How To Get Free Or Cheap Fishing + Hunting Gear

Hunting and fishing are two of America’s most enjoyed and popular pastimes. Eons before the first European settlers arrived, the indigenous American people would roam the prairies and waters of the continent. Over time the gear used in these activities drastically improved, but so did the cost. For many, purchasing new fishing or hunting gear is not feasible.

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The 11 Best Ways To Get Free Or Cheap Fishing And Hunting Gear Are Below!

Key Takeaways

• There are several ways to get free fishing and hunting gear, including competitions, reviews, and product testing.
• Many companies require you to sign up before they send items to test. Once tested, you’ll need to write a report or review the product.
• Sponsorships are another route, but you’ll need to compete in tournaments/competitions to qualify.
• Many stores sell items that are not top brands, but their quality is often high.
• However, don’t compromise quality for the price.

Getting Free Fishing And Hunting Gear Online

Online is often the best place to contact potential “sellers,” competition details, and free giveaways. Online also includes shops that run promotions. Some of the prominent online places include.

1. Using Swagbucks Or Other Points

Many online platforms, banks, and shops offer “points” on purchases. The more “real money” you spend on items, the more points you’re rewarded. These points are refundable for gift cards; in some cases, you could purchase an item with points.

Swagbucks is an example of these “points” and is a great way to earn gift vouchers while spending money on essentials.

This rewards program allows you to accumulate points by:

• Completing surveys (online).
• Answering daily trivia questions.
• Scanning in receipts.
• Playing certain online games.
• Eating at certain restaurants.

Swagbucks links to your PayPal account, converting your points into instant cash.

Another option is to use Qmee. Although there is no gift card/rewards program, Qmee rewards you for filling in surveys, ordering online, and searching for specific items.

You access the cash rewards through PayPal. If you don’t need the money for anything else, you could spend it on fishing or hunting gear.

2. Using Craigslist To Find Free Gear

One of the “big names” in online marketplaces, Craigslist is full of useful goods people want to be rid of.

If you’re lucky, patient, and diligent, you could find fishing and hunting gear for free, but it requires pursuing the adverts daily and being fortunate to find the offer.

The issue with used gear is that you’ll never have complete information on defects or other issues.

You’ll find the free goods under the “Free” tab on the website.

3. Using The Freecycle Network To Find Free Gear

Another fantastic site to check for free fishing and hunting gear is FreeCycle. The concept of and motivation behind the Freecycle Network NPO is to reuse old goods as far as possible to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.

This network places people globally in touch with one another to pass on their unwanted goods.

Although the same quality issue exists, you are bound to find gear for fishing and hunting online.

4. Using Facebook Marketplace

Like Craigslist and Freecycle, the Facebook Marketplace is another great stop to browse for free stuff.

Although it’s not guaranteed that you will find what you need/are looking for, Facebook is large enough that you’re bound to find something eventually.

Facebook is also handy as interest groups can alert you to promos, specials, competitions, etc.

Getting Free Fishing And Hunting Gear From Other Places

Although online is a convenient place to search for free fishing and hunting gear, it’s not the only place. Many shops offer promos, companies offer sponsorships, and products need reviewing and testing.

5. Become A Product Tester

Many manufacturers are more than willing to send “free” products to people who sign up to become product testers. The purpose of these testers is to trial run the products and then provide feedback, recommendations, and criticism on the products.

The manufacturers then tweak these products to better appeal to the consumer.

Some companies that offer “tester” programs for fishing and hunting gear include:

• Field Test Fishing – mostly lures, but also other fishing equipment.

• Field & Stream – they provide new gear to take hunting and fishing to 4 registered testers.

• The North American Hunting Club doesn’t often send items for testing, although they advertise it.

• BackpackGearTest.org – geared toward hikers and general outdoor hobbies– has a wide range of items to test.

6. Join A Reviewing Website/Newsletter

Similar to becoming a tester, you could also become a product reviewer. The difference in this article is that a tester works for the manufacturer, while a reviewer could work for a third party/unrelated.

