im gonna start. im not gonna say my bow, because i think alot of people will say that.
mine is under amour cold gear.. i can be just as warm with half the layers.. that way im not as bulky when drawing my bow.
so lets here about what you've made, or bought that makes hunting more enjoyable..
gaff
What about more than 70 bows??
I want to support the USA economy from the old Europe
Thermacell hands down!! Not ridiculously expensive and does what it says it will do.
Thermacell repellent!
40 years ago....wool clothes!!! Best $$$ I ever spent and I still have some of them!
Thermacell and hand and foot warmers.
The following are among my favorite bits of hunting gear:
1) Leica 10x50 BA binocs. Pricey, but long-term durability makes them very cost effective.
2) Lone Wolf Alpha Assault tree stands and climbing sticks. Clearly a product designed by people who use them themselves.
3) Schnee's pac boots. Wonderful boot for sitting at temps down to 20 and a great walking boot, too. Also very durable.
ACS CX for my son and myself-initially they were both for me; but I knew the 'purchasing manager'
would not buy that explanation! :bigsmyl:
Thermacell, best thing I ever bought !!! :thumbsup:
My KOM clothing.
My Cabela's super mag hauler, has been a great addition to my gear.
Sean
Pruning shears. I use those dang things *all* the time.
Hands down my GPS. I can walk to any of my stands in the pitch dark without stringing a mile of bright eyes.
A simple fleece balaclava.Had the same one for at least 15 years.
i'm with Ron on this one WOOL clothes. enable me to spend waaaaay more time in the woods when cold weather hits.
Shooting lessons from Rick Welch.
My elk license in 1987. Back then, Wyoming Game and Fish 'threw in' a bear license with your elk tag, and I shot a P and Y blackie coming to my elk bugle. Don't know what that says for my elk calling, but that bear sure was a rush at 7 yards!
My $10 garage sale recurve that launched my traditional career and lead me to my first trad harvest.
Screaming Eagle tree stand. Got my first in 1988.
my Rivers West clothes
1... Zeiss Conquest 8X30 binos.
2... Day One Camouflage.
3... Danner Stalking Boots.
... mike ...
The gas money I spent getting to Dave's house to learn to shoot better. ;)
My tree umbrella. :thumbsup:
Id have to say my climbing treestand. I dont have to worry about getting to my tree and my stand not being there. plus Its possibly more comfortable than my bed. Love those summits!
Summit Viper
Ullfrotte' Wool Longjohns
$19 Gerber folding saw
GWW wool
nocams :campfire:
My move to Wyoming from Nebraska 18 or 19 years ago.
Other than that, all my Pronghorn bows.
I bow that I paid 25 cents (.25) for and shot a fox with it that season.
My Cabela's windshear wool sweater, small led head lamp. Those seem to be my old reliable's that come to mind.
hey earnset. i have the same wool sweater.. i was gonna add it to the list, i love it!! i just wish i paid the xtra $$ and got the windstopper material..
gaff
Everything I hunt with; my Hills, wool, camp gear, & knives. My best money spent w/o doubt is my Eureka A-frame backpack tent. Used & repaired it now for 25 years in every kind of weather.
My lifetime state sportsman license, as well as the one for my son.
Compass and matches. One gets me in and out of the woods safely. The other keeps me warm when I have to stay in the woods overnight, or the weather takes a really ugly turn.
QuoteOriginally posted by far rider:
My lifetime state sportsman license, as well as the one for my son.
I did exactly the same thing for myself and my son and I agree those licenses are the best hunting purchases I ever made. :readit:
Allan
Lifetime hunting/fishing license
Thermacell
Permethrin
Randall Model 5
1) Pendleton wool shirts (when they were made in the US)
2) A SIL Tarp for emergency/inclimate weather shelter
3) A set of German military binoculars- they were still made with Zeiss glass, but because nobody can spell the name (Hensoldt Wetzlar), so you can find them on Epay for less than $150. Nitrogen purged, armor coated, and auto focus, plus Zeiss-Gruppe glass
The first copy of TBH magazine I ever saw. That started the whole thing.
After that, time. Time learning to bowhunt, time teaching my kids and wife to shoot bows. Time relaxing on stand.
