If you’re planning a multi-day pheasant hunt, you might find yourself wondering what all you need to pack. It certainly depends on where you’re going, but the following list will give you a good idea of what to bring along.
This list does not include additional things you need if you’re taking a dog with you.
1. Gun
You can’t go wrong with a 20, 16 or 12 gauge, but 12 and 16 gauge are superior choices.
When it comes to choosing a shotgun action for pheasant hunting, it doesn’t matter if you go with a pump, semi-auto, over-under, or side by side. Use whatever is most comfortable to you.
Usually a plug isn’t required for pheasants, as they are not migratory game birds. It depends where you’re hunting. Check your regs!
2. Shells, And Enough Of Them
Be sure to bring plenty of heavy load #4, #5 or #6’s.
Lead is best, unless you’re hunting an area that restricts it, and there is no need to go with 3” shells.
If you can easily hit roosters, you may only need a single box of shells for a 1 or 2 day hunt. If you can’t hit worth a damn, 3 boxes is not the overkill you may think it would be, for a 3 day hunt.
Many lodges offer sporting clays, so bring extra shells for that, if that’s something you would be interested in doing.
3. Comfortable Hunting Boots
Take a comfortable pair of broken in boots, and a backup pair if you have them. If you soak a pair, you’ll be glad to have a 2nd option. A boot dryer, mentioned below, isn’t a bad idea if you already own one. No need to buy one.
Danner Pronghorn’s, shown above, are a very comfortable pheasant hunting boot, but there are many options to choose from. Find something that feels good to you right out of the box.
4. License And Permit
Don’t forget to buy your hunting license, and actually have it on your person. Some states also require a separate pheasant permit. You’ll need to look into the regulations for the state you’ll be hunting.
Many, if not most, states allow you to load licenses onto an app on your smartphone. You don’t necessarily have to carry the paper.
5. Upland Vest
While you don’t necessarily have to have an upland vest, it’s a really nice piece of gear that’s worth the investment.
If money is tight, you can pick up a cheap used bird vest on Facebook Marketplace. A ton of options pop up there, so keep looking until you find one you want.
You can, and should use your vest as an option to include more orange in your pheasant hunting attire.
6. Hunter’s Orange Clothing
Check the local laws where you’ll be hunting to ensure you have enough hunters orange to meet any requirements. With that said, regardless of regulations, I would at least wear an orange hat when hunting alongside others.
7. Boot Dryer
Regardless if your feet sweat a lot or not, a boot dryer is a nice item to bring along. The morning dew could work itself into your shoes, or you might step into a deep puddle. A boot dryer can save the next day’s hunt.
8. The Correct Choke For Pheasants
Don’t mess up and leave town with your full choke screwed into the end of your gun. Ideally you’ll take a couple chokes, so that you’re ready for whatever lies ahead.
You could call your outfitter ahead of time to inquire how far the shots are likely to be. Inside 30 yards, and you’re better off with an improved cylinder; beyond 30 yards, and a modified will work better.
Modified and Improved Cylinder are the 2 most common chokes for pheasant hunting.
9. Water Bottle
Even if you don’t have dogs to tend to, carrying a full water bottle is a good practice when you’ll be walking for miles.
10. Gun Oil
There’s no need for a major gun cleaning exercise on even a multi day hunt. However, it’s a good idea to take along basic gun cleaning supplies to keep your firearm in good shape. Some gun oil, a rag, and perhaps a bore snake are all that you’ll need.
11. Chaps Or Upland Pants
Leg protection isn’t always necessary, but usually is preferred. It depends on the terrain you’ll be hunting. If there are going to be lots of briars and other sticky things, you’ll be glad that you packed some protection.
Chaps are the cheaper way to go, rather than multiple pairs of upland pants. Contact your guide ahead of time and ask if you actually need chaps or not for the land you’ll be hunting.
If you’re on a tight budget, it’s hard to go wrong with Dan’s chaps.
12. Tweezers
When pheasant hunting, you and your dogs will often be around pointy sticky things. Tweezers are a simple item to store amongst your gear.
13. Sunglasses, If You Need Them
I don’t usually wear sunglasses, but some folks can’t hardly see without them. If you need them, don’t forget to pack them.
