If there’s a hunter in your life, you haven’t got their gift yet and you can never think of what to get them we’ve got good news: it’s easier than you think and there’s plenty of time.
As a middle-aged hunter there are some observations that can be made that will help those looking for that special something for that special person, that little stocking stuffer or present that can be a hard find: something the person wants and will actually use that he or she would otherwise never buy.
The hard-core hunters, the people in the woods at every single opportunity who have been doing it since they were children, might laugh at some of these gifts as being for the “weak” hunter. Or, having been miserable long enough, they might have broken down and made these purchases.
For many hunters, the weekenders who have the basics and maybe some more but who don’t make the woods their second home, these are items of great use.
Many fall into a category or thought pattern that goes something like this: They see a thermal mosquito repellant on the shelves while they’re updating their hunting gear but don’t want to spend $20 on it, because it’s usually it’s cold enough that mosquitoes aren’t an issue. Then they hunt on warm day and are swarmed by the beasts, which are unmerciful and huge, and dream of having a thermal mosquito repellant.
They survive the day, miserable, but by the time they again see the $20 gadget in the store they’re thinking it really wasn’t that bad last time and there’s no need to spend $20. And they hold that thought until the next time they’re swarmed.
When I was finally gifted one of those, my life changed.
So we’ll start with that.
- Mosquito repellant. There is nothing more irritating while trying to sit still during a hunt than being swarmed by mosquitoes and other bugs. While the $20 to $25 it would cost to buy a DEET-free repellant is worth it, many hunters don’t think of it until they’re already hunting. So if your hunter isn’t carrying one, try a Bug Band Portable Insect Repellent Diffuser, which you can find at Half-Hitch Tackle, 2206 Thomas Drive, for about $20. It essentially puts a safety wall around your area — so you don’t have to coat yourself with bug spray — and it’s hard to imagine I ever hunted without repellants.
- Thermal socks/battery heated socks. Laugh if you want, but men like me have some genetic mutation that makes it very difficult to spend real money on socks, even the kind that will keep your feet from going numb when the temperatures dip. A good pair of thermal socks will prevent that on most days, and that’s another item I’ve never purchased but have gratefully received as gifts in years past. The best sock gift, though, was the time I received battery powered socks that warmed up. I went from my feet not being numb to my feet being warm and cozy. They died years ago and I can’t bring myself to buy more, but I sure hope someone else will.
- Hand warmers. I cannot count the number of times I “meant” to buy a pack of hand warmers and forgot. They basically come in a pouch and you break them out, shake up the material inside and they provide a little warms for a few hours on a cold day. But if I hadn’t been gifted a box of them, I’d be without. God bless my son! They come for feet too, by the way.
- Full-body camo suit. The full-body camo suit is to the hunter what the tuxedo is to the rich and famous: an anytime solution when you want to get out there in a hurry but also need to fit in with your environment. With a good full-body suit, when the need arises and you need to squeeze in a few hours of hunting before heading straight to work, you get dressed, drive to your hunting spot, throw the one-piece camo outfit over your clothes and hunt. There’s no need to worry about camo shirts, pants, hats, etc., it handles it all.
- A scent-killer spray. Another item that we hunters talk about all the time then forget to buy until we’re getting out of our vehicles to hunt. They can be had for under $10 and a quick spray down from head to toe before walking to the stand increases the chances that your human scent won’t get to the deer before your bullet.
- Camo gloves with finger cutouts. While I personally would not want a pair of these so I could play on my iPhone or iPad while hunting to pass the time, I’ve found it very effective at freeing up my key fingers so that I can play on my iPhone and Ipad while hunting to pass the time.
- Backpack. Yet another item I refused to spend money on, often resulting in a mad scramble to find all my little hunting necessities (cough drops, powder to test the wind, tape to mark a trail, compass, bullets) before leaving the house. Someone finally had mercy and bought me a camo backpack and now everything I need is kept in it. So a decision to go hunting now means a scramble to remember where I put the backpack as opposed to a scramble to find 12 different things. It narrowed the field.