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It has been a holiday tradition that on these pages once a year, we discuss some ideas for your favorite sportsman.
From what I have found -- not that I would suggest anything underhanded -- but some folks have this column on their refrigerator to make sure their better half has the proper wrapped gift on the 25th.
Now, some folks have tried many other ideas to get the "word" out. Making subtle hints, like making a comment about your bino (have they fogged up, leading to missed opportunity?). If you have a duck hunter, are new hunting waterproof boots in order? If you're a hunter who processes your wild game meat at home, say formaking jerky, a new smoker could make the perfect gift. Range finders are critical for a bow hunter, of course, but they are especially great for new hunters who have a hard time judging distance.
What if you're a female hunter? Most of the hunting gifts here still apply, of course, but not all the clothing comes in versions for women. That's starting to change across the outdoor industry. If you're looking for hunting gifts for women, multiple manufacturers are now making some high-quality gear cut specifically for women hunters. TruTimber, Sitka, and Cabela's is doing a particularly good job of stocking it as well as its own brand of camo.
This year's list purposely avoided covering specific rifles, shotguns and bows and most truly specialized high-end gear, focusing instead on can't-go-wrong gifts for hunters in more affordable price ranges.
For hunters who hunt in the late afternoon and early evening, a blood trailing light is critical for helping them locate downed animals in the dark, especially in rough country with thick cover. The Primos Bloodhunter HD Blood Trailing Light uses 600 lumen CREE XM LEDs with an optical filter that reduces select colors to help amplify the visibility of blood. This specialized flashlight is one of our top gifts for hunters again this year because most hunters want any edge they can get when tracking in the dark.
If your turkey hunter needs a vest upgrade, you'll be hard pressed to go wrong with the new ALPS OutdoorZ Grand Slam Turkey Vest. Created in partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), the Grand Slam Turkey Vest features a "sit anywhere" kickstand backrest frame, along with a cushy foldaway seat. The kickstand backrest will let your hunter set up just about anywhere and remain still and comfortable for however long it takes to coax a tom in close. It's fully adjustable, has plenty of pockets for turkey hunting calls, shot shells, and water. Best yet, a turkey hunter expects a run-and-gun day in the field, the kickstand is easily removable to drop weight and go light.
One of the most important things for all hunters is scent. Deer, elk, and pretty much every other animal has a far better sniffer than humans, and they use their nose all day, every day. The Scent Crusher Ozone Gear Bag destroys odor-causing bacteria and actively removes scent-causing particles. Here is how it works: You place your hunting clothes inside the bag, set the timer and let the ozone producing module pump ozone into the bag. When it's done, you pull the gear out, scent free. Pretty amazing, really. A lot of times hunting clothing is only a little dusty or dirty and doesn't need to be fully washed in the washing machine for the next day's hunt but there is likely some human sweat and stink on the inside of those clothes, which a scent killer spray won't reach. Instead of washing the hunting clothes, your hunter can dump them into the bag for a few minutes and they'll come out fresh and ready for the next hunt. Works great at hunting camp for those week-long hunts. We like the new RealTree Camo version with a slightly smaller Ozone module the best, but the original pumps out the same ozone specs and works just as well. One last option here is The Scent Crusher Hard Tote. It's great for long-term storage as well as throwing in the back of a dirty pickup.
Once a hunter uses binocular chest straps, they'll always use a chest-strap system because they work so well. There are lots of binocular strap options, but most hunters can appreciate this straightforward Mossy Oak version. Makes a great stocking stuffer for hunters, too. If your hunter hunts in wet or snowy weather or tackles truly brushy and wild terrain, they'll need to tuck their binoculars into their jackets or shirts.
The new Badlands Bino XR binocular and rangefinder case is one of the more expensive binocular case and shoulder harness systems available today, but if your hunter uses a rangefinder often, it's a drool-worthy bino case. Here's why: First, the rangefinder case in the bottom makes it easy to protect your rangefinder from the elements and also retrieve it for fast usage. Second, the magnetic bino case can be opened and closed with one hand, silently. Third, two external side pockets are great for a wind checker or your reeds for calling elk. It also has a built-in rain cover, another handy back pocket, and a comfortable shoulder harness (not pictured). Any downsides? It fits binos up to 10◊42 which is one of the most popular hunting sizes. If you think your hunter might use bigger 12◊50 binos.
If the Badlands Bino XR price point is out of your budget, we're surprisingly impressed with the much more affordable ALPS OutdoorZ Extreme Bino Harness X. The harness is comfortable enough to get the job done all day and it's totally adjustable. It also does a good job of holding the case close to your chest. There is a small side pocket that fits most wind checkers while the other side of the case has four lashing points for attaching other gear or a small case. A microfiber lens is included in the front zip pocket, too. A small bungee cord keeps the top flap down and lets the case open silently. The ALPS OutdoorZ Extreme Bino Harness offers the best price-to-value ratio we've seen for this type of bino case.
There is nothing worse than wet feet. During, after and in the beginning of a hunt it's critical to have dry feet and a boot dry is an important part of any hunter's gear list (hint hint) Slowly drying a pair of boots over several hours, which helps protect the boot from drying too fast and cracking. They are pretty good, but what's better? A heated boot dryer that more actively blows warm air and dries your boots out much faster but slow enough to avoid stressing the boot. In our view, a faster boot dryer is critical when you have more than one pair of boots to dry and you need to get back outside. Of course, the PEET Advantage Boot Dryer works with gloves, too.