Dear Santa, I Want ......

by John Shelley

 Sales Director/Pro Staff

This is the time of year when all good little hunters start to make their wish list for the little round man in the red suit. For most hunters the list is endless since most of us are gadget freaks and anxious to try anything new. And there is never any shortage of new things. For me it would be easier to just hand Santa the latest catalog from my favorite outdoor store and say “I’ll take one of each”!

If the hunter in your life has not yet handed you his or her list, here are a few ideas that might help you in selecting that special something for them on Christmas morning.

Optics:

Every hunter knows the value of quality optics and in my opinion this is one area where you don’t want to cut corners. Buying the best is not only cheaper in the long run but can make the difference in making a shot in marginal light or having to pass on the trophy of a life time. I am partial to Nikon optics as they are top quality and very affordable. Nikon offers a full line of optics from spotting scopes to laser range finders and everything in between. Take a look at them at your favorite store or online at:  http://nikonusa.com/

Footwear:

Quality footwear can be the deciding difference in whether a hunter is able to stay on the stand and wait for the big one in bitter cold weather or give it up and go home. Good boots and socks are a vital part of any hunter’s outdoor gear. Stick with the good stuff. This is another area where you don’t want to cut corners. Choose a well made boot with plenty of support and with plenty of insulation if they’ll be used in the cold season. Make sure they are waterproof. Boots lined with Gore-Tex do a good job of keeping moisture away from your feet.  Quality socks are necessary to complete the set up and I highly recommend Black Mountain socks from The Gene Edwards Co. http://www.gean-edwards.com/socks/black_mountain.html   When your feet are warm and dry it sure makes staying those extra hours a lot easier.

Storage and transfer gear:

Like most hunters, I think I have more money tied up in my bowhunting set up than I paid for my first car! It only makes sense to choose a quality product to protect these valuable items when being carried to and from the field and while in storage. Whether your hunter is a bowhunter or a gun hunter, check out the quality line of cases from DoskoSport http://www.doskosport.com/ DoskoSport offers a full line of top quality cases for gun or bow. The absolute best product I’ve ever used for transporting your gun or bow to the field are the gun and bow racks from Sure Grip Gun and Bow Racks. You’ll never have to worry again about your gun or bow getting banged up in route when using this great product. http://www.suregripracks.com/

Gadgets:

Many times I have bought the latest and greatest gadget just because it was the latest and greatest, only to find out that I could no longer live without it! Such is the case with one of my favorite gadgets – The Huntin’ Hoist from Doyle’s Deer Gear Inc. This neat little tool is a self retracting rope used to raise and lower gear to and from your tree stand. Not only is this the handiest thing, it also helps insure your safety by leaving your hands free to climb into or out of your stand. This product could literally save your life. Take a look. http://www.huntinhoist.com/

For the turkey hunter in your life, check out the cool line of Beard Buster vests and accessories from Sportsman’s Outdoor Products. They offer a line of turkey hunting accessories to make your hunt comfortable and successful.  http://www.sophuntinggear.com/beardbuster.html

A must for the bowhunter is a quality arrow and broadhead combination. In my opinion, the best in both these categories are Carbon Express arrows and Muzzy broadheads. Muzzy offers a line of broadheads to meet any need as well as a fantastic “drop-away” rest, the Muzzy Zero Effect rest. http://www.badtothebone.com/

Carbon Express makes an arrow to fit any bowhunters need and are in my opinion absolutely the best on the market. My favorite is the Maxima Hunter – a “state of the art” arrow with durability that is unmatched by any other. http://carbonexpressarrows.com 

Another neat little gadget any bowhunter would love to have under the tree is the Lumenok from Burt Coyote Co. http://www.lumenok.net/  This is a lighted arrow nock that activates upon the shot to aid in tracking the arrow all the way to the target and can be very helpful in recovery of your arrow and game animal. And besides that – they look way cool on video!

A full line of vibration dampening devices is available from LimbSaver from Sims Vibration Laboratories. These incredible little items can silence even the noisiest of bows and their line of recoil pads can tame the kick of any magnum caliber rifle. http://www.limbsaver.com/

Blinds and Camo:

The ability to blend into natural surroundings or conceal oneself in a well built blind is essential for success when hunting the sharp-eyed wildlife we all pursue.  For a camouflage to be effective it must blend seamlessly into the surroundings where we hunt. Many camo patterns look great hanging on the rack in the store, but simply turn into dark blobs in the woods easily revealing our human silhouette. This is not the case with the new Advantage Max-1 camo from Realtree. Although this pattern was designed for “open” country, I have found it to be very effective in each and every type of terrain I’ve hunted. From the pine forests of Arkansas to the deserts of New Mexico, Advantage Max-1 turns wide open spaces into hiding places. http://www.advantagecamo.com/ 