A reviewer helps consumers make purchasing decisions by providing information on certain products, including pros, cons, and similar products available on the market.

Reviewers often run blogs and websites or work for a company that produces newsletters.

These include:

• Review Your Gear Newsletter – fishing and hunting gear
• Hunting Gear Deals – hunting gear

7. Find A Sponsor

Finding a sponsor (or one that finds you) is another fantastic way to receive free fishing and hunting gear.

The drawback is to receive a sponsorship; you’ll often need to be in competitions. If you don’t want to compete in hunting or fishing professionally, then a sponsorship might not be an option.

Sponsors use you as a marketing tool, so as you improve, they’ll usually equip you with better gear to promote.

8. Entering Competitions And Tournaments

Along with finding a sponsor, entering into fishing/shooting competitions and online/mail-in competitions is a great way to win new gear. Many bait and tackle or hunting supply shops sponsor competitions, so checking in with your local store is a good way to know what’s happening.

9. Some Places Offer Giveaways Or Promotions

Occasionally some stores or clubs offer free items. Often you’ll need to sign up and become a member of the club or newsletter, and the quality is not always guaranteed, but once in a while, something good comes along.

Some places to check for giveaways include:

• Rusty Angler
• Wired2Fish
• Premier Angler

Specials are often limited (time and quantity), so you’ll need to check back frequently.

Where To Get Cheap Fishing And Hunting Gear

Although finding free fishing and hunting gear happens, the regularity of these instances is not particularly frequent. However, there are several places to find cheap equipment.

10. Sales, Discounts, And Buying In Bulk

End of the season, liquidation, and special holiday (e.g., Black Friday deals) discounts are fantastic opportunities to save up and purchase expensive items at reasonable prices.

Purchasing items in bulk reduces the cost, like sinkers, hooks, nylon, and lures.

11. Some Shops Have Better Rates

You’ll often pay more for the brand. While purchasing particular brands is a good idea, it’s not always necessary. If you’re starting, purchasing a lesser-known brand might serve you just as well.

Some stores which offer “budget” items include:

• Alibaba
• DHgate.com
• Dicks’s Sporting Goods
• DiscountTackle.com
• OverstockBait.com
• Walmart
• Fish & Stream

Related Questions

Is It A Good Idea To Purchase Cheap Hunting Or Fishing Gear?

There is a sentiment, “you get what you spend.” While it’s not always vital to purchase top-of-the-range gear, purchasing poor-quality gear is also not a suitable (and sustainable) plan.

When purchasing fishing and hunting gear, you’ll need to ensure the quality is not sacrificed for a lower price.

You should not compromise on certain items, so if it’s not in your budget to purchase expensive gear, it’s better to save up.

If you’re starting, you’ll need a quality-made item to not break too soon, but it does not need to be the best of the best.

What Companies Offer A Fishing/Hunting Sponsorship?

Although several companies offer sponsorships for fishing and hunting gear, far more people want sponsorships than are available. Knowing where to look is critical when starting the sponsorship journey.

Some potential sponsors include:

• Alps Outdoorz
• Alternative Lures
• American Tackle
• Bear and Son Knives
• Boss Buck Feeders
• JB Langley
• Nosler Rifles
• Tackle Depot

Most companies would only consider sponsoring you if you’ve won a competition.

Another way of getting sponsored is to help impoverished and disadvantaged individuals (especially with fishing) and approach a corporate entity for sponsorships.

What Is The Average Cost Of Hunting And Fishing Gear?

No hobby is cheap, not in the least fishing and hunting.

The table below shows rod and hunting rifles at the different price brackets.

Type of gear	Budget range	Medium range	Top of the range
Fishing rods	$30 to $40	$50 to $200	$300 to $550 (some are $1 000)
Hunting rifle	$350-$400	Up to $ 1000	$1 000 to $ 3000 (and more)

These amounts don’t, unfortunately, factor in the tackle, scopes, hides, a boat/boat rental, etc. but give you a rough idea of the “starting” price per price category for the essential equipment.