So i finally bit the bullet and scheduled a hunt. I will be hunting 15-17 Oct @ Greenlakeshunting.com. I will be hunting with my desert eagle 50 AE with 6" barrel. The gun has a red dot sight mounted to it (sighting it in this weekend). I will be shooting 300 gr hand loaded Speer deep curl bullets (30grns of h110 1300FPS) May go to 33 grns for the hunt (1450FPS). I thought the price for the guided hunt was more than fair. Only 125 w/lodging. Since i have never ever hunted before i needed a guide vs going at it alone. I will be hunting boar and dear, i will be taking my 1911 with me so possibly squirrel too. Basically anything i see :-). Could you have a look at my list and let me know what else i need to get.

What i have:
full set of BDUs (military)
full thermal under garments
Military boots
Scent killer (soap, washing powder, spray, lip balm)
machete
11 or 9 inch Ka-bar
7 inch Ka-bar
Fleece gloves
hand/foot warmer packets
orange vest
camel pack

What i still need:
Binoculars (does the cost matter?)
Head light
Rental Truck (just in case i harvest an animal)

I will be staying at a lodge over night. Is there anything anything else i may need from what you can see. Any advice you can provide to me?

Thanks in advance

Sam

Good luck on your hunt! The first boar I shot I used a Freedom Arms 50 AE. The 50 is a great round for hogs-have fun!

Thanks. Really anxious to get out there. With all the stuff i bought ill never hear the end of it if i come back empty handed.

Camo face mask (mesh works fine), camo gloves and/ or camo face paint for face and back of hands. Think like a turkey hunter.
As far binos go, think small or compacts. For handgun hunting almost anything will work, definitly don't spend more that $300.
Wind direction puff powder, get 2, give one to your guide, same with the face mask.
Bring a small knife or a multitool. If you're on a guided hunt, there shouldn't be a reason to get your knife bloody. On my hunt in Africa, the only thing I used my knife for was to clean under my finger nails in between shooting animals.
Oh, you have to get a floppy camo hat and then a cool Indy-Jones style hat for the pictures. Oh, speaking of pics, bring some paper towels and wipeies to clean all visible blood on your trophy. Stuff it's tongue back where it belongs and take twice as many pics than you think you need too, with two cameras.
Good Luck Sam

Dude --Bug spray--Uncle Ben's

Your tail will get eat up by the bugs!

Hey Sam, I am really happy to hear that we have another "convert," so to speak. Or is it "RECRUIT!" In Capital Letters! It sounds like your first-ever hunt.

In other words, it sounds like you are embarking on a brand new adventure: Handgun Hunting!

You can bet your shirt that us here on Handgunhunt.com will be wishing you the best of luck.

I have one PRIORITY for you to add to your list:
A CAMERA (preferably digital, but not your cell phone!) to record your hunt and hopefully your success! We will be wanting pictures!!

Either way, kill or not, KUDOS to you for making the handgun hunting effort; I know that this is a big decision.

No worries: If you do your best and give it your all, your hunt WILL BE a success, kill or not.

Such is the spirit of HUNTING. Especially: "Handgun Hunting."

Keep Us Posted!

In a word: YES. In optics, you generally get what you pay for.

For out west where I do most of my hunting, I can glass animals at a mile or more. So if I am a real serious hunter, I may want to invest in the high-end optics, ie> the HD (High Definition) that are now becoming popular. These can cost big bucks. But not everybody needs them especially if you are hunting terrain with shorter sight distances.

I would say this: invest in a good set of binoculars that have a good "users review" (a review as you can get at several websites, including Cabellas.) Do not go cheap; if you can afford a little more, go for it. The end result is usually worth it in optics.

This is not a pitch for Cabellas, just giving you the word that if you shop that website, you can read what other users of the product have said about it, and you can try it out and if it doesn't work for you, you can return it. Minimum: got for fully multi-coated lenses, that are of course water proof and impact resistant, and have a good warranty.

Two names that come to my mind first: Bushnell (upper models) and Leupold. And of course, going up in quality: Zeiss, Swarovsky, Steiner, etc.

