What is the best squirrel hunting vest? This is something I need your help with. Since I moved back to Texas, I have resumed squirrel hunting. Despite the hype surrounding big game hunting, I have always found squirrel hunting to be my favorite. You move, stalk, and interact with your environment far more than you do with other types of hunting that are popular in this area. Yet, there is a complication. I don’t have the gear I used to have for small game hunting.
What I value most in terms of hunting gear is minimalism and the ability to reduce friction in getting out the door. I love being able to just grab things and go. For squirrel hunting, all you really need is a vest with some shotgun shells and a couple of bottles of water and a backcountry water filter.
Here are some basic requirements for me. I need it to be able to hold 12 squirrels, which is a limit in most states in the South now. Due to the heat down here, I need to carry a decent amount of water in the vest in either a Nalgene or a bladder. I would ideally like to set it up once with all the gear I need and then have a “grab and go” set up. Giving the internet a look I have come up with the following options. Let me know what you think.
The first option is Dan’s Ultimate Briar Proof Strap Vest. I like its minimalist approach, the size of the game bag, and the space for some sort of liquid in it. However, there isn’t much for a shell belt or other storage. However, most squirrel hunts only last a few hours so you don’t have to carry much. Yet, it would be very limiting if you wanted to make it an all-day affair.
The next contender is the Avery Heritage Strap Vest. Now, it solves one problem but offers another. Where the last vest doesn’t have dedicated shotgun shell loops, this one doesn’t have a place to store water. I guess being a “Heritage” vest harkens back to the days when no one got thirsty. Honestly, since it is made out of cotton, it will soak up all the water and be miserable to have on my back. This isn’t the vest for me.
The clear winner for me is the Orvis Pro Series Hunting Vest. It has places for water bottles, plenty of dedicated shotgun shell loops, room for food, and a huge game bag that will allow for a limit of squirrels. My only gripe about it is the price and the orange that you can’t seem to avoid. However, for squirrel hunting, the orange won’t matter so much. In most hunting where you use a vest, the orange is an asset rather than a liability. However, the price is going to be a limiting factor when it comes to convincing the wife!
What is the best squirrel hunting vest? Let me know what you think in the comments below. If you have any recommendations a link to the product would be fanatic. I plan on doing a YouTube series on squirrel hunting vests in the near future, so be on the lookout for that.