Hunting Bag Essentials

Anytime I go hunting, I like to carry along a small bag of tricks. Items that keep me comfortable and keep the field dressing work tidy. Today I’m opening up my bag to show you the necessary and sometimes unconventional things I keep in there.

All items linked to their page on Amazon.

• Extra ammunition (specific to the caliber/gauge of your gun)

• Earplugs (this is definitely non-negotiable!)

• Two flashlights, one big and one small, and extra batteries

• Water bottle (and a coffee thermos, doy!)

• Wet Ones – these are much needed after cleaning and gutting an animal. You can thank me later.

• Rubber gloves – You will wish for these!

• Hand lotion

• Eye protection

I’m left eye dominant but shoot with my right hand, so I have a piece of tape over my left to force my right eye to do the work. It improves my aim and it looks really, really cool. (Not.)

• Tweezers – No, not for tweezing in the blind! For pulling out thorns. I spent my last hunting trip looking and feeling like a porcupine and have since added these to my bag.

• Small saw for cutting bone and a knife sharpener

I won’t lie, men have scoffed at me more than once for this. “Aww you don’t need that!” they say while rolling their eyes. But then I’ve watched them struggle to break through deer pelvic bones and other tough connective tissue and I’ve always been glad I have this tool. Don’t listen to the men! Last but not least, you will need:

• Sharp knife with a 4″-5″ blade.
• First Aid kit
• Bag – any small bag will do. Avoid velcro.
• When hunting dove: add scissors and a small tub (10×10 will do). I recommend cleaning them out in the field.

These are all truly essential to a successful hunting trip and I never go without them. Assess what you’ve got, what you need, and get your hunting bag in shape because you never know when you’ll want to race out the door. Happy hunting! Affiliate links used.