Compact vs. Full Size? Power vs. Diameter? This could go into another entire post!

All of you here: please chime in on my three cents; we all have different eyes, different circumstances/needs, and different preferences.

One brand of binocs you may want to check out is Eagle Optics. They fall in the $300 range. They don't really have a following in the hunting world but they're pretty highly regarded in the birding world. And those bird people, my mom is one of them, are serious about their glass. My mom carries Swarovsky and Eagle's. They do win out against Leupold's in some test online but I have never seen them in a hunting magazine lineup. Research them, I really don't know. Maybe someone here will chime in. Having a mom like this willing to part with her Swarovsky's every fall, I haven't had to buy any myself.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give optics another look today and should have some time to get something off line before the hunt. I havent seen the location where i will be hunting but from what i hear i probably wont have a mile visibility so i probably wont need something like the 300 dollar optics.

This is my very first hunt ever. I will will also be taking my rifle but will not take it out with me the first day. I will be using this to get my feet wet so to speak. There is a lease looking for members not too far from my house. Its 1K acres and they only want 500 bucks for the year. I didn't want to pay the money and get out there with only what i have seen from the outdoor channel.

What do you guys think about these optics? All are waterproof 42MM for light and are all coated. I didnt want something to bulky so they are all pretty slim. Just looking for a recommendation because they all look pretty good to me. Thanks.

Meade 8X42
http://www.opticsplanet.net/meade-8x42-roof.html

Alpen Magna
http://www.opticsplanet.net/alpen-magna-view-10x42mm-waterproof-binoculars-259.html

Alpen Pro
http://www.opticsplanet.net/alpen-pro-waterproof-8x42-roof-binoculars-380.html

Celestron
http://www.opticsplanet.net/celestron-outland-10x42-wp-binocular.html

Swift
http://www.opticsplanet.net/swift-10x42-hcf-viceroy-waterproof-binoculars.html

I am with Pasco on the face mask. It is a must for me.

I carry an old Camillus piolet knife or a “short” K-Bar. In short I like your taste in knives! Don’t forget the sharping stone for the oh-craps. I also like carring a folding pocket knife.

Head lights are very VERY nice for skinning and cleaning in the dark. (Don’t forget extra batteries as well.)

Wool socks??

What about a good saw? This one is a must for “my” daypack. It has saved my hide more than once.
Gerber Hand Saw

Shooting sticks of some type?

Do you think you might need any rain gear?

What about a pop up blind to hunt in? It also doubles as shelter if it is raining...

Ice chest to put your game in?

Oh yes, one more thing. A good cigar!!!

I carry too much...

Got wool socks also. Its been about 50 in the mornings here so not expecting a blizzard or the need for anything too heavy.

Will the deer and hog smell insect repellent? Also may have to skimp a little on my binoculars as I need a new sight for my gun...

So I go to the range to sight in with some shooting sticks I got from walmart (crap) the would compress when I rested on them so I will be getting some shooting sticks this week. Anyway so looking through my sight I let loose the first round. Damn sight went out...so im clicking it on and off and it comes back. Fire off one more and it went out again. So I click it again and nothing happens. I then start to take the sight off to examine and the damn lens falls out. While picking up. Shells I found the bezel of the lens. Turns out first shot knocked it off and second moved the lense. The sight is a BSA PDMS. So what I have learned when dealing with firarms is don't skimp because you end up buying everyhing over again. Oh did I mention this was my first trip to the range with the new scope. Think I will grab what you S&W 500 guys are using.

Typed this with my phone so excuse the errors.

Sam

Just a couple of thoughts regarding your list.

1) Shorter knives. I made the same mistake as you many moons ago and went with what I than thought was a perfect knife (Buck model 119 fixed blade). Turns out that thing was a real pain in the butt to manage when field dressing an animal. I now use a shorter 3 1/2 to 4" blade and am much happier. Unless you plan on actually sticking your hog with one, take a shorter blade.

2) When hunting with a guide, I doubt you will need a machete for blazing your own trails. Not only that it will make Waaaaaay too much noise when going in. Ditch it in lieu of a good folding saw and a pair of pruners.

