Christmas Gifts for the Outdoors-Person in Your Life – or Perhaps Yourself
It seems every year around the holidays I get people asking me for gift ideas for the hunter in their family. One of the good things about being in the field so much throughout the year is I get to try out a variety of products.
This is a list that I used to purchase gifts for my own family and friends and hope there may be something that could spark some interest for that hard to buy for person in your family.
S4 Gear Bino Harness This is a binocular harness that keeps optics dry, clean and at the ready. It fits most styles of binoculars and not only makes it much more convenient, but also keeps binos snow and water-free so you can see regardless of weather conditions.
Dave Smith Decoy- Over the years Ive had so much success with this posturing buck decoy. Not only does it draw the big bucks in with its realistic paint job and the way it postures, but it holds big bucks! This gives you time to get the shot off you need, but it also makes hunting so much fun regardless of the size of deer. When a buck decoys in, your heart will be racing!
Winchester Coyote Light- With the growing number of predator hunters out there many people are interested in getting into the coyote hunting world. A great way to do this is by giving the gift of a coyote light by Winchester. This gun is setup perfectly for everything you need when it comes to varmint hunting and is offered in all the popular calibers.
Bino Dock- Ever been in a vehicle and stopped quickly only to see your precious binos go flying off the dash and onto the floor? How about when you spot something and its a scramble trying to figure out where the binos are in your truck? The bino dock fits right in the cup holder and allows you to always have your binos at the ready and also keeps them safe from sliding around. This is one of those ideas where you may go, Why didnt I think of that?!
Lead Sled- Whether youre sighting in a rifle, turkey gun, or just out shootinghaving a Caldwell Lead Sled makes all the difference in the world. When I shoot from the bench this is something Im always using. It significantly reduces recoil so you can ensure your gun is sighted in and ready to go.
Boot Blankets- When it comes to cold weather hunting, my feet are almost the first thing to freeze. Ive tried so many different types of boots and socks, but still end up with cold feet. One thing that has made all the difference is to have a pair of boot blankets in my pack. There are several companies that make them and all they do is simply zip over whatever boots youre wearing. I like to drop a hot hand or two in the toe area and youre all set for an all-day sit with toasty warm toes.
On-X Maps- For the hunter who has it all, On-X Maps is such an awesome gift. This app shows you exactly where you are at all times and then shows the property boundaries. It also differentiates between tribal, public and private land while giving you info on the landowner. I recently added this on my phone and cant tell you how much I love this app! True game changer when it comes to knowing where you are and finding out how to gain access.
Shooting sticks- Very rarely will you ever see me take a shot in the field without my gun on a set of shooting sticks. I like to use the Bog-Pod HD-3 tripod shooting stick. Theyre super stable and also have a camera head that you can switch out to place a camera or spotting scope. One piece of equipment that has dual purpose, love it!
Wilson signal booster- This is one of the coolest electronics I know of. I keep a Wilson Signal Booster in my truck always hooked up. It is designed to improve phone service, similar to the ones available from SureCall, ensuring you have cell service everywhere you go. Not only is it more convenient, but it also helps me to know that if Im ever in a bind I can get help. For people who hunt or travel a lot of remote locations without much service, this is a must have. Very easy to install, and works constantly.
Life Line- Treestand safety is so incredibly important, and the use of a life line keeps everyone even safer. The lifeline is designed so you can be connected at all times. From the moment you leave the ground until the moment you return youre safe. They also have a tandem version if two people happen to hunt the same stand.
Engel backpack cooler- I spend a lot of time in treestands and blinds on all day sits. First thing I need to always have? A lunch, snacks and cold drinks. The way I do this is by always packing my Engel Backpack cooler before I leave. Its so nice having the backpack straps and is the perfect size.
Magnum scrape dripper- If youve ever heard someone complain about having nocturnal buck activity during the rut and looking for options, this is a perfect gift. The magnum scrape dripper by Wildlife Research Center drips daytime only so bucks start coming to check your scrape when you want them to. I like to use these over natural active scrapes and also create mock scrapes during the rut to draw bucks in.
