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Being a hunter’s wife, I’ve come to learn a thing or two about what makes a good gift for a hunting enthusiast over the years. While I have limited hunting experience myself, I’ve learned a lot about all of the gear that is required (and what’s just really handy) when it comes to having a successful hunting experience. If you’re not familiar with hunting gear, it can often be a real challenge to buy a gift for a hunter without them physically picking out exactly what they want themselves. This gift guide was made with those people in mind, so hopefully you can add a few nice surprises under the tree this year for the hunter in your life!

Before we get into the meat of the post (no pun intended,) there are a few pieces of equipment that are always super nice to have, but not listed here. That’s simply because they come down to hunter preference, and would need to be purchased by the hunter themselves in a physical store. Camouflage always makes for a great gift, but picking out the right kind is challenging. You’ll need to keep temperature, terrain and fit in mind when purchasing camouflage.

Rifles and bows are also on the list of amazing big-ticket gift ideas that need to be purchased in-store. From my experience, the hunter needs to go into the store, touch and feel all of the models, walk around the store with it, whisper sweet nothings in it’s ear, go home and read ALL the reviews on it, dream about it, pray about it and talk to multiple different people about it before a purchase can be made. Just letting you know that now in case you’ve never experienced shopping with a hunter. 😉

This list is all the other extras and must-haves that came to mind when thinking about my fella and what he loves. Hopefully you find a few goodies listed here to gift to your hunter this year!

*All items listed here are available on Amazon and, at the time of this post, are Prime eligible. Prices are subject to change.

Hunter Safety & Field Equipment:

Safety Harness System  $100+ – When climbing into a tree stand, it’s imperative that you have a safety harness on at all times to prevent falls. Just like the straps in a car seat, the straps on a safety harness do expire, so replacing the harness every few years is a great idea.

  Brier Pants – $100– When walking through the woods and brush, getting into a patch of briers is inevitable. They stick to clothing and scratch up the skin, so having something over the legs that helps prevent dealing with briers is a plus!

Camo Touch Screen Friendly Gloves – $11 – Whether you’re hunting early in the morning or late in the afternoon, chances are it’s pretty chilly during the hunt. Once your hands get cold and feel like they’ve turned into icicles, it’s hard to recover and get them warm again. These gloves are camouflage, insulated AND touch screen friendly! No more having to remove gloves to check messages and emails!

Insulated Thermal Boot Socks – $17 – Cold feet are the worst. I’m convinced that my husband’s feet are permanently ice cold. He should probably get that checked on, actually, but in the mean time…these thermal boot socks do a great job at keeping his feet just slightly above freezing! Thermal socks are great to have, because it’s hard to want to sit still out in the cold when your extremities are stiff and frozen!

Thermal Sock Liners – $18 – Did you know that socks for your socks was a thing? It is when you’re a hunter! I was always a little confused by the purpose of sock liners until my husband explained that when you’re wearing thermal socks and boots, your feet tend to sweat. Sock liners wick the moisture away from your skin so your feet stay dry and warm. No promises that your feet won’t smell like they’ve been in a boot all day, but at least they won’t be wet!

Hunting Boots – $70 – This is another one of those items that will really come down to the hunter’s preference. Most people don’t purchase boots online without being able to try them on. but this will give you an idea on what to look for. Quality, waterproof and thermal are all things you should consider looking for when purchasing a hunting boot. These are a great price and meet all the requirements!

Leafy Camouflage Suit – $30 – Leafy suits may make you look like you just crawled out of a swamp, BUT they’re a great form of camouflage to utilize in the woods. Plus, they’re a good bit cheaper than traditional camouflage. If your camo has faded a little, or if your camo doesn’t quite match the terrain, throw on a leafy suit and you’re good to go! They’re extremely light weight and roomy, so you can easily throw these over whatever you’re already wearing.

Hunter’s Orange Hat – $13 – Hunter safety 101, y’all. You must have some sort of orange on at all times when you’re not in your hunting spot. Orange hats, vests, cap covers etc. will all do the trick. It’s great to have more than one form of orange on hand in your vehicle or in your gear bag, and they make a great stocking stuffer for a hunter!

Ear Plugs – $12 – When sighting in rifles or getting in a little target practice, it’s imperative that you protect your ears from the sound of your rifle. Quality, comfortable ear plugs are always nice to keep on hand!

 

Nikon Laser Rangefinder – $166.95 – Before making a shot, you need to familiarize yourself with your surroundings and have an idea of how far away things are from your position. If a deer walks out in the field, you need to know about how many yards away it is so that you know if you’ll be able to make the shot or not. Having a rangefinder on hand will tell you how far away an object is from you so you can make a proper shot. A must have for any hunter!

