How to Plan a Hunting Trip as a Busy Truck Driver
A lot of the men and women on our team are big fans of the outdoors—especially hunting and fishing. As we head into a beautiful fall, most of us are excited that bow season has started, and rifle season is right around the corner. If you don’t have time to waste thinking about what to bring, here are some packing tips so that you can spend more time outside and less time staring at your empty suitcase!
First, if you’re short on time or are prone to forgetting things, use a packing checklist. There are several that you can do even on a phone or tablet, or print out and check off as you pack to make sure nothing gets left behind. Gander Mountain has an interactive checklist that is also printable and includes everything from pre-trip to-do items to what you need after you get the shot.
Plan Your Day Pack
It’s also a good idea to plan what to bring in your day pack that you’ll carry with you if you’re going to be on foot or away from your camp in a blind. There are the obvious things like weather-appropriate clothing, your bow or firearm, and ammunition, etc., but don’t forget about food, water, and navigational devices. Here’s a list of day pack items from Outdoor Influence:
- Waterproof Matches/Lighter/Fire starter
- Toilet Paper
- Camera
- Lunch and/or snack foods
- Emergency Whistle
- Compass
- Map of area
- GPS
- Knife
- Flashlight
- Repellent
- Filled Water Bottle
- Space Blanket
- Binoculars
- Microfiber, Sweatshirt or shirt
- Mole Skin/blister pads
- Band-Aids
- Nylon Cord
- Lg. Plastic “leaf” bag
Other Resources
Before taking off for the woods, go through the steps to make sure that you and the others in your party (if anyone) are ready. If you need help finding somewhere to go, the Michigan DNR has an app for finding public hunting land. There’s also a free app called Hunt that helps find areas to hunt, track your GPS, and more. Game & Fish magazine also had a great pre-season planning article with information and tips for helping you be ready for your trip.
Of course, be prepared, have fun, and enjoy the fresh air safely! Good luck!