Shutterfly book- A huge part of hunting is the memories that are created. Take all those cell phone pics and create a hard-covered book to share with your family. Ive made several for my family over the years. Its amazing how often people will pick them up off the table and relive those memories.
Winchester Deer Season XP- With the huge number of deer hunters across the country theres no doubt that you have a few deer hunters in the family. Give them the gift of Deer Season XP by Winchester. This is ammunition built specifically for taking down deer quickly.
Mr. Buddy Heater- Whether you have a hunter or ice fisherman in your family, having a little propane heater is amazing. Ive used them in ground blinds, box blinds, and even in the fish house in the winter. Take it from a Minnesota girl, this is an awesome gift and can make a cold day so much better!
Moose Utility ATV Accessories- Lots of people have side by sides or ATVs so why not find an accessory item for their unit? Moose Utility makes everything from gun and bow racks, to sprayers or even a seed spreader to make planting food plots easier.
Convergent Call- Calling anything can be a blast, but with the Convergent Hunting Solutions Bullet HP, youll have a blast in the year-to-come! This call runs via Bluetooth on your smart phone and doesnt require cell service to use. You can use the call from everything from coyotes to turkeys to deer, and then when its time to kick back by the camp fire, it doubles as a Bluetooth speaker for your music too! However, it's not the best quality music so if you know you want to enjoy some music in your downtime when camping then take a look on Max Your Home Time to find the best outdoors speaker - click here for info.
Phone Scope- For years Ive used spotting scopes and love seeing animals up close. Ive tried to get my phone just right and capture a half blurry half black photo. Now with the phone scope you can buy an adapter for your phone and it quickly snaps on and off your spotting scope and gives you absolutely perfect photos and videos. Ive used tons of the video from this right in my TV show. Its easy to see how good of quality you get and how easy it is to use.
EOTech scope for turkey gun- I really like having some sort of scope on my turkey gun. This past season I put an EOTech on my Winchester turkey shotgun and couldnt have been happier. I let two young kids use it for youth season it was simple for them as well. Im all about making thing easier and being the most effective hunter I can be so for me there is no better solution.
Winchester Long Beard XR- Now that you have your turkey gun all setup, why not get the most out of the ammunition? Winchester Long Beard XR is simply amazing. You will be blown away at the patterns in both the 20-gauge and 12-gauge. The ShotLok technology keeps the pellets together longer offering you incredible groups that you never thought possible.
Fire Disk- When coming back from a hunt cooking a meal can sometimes be a daunting task. With the Fire Disk its now simple and allows you to cook and bake almost anything imaginable. Plus, its easy to clean up as well!
Field & Stream Blind chair- I spend a lot of time in ground blinds and have found my favorite chair out there is the Field & Stream blind chair. It has a mesh seat and back making it really comfortable even on all day sits. It also swivels so you can re-position if needed. Lastly, the legs adjust so you can be level even on un-level ground
Silent Legion Supressors- This is the first year I started using supressors. My only question is ?why didnt I do this sooner? Theyre simple to screw onto the end of your threaded barrel and protect not only our own hearing in the field, but everyone around you as well. Next, they reduce recoil and allow you to make a faster follow up shot if needed.
H2O Whole- Hunters are always looking for a way to get an edge and keep deer on their property and by their stands. This season I put out several H2o Wholes out and was blown away by the results. Water proved to be a huge attractant to nearby deer and brought them right in front of my ground blind. With the large number of deer using the area this also became a social area where deer seemed to like to hang out.
Garmin InReach- If you know someone who travels to extremely remote places like the tundra of Alaska on brown bear hunts or other exotic locations, you understand potential communication difficulties. Sat phones are an option, but super expensive. Garmin came in and saved the day with the Garmin InReach. This allows you to text friends and family back home and stay in constant contact. Plus, you can check the weather anytime youd like. We were getting weather forecasts while in the middle of the tundra which was a nice bonus!