Here are some great gift ideas for the hunter on your shopping list.
Upland and waterfowl hunters are probably some of the pickiest hunters around, which also makes them some of the hardest people to shop for. Year in and year out, they expect their gear to hold up to the harshest elements mother nature can throw their way.
After all, most of us can't afford to replace every piece of gear. But with the holiday season fast approaching, now is the perfect time to pick up that new gun or gadget you've been eyeing all season long. Make your wish list and check it twice€¦and then buy everything on it.
Banded Redzone
Banded built these waders with fully-taped seams, then reinforced key wear areas with additional 900D facing. Get the uninsulated version, or go with the 1,600-gram Thinsulates with the proprietary Heat Absorbing Retention System. $380-$400 | banded.com
onX Hunt Maps
Finding property line boundaries, land owner contact information, or public land to hunt no longer has to be a daunting task. onX Hunt has done the hard work for you and has created the most extensive maps on the market. New this year, the onX Hunt team has created six new features including onX Hunt's new Topo Basemap that shows every trail and 2-track in the U.S., Randy Newberg's Roadless Layer that highlights areas furthest from roads, and Historic Wildfire Layers to show areas hit by wildfires so you know where new growth is emerging. Other layers include Prairie Dog towns, USFS Timber Cuts, and Boone and Crockett Records to show you trophy records by species and counties for all 50 states. The easy user interface maps are available on your smartphone, handheld GPS, tablet, or computer. Onxmaps.com
Magic Chef 10 Tray Food Dehydrator
Every hunter knows that a pile of homemade jerky is an easy, and favorite, stocking stuffer for friends and family. For the tastiest jerky you need the right equipment. Magic Chef has the dehydrator for the job with 10 non-stick trays and over 1,700 square inches of drying space. The RealTree camo covered food dehydrator has a built-in temperature control that ranges from 100 to 160 degrees and a rear mounted fan for even air circulation. The clear viewing door allows you to view your mouth-watering treats as you wait impatiently for your jerky to reach desired dryness. $169.99 | mcappliance.com
Decoy Raft
Ruggedly-built, the Decoy Raft allows hunters to deploy dozens of floaters utilizing a clip system that creates the look of rafting 'fowl and eliminates tangles. Throwing and picking up decoys is a snap since they're attached to the floating mesh mat. $250 | decoyraft.com
Dakota Dabbler
Made with a flush keel, so decoys can sit on the ice or surf water, the Dabblers come with three feeders and three resters. They will swim in just one inch of water — perfect for sod farms, sheetwater or a low spot in an ag field after a fresh rain. $90 | dakotadecoy.com
DSD Honker
Accurate colors, realistic cast legs and nine unique poses will finish any wary honker. Available in uprights, resters and feeders, the motion system allows the decoy and base to stay connected. $400 | davesmithdecoys.com
Fabarm XLR5 Waterfowl
Shells will zip thru the XLR5 (in right- or left-hand models) with its Pulse Piston gas system. Over-sized controls stop fumbles for the bolt handle, bolt release, safety, and the gorilla-sized trigger guard is made for gloved shooting. The Tribore HP barrels ensure killer patterns with the included chokes. $1,695 | fabarmusa.com
Yamaha Viking VI EPS
"Real world tough," indeed. We have spent a year trying to break a Viking both waterfowling and hog and predator hunting without one whimper from the machine (p. 58). Take six hunters to the pit? This UTV will get you there, with a 686cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 4-stroke engine. It has On-Command 4WD and a Suntop to keep you dry. It also has a cargo bed that can handle all the blind bags, shotguns, and game straps a day's hunting requires. $15,599 (start) | yamaha-motor.com
Camo Unlimited Netting
This 3-D camo is the gold standard when it comes covering up everything from homemade blinds to boats or pits. Breaks up hard edges, allowing anything it covers to blend into the surroundings. The material is waterproof and UV-treated for long life. Non-glare treatment won't wear off. $75 (8'x20') | camounlimited.com
Hevi-X
Another nasty load from Hevi-Shot, Hevi-X is straight tungsten so you can expect better knockdown power at longer distances than steel. It's available in 12- and 20-gauge BBs, 2s and 4s, and can run out the muzzle at up to 1,500 fps. Plus, the price is pretty darn good for a high-end metal like tungsten. $29-$40 | hevishot.com
Caesar Guerini
Elegant with its gold pheasants setting off the color case-hardened action protected by their Invisalloy finish, the Magnus Field comes in 12, 20 and 28 gauges. The oil-finished Turkish walnut stock with its sleek Prince of Wales grip ends with a distinctive wood butt plate for slick mounting. The 28- or 30-inch barrels come with five chokes, a single selective trigger and automatic ejectors. $4,775 | gueriniusa.com
Filson Ultra-Light Jacket
Wear this early season or use it as a layering option when the weather turns cold. Lightweight, it's water-repellent and made with Cordura, so there's less of a chance of the jacket tearing on hog wire or barbed wire. Even if it gets wet, the jacket retains 98 percent of its insulation properties. $195 | filson.com