2 Pack Ultra Bright Flashlights – Flashlights are a great tool to have on hand for so many reasons, especially if you take a shot near dusk and are tracking a blood trail through the woods in the dark. These particular flashlights are really durable, and since they come in a two pack, you can keep one in your gear bag and one in your vehicle!

Nikon Travelite Binoculars – $92 – Having a nice pair of binoculars helps you be able to see deer entering the field from far away. Getting a good look at a deer helps you determine if you’re going to take a shot or not, so making sure the binoculars are good quality is a huge bonus. My family loves Nikon products!

Nikon Lens Cleaner – $9.49 – When dust, fog or debris are clouding up the view through your scope or binoculars, this little brush cleans it right up! One end has a soft brush, and the other end has a soft felt tip for easy cleaning.

Waterproof Straight Spotting Scope – $120 – When sighting in a rifle, you can use a spotting scope for extra magnification for seeing at at a long distance so that you don’t have to walk to and from the target frequently to see if you’re aiming properly. Great gadget to have!

Reflective Wing Tacks – $5 – These little tacks are for marking your trails or stand locations so that you can see them at night. The tacks have reflective tape on them so they light up when a flashlight hits them, and you can easily navigate your way to your stand without getting turned around.

 

Cover Scent Wafers – $5.97 – Like the smell of dirt? Here ya go. All kidding aside, these are great to mask human smell. You can pin these to your shirt, keep them in your gear bag so that your clothes smell like the outdoors, or keep them in your truck so that everything inside the truck and everything that comes in contact with the truck will smell like dirt also. They’re a wife’s favorite accessory, and a great stocking stuffer! 😉

ScentLok Gear Bag – $69.99 – Having a gear bag to store camouflage and any other equipment used out on the field is a must. It’s convenient storage for all of the gear a hunter needs, and it makes it easy to transfer everything all at one time from the truck to the house. It’s also a great place to hide Christmas gifts for the wife, snacks you don’t want your kids to eat and other things you don’t want people to know about because you know your wife won’t be going in there if it smells like dirt from those scent wafers I mentioned earlier. 🙂

Dead Down Wind Trophy Hunter Scent Kit – $19.00 – This is a great pack that contains all sorts of soaps, detergents etc. to mask human smell. Deer have an incredibly keen sense of smell, so making sure you’re scent free is very important during a hunt.

Foam Hunting Seat – $40 – This needs very little explaining. It’s a cushy for your tushie. Tree stands aren’t comfortable. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be.

Strut 2-Way Seat – $19 – It’s another place to park your rear end. Perfect for turkey hunting or ground hunting. It may not be glamorous, but it’s a heck of a lot better than sitting on the ground!

Thermacell Mosquito Repellent – $25 – Depending on the climate you live in, mosquitoes may be a problem in your area. To prevent yourself from making any sudden swatting movements, packing a thermacell bug repellent is a great idea! Don’t forget to stock up on the refills, too!

Ground Blind – $150 – If you’re ground hunting, this blind is a great way to camouflage yourself and blend in with your surroundings. This particular blind is mirrored on one side to reflect the terrain around you. Pair it with one of the cushions mentioned above and you’ll be sitting pretty (and undetected!)

 

Tink’s Buck Lure – $19 – I always laugh when I see these, because all I want to do is gag when I’m near one. However, they’re a great lure to use on the hunt, and they’re the perfect size to use as a stocking stuffer!

Dead Down Wind Dryer Sheets – $7 – Deer have an extremely keen sense of smell. They can even pick up faint smells such as your laundry detergent, the soap on your skin and the deodorant you used! Stocking up on scent free products is a must, and these dryer sheets are a favorite of ours when washing camouflage!

Hot Hands Hand Warmers – $7 – Another great stocking stuffer idea! Hot hands are great to keep in your pockets when you’re out in cold weather. Holding them in your hands helps keep your fingers warm so you can focus on the task ahead!

Bug Bombs/Bug Spray – $7 – This is a pre-season must have if the hunter sits in a shooting house. Throughout the year, bugs and wasps love to take up residence inside shooting houses, so it’s best to give the shooting house a little TLC before you climb up and get stung by 100 wasps and their angry cousins! Set off a bug bomb before the season starts and you’re good to go!

Archery:

4 Sided Archery Target – This target allows for easy removal of all types s of arrow tips and is lightweight and easy to move around. It also makes a great side table next to your husband’s recliner in the living room. It was part of our home decor for nearly a year until we actually broke down and bought a side table. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, really.

