Years ago, I went out to call in some coyotes, it was early fall and the sun had just risen.  Playing the rabbit, we had one come in within just a few moments.  Got my sight picture, took a deep breath, squeezed the trigger and my trigger was froze.  It wouldn’t move, no matter what I did.  I racked the rifle, squeezed again and nothing.  

What had happened was my hammer/trigger pins on my AR fell out and the trigger was stuck.

This is where our Emergency Repair kit was born.  I went through everything I had seen in competitions and hunting over the past two decades and came up with the items that either wear out or are easily lost.

A hammer/trigger pin is in that kit along with a buffer detent and spring, a takedown pin detent and spring, 3 gas rings, an extractor spring and a firing pin retaining pin(cotter pin).   These are all included in the kit we designed. 

Here are five more essential items that I never forget while off chasing coyotes.

1.  Hand call:  Who has never had their batteries die on their e-caller?  This is invaluable.

2.  Wind indicator:  Even when the wind doesn’t feel like its blowing, its blowing.  Know your wind.

3.  Stool/Pad:  You can’t sit on the ground without getting a thorn/cactus needle in your behind here in AZ

4. Extra magazine with ammo:  Yes we had to kill a coyote with a rock once because my hunting partner and I shot all of our ammo and neither had an extra mag.  This was the last time we both didn’t carry a side arm too.  Dominic still has that rock.

5. Shooting sticks/Tripod:  I dont care how good of a shot you are, you need to be stable to put down that animal ethically.  I’ve used a tree branch before.

Bonus Essential: Snacks:  This one is debatable, but it seems like all my friends hunt from dawn til dusk and never stop.  I get hungry(plus i have diabetes), so food is essential.

Of course your rifle and ammo are essential too, but that should be a given, except that one time we drove 11 hours to Nevada for the World coyote calling championships and I forgot the ammo back in AZ, but thats  another  story for another day.