What is really needed for a successful, safe, and comfortable hunting trip? It can vary greatly depending on what you’re hunting, when you’re hunting, how you’re hunting, and where you’re hunting. If you’re hunting squirrels in Georgia during the springtime or elk in Montana during the winter, your weapon and clothing will be very different.

This is a more general post on a common hunting trip, like when hunting wild boars.

Choose Your Weapons

Other than the clothing, your weapon of choice is the most important part. Otherwise, you just animal-watching. Your choice of weapon is your choice. But whether you’re hunting rabbit, duck, boar, deer, or elk a common type of weapon is used. For instance, hunting rabbits won’t usually use a shotgun, and hunting ducks won’t usually use a bow.

Unless going rogue and hunting with a spiked bat or a Gatling gun, the choices are most often a type of bow, an airsoft gun, a pistol, a rifle, or a shotgun. Read our more detailed post on hunting weapons here.

Depending on whichever one you go with, there are always accessories to be added to them.

Hunting Weapon Accessories

Here is a list of accessories most common with hunting weapons. Not all of these are needed, but most are used among professional and seasonal hunters.

Bow Hunting Accessories

Armguard – Bow Hunters use an armguard to protect their forearms. They also help to make shooting more comfortable.

Quiver – An essential accessory for holding arrows. It can be carried on your body or your bow, depending on your personal preference.

Grip – Usually rubber or leather, these allow for a more secure grip of your bow and protect it from wear or damage.

Compound Bow Hunting Accessories

Sight – A device that’s mounted on the top of your bow to help you aim farther and better.

Release-aid – This tool allows you to easily pull back your bowstring and not strain your fingers. It also makes holding it easier for accuracy.

Rest – This stabilizes the arrow from draw to release. It clears an arrow from the bow with no wobble in its flight.

Sling – Attaches the bow to your hand, so you have a resting place before and after shooting.

Stabilizer – Various weights that mount to the bottom of a bow for increased stability.

Pistol Hunting Accessories

Grip – These provide a more ergonomic grip that can be longer, have a larger butt, or a serrated backstrap.

Magazine extension – Simply put, it extends your magazine capacity size.

Extended slide release – Eliminates the small and difficult slide for disassembling your pistol.

Extended mag release – Provides an easier and quicker way to reload magazines.

Lights – A weapon-mounted light will give you more speed, accuracy, and safety whenever using your firearm at night.

Rifle Hunting Accessories

Sling – For carrying your rifle on your shoulder, and helping stabilize your rifle when shooting.

Stand – An adjustable, stabilizing tool that gives you better accuracy while tracking or shooting prey.

Scope – Everyone knows the benefits of a scope. Nowadays, get one with video recording, a rangefinder, prerecorded settings per weapon, and a GPS.

Shotgun Hunting Accessories

Light – Bigger than a pistol light, of course, for a wider range of viewing at night.

Sidesaddle – This provides more slots for your shells right on the shotgun. It’s an attachable device for quick and convenient loading.

Without proper ammunition, or any ammo at all, you’re weapon is useless.

Have the Right Hunting Clothing

Having the proper clothing for hunting means being prepared for the season, and any kind of weather. Terrain also plays a role as well, depending on where you’re hunting – dry, wet, mountainous. Hunting clothing can be divided into different times early, mid, and late seasons; or temperate, cool, then cold.

CLOTHING	EARLY SEASON	MID SEASON	LATE SEASON
Headgear	Sunglasses 😎	Hat	Beanie
Gloves	Fingerless	Light	Insulated
Boots	Camo ones	…camo ones	Again, camo
Top Gear	Shirt	Long sleeve	Jacket
Bottom Gear	Pants	Pants	That’s right, pants

Pack Proper Hunting Gear

Skinning knives – To quickly and safely remove the hide from your animal, you want a knife with a secure grip and a sharp, curved blade.

Binoculars – We know these too, for scouting the terrain and tracking your chosen prey.

Backpack – For carrying all your gear, equipment, food, and water. This is a personal choice depending on your hunt, your prey, your location, and what snacks you like.

Scent eliminator – A spray that conceals your body odor from your clothes, gear, and skin.

Wind indicator – A powder to identify the direction of the wind.

Compass – If the weather changes, you get lost, or get injured a compass will be your saving grace.

GPS – A useful tool for marking waypoints, tracking routes, or scouting for game.

Field dressing equipment – gloves, sharp knives, bone saw, headlamp, paper towels, rope pull, cooler.

Always Bring Safety Supplies

A good hunter is always prepared for any circumstance. Being ready for accidents and cuts is a big part of that. Whether it’s a 100+ piece first aid kit or a compact one, you should have the basics covered. Also to consider would be a snake bite kit and some sort of disinfectant.

Prepare Enough Nourishment for the Trip

Finally, packing the right gear, having a comfortable and durable layer of clothing, and being equipped for common accidents aren’t all you’ll need. Depending on how long you’ll be gone far and the type of terrain, you will need to bring nourishments. Of course, these are personal preferences like all other categories, but the basics would be water and a few energy bars.