can still put an edge on them. You can clean everything from a duck to a deer, a brook trout to a striper with one of these. A bargain at $19.99 as long as you don’t mind the extra time spent sharpening it. Or buy an older made-in-America one made of carbon steel; the blades don’t resist corrosion as well, but they take an edge more easily.
Black Diamond Astro 300 Headlamp
No, it doesn’t have a red lens (a very useful function inside a tent blind), but the Black Diamond Astro 300 headlamp otherwise gets top reviews wherever you look, throwing 300 lumens as far as 55 yards on its highest setting. It’s IPX4-rated so you can use it in rain, and it can run on either three AAA batteries or on a rechargeable BD 1500 li-ion battery (not included). Comes with full power setting, a dimmed setting, and strobe function for when you want to throw an impromptu disco party in your deerstand. A digital lock-out stops you from accidentally turning the light on and draining the batteries. Available all over the place, but we last saw it at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $19.99.
Butt Out
Not in my duck-hunting or small-game packs, but it comes along when I’m chasing deer or bear. The Butt Out makes field dressing a lot easier for a newbie, or even an experienced pro, and only sets you back about $10 if you shop around.
Doe bleat can
One of the simplest game calls you can buy, but surprisingly effective if used correctly—and great at scaring away game, if you use it wrong, like many game calls. There are a few different versions available, but the original Primos version is the one currently in my hunting bag—it’s $11.99 at Cabelas these days.
Feedin’ Mallard duck call
Another simple-to-use call—if your own skills have advanced beyond the shaker call, then you can give it to a kid or an inexperienced hunter to keep them busy. They’ll cause less trouble than they’ll make by blowing badly on a mouth call. I’ve had one in my duck hunting bag for almost 20 years, and I still break it out on opening day… or lend it to my father-in-law. The Primos Feedin’ Mallard is getting hard to find, but they’re currently in stock at Rogers Sporting Goods for $19.99.
Rattle bag
You can make one of these yourself, but they’re not expensive either. More compact than a set of rattling antlers, even one-hand usable in a pinch, making it easy to coax in a buck while keeping your gun or bow at the ready. Currently $15.99 at Cabelas for the Primos Big Bucks Rattle Bag.
Wool “jeep” cap
Warm, with a small bill to keep the sun out of your eyes. The best of a ball cap and a toque. Wool keeps your warm even when the weather gets soggy, and if you buy ‘em at a surplus store, they’re cheap—get one for your truck, one for your pack, and another for the ATV box.
Pursuit gut-hook knife
At $9.99, this is not an heirloom piece that you will leave in your will to your kids, but if you have to zip open a deer, bear or other large animal, the gut-hook feature will make you very happy that you’ve got it in your kit. And if you forget it in the woods, next to a gut pile, you won’t be devastated.
Grunt tube
You can spend hundreds of dollars on bait, scent attractants, decoys and more—or you can call the deer to you, instead of trying to trick them with food and pheromones. There are a lot of grunt tubes to choose from, but the Double Back Grunt Call from Duel Game Calls will cost you under $20, and has a lot of happy hunter reviews—the ultimate recommendation.
USGI wool gloves
A pair of wool gloves keeps your fingers warm even when they’re wet. Not as roasty-toasty as mittens, but the gloves give you more dexterity. Good backup, even if you normally wear gloves or mitts while you’re in the stand. Available cheap at army surplus stores anywhere, but right now, we’re seeing them on sale for $8.99 at ODGLLCC.
Spare socks
After you’ve gone into a few muckholes late in the season, you can appreciate a dry pair of socks. Also usable to keep your hands warm in a pinch, although they do not offer any dexterity. Or take off your boots and double up your socks and go on a quiet-stepping stalk. Always a good idea to have a spare pair. Get mil-surp wool socks for warmth and long-lasting construction.
Paracord
A few feet of paracord can be used for all sorts of things; tying brush into an impromptu blind, or trussing up a deer to your four-wheeler rack, or tying something interesting you’ve found in the woods to your backpack, or hauling your bow or gun up into your treestand. It costs barely anything to buy 50 feet of 550 cord, and about half that length can come in very useful.
Lifestraw
These personal water filters can mean the difference between life and death in a survival situation, when your canteen runs out. Keeps beaver fever at bay, and doesn’t take much space in your kit. Easy to use; just don’t let it freeze, once you’ve used it. Sometimes milsurp versions are available cheap at army surplus stores, but I think $18 at Wal-Mart is probably the best deal I know of right now.
Nebo Torchy 300
A small flashlight with a big reputation. No-name flashlights from Amazon or Wish are a dime a dozen, even cheaper than this one, but the nice thing about this little light is that it’s still cheap at $9.99 and available over-the-counter locally at stores like Dick’s, so it’s easy to return if you have a problem. Packing 300 lumens into a very compact size, with adjustable zoom and IPX6 weatherproofing, this is a very good backup to have in your pack or pocket for when your headlamp just isn’t enough to follow a blood trail. It takes CR123A batteries, with one included, but bring a spare in case you’re on a long search; the battery only lasts an hour and a half on high power.
Contigo SNAPSEAL travel mug
You don’t have to spend big bucks to get a Stanley or Yeti cup for your coffee. These Contigo mugs will keep your coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate) toasty in your travel pack, without sloshing all over the place. This 20-ouncer holds enough liquid to keep most hunters caffeinated without taking up too much space.
Zippo Six-hour refillable hand warmer
These mini catalytic heaters are not enough to beat a real deep-freeze cold snap on their own, but they’ll help a lot, especially if you’ve got one in a pocket for each hand; the waste heat will go to your core. You can use them in a whitetail stand but a lot of deer hunters worry that the smell turns deer off. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t, but that’s no concern for duck hunters at least, and these are a handy item for the late-season waterfowl chaser. These will last about a half-day, but if you pay a bit more, you can get a 12-hour version.
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