This is the time of year I make sure all my gear is packed away, batteries are removed from all my flashlights and headlamps, clothes and gear is washed in scent killing soap, knives are sharpened, you know all the stuff you don't want to do, but is best to do now so when you don't unpack your stuff until 2 weeks before the season you are not under the gun to speak to get everything done.
I normally sort out my gear and leave certain things packed into a single storage tote that will be used this upcoming spring either for fishing or mostly for Turkey hunting.
The first thing I do is get knives sharpened and put them in with all my other standard gear to be stored. I take all my batteries out and then make sure I take all my snacks and other things that will go bad out I had tucked away in my backpack. I then pack all of gear into one tote.
Next I have series of 3 totes that make up all my hunting clothing, 1 for winter camo and accessories, 1 for early season camo and accessories, and finally one that is for base layers and other clothing I wear under my camo throughout hunting season that I wish to keep scent free.
Then, I take these four totes and seal them up for the off-season. However, before I do I add in something to keep them smelling like the woods. This year I had some cedar wood that I cut down out of my yard so both myself and one of my good friends put it in with our hunting clothes as pictured below. This will keep them smelling like the outdoors all off-season and then come hunting season I will give them another wash and spray them with some scent killer and away I go and my clothes will keep the outdoors smell.
This is a great way to store any of your hunting gear, the only tote I do not put something in that smells is my actual clothing and base layers as I do not want any sap or splinters to get into, plus I don't need them to have a cover scent, just to be human scent free.
I also normally pack my hunting boots in on top of some of my camo so they do not gain smells over the off-season as well.
This is just something I have been doing for years to help maintain my hunting stuff and I do it each and ever year after the season is over. All part of being a bow hunter and attempting to put the odds in your favor.
How do you pack your hunting stuff away after hunting season? Do you have some better suggestions for our readers during this off-season? We would love to hear!