3) A laser rangefinder is part of what I consider required equipment, especially when handgun hunting. It is very nice to know that the animal is actually 75 yards vs. the 50 yards you guessed it at.

4) No amount of scent killer will fool the nose of a whitetail and especially not a hog. You will need to play the wind. If you are stalking, keep the wind in your face and move slowly.

5) For years I overpacked when going on hunts. I ended up dragging a bunch of stuff into the field that I never used. After several years of toting around a way too heavy pack I finally slimmed it down my to something more manageable and with only the necessities.

My short list:
a) 4" fixed blade knife
b) 3 to 4" folding knife (carried on belt sheath)
c) LED headlamp (think light and small, not something you might see on a miners hardhat)
d) LED flashlight(at least 80 lumen for tracking game, I leave this one in camp for morning hunts)
e) Very small first aid kit and a space blanket.
f) Lighter and matches
g) Partial roll of toilet paper (works for it's intended purpose should the need arise and also works as tracking markers when following a blood trail)
h) Compass (used for finding your way in/out as well as keeping on a heading when tracking wounded game)
i) 3 or 4 bow hooks (if hunting out of a treestand)

Just my $0.02.

Good luck on your hunt and have fun!

I use one that clips to the bill of my insulated camo ball cap. It has green lamps that run steady or blink. Green (supposedly) won't spook game, and I find that the green light is better than the red for being able to see better in the darkness. Blink mode is nice for emergencies or if you are trying to tell a buddy where you are to line up shooting lanes for safety (Sorry all you Western guys...us forest shooters have to think of these things :-D )
Crucial piece of equipment. If you wear glasses you can also use it to clean the lenses. Flatten the partial roll and it packs away nicely. It's nice to be able to blow your nose if the weather is cold too. I keep a small piece tucked into the elastic of my off-hand glove to dab at my nose now and then when in a tree stand.

Not sure if anyone mentioned rope. Take the advice of Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings. Always carry at least a small length of rope. If you bag your deer, you can pull the front legs forward and loop the rope around the head and both front legs to drag the animal out with the rope over your shoulder. Of course, if you have a guide, that's part of what you're paying for, right?

I also agree about the shorter-length knives. I have a 3.5" fixed gutting blade and it works pretty well for skinning also (we commonly skin and butcher in the field). I also have a nice handy little 2" skinning blade that fits in the palm of my hand and has a finger hole (it'd be nice for small game too). I need to photograph those. They are customs I got from a knife-maker here in VA. Reasonable prices and nice work with antler handles.

Yes you do, LOL!

Sam,

All great advice, born from experience. You'll have to find what works for you. Experience is the best teacher!

TC Man, I've been accused, by more than a few friends, of taking too much stuff! You make me look I'm travelin' light. They are gonna have you on the Discovery "Hording" program.

Doc

Yeah, they all laugh until THEY need something and they come ask you if you have some of whatever it is. I find that amusing.

Whit, I went threw my pack with in the last month. I put a LOT of “stuff” in my ice chest. I put my bone saw and extra knife in my ice chest along with all the field gloves baby wipes, extra flash lights and all the other game cleaning gear in there. I know just carry two lights, a very light weight head lamp and a small mag light. I use 95% of everything I take. What I don’t use on a daily basis is a small first aid kit, a whistle/compass, a small role of toilet paper (call me snoody if you want,) a small role of duck tape and the wood saw. But if I am in the “back” and need to haul a game animal out the wood saw and duck tape will become quite handy when making a contraption get my game out.

Call me crazy if you want, but what I carry is under 20 pounds and a LOT easier to carry than the 40 pound tuba a lug every were. LOL

I guess the knife is just personal preference. I just prefer a 4-6+ in blade for dressing, skinning and quartering. I have smaller blades and I just don’t care for them. LOL

I won't go into what's in my day pack because it's designed for a different area (Alaska), different game (Moose or bear), and I'm usually solo.
So, working off your here would be my humble suggestions....

