Beyond Rifles and Optics: Four Predator Hunting Essentials

This isn’t going to be another rifle, scope, or caliber article. Instead, I want to talk about the small pieces of gear I’ve learned to appreciate after being fortunate enough to hunt for almost two decades.

Being a “hunter” can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For some people, it might mean deer hunting one weekend every year. I’ve been fortunate to have both my location and free time to hunt much more often. Predator hunting alone usually gets me into the field at least one day a week, and I often leave town for three-day predator hunts. Of course, I also enjoy big-game hunting—deer, elk, pigs, and more. I’ve also been fortunate to have access to private ranches where I’ve hunted animals that aren’t typically on the menu.

Spending that much time in the field has taught me that the equipment that makes the biggest difference isn’t always the most expensive. They’re the little things nobody talks about. Here are a few of mine.

A Good Set of Gaiters

Whether you’re hunting in the snow or the Arizona desert, I love a good set of gaiters. Keeping burrs, snow, dirt, rocks, and insects out of your boots and pants may sound small until it isn’t. Imagine every third or fourth step, something stuck in your sock pokes your right foot. At first it’s annoying. A mile later, it’s all you can think about. Eventually, that little irritation bleeds into your mind and turns what should be an enjoyable outdoor experience into a constant internal conversation: “Why am I doing this?” The same thing obviously applies to cold snow seeping into a warm boot.

Comfort isn’t just about being comfortable. It’s about removing distractions. Hunting already requires you to process terrain, wind, animals, movement, equipment, navigation, and a dozen other things. There’s no reason to give your brain another problem because you didn’t want to wear gaiters. They’re one of my favorite pieces of hunting equipment, and people rarely talk about them.

A Rangefinder That Can Drop a GPS Pin

Rangefinders aren’t new, especially for long-range hunters. But modern rangefinding technology has given us something considerably more useful: the ability to drop a GPS pin on what we’re ranging. That has been magical. Now I don’t just know that an animal is 423 yards away. I can mark where that animal is. I can also mark the location where I want to go.

Imagine glassing an animal from one side of a mountain and determining that your best shooting position is somewhere else. I can range that location, drop a pin, and share it with my buddy. He can stay behind the binoculars watching the animal while I work around the backside of the mountain toward the position I’ve already identified. Now we both know where I’m going.

Similar technology helped us tremendously in the military when sharing friendly and enemy locations. Seeing that capability move into the commercial world and apply to hunting takes what we can do in the field to another level. But there’s an even simpler reason I’ve fallen in love with it: finding dead animals.

I recently had a perfect example while predator hunting. A coyote appeared at one of our stands from a considerable distance. I didn’t have time to range him because he was already moving outbound, so I guessed. I fired my first shot and believe the bullet went low, although I never actually saw the impact. The coyote immediately sprinted outbound and to my right.

Now I had two more problems to solve. I had to estimate his new distance, then estimate how much lead to give a coyote running at full speed. I fired the second shot and saw his tail doing circles. That’s usually a pretty good indication something happened. I finished the stand and waited about another 10 minutes before deciding to see if I could recover him.

I ranged the bush where I had last seen his tail spinning. 423 yards. Before leaving my shooting position, I looked through my scope several times and tried to establish reference points. That tree. That bush. This opening. That rock. Then I started walking.

Anyone who has done this knows exactly what happens next. You get 400 yards away from your original position, and everything looks different. That distinctive bush isn’t nearly as distinctive anymore. That tree looks like the 15 trees next to it. I’ve had situations where I had to walk all the way back to my original shooting position, look through the optic again, and start over. Another solution is leaving a buddy behind with binoculars so he can walk you to the location.

Fortunately, I recovered that 423-yard coyote after some searching. But being able to drop a GPS pin directly on that location would have made the entire process considerably easier. Now that I have rangefinding binoculars with that capability, that problem is largely solved. Sometimes technology actually does make hunting better.

