Finding the best deals on hunting gear can be a challenge, that is if you’re not a subscriber to the Hunting Gear Deals Daily Deal email list. I’ll get to that later, but first, let’s talk about ways to find the best deals on hunting gear. Hunting Gear Deals was founded to help YOU find the best deals on hunting gear from across the web. Each day, I scour the web in search of coupon codes, sales, and discounted items to help you stretch your hunting gear budget further.
I’ve put together a list of ways you can save money on hunting gear. Some of these options you might already be familiar with and some of these money-saving tips will blow your mind.
HuntingGearDeals.com is dedicated to helping you save money on hunting gear and here are a few tips that will help you get more bang for your buck.
Become a HuntingGearDeals.com Daily Deal Email Subscriber
Let’s get this part out of the way first. Sign up for the Hunting Gear Deals Daily Deal Email list so that you never miss a deal. HuntingGearDeals.com works hard to help you find the best deals on hunting gear from across the web each day, delivering them directly to your mailbox. Daily Deal email subscribers are the first to learn about upcoming sales, deals, and discount codes. The best deals are often time-sensitive or limited in quantity, so signing up for the Daily Deal Email is the first step in stretching your hunting budget this season.
Shop the Amazon Warehouse
Have you ever heard of the Amazon Warehouse? The Amazon Warehouse is a special part of Amazon.com that offers “open box” items and returns at a great price. This is one of my favorite places online to find a sneaky good deal. I’ve used the Amazon Warehouse to purchase several products such as ground blinds and Skull Hooker European mounts at a fraction of the original price. Each item was in good shape and brand new but the boxes had either been opened or damaged at some point. Anytime a box is opened or damaged, you may lose a small piece, such as a bolt, which was the case on one of the Skull Hookers that I purchased, but replacing the missing bolt was quick and easy.
I strongly recommend the Amazon Warehouse for picking up good deals on some gear, but be cautious with electronics and things that are fragile. There’s no risk to be honest, as Amazon still offers returns on these items.
Just to put the Amazon Warehouse into perspective, last year I was able to pick up ten Ameristep Caretaker Ground Blinds for less than $50 each with free shipping! These typically retail for around $100 each. Prices and inventories change rapidly and my favorite time to take advantage of low prices within the Amazon Warehouse is during Prime Day and Black Friday / Cyber Week.
Save and Splurge During Black Friday and Other Holiday Sales
It’s no secret that the best deals across the web occur during special sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Labor Day, and Memorial Day. Smart shoppers save their money up and buy the items they’ve been waiting for at a discount. These are typically the best times of the year to get a discount on major brands, with Black Friday being the best time of year to get the best deal on hunting gear!
Here’s a list of the biggest holiday sales throughout the year and link to Hunting Gear Deals compilation sale posts that list all of the best deals from across the web.
- Black Friday
- Cyber Monday / Cyber Week
- Memorial Day
- Labor Day
- Independence Day
- President’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Amazon PRIME Day
My two favorite times of the year to splurge on hunting gear is Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Everyone knows about Black Friday, but it’s typically an extra 5 or 10% better than most other holiday sales.
Amazon Prime Day on the other hand is different. The deals can be trickier to find and you have to stay on your toes as the deals are limited in time and quantity. The biggest hack for Amazon Prime Day is the Amazon Warehouse. If you can find a brand that’s on sale, for instance, 20% off Ameristep products, then you can shop the Amazon Warehouse and save even more money. I utilized this technique to save a ton of money last year and Daily Deal subscribers were informed tof the same great deals!
eBay
eBay is the online flea market for new and used products, including hunting gear. eBay isn’t a secret by any means, but it still needs to be mentioned. Finding a great deal on eBay takes patience and you should use caution when making online purchases from sellers that have poor or a small number of reviews.
I’ve spent thousands on eBay through the years, from new truck tires to treestands, eBay is loaded with good deals. eBay offers several buying options including Auctions, Buy It Now, and my favorite, the Make an Offer option.
If you’re patient, you can snipe some good deals on new and used hunting gear if you wait for the close of an auction and bid at the last minute. However, smarter buyers make reasonable offers with the Make an Offer selection that some sellers provide. For instance, I just saved an additional $4 on an item that was already a good deal because I simply made an offer at a lower asking price and the seller accepted it. I would’ve bought it at the higher price but having the option of negotiating the selling price saved me a few bucks!
Are your purchases protected on eBay? Absolutely! PayPal protects your purchase as long as you pay with Paypal. eBay is also a great way for you to flip your hold hunting gear for some quick cash. Just be sure to factor in the seller fees, shipping costs, and taxes to ensure you don’t sell your item too low.
Should You Sign Up for Retailer Emails?
Becoming an email subscriber to your favorite brand or online retailer is a quick and easy way to get a discount a lot of times. Usually, companies will offer you an initial discount code for signing up for the email subscription. Be sure to sign up for this option before you make a purchase so that you can take advantage of these limited-time offers. Now, not all online retailers offer discounts for signing up for their email subscriptions but for the ones that do, you should definitely take advantage of this opportunity to save 10% on average.
You can always unsubscribe to the email after utilizing the discount code for your first purchase, just be sure to not unsubscribe to the Hunting Gear Deals Daily Deal Email! Some of my favorite online retailers to subscribe to for an instant discount at checkout is:
The Sneakiest Way to Get a Discount on Your Next Online Purchase
Patience pays in the form of unexpected discounts. There are certain online retailers that will offer you a small discount code to bring you back to finish checking out and completing your purchase. Typically, you will need to have an account with the online retailer, which isn’t uncommon with most major online retailers.
