Hunting is difficult enough, and some of the gear is just too expensive! Here is a list of hunting hacks that you probably already have in your home, maybe you can think of more…

Toilet paper; it makes a great trail marker for blood trails and since it’s biodegradable and won’t clutter up the woods like flagging tape.

A film canister; fill it with cotton balls and it does a great job of dispersing deer scent in the fall woods. You can still find them on Amazon too, so the good ol days are not over yet for film canisters!

An empty pill bottle; container makes a handy way to store choke tubes, fishing hooks and split shot. I suggest removing the label though, you do not want someone finding it and knowing too much about you.

A wine cork; use a lighter on the end of a wine bottle cork and you have an instant smudge stick to camouflage your face or hands. It will wash off quickly and helps mask some odor as well.

Artificial Christmas trees; don’t throw out that old tree, cut the branches off and you have instant camouflage for your goose blind or treestand.

An unscented tampons; these things make an excellent drag rag or scent dripper for deer. You can usually find a five pack at the dollar store as well.

An empty sniffer bottle;  fill it with baking powder and give it a squeeze, it will tell you which way the wind is blowing every time.

An olive oil mister; these became popular a few years ago, they use a pump action to spray a fine mist of oil out, they also do an amazing job of spraying out deer scent. Just be sure to mark which one is olive oil and which is doe in heat.

Old carpet; it makes a great insulator for a treestand or duck blind, guaranteed to keep your feet warm.

Tent spikes; wrap them with different color tape, or buy them in different colors, they make handy range markers in the woods or fields.

Motel shower caps; the next time you stay at a motel, grab that free shower cap, it makes a great scope cover in inclement weather.

Electrical tape;  it will keep rain out of your muzzleloader’s barrel; and also makes a handy band-aid if needed.

Old shotgun shells; melt a shotgun shell hull into the holes of your duck decoys for a quick fix, they’ll be watertight and won’t sink.

A spent rifle shell; it makes a quick emergency whistle while blowing over the top, or a handy measuring device for black powder.

Ziplock bags; they keep things dry and your pb&j from making a mess in your pack, they also make a handy way to keep a license dry while hunting in foul weather.

So what hunting hacks do you employ to keep you out of the poor house and in the outdoors? Share them with me and let’s see what other great ideas we can come up with.