Simplify Your Whitetail Gear Setup

As someone who’s made a living writing about hunting gear specifically, I’m constantly swapping items in and out of my hunting pack or putting them through the rigors. Sure, there are some mainstays that I don’t hit the woods without, but it doesn’t take long for me to realize that most of the stuff I carry isn’t necessary. This isn’t necessarily a reflection of the product itself but more of a “fit” issue (i.e., does it work for my hunting strategy).

Paradoxical as it might seem, I’m actually a minimalist at heart. Sure, I love new hunting products, but the more I progress as a hunter, the less I want to carry in the woods. In fact, I’m sometimes annoyed at how much stuff I take into the woods. I’d much rather walk in with nothing but my bow or rifle and hunt from the ground than carry a hunting pack with a day’s worth of gear.

Of course, I usually end up opting for a happy medium, but it’s required a good bit of trial and error. While you’ll have to figure out what works for your situation, this guide might shortcut the process for you, so here are a few ways to evaluate your gear setup moving forward.

How and where you hunt plays a large role in how much gear you carry into the woods. If you mainly hunt private land, you have the option to use preset stands. Unless you decide to move stands or make an adjustment, you won’t have to worry about carrying sticks and a stand or platform on your back. Public land hunters (for the most part) have the convenient headache of hang and hunts, which typically requires more gear unless you’re hunting from the ground.

Speaking of hunting from the ground, if you want to ditch your treestand or saddle and deer hunt at eye level, I can’t think of a better way to lighten your load. Even if you plan to stay in the woods all day, you can get away with a small day pack and a solid pair of pants that has several pockets (I prefer First Lite’s Corrugate Foundry pants). Most hunters will take a midday break back at deer camp or the truck, which means you won’t need much more than your bow or rifle and a solid hunting knife.

Since most hunters run some type of bino harness, you can even rig it out with a few extra pockets if you want more storage. If I’m hunting from the ground and changing spots midday, I’ll typically just use storage space from my pockets. When I commit to a full day in the woods or a deep spot on public, I’ll either use a small hunting pack or a fanny pack. Even then, I only tote a headlamp, knife, and game bags if I take a pack.

For hunters who wouldn’t dream of leaving the tree, there’s always room to make your gear setup more efficient. I spend a lot of time in the tree saddle, and while I appreciate the convenience it offers, its mobile-friendly nature makes it easy to fall down the rabbit hole of saddle accessories. This includes pouches, back slings, gear ties, gear straps for the tree, you name it. Pretty soon, that one-pound saddle turns to several and you might as well carry a lightweight treestand by that time you add the extra bulk and weight.

Instead of loading yourself down with a department store worth of accessories, determine what gear is necessary for your setup. Do you really need a back sling or extra pouches? A great way to streamline your setup is to consider which items you actually use. I have a rule that if I didn’t use an item on my last three hunts, then it comes out of my pack. I’m not talking about first aid kits, extra headlamps, or batteries. Those should be staples in your pack. However, you can probably leave those extra calls, 30-foot paracord, and waterproof matches at home. After all, you’re whitetail hunting and probably within earshot of a road.

Whitetail hunting adopted the lightweight fascination from the Western crowd. While it often gets overemphasized, I do think hunters have benefited from manufacturers creating lightweight gear. Climbing sticks are a great example of this. If you’ve been lugging around four or five sticks, each weighing two-pounds, and are looking to trim some weight, consider splurging on a few lightweight (one-pound) sticks and using aiders.

This past season, I ran two Lone Wolf Custom Gear Micro Doubles with 20-inch cable aiders. This setup is enough to reach 12 feet, depending on how high you place the first step, and it came in at just over two pounds. Not to mention, two steps take up a lot less space than four. Of course, you could always use the one-stick method to dial this even further.

I’m constantly reevaluating my gear setup, and you’ll have to do the same. If you’re okay with hauling around a ton of gear, go for it. For hunters who need to simplify their setup (we all probably should), this should give you an idea of how to think about what gear you absolutely need. Besides, simplicity isn’t just for the deer woods. It’s a good practice in general.