Having spent the Thanksgiving holiday hunkered down with the wife and our son
Having spent the Thanksgiving holiday hunkered down with the wife and our son, who is visiting at our Sandhills Farm, I escaped to have an occasional sit in a deer blind and think about all that’s happening in the world and our own backyard. My lovely spouse has been up and on a mission herself — to pounce on that rare species — the Black Friday/Small Business Saturday bargain now available from the comfort of your laptop computer.
Having spent the Thanksgiving holiday hunkered down with the wife and our son, who is visiting at our Sandhills Farm, I escaped to have an occasional sit in a deer blind and think about all that’s happening in the world and our own backyard. My lovely spouse has been up and on a mission herself — to pounce on that rare species — the Black Friday/Small Business Saturday bargain now available from the comfort of your laptop computer.
The Christmas flyers from the various hunting and fishing stores have been arriving in our mailbox for well over a week. I always manage to rescue a few of them from the junk mail that has found its way to the trash can. I was excited to hear that Scheel’s is coming to Tulsa. I’ve been to their stores in Reno, Nevada and The Colony, Texas, part of the Dallas metropolis. The Texas location is billed as the largest all sports store in the world.
If you have someone on your Christmas list that enjoys hunting, fishing and the great outdoors, here are a few suggestions that I’ve seen this fall. These are available online or at your local retailer. The following ideas are from thebiggamehuntingblog.com:
•Lures: For fishermen, an assortment of their favorite lures is always a welcome gift.
•Books: The Cascade Killer is a gripping and entertaining novel that takes place in the Cascade Mountains of central Washington. Written from the perspective of a veteran Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife game warden, this book is a criminal thriller and a murder mystery, but with a unique outdoor twist. About $15. Other titles in the four-book Luke McCain series, Cascade Vengeance, Cascade Predator and Cascade Kidnapping. All authored by Rob Phillips. As a Fish and Wildlife police officer, Luke McCain and his partner — a yellow lab named Jack — spend their days patrolling the rivers, lakes and forests of the wild and scenic Cascade Mountains in Eastern Washington. McCain will need his knowledge as an outdoorsman, and his instincts as an investigator, to track criminals. About $15 each.
•Zippo Hand Warmer: Your hunter won’t have to deal with cold hands on those freezing winter mornings in a deer stand. This hand warmer produces flameless warmth without being too hot. It fits inside a pocket when not in use. This particular model will provide heat for 12 hours without needing a refill. About $18.
•Field Butchering Kit: It is made by Outdoor Edge includes three quality stainless steel knives as well as a bone saw and a sharpener. Basically, it has everything a hunter needs to field process that deer, elk, bear, or whatever else they manage to harvest, which is why the Outdoor Edge Game Processor Kit is a slam dunk hunting gift. About $80.
•Ruger iHunt Ultimate Game Call: Ruger sells a great value electronic predator call for a smartphone. There’s two ways you can use it: download an app (available on both Android and iPhone) and use the phone itself as the call, or purchase an external speaker and use the phone as a remote connected via Bluetooth. If you’re in search of a reasonably priced predator call as a hunting gift, then this is an excellent choice. About $60.
•Primos Blood Hunter Tracking Light: As anybody who has done it can tell you, blood trailing a deer after dark can be an extremely difficult and frustrating endeavor. The flashlight uses a special lens that makes blood drops stand out from the various shades of brown and red leaves on the ground. The light makes the trail much easier to follow and really increases the odds that you’ll find your deer. About $50.
•Midland Radios: A set of two way radios are really useful when hunting in a group and the GXT1000 radios made by Midland should work nicely for what most hunters need them to do. These radios come with 50 channels, can tune into NOAA radio frequencies to receive severe weather updates, are available in Mossy Oak pattern camouflage, and are lightweight and portable. These radios also have a whisper to talk feature as well as a vibration alert and can accommodate an earpiece, all of which are great features for hunters. About $80.
This is a special time of year. The best memories are made by being with family and friends. We need to be thankful for our blessings and remember the true meaning of Christmas. Reach John Kilgore at jkilgoreoutdoors@yahoo.com.