As for actual gear. Gotta go with my Niff-T-Seat first and my Double Bull Matrix blind second. I use the Niff-T-Seat all the time and the DB blind whenever the kids want to go along.
150 dollars to go to a bow making class, came out with a nice osage self bow.
The $$$$$ I spent that helped me "come out of my cave"(quote The Frugal Archer Jeff Struberg" joining the rest of the gang at the original LW. I've learned so much more about every aspect of traditional archery but the most important part is the priceless friendships that have gotten started here. I've gotten to meet some of you in person, others only in cyber fashion but all are cherished. Another big plus is I'm still learning and enjoying the ride. The folks on here are...well let's just say I am so very blessed. I don't care if you only joined us yesterday, you start at that moment being one of my family!
When I 1st started there's no telling how many times a day I had something to say but over the years I say less. If anyone ever finds a more caring group please let me know because I want in on it too.The saying that "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care" has been fulfilled right here some many times.
Thank you! Thank you! and God bless!!
Mudd
A Divorce!!
Lifetime hunting lic -$300 - a yearly sportmans lic is now $80 or more - lifetime is now $500- $700
Knee high rubber boots- deer quit busting me after that .
Wool to keep me in the woods when it is cold .
My little acreage to live/hunt on
Probably one of the best purchases I ever made was Byron Ferguson's book, "Become the Arrow" which he autographed at a shooting event he had in Louisville, KY. I was struggling with trad shooting at the time. After reading the methods in his book and applying them, my shooting improved dramatically in a few short weeks.
Also, the purchase of a "two man ladder stand" was money well spent. As this year, I killed a doe with trad from it and my 9 year old son killed his first deer(rifle kill doe during youth gun hunt weekend) from it also.
I also really like my cheap "Garmin Geko" gps. I don't use it all that often but it's there when I need it. It's only about the size of a small cell phone so it fits easily inside my fanny pack without argument. It's not loaded with unnecessary features and is simple to use and it gets the job done.
Gotta go with Mike on the Divorce!!!! That opened the way to good wool,good insulated boots, several bows,bowhunting in three states and nobody to question every penny!
Whitetail Hunter in 1977....Yeah it was a compound, but it was the first bow I hunted with. I literally ran hundreds of thousands of arrows through that old clunker and developed a love for arrows in flight.
Trap
I spent about $600 on the latest overdraw PSE wheelie thing in 88 or 89. Had a limb break as I was drawing on the biggest buck I had seen close up in the woods, 7 yds. This turned me against technology and I never shot a compound device again.
Shooting a friends recurve while my compound was being repaired, my earlier interest in traditional archery was rekindled. My journey through the ranks from recurve shooter to selfbow shooter and builder has been made possible by blowing $600 on a piece of junk. Best $600 I ever spent!
I hate to think of what my archery future might have been had I killed that huge buck with wheels. I probably would have fallen in love with technology and missed out on the great friends and experiences I have acquired in the traditional community.
It's gotta be my 6X6 Polaris ATV.... it gets me past the slow pokes and way back into prime Elk country before anyone else. :smileystooges:
That is ...if I had one...and if I ever went Elk huntin ! :biglaugh:
Ok, it is a few years ago, but some hunting land that was very reasonably priced. I did not have a lot of money at the time, but I got tired of having to find a new place to hunt all the time and wanted to have a safe place to take my kids hunting. Absolutely the best purchase I ever made, well, except for a wedding ring- sorry boys, I got a jem on both accounts.
SMOKE BOMBS,
Like the type you buy at 4th July.Use them to record wind direction durring the offseason
My 8x30 Swarovski binoculars. Paid $300 for them 20 years ago. I carry them on every hunt.
PREMIUM Binoculars; I have Leicas, but it does not matter which of the "big 3" you get. They are worth every penny. Anyone who says they are not doesn't use their binoculars much.
Lone Wolf Hang On and Steps
Full Metal Jacket Arrows
Hush Puppies
Spent the money to buy 15X Swarovski binos. Hunting out here in the west it is amazing the game you can find when setup on a nice tripod. Everyone that looks through them when hunting with me says WOW the first time they look through them. I will now always advise buying the best pair of binows you can afford.
GPS every time. Since they became available we have upgraded each time they come out with a better issue.