What i have:
full set of BDUs (military)
full thermal under garments
Military boots
Scent killer (soap, washing powder, spray, lip balm)
Fleece gloves
hand/foot warmer packets
orange vest
camel pack

What i still need:
Binoculars (does the cost matter?)
Head light
Rental Truck (just in case i harvest an animal)

I deleted your knife collection because like most I feel they are a little large. My primary critter is moose & I don't carry anything that big. My favorite is a Kershaw echo with a 4" blade. I would carry a backup knife of some type (might not on a guided hunt)that was no larger. Also a sharper of some type.

the machete I woule leave at home.

As other's have mentioned, bug juice,a large folded wad of paper towels (no TP for me. The paper towels will double for TP but TP isn't much good for hand cleaning), small chunk of rope, some granola bars, small 1st aid, fire starter.
I would add game bags of some sort (unless the guide takes care of that for you, or you guys take everything out of the woods whole).
Binos, best you can afford within reason.
Digital camera almost a MUST.
Range finder very nice but not required.

Rental truck? Maybe, but boned out you'd be surprised how little room your meat will take. A cooler or two in a car may work fine.

Most of all, take a good attitude, reasonable expectations, lots of pictures, & a willingness to learn & listen to your guide (unless he's scary!)!
Contact your guide, explain your situation to them, & ask if they have a recomended gear list.

As far as sights go, like most others on here I REALLY like the Ultradot line. My 480 SRH wears a 30mm Ultradot 4 that I have had for 7 trouble free years..

Just pullin' your leg! I don't carry a whole lot less, and where I am going dictates the amount of junk on my back. It all depends......

Didn’t bother me any my friend!! Like you said, we all have different needs and environment that we hunt in...



I have added one item thought. I bought one of those waterproof wallet containers and stuck machetes, a very small sowing kit, my strike-a-light, and lighter in. This would also be a good container to put your water purification pills in.

I don’t play around when it comes to fire. To me, that is the one thing that could save your life. It is everything from warmth and cooked food to a good signal locator.

I guess a lot also depends on how "back country" you get when you hunt. My main site is a relatively short walk from the farmer's house and my Jeep, so I don't go heavy on survival equipment. My secondary site is 30 acres so very close to my Jeep again and houses around. My tertiary site is only 50 acres, again with a house on it. Unless I were somehow totally alone and broke my leg, I don't need to worry too much about survival gear. The cell phone even works everywhere I hunt. Gee...sounds kinda boring, huh?

You guys are dead right on different items for different areas/situations.
Hunting here in Alaska & usually alone, I don't get more than about 100yds away (not out of sight) of my vehicle/camp without my full daypack.
Items I didn't mention earlier that are inclded are a sur vival bivvy bag, enough food to get through a couple days (granola bars, etc), fire starter kit (there must be a half dozen lighters scattered in my pack, & fire starters made by saturating cotton balls with vaseline), 2 large & heavy contractors garbage bags (make tarps for laying quarters on or shelter, 100' of cord, compas, GPS, SPOT (emergency sattelite locator. No cell service many places here), full set of TAG game bags (super lightweight synthetic game bags. A 7 bag set that will handle a full moose weighs less than 2# & takes up an area about 50% larger than a softball. They are washable & reusable, & a steal at around $80 a set. I can deal with the animal & get the bagged meat away from the gut pile before my 1st pack trip out. Important in brown bear country.), rain gear (almost always a possibility here, & good for survival in cold wind), a quality 80Lumens LED flashlight, Cabela's best LED headlamp, batteries for everything, & more...
My day pack usually weighs just shy of 30# with water bladder full.
I also use an Eberlestock "Blue Widow" pack from their "Just One" series. It's quiet, can squish down to hold it's standard daily load snugly, yet expands to the point where I can easily carry over 100# of meat out 1st load with it, & the suspension system is up to it. That's important to me as I'm often over a mile fron camp/vehicle & with moose can be faced with 6-8 pack trips of meat. I don't want to have to go too light on the 1st trip out. My heavy hauling Barney's pack frame is always waiting in camp or the truck for the remaining trips.

