Becoming a Minimalist Hunter
Late July and early August have been a bit of a whirlwind for my family. My parents are moving, my uncle is moving, my sister is moving, and my wife and I are moving. A lot is going on, and one reality is that I will not be within driving distance of my parents house. In other words, I will no longer be able to store all of my hunting items in my father's garage or spare closet.
My wife and I are moving to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, and through long discussions we have agreed that a two bedroom apartment either in or near the city is best, as we have no clue about the area. Living in the city is not an issue, but having my hunting and camping gear in tow won't be as easy without a garage( or paying for storage). Now you might be asking yourself, “Johnathan, you really think you will struggle to keep your hunting stuff in an apartment? How much gear does one person need?” I am so glad you asked because when I think about it, a lot.
The issue is my desire to be ready to do it all. I never want to be unprepared when asked to join someone or to go out myself and enjoy nature. So here is a list of what, in my mind, is necessary to keep. Deer: Bow, arrows, foam block, .243, climbing sticks, stand, camo bib, and other camo clothing. Turkey: Two decoys, 12Ga, calls, face mask, and other camo clothing. Ducks: 5 decoys minimum, waders, 12 Ga, marsh camo and calls. Upland Birds: 20 Ga, Briar pants, and orange vest. Bass: Spinning Rod and tackle box. River/Fly Fishing: waiters, rods, and net. Camping: Tent, two chairs, and sleeping pad/bed. The bulky items being deer stand/sticks, archery target, tent, and waders.
Over all, this could fit into a well-maintained closet, but I have found that I can decrease this list pretty drastically just by using some of the items in different seasons than those for which they were intended. I've killed turkey in deer camo and killed deer in white button-down shirts. As long as you have something to break up the pattern or are well concealed, deer camo can be turkey camo, and duck camo can be deer camo. It's all about breaking up the pattern that screams, “human and danger”!
As long as I am able to store this gear in tubs under the bed, a designated closet, or a purchased dresser, I should be able to keep all of my gear without getting the wife too upset. If you really want to keep the gear listed above, just throw out something absurd, such as using a dolly system in the bedroom for a kayak. After making a proposal like that, keeping your smaller gear won't seem like such a burden. It's all about compromise.
Stay tuned for Becoming a Minimalist Hunter Part 2. I'll keep you posted on how things are going in a month or two, once we move.
