You haven’t given me a Christmas hint this year. Can you think of something? Or, what do you want for Christmas? How many times have you heard or asked these questions?

Here are a few suggestions that might help when shopping for an avid outdoorsman.

1. How about a new camouflage shirt or coat without spending $1,100 on a new Benelli shotgun. I know he has several, but camo to a hunter is like another pair of shoes to a woman. You can’t have too many.

2. If he or she doesn’t have a good hunting knife then you have the perfect gift. There’s just something about a nice knife that’s cool. Folding pocket knives, a larger knife that requires a scabbard, or a special skinning knife will all be appreciated.

3. A good outdoor watch will certainly be used. I can’t really hunt or fish without a watch. At different times of the day I want to be at a certain honey hole when fish have gone on a bite before. Legal shooting times need to be adhered to closely. Solar time tables can be used more effectively if you fish by a watch.

4. A boot dryer sure beats trying to dry boots by a campfire or heater. Many good boots have been burned and ruined by placing them too close to the fire. Occasionally, I go over the top of my hip waders. It’s not easy to get the foot section dry since the boots are so long. Solution? Drop them over your electric boot dryers and forget them. They will dry slowly and not burn.

5. How about a new pair of hunting boots? Boots do eventually wear out. Don’t go cheap on this gift. Cheap boots that don’t fit well will do you no good. Blisters are no fun. Good leather or Kevlar boots will cost at least $100.

6. The drought is over. A good rain suit in this El Nino season is a real fit. Local angler Bobby Whiteside says a good rain suit is one of the most essential pieces of equipment for a serious fisherman. Cheap plastic suits usually last one trip. Buy a good one and it will keep you dry and also serve as the perfect wind block.

7. How about binoculars? Good optics are a must for serious big game hunters. The price range on binoculars is extremely broad. You can get a pair for $19.95 or spend thousands. Cheap binoculars work well in good light but in dim pre-dawn or after sunset the good ones are in a league of their own. They just pick up more light giving you good vision almost until pitch dark.

8. Flashlight. One of the simplest gifts I ever received I use most. It’s a little high-intensity flashlight with a sheath that slides on my belt. I never have to dig it out of my hunting coat or vest. I always know right where it is on my belt. It’s perfect for finding your way through the cactus to deer blinds. A good one with a sheath can be purchased for less than $15.

9. If you want to spend a little more then a hand-held GPS is a great tool for a deep woods hunter. It will get you back to your vehicle or camp regardless of the weather. I have no need for one since I don’t hunt anywhere that I would get lost. But to a Colorado elk hunter it would mean the difference of life or death.

A GPS is not only a hunter’s tool. Fishermen can enter the coordinates for their best honey holes. Later, returning to the same spot is assured even without any land marks.

10. If the one you are buying for is a bass fisherman or coastal fisherman then polarized sunglasses are a must.

Last week my daughter, Teresa, fished two days with me at Port Aransas. She has some regular sun shades. I wear prescription polarized glasses. The difference in what we could see was amazing. I could see all the grass lines, shell beds and sand holes. Teresa couldn’t see anything under water.

Some of the best polarized glasses that I have used are made by the Ono Company. They manufacture polarized glasses in many styles with built in bifocals for close up things like reading labels and tying knots. But you don’t pay the expensive prescription prices. Tom Ray, one of my fishing partners, has a pair that he says are better than sliced bread. Look for these Ono’s at your favorite sporting goods store or on line at onostradingcompany.com.

11. A two-way radio pack is fun to play with and a great gift for deer or duck hunters. Maybe your wife, son or buddy is in another blind and you want to report in on what’s happening in your neck of the woods. Hit the transmitter button and say, “I’m freezing. I’m heading for the camp house.”

12. Membership and subscriptions to outdoor organizations and magazines are always welcomed gifts. A paid membership to Ducks Unlimited or the National Rifle Association serves a vital cause and provides benefits to the member, including a monthly magazine.

A subscription to Texas Parks and Wildlife or Texas Highways is a first class gift. These are beautiful magazines.



Jim Darnell is an ordained minister and host/producer of the syndicated television show “God’s Great Outdoors.” His column appears every Thursday in the Daily Record.