Thanks again...haven't seen the land im hunting but its 3K+ acres. The money im paying is for the lodge and someone to take me out. I picked up some bushnell binos, tdy right now so don't have the model. Also picked up a truglo sight, which i hope i can get home early enough to site in. I have been eyeing a shorter knife anyway so yay. I'll let you guys know how the hunt goes, if it doesnt go well they may just be action shots of me posing in a tree :-(

Can't weight to see pictures!

I like to fill the center of the paper towel roll with plastic grocery/shopping bags. You always have a trash bag handy, and they are ideal for stretching over animal skulls.

The toilet paper 1/2 roll mentioned above. Put it in a zip loc bag. Same advice for paper towels.
Knife: My main go to hunting knife is a Browning 3 blade locking folder ( Knife Blade, Saw Blade, and Gut Hook)
I normally leave the sheath knives in camp or at the house. I have numerous 3" thru 5" sheath knives. I did not realize I was a collector till now. 2 David Hanson drop points and a big custom fighter. I think 3 or 4 Durr custom knives, the last one was an Oxbow #31 (Last of the Dog Men). A Buck Skinner, and 2 I made myself with Babinga handles.

Make sure you have a source for coolers to transport meat in, if not bring a couple medium size ones. Do you have a freezer to store the meat in at home? Does the outfitter process the meat for you, or have someone to do it? Good to find out.

I like to carry some 550 cord (Parachute Cord) for whatever. Source: Army Surplus store.

Positive Attitude as Vince Said (Very Important)
My most memorable hunt I did not make a shot, but it was an experiance I will never forget.

Replacement Red Dot Sight for handgun:
UltraDot 30mm $149.99 shipped
Ultra Dot Scope Coat $19.99 (Black w/UltraDot on sides)

Ultra Dot West (ultradotwest.com)
921 Ayers Ave
Ojai, CA 93023
PH 866-473-3368
Heather will take care of you. She is great to deal with.
Outside of CA no Shipping and No Sales Tax
NOTE: File away the reciept incase you ever need repair work.
I would get the scope coat with it.

You will probably refine what you really need the next trip. Then it will get further refined every year the rest of your hunting career.

Have a Great Time on your hunt.

So i'm back from my hunt. I actually had a blast and i didnt do anything but sit in a blind for 2 days. As i mentioned before my gun destroyed my red dot site i bought and i didn't feel comfortable taking a shot at an animal at more than about 20-30 yds. Since that was the case i brought along my rifle.

After sitting 4 hours in the morning on our first day i was a littel discourage. I had only seen 1 squirrl the entire time i had been out. I had lunch and a nap and we went back out as the sun started going down. Sitting in another blind it finally happend. I could see a leg...almost as if the deer was stripping for me...then another leg...and finally it walked out. I started fumbling around with the rifle.... for some reason i couldnt get it to line up. FInally i have it lined up and i take the shot. Damn doe took off. So im thinking crap i missed. So i grab my handgun and head down to see if i hit anything (my worst fear is being attacked by a bear). I go to the spot where i shot it and look into the direction it ran it i see it laying on the ground so now im excited and walk over to it maybe 20 yards away. Well the deer was lying on the ground gasping for air. The .270 i shot it with didnt kill it. So i shot it with the gun and it was over. (very nasty hole). I just wish i would have had a chance to use my desert eagle at range. I am set to go hunting again in VA Nov 10-13. By that time i will have purchased a new scope maybe with just 1-2X zoom....looking $200-250 range. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Here is my kill....

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Nmis6zWlZB8BLzSng1x8ew?feat=directlink

I experienced an extreme case of ground shrink...

I do have a few questions...

Do deer calls work all the time or only during the rutt?
What about deer urine?
When shooting all my shots pull to the left any tips on how to improve? Thanks for all the advice.

Sam

nice doe . and deer calls can work all the time.

Nice looking doe. Good eatin'!

I have hunted deer for almost 50 years (Upper Michigan and Northern Wisconsin) and have never found calls to be of much use. Same with attractant scents, rattling, etc. Cover scents seem to have some utility.