OUTDOOR NATION – THE FISH & GAME HOLIDAY BUYING GUIDE – November/December 2021

THE HOLIDAY SEASON is upon us, with Christmas being the crown jewel in a special time of gratitude, blessing, and new beginnings.

Picking Christmas gifts for outdoors lovers isn’t always easy as it often seems the outdoors lovers in our lives have everything they need for fishing, hunting, and camping. But we have put together a list of Christmas-related outdoors items that will thrill even the most spoiled outdoors lover.

Since Thanksgiving is up first, let’s start with the harvest.

Getting fish and game from field to freezer and eventually to the grill isn’t always easy. The following are some items that should help.

Deer/Big Game Transports: Shooting a deer, hog, or exotic is an exciting event, but they are often in remote, inhospitable places, which makes getting them out a serious challenge.

Hunters need to transport the animal and hoist it into a tree to do the field dressing.

Major outdoors retailers are all stocked with sleds, hoists, gambrels, and even woods-friendly wagons to help get your game back home. Even the big box general retailers usually have a hoist of some kind or other device for helping hang game, and no big-game hunter will be disappointed when they see such a practical and energy-saving gift from their loved one.

Knives: Whether you fish or hunt, knives are an essential part of the equation. High-quality fillet knives can do wonders for fishermen who like to fry up slab crappie fillets or grill redfish on the half shell. In general, super cheap blades are that. Super cheap. So, if you see some at a dollar store or that is ⅓ the price of anything else on the shelf, you might want to pass. There are plenty of affordable options for knives, but some are a little too affordable and don’t last like in application.

Electric knives are welcomed by anglers who do a lot of fish cleaning. Our advice is if they are cleaning redfish or other thick-scaled fish to get an industrial/commercial electric knife. Reds, in particular, are notorious for wearing out electric knives.

Catfish fans will always appreciate a good pair of catfish skinners. A good pair of skinners, along with a stunning glove and a fillet knife make for a great gift set.

For hunters, skinning knives are appreciated. Make sure and get one with a gut hook to help with the dressing process.

Many major outdoors retailers now sell kits with a knife, cleaver, saws, and other tools needed to get an animal processed. These are great and often will have items that anglers never thought about using for their hunting endeavors.

ADVERTISEMENTSharpeners: If you have knives, sharpeners are a necessity. Keeping a knife sharp requires special attention and being able to do it easily with modern, affordable sharpeners is a convenience you can’t afford to skip.

Trying to cut into a game with a knife that’s not adequate for the job will leave you frustrated.

Coolers: Hunters and fishermen never have too many coolers. There are premium coolers that will keep meat cold for days, soft coolers for backpacking and all kinds of options. Everyone who loves the outdoors thinks a cooler is a cool gift.

Meat Grinder: If a hunter can afford processing for their game, that’s great. Processors offer a valuable service, but many can’t afford it, so they do their best on their own.

A meat grinder is a great gift to help hunters grind most deer, exotic, or hog meat that is best for ground patties or sausage.

Vacuum Sealer: A hunter who kills a couple of deer and a hog during a season will have more meat than they can get in short order. Getting them a vacuum sealer ensures they can have that meat for a long time and allows presenting wild game in a storable, attractive fashion for those less fortunate.

With our world seemingly gone mad and economic issues impacting many, some sealed packs of venison can go a long way to let someone know you care about them.

Grill: Freshy killed, and grilled axis backstrap or bacon-wrapped dove breast is hard to beat. 

A grill can be a wonderful gift for the outdoors lover.

If you have the bank to make it happen, pellet-fired grills are all the rage now and can do wonders with wild game geat. But even a simple grill they can easily haul to the deer lease or campsite allows them to keep everyone at camp fed and utilize their kills and catches while they’re enjoying their time in the great outdoors.

There are plenty of other kinds of gifts outdoors lovers will appreciate. Here are our picks for great stocking stuffers:

Guns: Find a hunter and you will find a gun lover. Today there are gun options for specific species ranging from hog rifles to varmint specials and shotguns tailored for turkeys. If you know what your favorite outdoors lovers likes to pursue, there’s a gun for them out there.

Ammo: If you have a gun, ammo is sort of a necessity, right? And ammunition has been hard to find so anyone who shoots a lot knows the value of ammunition. Gifting ammo is guaranteed to put a smile on your loved ones face.

Lures: Fishermen love lures. Setting up a special stocking stuffed with lures for their favorite species is a guaranteed Christmas morning hit. 

Nets and Gaffs: Nets are crucial for fishermen and not only are created equal. There are nets for big fish like bull redfish and nets for stream fishing for trout. And then when it comes to the really big fish a gaff is important and can make the difference between success and failure, particularly on an offshore trip.

Transponder: You won’t need this item until you need it. A transponder can send an alert by pushing a button with your GPS coordinates to search and rescue teams in the region. Some even have pre-set texts that can be sent to a specific list of family and friends.

Over the last few years, there have been many hunters, campers, and fishermen go missing, especially on public land out West. This gives the family a sense of peace.

Pliers and Hook Removers: Handling fish can be tricky and an absolutely needed tool is pliers. You simply can’t function on the water without quality pliers. And taking things to the next level, there are special hook removers that can help you save time and maybe save the fish want to release’s life.

Habitat: This might seem like a strange gift but there are fish habitat enhancers that are great gifts for anglers who have their own ponds. They not only concentrate fish but also give baitfish a place to hide and have many other benefits. Some of these devices are legal on public waters as well but you must check with local game wardens before placing on public waters.

Leggings: Wade fishermen fear rays. And a good pair of stingray leggings could save them worry and potential misery and a hospital visit if they get hit by a ray. Snake legging and chaps are also welcome, especially for Texas hunters who spend time in the rattlesnake thickets of South Texas and the cottonmouth-covered swamps of East Texas.

Backpack: A good backpack is a lifeline for deep woods hunters as well as anglers who take off on foot into our river and stream systems. Many waterproof editions are available that are great for everything from duck hunting to hiking into the backcountry to fish for Guadalupe bass in Texas, or trout in neighboring states.

ADVERTISEMENTTime: The most valuable thing you can give a person is your time. If you don’t know what to get your favorite outdoors lover or don’t have the cash to purchase these items, set up some time to go fishing with them or set up a camping trip on public land.

While these gifts are great, the true spirit of Christmas is best shown in sacrificial acts of kindness, and there’s no better place to do that than in the great outdoors.

 

< PREV Return to CONTENTS Page NEXT >