Same old, same old, finding something different for a Christmas gift gets more difficult every year. Sure, socks wear out so they always make good gifts, but the recipient really has to put on an act to appear to be surprised and delighted. I can not guarantee delight, but I am pretty sure at least one of these ideas will make a good gift for someone on your Christmas shopping list.
All of a sudden just a few days ago summer became a distant memory. Thoughts of a backyard cook-out probably are not on most people's minds, which is why this gift should be a surprise. Do you remember those swarms of biting bugs last summer, the worst we have ever seen many said?
Bugs were so bad last summer that many outdoor activities were cancelled or just never planned. You can return to your back yard cook-outs next summer and be free from biting insects if you give a ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent Lantern as a gift to someone who shares a back yard. With a repellent radius of 15 feet it can keep an outing bug-free.
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Trail cameras are useful tools for hunters who scout for deer or bear. When the trail cams work as nicely as the Primos Truth Cam 35, scouting becomes almost as much fun as hunting.
I used their premier product, the appliance in a holster, during my past two spring bear hunts. Never before have I been so bug free during spring bear hunts. And I did not have to put any repellent on my skin.
This past summer I used the lantern and it saved my back yard fun. This might be a favorite gift, if not now then next spring at the first cook-out of the season. They are widely available.
Sharpening knives is one of the most hated chores for many folks. Hunters and anglers can say good-bye to that tedious task when they use knives from Havalon. With Havalon knives you use surgically-sharp blades like those that taxidermists have been using for more than 25 years. These blades can be quickly and easily replaced when they become dull.
For hunters there are the Havalon Piranta knives and blades. New this year is the Piranta-Whitetail for your skinning chores.
Anglers will enjoy using the Havalon Baracuta-Z Pro Fillet Knife. Five-inch blades make fillets neat and clean. The black Zytel plastic handle with gray rubber inserts feels great in the hand without the slippery feeling that usually accompanies cleaning fish.
Get information on Havalon knives from their web site, www.havalon.com.
Membership to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is a fine gift for anyone who values the western Pennsylvania wild habitat. Among their many accomplishments have been efforts to protect lands along the Clarion River, Allegheny River, and French Creek. The Conservancy has protected nearly 228,000 acres of natural lands since being established in 1938, and they keep lands open to the public. Memberships start at $25. Get details from their web site at www.paconserve.org/58/join-or-renew-a-membership.
With ice-fishing season not far off, your favorite ice-angler is sure to appreciate a pair of Frabill All Purpose Task Gloves. They keep hands warm while allowing the dexterity most gloves, which are not designed specifically with winter fishing in mind, eliminate. They are breathable, yet 100% waterproof and wind-proof.
While we are on this subject, check out the other Frabill products designed specifically for ice-anglers.
Trail cameras have become standard hunting gear for serious deer hunters. However, this has not been due to their ease of use. Most that I have tried have complicated directions and require complicated procedures to operate.
This fall I used the Primos Truth Cam 35, and it is easier to operate than any other trail camera I have used or seen in use. Should you forget the simple directions the 'Quick Start Guide' inside the front cover tells you everything you need to know, if you can not figure it out by looking at the simple controls.
Still pictures are excellent, and movie mode, which you get into simply by sliding the switch from photo to video, not only shows the animals, it also shows what they are doing. This trail camera has added considerably to the enjoyment of scouting for deer.
Primos has other models which I feel safe to assume are every bit as good, some better based in picture quality. They are widely available.
Maybe the best stocking stuffer you can give is a new fishing license. You might want to tell whoever is getting it in advance, though, so the angler does not wind up with duplicates.