While deer hunting is most often associated with hunting from tree stands or tower blinds, more and more hunters are learning of the advantages and excitement of hunting from a well built ground blind. Hunting from the ground offers a perspective not found in the lofty perches and requires the hunter to be totally concealed from his or her prey. The easily erected “pop up” type blinds from Double Bull Archery offer this necessary total concealment. Double Bull is the “Cadillac” of this type blind. There simply is not a better made pop up blind than Double Bull. Available in several configurations, Double Bull has a blind to fit most all hunting situations and budgets. http://www.doublebullarchery.com/

Weapons:

This is an area where no hunter wants to scrimp on value. Whether your hunter chooses traditional archery equipment, a crossbow, or gun, chances are he or she will demand the best in equipment. When all the other hunting gear is chosen, the one piece of equipment that simply cannot fail is the weapon in hand.

We each have our own ideas on the weapon of choice, but for bowhunters the great line of bows from Mathews, Inc. just cannot be beat. These bows are time proven as well as on the cutting edge of new technology. Mathews builds a bow for any hunter regardless of stature or build and even a new bowhunter would do well to start with the best. Check them out at http://mathewsinc.com/

Be sure your bowhunter is equipped with a quality release aid from the good folks at Trufire to compliment his archery set up. A choice of each type of release is offered by Trufire and each and every one is built to the highest of standards. Worry about a smooth release when that trophy of a lifetime steps into your shooting lane is something you’ll never experience when using a Trufire product. http://www.trufire.com/

For those who choose to go the route of the crossbow, again – go with best. Go with one of the many offerings of Barnett Crossbows http://www.barnettcrossbows.com/ A crossbow is often the choice for young hunters who do not yet possess the physical strength to pull the necessary poundage of a traditional bow as well as for those unable to use traditional equipment due to an injury. And they are also the choice of many hunters who simply prefer a crossbow over traditional gear.  Barnett offers a crossbow that is bound to fit your situation and budget. They also offer a full line of crossbow accessories.

If your hunter prefers to hunt with a gun, you’ll be hero for life if you furnish your hunter with one of the fine choices from Thompson Center Arms. Traditional rifles, pistols, or muzzle loaders – Thompson Center offers a gun for any hunter. Precision and durability are key words when describing a Thompson Center firearm. http://www.tcarms.com/

Scent control:

One name stands out above all the rest in this category of hunting gear – Wildlife Research Center. Scent control is absolutely necessary for total concealment. The best placed stand or blind is easily defeated when the hunter doesn’t pay strict attention to scent control. The sense of smell is the first line of defense for the wild game species we hunt. You simply cannot afford to allow any slack in this area. Wildlife Research Center offers products designed to eliminate human odors as well as scent eliminating clothing wash. They also offer a multitude of cover scents and attractant scents. http://www.wildlife.com/ .

Other:

There are so many great goodies that can fit into this category, including a really neat software program called Whitetail Pro Log. This program is designed to let a hunter keep accurate records of the deer he harvests. Categories for data include; age, sex, weight, method of harvest, location and time of harvest – even moon phases, weather conditions, and GPS coordinates! Individual measurements for scoring the deer by Pope and Young or Boone and Crockett methods can be entered and the program will calculate gross and net scores. It even has a system for managing your trail camera pictures. Check this one out. http://www.whitetailprolog.com/

Another suggestion would be to purchase for your hunter a membership in the National Rifle Association http://www.nra.org/ or Lone Star Bowhunter http://www.nra.org/ – both great organizations working tirelessly to preserve and promote our hunting and shooting rights. 

A nice addition to any of the above would be a copy of Bowhunting North America’s Outdoor Adventures DVD.  This exciting video includes 18 archery hunts for deer, hogs, turkey and javelina featuring each member of the BHNA team. Pick up a copy online at  http://www.bowhuntingnorthamerica.com/bhna%20oa.htm

I could go on and on, but I must get to the business of starting my own list for Santa.

So, Dear Santa, I want…………………………………….EVERYTHING!!!!!

Bowhunting North America, LLC is sponsored by these fine companies!

Mathews, Inc., Carbon Express, The Gean-Edwards Company, DoskoSport, Lumenok, Tru Fire Corp., 
Limbsaver,  Huntin' Hoist,  Beard Buster,  Sure Grip Gun & Bow Racks, Advantage Max-1 Camoflauge, Nikon Sport Optics,  Barnett Crossbows, 

and Muzzy Products Corp.

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All Rights Reserved