Next, add the items to your cart that you’re interested in, but don’t finish the checkout process just yet. Exit out of the process and wait and see what happens. Some online retailers will email saying “Hey, it looks like you forgot something” or “we saved your cart for you”. But it gets better! Some will offer you a limited-time offer, typically a small discount code to help you complete the purchase.
I won’t disclose information about any online retailers that are guaranteed to offer you a discount like this, but I can promise you that if you try it in enough places, eventually you’ll find a retailer that it will work on.
When is the best time of year to buy hunting gear?
Timing is crucial for getting the best deals on hunting gear. Smart buyers buy when the price is right and don’t procrastinate upgrading their gear until the week before opening day. Hunters are notorious for over-paying for hunting gear because we often wait until peak buying season to purchase items we knew we needed months ago.
Buying hunting gear after the season ends is a great way to save some money. For instance, you can often save 40% or 50% on turkey hunting gear in the month of June or July. The only issue here is the fact that inventories sell out quickly and they won’t be restocked until next year.
Post-season sales are one of the best times to save big on Sitka Gear but it goes quickly, so you have to be ready and Hunting Gear Deals Daily Deal email subscribers are often the first to know about these sales.
Buying quality gear instead of name-brand gear
I’ve always been an advocate in saying you get what you pay for and I’m not one to sacrifice quality for a dollar. However, there are some brands and products that outperform their price point. Not everyone can afford KUIU, Sitka Gear, Crispi, Mystery Ranch, and Kenetrek products but I’ll be the first person to admit that I have invested in products from several of the brands listed above that I’ve been able to get my money worth, allowing me to justify the higher cost of each item.
If you’re looking for high-quality hunting clothing substitutions that won’t break the bank, check out the following brands.
- Hunting Clothes
Buy Last Year’s Model
The easiest way to save money on hunting gear is to simply buy last year’s model instead of this year. The first hunting product that probably comes to mind is a bow. Bows really haven’t changed much in recent years so there’s no reason that you shouldn’t consider buying last year’s model instead of this year’s. If it means saving hundreds of dollars, you should definitely consider previous years’ models of bows, camo, trail cameras, and other hunting-related items.
We often get caught up in the marketing strategies that program us to purchase the latest and “greatest” models on the market when in reality, this year’s model isn’t much different than this year’s. Finding last year’s model might be tricky but if you do your homework, you can certainly find a way to save hundreds on your next bow!
Should you purchase used hunting gear?
Purchasing used hunting gear can be a great way to save huge amounts of money on hunting gear but you must be careful. I’ve picked up used hunting gear for pennies on the dollar that I’m still utilizing to this day. The reverse can be said and I’ve bought some over-priced junk too.
Regardless of how you feel about purchasing used hunting gear, you need to know a few things first. Here are some tips to help you make good decisions when buying used hunting gear.
- How much does this item cost new?
- What is the lowest price you can find this item online? (HuntingGearDeals.com can help with this.)
- What is it selling for on eBay? (check three or more listings)
- Does it have a transferable warranty? (Vortex and Athens Archery both have a great warranty)
- Don’t sacrifice size and fit to save money! You’ll regret buying hunting clothes or boots that don’t fit right just to have money.
- How much use do you expect to get out of the item?
What about Pro Staff Discounts?
Another way to get a discount on hunting gear is to join a “Pro Staff or Field Staff” position with a hunting manufacturer/retailer. Back in the day, being a staff shooter meant something but smart retailers have capitalized on the consumer’s desire to feel like they’re a part of the brand by offering these staff positions to virtually anyone.
These “open for business” staff positions are designed to generate money! I’ve talked to Field Staff managers that drastically increased their bottom line at the end of the year. Be careful though because many of these staff positions come with strict rules that you’re expected to follow. Some retailers want social media shares, likes, and follows to help them grow their brand. Some retailers expect you to provide videos and high-quality images to promote their brand. But most just want your money.
As intriguing as joining a “Pro Staff” might sound, it comes at a cost. These positions don’t guarantee you’ll get the best deal on the product as shipping rates are often inflated. In fact, some brands that I’ve been on “staff” with wanted to charge me more to buy the product from them than I am if I were to purchase myself in other places.
Now, I’ve joined plenty of Pro Staffs in the past that offered great discounts in exchange for brand promotion and others that expected me to name my first born child after their brand. Just be sure that you understand what’s expected of you when you join a brand’s staff and if you do, be sure that you do your part. High-quality images go a long way and the more work that you do, the more likely you will earn free hunting gear in the future.
Winning Free Hunting Gear and Online Webinars.
Is it possible to win free hunting gear? Absolutely, there’s always the chance that you could win free hunting gear by entering manufacturer or retailer giveaways. Although the odds aren’t in your favor, entering these giveaways are usually free and I have a blog post that’s dedicated to helping you find hunting-related giveaways. You may find giveaways at trade shows and during fundraisers your local hunting conservation group.
If you’d like to improve your odds in winning free hunting gear, check out ILikeGear.com. ILikeGear offers detailed and unbiased reviews on outdoor gear through LIVE WEBINARS. In these webinars, they cover the pros and cons, and which conditions the gear should be used: hot, cold, wet, dry, mountains, or brush. But it gets better, you can win the gear reviewed in each webinar, and the odds are never less than 1:20 as the webinars are limited to a maximum of 20 people.
Interested in getting the best deals on hunting gear? Then be sure to subscribe to the Hunting Gear Deals Daily Deal Email List!
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AUTHOR BIO
Hi, I’m Camron is the owner of Hunting Gear Deals. I’m an avid bowhunter with a knack for finding smoking deals on hunting gear. Currently, I work in the oil & gas industry as an Environmental, Health, and Safety professional but my goal is to continue to grow Hunting Gear Deals and turn it into a full-time job.
Instagram- @huntinggeardeals