550 Cord

This one probably isn’t surprising coming from a Marine. 550 cord has been useful throughout both my military and civilian life, and hunting has given me another hundred reasons to carry it. Need to hang an animal while processing it? 550 cord. Need to create a hasty sling? 550 cord. Something broke and needs a temporary stitch, tie, or hold? 550 cord. Need to drag a coyote several hundred yards back to the truck? You guessed it.

I’ve probably used 550 cord more for dragging coyotes than anything else while hunting. When I predator hunted on Camp Pendleton, dragging a coyote out by the leg created another problem: ticks. The closer you hold that animal to your body, the easier it is for ticks to transfer from him to you. Putting some distance between you and the animal with a drag cord doesn’t eliminate the problem, but it certainly helps.

More: Bracelets, Gun Slings and More: Five Paracord Uses

Here in Arizona, ticks haven’t been as much of a concern for me. But dragging a coyote several hundred yards by its foot is still unpleasant. Throw a loop of 550 cord around the animal, then create another loop to pull, and suddenly your hands are free. That’s important when you’re navigating uneven terrain. 550 cord weighs almost nothing, takes up almost no room, and you’ll eventually find a reason you're glad you brought it.

An Electronic Caller

This one is much more specific to predator hunting, though electronic calling can apply to other game where it is legal. Mouth calling or hand calling used to be the way. It absolutely works, but it’s also exhausting. You’re sitting there blowing on a call, controlling your breathing, scanning for animals, and trying to remain still. Meanwhile, when that coyote comes in, guess where he’s looking? At you.

An electronic caller changes that entire equation. Where legal, I can place the caller away from my shooting position. For my predator hunting, I generally don’t put it much farther than about 80 yards in front of me. Now I have access to an entire library of sounds without having to operate a mouth call continuously. More importantly, I’ve moved the coyote’s attention away from me.

He’s interested in the sound coming from over there. That gives me more freedom to work the wind, move slightly when necessary, manipulate equipment, or even scratch my face without immediately advertising my position. That separation between the hunter and the sound source can be incredibly valuable.

Electronic callers aren’t limited strictly to coyotes, either. Depending on the species, hunting method, and what is legal where you’re hunting, electronic calls can also apply to other animals. As always, check your state's hunting regulations and the specific species you’re pursuing.

The Little Stuff Starts Adding Up

None of these items are particularly glamorous. I’m not telling you about the newest rifle, comparing cartridges, or arguing about which scope has the best glass. But after almost two decades of hunting—and being fortunate enough to spend a tremendous amount of time in the field—I’ve learned to appreciate these kinds of things.

A good set of gaiters keeps an irritating problem from ruining the day. A modern GPS-capable rangefinder can save you from wandering around trying to identify a bush that looked completely different from 423 yards away. A few feet of 550 cord can drag an animal, repair equipment, hang something, or solve a problem you didn’t know you'd have. An electronic caller can fundamentally change how you set up a predator stand.

The expensive equipment usually gets all the attention. I love good rifles, good scopes, good ammunition, and all the other toys as much as anyone. But sometimes the gear that helps me most is the stuff I barely notice until I forget to bring it. Those are usually the pieces of equipment that have truly earned a permanent place in my hunting pack.

About The Author

Rob Orgel enlisted in the USMC in 2004 as an Infantry Rifleman (0311), serving with 3rd Bn 1st Marines in Iraq, including roles as a point man in OIF-3 & team leader in OIF-6. Later, he joined the 1st Marine Regiment, achieved the rank of Sergeant in 2010, & continued service in Afghanistan. Upon returning, he became a Combat Instructor at the School of Infantry West. He transitioned to private military contracting with Securing Our Country (SOC), where he instructed at the American Embassy in Iraq. In 2018, Rob became Chief Instructor at GPS Defense Sniper School and revamped its program. Now, as owner & lead instructor at Emergency Response Tactical, he trains novice to advanced shooters on the range over 300 days a year. Rob also hosts the Silencer Analytics channel on YouTube.