One thing I always forget when I leave on a hunting trip is a spare key! I have only lost a key while hunting once. Luckily it was to my ATV and I was able to get my trailer to it. It could have easily been my truck key. So do I remember the spare key now?...........NOOOO!

lots of good stuff here but don't forget try not to piss off the other hunters camped near you they may need your help and you may need theirs! The extra key thing is a great thing and I either hide it near the truck or on it somewhere so you don't lose it in the woods.I also made sure my son new how to drive at an early age didn't want to try and teach him when I was hurt. He has a license now, but you  have to prepare for the worst.

Great stuff guys, chain saw is high on my list, my dad and i were up in the hils a few years ago and it was stormy. we parked at the end of a road when we were done we started to drive back and a tree had blown down blocking the road, if we didnt have a chain saw we would have been screwed.

Swiss army knives will save your bacon.... Duct tape fixes just about anything and makes great make shift bandages if you get to crazy with your knife.. Tire chains, bottled water since that stuff never goes bad, first aid kit, blanket, change of clothes, because trust me it sucks being in the cold naked in the back of your truck with just a blanket trying to stay warm, hence the screen name, but hey thats a different topic.. Tow strap with come along, jumper cables, small mechanic tool kit and some dehydrated food/MRE. Oh and I almost forgot a bottle of your favorite booze just in case you have to walk..

I'll second the motion on checking front chains before heading off into the backcountry.  Depending on how your vehicle is setup the chains can grab the front brake lines.  Take some time in advance to tie-wrap-off or otherwise move the lines away from the radius of the chains.

Vehicles get stuck, fail, and sometimes fail in ways that can't be fixed on the trail.  The best insurance is to tell somebody where you are going (trails, landmarks, coordinates) and tell them you'll check in at such-and-such time.  Then let them know who to contact if they don't hear from you at certain intervals after you were supposed to check in.  Its a poor man's spot messenger and its only as reliable as the person you tell.  So pick somebody responsible.

One more thing on chains is don't depend on the cheap thesioners that you can buy at the store.  Get some bungi cords and use them.  I have had the cheap spring tensioners fly off after hitting some mud but the bungi's will stay on until you either take them off or the break.  Plus they put more tension on the chains.

In a pinch you can always bury your spare tyre, a tool box, a steel handled spade, pretty much anything to connect a winch to.

Don't forget to check your battery and charging system before going out, take some spare fuses with you. Check your fuel filters etc as well.