To prepare for hunting you should have a gun,tree stand,hunting blind and hunting chair.After the fun of shooting you will need gun cleaning kit . If you are starting out, the basics can be acquired as a package deal, the kit from Outers being typical. Cleaning kits typically include a three section aluminum cleaning rod of appropriate diameter for the caliber purchased (one section if it is a pistol cleaning kit), two tips to hold patches, cloth cleaning patches, a bore brush, a bottle of liquid powder solvent, and a bottle of gun oil. Some kits include a small tube of gun grease, and if it is a shotgun cleaning kit it usually includes a bore swab. To use one of these kits, merely follow the directions that come with the cleaning kit.

In addition to the basic cleaning kit I recommend the purchase of a silicone cloth. This is used to wipe fingerprints off the gun after handling and replaces the traditional oily rag. Silicon cloths are excellent protection against "rust prints."

A good accessory to keep with your cleaning kit is a bore light. These are basically penlight flashlights with a light conducting plastic tip that is bent at an angle. The plastic tip can be inserted into the breech of a firearm so that the light shines down the bore. A bore light makes it easy to see the inside of a gun barrel.