Early Season Whitetail Hunting Gear Checklist

Early whitetail archery seasons are just around the corner in states like South Carolina, North Dakota, Kentucky, and Nebraska.  There’s something special about chasing velvet bucks on the opener.  Summer scouting and planning often yield results for dedicated hunters across the country, and the early season is the perfect time to put your hunting skills to the test.  Inspecting and prepping your hunting gear is just as important as scouting.  This early season checklist will help you get ready for the upcoming archery opener.

Also, you’re going to want to check out 5 Early Season Mistakes Deer Hunters Often Make and 30+ Early Season Hunting Products To Help You Beat the Heat

Saddle Hunters Pre-Season Checklist

• Inspect your hunting saddle and bridge for excessive wear, cuts, or rips.  Replace if issues are observed.  Safety First!!!
• Inspect the platform for cracks or breaks
• Inspect climbing sticks, standoffs, ropes/straps, and hooks for damage or wear.
• Tighten bolts and hardware where necessary
• Inspect the strap of the platform for excessive wear, cuts, or rips
• Inspect ropes & carabiners for excessive wear, cuts, and rips.
• Apply Stealth Strips or other silencing materials to dampen noise where possible.
• Ensure pull-up ropes, bow holders, and other accessories are in your saddle storage bags.

Treestand Hunters Pre-Season Checklist

• Inspect each treestand for cracks, breaks, or damage.  Replace if issues are observed.  Safety First!!!
  • Pressure washing treestands is essential to removing dirt and debris for inspection purposes.
• Inspect straps for excessive wear, cuts, or rips.  Replace if issues are observed.  Safety First!!!
• Tighten bolts and hardware where necessary
• Inspect climbing sticks, standoffs, ropes/straps, and hooks for damage or wear.
• Make sure all cables are secure and in good shape
• Check all welds and crossbar supports for cracks
• When hanging treestands, wear a safety harness like the HSS Hanger Harness
• Check to make sure your stand isn’t making any noise when you stand up or sit down on the seat.
  • Silencing may include the installation of silicone washers, silencing tape, or lubricating oil.
• Inspect bow holders and gear holders
• If using screw-in steps, full-inspect them prior to use.  Don’t leave them in the tree all year long.
  • Honestly, I’d recommend replacing them with climbing sticks
• Test your bow rope to ensure it can handle the load.
• On ladder stands, make sure all the ladder sections are fastened together with bolts or pins.
  • If using pins, try taping them to the ladder to keep them from rattling and making noise.
• Clear all vines or other debris that could tangle in your bow or gun when raising it to your stand with your tie-up rope
• Clear shooting lanes
• If possible, it’s best to check ladder stands/ treestands with another person for safety precautions
• This applies to all of your treestands, Run and Gun stands, as well as the stands that you’ve left hanging in the tree since last year.  (Don’t leave your treestands in the tree after season).

Hunting Clothing Pre-Season Checklist

• Wash all hunting clothing, including underwear, towels, socks, and boots in scent-free laundry detergent.
  • Learn more about scent-free hunting practices in our 11 Steps to Improve Your Deer Hunting Success with Proper Scent Control
• Organize hunting gear for specific weather conditions or time of year.
• Apply Sawyer’s Permethrin to prevent ticks and chiggers
• Test rain gear to ensure you’ll stay dry.
• Store hunting clothing in a scent-free container ready for travel.

Hunting Gear Pre-Season Checklist

• Headlamps – Replace batteries.  Ensure extra batteries are available when traveling
• Sharpen skinning knives or purchase replaceable blades if applicable.
• Pack field dressing kill kit (game bags and field dressing gloves)
• Thermacell – Extra butane cartridges and repellent mats.
• Install silencing tape as necessary.  (Practice hiking in the gear before you head to the woods to find unwanted noises that need to be dampened)
• Test grunt calls and doe bleats to ensure they’re working
• Missing any gear?  Subscribe to the HuntingGearDeals.com Daily Deals email so that you never miss a deal on quality hunting gear.

Archery Hunters Pre-Season Checklist

• Shoot your bow!  Don’t wait until opening day to sight in your bow.
• Inspect string and cables for wear or damage.  Replace as necessary.
• Inspect fletchings and flex test arrows.
• Spine-align arrows
• Practice shooting your bow with your hunting clothing on, including accessories like gloves and facemasks.
• Practice shooting your bow from an elevated platform (saddles and treestands)
• Sharpen broadheads or replace blades if necessary.
• Replace batteries in sight lights (if applicable)
• Tighten bolts and hardware where necessary

Gun Hunter Pre-Season Checklist

• Sight in your gun
  • Wear hearing protection when shooting!
• Ensure you have additional ammo available.
  • Correct grains, brand, and type of ammo
• Ensure your gun sling is tight, if applicable
• Tighten stock
• Ensure scope rings and mounts are tightened to the manufacturer’s specifications
• Clean and oil gun
• Clean optics
• Obey blaze orange requirements for your hunting location
• Check regulations for caliber-specific gun hunting opportunities
  • Example:  Straight wall cartridges for some locations

AUTHOR BIO

Hi, I’m Camron the owner of Hunting Gear Deals. I’m an avid bowhunter with a knack for finding good deals on hunting gear and love to help you save money on hunting gear.  I’m also the owner of the popular Bucks, Bulls, & Bears email newsletter that’s built to educate and entertain hunters.  If you haven’t subscribed, you’re missing out!  Last but not least, I’m proud to say that I work for Whitetail Properties as a Land Specialist in Ohio.  If you’re in the market for hunting property, shoot me an email and I’d love to help you find your dream property.  

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