7 Tips to Help You Prepare For Your First Hunting Trip

If you recently became part of the 11.5 million hunters in the United States and are going on your first hunting trip wondering how you should prepare, you are in the right place. We have a few tips to help you prepare for your trip.

Keep reading to learn how to have the best hunting trip!

1. Dress Appropriately

What you wear is going to be very important to how your hunting trip turns out. If you are uncomfortable during your hunting trip you will more than likely have a miserable time. Make sure you check the weather and bring the right clothes whether it will be hot or cold.

If it is going to be cold wear a heavier coat to make sure you don’t freeze and you might want to consider a pair of coveralls to help keep you warm. Use a cap and a neck warmer and do not forget a pair of boots to keep your feet warm and make sure they are waterproof in case it starts raining.

If the weather is warmer then it is a good idea to wear layers. It might be cold in the morning and evening times and hot during the day. Having layers will make it easy to take some layers off during the warmer part of the day and then layer back up when the temperature drops.

You might want to add a vest to your attire because you can wear it over a coat or a shirt and it will give you extra pockets. If you are going bow hunting make sure your attire is all camouflaged and if you are gun hunting do not forget to have enough orange on to help you stay safe.

2. Tell Others About Your Plans

Let others know that you are going on a hunting trip and give them the details of when and where. In case there is some type of emergency or they do not hear from you this will help them mount a search and rescue need be. Hopefully, that will not be the case but it is better to be prepared for any type of unforeseen emergency.

Stepping out into nature to go hunting will always come with risks. You never know if you might suffer an injury or are exposed to sudden harsh elements.

3. Medical Kit

To stay safe you want to ALWAYS have an emergency medical kit with you. If you do not have a kit then do not under any circumstances go out hunting. If there is no one around when you suffer an injury your kit will come in handy.

Make sure you have basic things like bandages, water sterilizers, antiseptics to disinfect any wounds, etc.

4. Your Scent

While you are hunting the point is to blend in with the environment which means that masking your scent should be part of your hunting preparation list. Animals in the wild have strong senses and will know when there is a predator nearby long before they see them.

To increase your odds of having a successful hunt you want to mask your scent. Your scent, believe it or not, will drift into the air and go a long distance giving up your presence in the area.

You can buy special scent control products to hide your scent and raise your odds for a great hunting trip.

5. Know Your Weapon

This goes without saying, you want to know the weapon you are using on your trip. If you are not comfortable or know your weapon well it’s going to hurt your chances of having a successful hunting trip.

Go out and shoot as much as possible to get all the practice you can. You want to understand your gun to also be safe while you are out hunting.

6. Food

Food might be something you forget about but it is important while you are out hunting. The last thing you need is to run out of energy because of your lack of nutrition. You want to make sure you pack enough food but you also do not want to overpack.

If you are going on a backpack backcountry hunt then you are going to burn plenty of calories and need to make sure that you prepare to refuel your body.

You can use Ziploc bags to ration your meals and buy a couple of freeze-dried meals to make your trip easier. Freeze-dried meals have an advantage because they are light and do not give off high food scents. Pack items like trail mix, oatmeal, bars, and jerky.

7. Get in Shape

Hunting is a sport and therefore you want to make sure that you are in the best shape possible before you head out. You are going to have a heavy load on your back along with having to carry your weapon and deal with the elements of mother nature.

A smart way to get in shape is to not only workout at the gym and lift weights but also hike hills and stairs with a weighted backpack. Start with smaller weights in your backpack and go up slowly. You do not want to overdo it from the start and end up injuring yourself.

Now You Are Ready for Your First Hunting Trip

Hopefully, now you are feeling better prepared about your first hunting trip. You can start prepping yourself and getting in shape right away. The important thing is to have a fun and safe hunting trip.

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