14. Plenty Of Clothing
Pheasant season generally occurs during colder temps, particularly in the late season. Be sure to pack non-cotton thermals, quality boots, and good wool socks. Don’t forget gloves and a warm hat!
Layers are key, so pack additional layers to pile on top as needed. There are plenty of cheap non-cotton long johns available on Amazon. Don’t forget to pack comfortable lounge clothes to wear around the lodge.
15. A Thermos For Coffee
I don’t know about you, but I struggle without my morning dose of caffeine. A small thermos of hot coffee can be just the ticket on a cold morning pheasant hunt. A small canister stows nicely into an upland vest.
16. Ear Protection
Some sort of ear protection is usually a good idea when blasting away with firearms, but this will be a personal preference. Some form of electronic ear protection is preferred so you can still hear what’s going on around you. With that said, I don’t think most pheasant hunters use ear protection when actually hunting.
17. Important Personal Items
Depending on your situation, there will be other items to consider, such as extra contact lenses or glasses, alcoholic drinks, specific dietary items, dog supplies, toiletries, gum, your favorite pillow, etc. A certain type of gum is one of my must have items. Don’t forget yours.
18. Meds
Bring the normal stuff, such as antacids, pepto, pain meds, etc. Also be sure to bring any prescriptions you need. If you have severe allergies, don’t forget your Epipen.
19. Coozie, Yeti Cup, etc
If you’re picky about your drinks, you may want to throw a Yeti Tumbler, 12 ounce coozie, or whatever your preference is, into your luggage.
20. Phone Supplies
Besides your smart phone, don’t forget charging cables and a battery bank if needed. I like to bring a set of earbuds to listen to my phone during the trip, or back at the lodge.
21. Snoring Supplies
Unfortunately, in a hunting lodge situation you may have to deal with snoring, whether it be from you, or from fellow hunters. If you’re the culprit, perhaps bring a cot or air mattress so that you can take up residence away from others.
If snoring originates from others, you’ll be glad to have ear plugs, a noise machine, sleeping meds, or whatever helps you get much needed Z’s.
22. Cash For Tips And Tolls
It’s quite common to tip your hunting guide, so be sure to bring cash to cover this customary cost. Depending on where you go, you may also have cash tolls to pay.
23. Lip balm
During pheasant season, the cold wind can be brutal at times, and it only takes a single hunt to thoroughly dry your lips out. Pack a lip balm of your choice, and if you’re like me, pack more than 1 tube, in case you lose the first one.
24. Alcoholic Beverages
You may not be in an area where alcohol is readily available, so bring some if you want it. Beer or whiskey are both great choices. Bring enough to share, and don’t forget the mixers, for the sissies in your group ;).
25. Extra Shoes
You’ll want to give your boots a chance to air out after each hunt. So, you’ll need to bring extra shoes to wear after you remove your boots each day. Also, many hunting lodges don’t want you to wear your dirty boots inside the living quarters.
If you are a germaphobe, you might also pack some flip flops for shower shoes as well.
26. Camera
Whether it be a shotgun camera, a GoPro, a point and shoot, or just your cell phone, you’ll likely want to record footage of your adventure. Pack a camera!
27. Shotgun Sling
On my last bird hunt, I didn’t bring a sling, and I found myself often wishing I had one. Undoubtedly there will be times when you’ll be standing around and wanting somewhere to put your gun. Or, you’ll need to pee, or, you’ll be walking some distance after the hunt is over, and on and on. I recommend a sling.
28. A Cooler To Bring Your Pheasants Home
Someone in your group needs to bring a cooler large enough to get everyone’s birds home.
As far as the meat goes, what they did for us most recently was vacuum seal 4 breasts to a pack. That made for easy transport, and for easy splitting of the spoils once we got home.
Fyi, each breast will typically include an attached feathered wing in order to satisfy the legalities of rooster identification. You typically can only kill roosters. So, either a wing or foot must remain attached during transport.
Conclusion
With a little advance planning, your pheasant trip will be a lot more relaxing. Nobody wants to run back and forth to town picking up random forgotten supplies. Hopefully this list helps you nail down what you need for your next multi-day pheasant hunt.
For a list of common questions a new pheasant hunter might ask, check out my post about that here. For even more pheasant hunting guidance, check out the Pheasants Forever website or the Pheasant Hunting Forum found here.
Happy Hunting,
Augustus Clay