They have allowed us to orient in wilderness after dark and hunt elk all day without worrying about getting home at night.
Mike
Best purchase I have made, is a safety harness for my daughter, so she could spend time in the tree stand with me!
Dang Lefty!
I was truly gonna say the same thing! So I'll just add to it...
Setting up my kids with cothes, hiking boots (for elk), rubber boots (for getting into the whitie country). Ground blinds (so they can anyelope hunti with me).
My daughter Kassi (9), and son Connor(8) spend lots of time in the outdoors with me and their mom!
Happy hunting,
Jason
A hunting license for my wife. :)
Actually, it was a rifle! That's what got me into deer hunting to begin with. Later, I expanded my horizons, and took up bowhunting exclusively. However, if I had not started out with the gun, I probably would never have taken up deer hunting at all.
Lefty and Rigs....ya got it goin' on fella's.
The best money I spent was:
1)sandwich bags for my lil girls PB&J "sammiches" and Doritos
2)hot cocoa for her thermos
3)buddy heater for her warmth
and a book of little white lies of why we didn't see any deer!
Guess even the dumbest deer don't like Dorito breath!!! :biglaugh:
Internet access...all other purchases fell into place after I found the 'Gang...
I would have to say my 4 wheel drive ext cab Dodge. I missed many a day hunting because of the roads and not being able to get to the woods. The V10 likes the gas but it will pull anything...Roy
thrift store wool stuff. :D
Other than bows etc, I think it would be my game cart. It makes getting animals out so much easier.
Marriage license 52 years ago. My wife has always encouraged me to hunt anytime I wanted and buy anything hunting related that I ever wanted.
I don't have any of that stuff, although I'd like to have all of it. My favorite hunting item is my Jeep Rubicon. I can go anywhere and not worry about getting back, and I get get a lot closer to my hunting area than with any other vehile.
A wool neck scarf.
And a lined vest. A vest does not restrict your drawing efforts like sleeved garments might.
Life membership in the NRA
the electric it takes to run this computer so I can get all this good info. from you guys that help me on my hunts.WOW so many weapons us modern hunters have.
My ground blind, I love it!!!!!!!
Blunts!
Broadheads mean serious hunting. Blunts were made for fun.
Hunting squirrels or stump shooting with a bunch of guys is about the most fun you can have with a trad bow.
Day One ASAT wool lined/insulated vest with the big beaver tail collar.. Love it. Lots of other stuff that I never leave home without but this one I have a particular affection for.
My $2.49 pin on compass. I carry two compasses and hunt mainly on public land. I never go into the woods without it.
My Swarovski SLC 7x42's Bows have come and gone...but those have been with me for the long haul.
Good glass is easily replaced, but great glass cannot be replaced.
My sons hunting license.
good glass, hands down.
mine are leicas, 8x42
My first arrows with helical fletch...
Good binos. I have a pair of zeiss and a pair of bruntons. You cant be without them.
Rangefinder
I would have to agree with Wingnut and say a GPS, great tool for where I hunt.
You guys have come up with a lot of good ones. But I'd have to add a crestin machine and 12 Bitzenburger fletchers on a lazy-susan and a spine testor. This helps me make arrows that are "hunters". It also allows me to enjoy the preparation before hunting.
Oh yea for sure a rangefinder.
ThermaCell
My best hunting purchase had nothing to do with hunting at all, and I can't even remember what it was, but it took me into the hardware store where I met the guy who became my best friend, hunting partner and all around essential addition to my life.
My frist archery license in 1986. I came from a family of rifle hunters.I ended up harvesting 3 with a bow before I did with a rifle,it just wasn't the same @ 300 yards. It's been all down hill ever since.
GPS, and land I hunt on.
I would have to agree on the marriage license,wife gives me peace of mind watching the kids,never said a word about my hunting. I do love my loggy climber the most cozy seat out.
A $5.00 foam "Butt pad" with a cloth covering on one side.
Actualy, I bought 3 of them,but I've been using the same one for 3 years now. I like to hunt on the ground,and I move from place to place alot. It has a loop that attaches to my fanny pack so that it's always right where it needs to be.
It's real easy to sit for a while if your butt is warm and dry!!!!! :thumbsup: