JL’s Deer Hunting Gear

JL’s Deer Hunting Gear

JL’s Deer Hunting Gear . Deer hunting gear is always a big topic of discussion in our camp every year. So I figured I would put together a list of the equipment I plan to use this fall. I will primarily be hunting in New York and Pennsylvania with a Kansas hunt also planned for the middle of December. I am somewhat of a self proclaimed gear junkie. A big part of hunting is selecting new gear as well as pulling out my time tested gear for the upcoming season. I understand that not everyone can afford to own and use a variety of different gear, but the thing to realize is this is stuff I’ve accumulated over 35-plus years of hunting. So, lets jump right into some of the products I will be using this fall.

Clothing JL’s Deer Hunting Gear

I use several different brands of clothing based on the time of year as well as the predicted weather patterns. This year I am going to add the Kuiu Axis Hybrid jacket and pants for bow season into my deer hunting gear. This jacket and pants have a waterproof paneling so it should work fine for the early season. For situations with heavy rain in the forecast, I will opt for the Pnuma Sellkirk Jacket and Pants. This system has kept me dry in a variety of rainy and snowy conditions. For the late season and my Kansas hunt I will most likely pull out the King of the Mountain wool. I have been using KOTM since 1997 and it has always kept me warm in the coldest conditions.

The Pnuma Selkirk Jacket has everything you would wish for in a weatherproof hunting jacket. It’s waterproof but incredibly breathable and warm without being bulky

Boots JL’s Deer Hunting Gear

I have been using Lacrosse boots for many years. They are a vital part of my deer hunting gear. I have always liked the fact that the rubber boot provides excellent waterproofness and in most cases minimized scent. I wear an uninsulated Alpha Burly Sport (not sure if this exact model is made anymore) throughout the early season. It is lightweight and built on a sneaker platform so it is very comfortable. Add a heavy sock and I am good to go. For the rut and into the late season the Alpha Burly 1200 are my go to boots for all day sits and extreme cold. If I plan to still hunt or track, I switch over to the Kenetrek Hardscrabble Hikers. This boot provides great support for those steep mountains and sidehills.

The Kenetrek Hiker is 7 inches tall with 2.8mm thick premium full grain leather uppers. It’s a one-piece vamp construction with no seams down the tongue for abrasion resistance and waterproofness.

Bow

Hoyt bows are among my favorite. I’ve shot the Pro Defiant for the last few years and have been very happy with it. I have been having some shoulder and neck issues from being rear ended in a car accident a few years ago and I can no longer pull back 70 pounds, so I am backing it down to a comfortable level until I can build the strength back up. Plus, I am getting older, which is no joke.

I will be using the Easton Full Metal Jacket arrows tipped with the excellent WASP Jak Knife. I always come back to these two brands because they have been proven time and time again to perform .

The Wasp Jak Knife is a 2-blade broadhead based on the time-tested Jak Hammer. It features a Super Wide 2″+ Cutting Diameter, Stainless Smart Tip, .036″ Stainless Steel Blades with precision field point like flight

Rifle(s) JL’s Deer Hunting Gear

For my NY and PA hunts I plan to use a Remington Model 7 in .308 Winchester. This lightweight rifle has a 20-inch Shaw barrel and is a great woods rifle, especially when hunting from treestands. It is also just the ticket when still hunting and stalking. 

For ammo, I use the Remington 180 grain Soft Point CoreLokt. While some people may snub their nose at this round, I have taken many deer with it and I cannot find a better woods hunting bullet. While it might not be as sexy as a polymer tipped bullet, it has gotten the job done for me when the shot distances are moderate, and you do not want the deer running onto the neighboring property. I can honestly say that in the 35-plus years of using this round I have never shot a deer with it that left my sight. They are usually DRT (Dead Right There). Of course, proper shot placement is key, but that round simply “untracks” them.

For my Kansas hunt I am changing things up a little as the shot distances can be considerably long and the size of the bucks there can be bigger. I will be carrying my Hart Custom Remington 700 in 300 Ultra Mag. The fine Barnes 180 grain TTSX will be the round of choice here. The aerodynamic flight characteristics of this bullet make it a great long-range choice on big bucks.

Optics

Well, as one of the founders of the company it is pretty clear what my choice will be here. TRACT Optics of course. To start off with, I cannot emphasize how important a piece of equipment a binocular is to a hunter. I rarely used a binocular before getting into the optics business. Now I feel it is one of the most important pieces of equipment I can have with me. The binocular allows you to see and find game you would overlook with your naked eyes. By the way, NEVER use a rifle scope in place of a binocular. A slight movement in the distance that you might want to have a better look at might be another hunter. 

My choice is the TORIC 8X42 when I am hunting in the deep woods of New York and Pennsylvania. The wide field of view helps when scanning or trying to locate that movement you saw in the distance and the larger exit pupil (versus a 10×42) provides the low-light performance I need to spot and judge those bucks when they are moving at dawn and dusk. Plus, I cannot seem to hold the 10×42 as steady as I used to….did I mention that getting old is no joke?

For my Kansas hunt, since the shots can be long and we will be overlooking food plots and fields I am going to test out the new TORIC 10X50. The added magnification and larger objective still provide a 5mm exit pupil, which is critical in low light and should help me judge those mature bucks when they step out at last light.

The TORIC 2-10X42 with T-Plex reticle rifle scope tops my Remington Model 7. This scope provides a wide field of view of 2x that allows me to get on target fast should a jump a buck from its bed or have one come in close to my stand. The 10x at the top end provides plenty of magnification for any shot I may encounter such as on a powerline or logging road.

For Kansas, I will be using the TORIC 3-15X50 BDC Reticle rifle scope. This scope is a great all-around optic with excellent low-light performance and plenty of magnification to allow shots as far as I am comfortable with. The BDC reticle and Impact Ballistics program allows me to match the exact load to the reticle and print out a reference chart showing the exact yardages each dot in the BDC reticle represents.

I know that my choices in deer hunting gear might not match up with yours, and that is perfectly okay. In fact, we welcome your feedback and would love to hear what you use and your experiences. Who knows, by the time the season actually gets here I might have made some changes or added some new gear bases on your recommendations. 😉