Archery Accessory Box – $13.00 – It’s a box to store any accessories that go along with your bow. They’re handy to have!

Slick Trick Broadhead 4 pack – $36 – There are lots of broadhead options out there. These are the ones that my husband likes to use because they’re more durable than others. Check with your hunter before purchasing to see what their preference is. Either way, every bow hunter needs a nice stock of broadheads!

Broadhead Storage Box – $21.99 – Broadheads are sharp and need a proper place to live. If you don’t have a designated safe place for your broadheads, at least buy some Band Aids. 🙂

Screw In Archery Bullet Points for Arrows – $5 – These are practice tips for your arrows. They fly true and are easy to remove from targets. They’re an inexpensive gift idea that every bow hunter would appreciate!

Bow String Wax – $9 – Doesn’t everyone need a little string snot in their life? This is to help condition the bow string to keep it from fraying. Nice to have on hand!

Archery Broadhead Wrench – $10 – These provide a safe way to screw your broadhead into the arrow without cutting your fingers. They’re inexpensive and very useful.

Compound Bow Release – $61 – Pulling a compound bow without one of these is extremely difficult and tough on the fingers. This release doesn’t have Velcro on it like many other brands do, so you can cut out the noise when out in the field.

Lumenok Lighted Nocks – $30 – These attach to the end of your arrows to allow you to keep track of your arrow after it’s been shot. If you take a shot when it’s nearing dark, it can be impossible to retrieve an arrow that was a missed shot. Having a lighted tip at the end definitely helps a lot!

Rifle Shooting:

Ultimate Gun Sling – $40 – My husband really loves this particular gun sling because it is made from a rubbery-like material that prevents the gun from sliding off the shoulder. It’s incredibly durable and worth every penny.

Rifle Shooting Rest – $190 – During target practice, this shooting rest helps reduce recoil so you can more accurately sight in your gun.

Lead Shot Weight Bag 4 pack – $28 –  Add these weighted bags to the rifle rest to keep it from moving around during target practice.

Rifle Case – $35 – This soft sided case is good for gun transport in a vehicle. It keeps the gun from moving around and conceals it nicely. Bonus – it has pockets.

Gun Multi-Use Tool – $21 – Great for both gun and bow hunters, this tool is a jack of all trades. It has a screwdriver, allen wrench, knife, and choke remover for a range of shotguns.

Rifle Ammo Pouch – $9.58 – Don’t keep bullets in your pocket. Keep them in a pouch like this one!

Camo Trigger Stick – $80 – This is a bipod shooting rest that makes shooting from standing or sitting more stable. The quick release trigger makes it easy to react quickly when needed.

Meat Preparation:

Now, what do you do with all of that deer meat? Here’s a few gift ideas for a hunter who is looking into processing the meat themselves!

LEM Meat Grinder – $270 – This is the big dog, y’all. If the hunter you’ve been shopping for has been thinking about processing their own meat, here’s where you need to start when making your equipment purchases. My family skips the processor and does all the work themselves. We use this exact grinder, and it makes the process so easy! You can read a full review that I wrote (plus find a yummy deer burger recipe) right here!

Meat Lug – $15 – If you’re using a meat grinder, you need to have a catch for the meat to come out of the shoot. A simple plastic box will work fine, but you want to make sure it fits properly up under the shoot. We use this one from LEM.

Wild Game Meat Bags – $9 – These are a must if you’re processing the meat yourself. You have to have somewhere to put it, right? We always buy more of these each year. They’re great to have on hand, and you can easily write the date and contents right on the front.

Drying Racks – $12 – After field dressing the deer, these racks are great for allowing the meat to drain while you’re aging the meat.

FoodSaver Game Saver Sealing System – $110 – The meat grinder is perfect for making ground burger, but how do you store the tenderloin and backstrap? You seal it up using the Game Saver, of course! We absolutely love this sealing system and can count on it to keep our meat fresh without fear of freezer burn. You can read my full product review on this device here.

Sausage Seasoning Mix – $15 – We always reserve a good bit of the meat we grind to make sausage. A lot of seasoning goes into making sausage, and while you could certainly make a sausage seasoning blend on your own, this product takes the guess work right out of it. We love the flavor of this blend, and we love to enjoy a little venison sausage all year round!

Electric Food Dehydrator – $40 – Any jerky fans out there? Jerky can be crazy expensive to buy in the store, so we love to make our own! The process can be pretty time consuming, so we usually dedicate a Saturday out of the year to making a bunch of it using this dehydrator. It’s simple to use and makes a perfect jerky!

Jerky Seasoning Mix – $17 – Don’t forget the jerky seasoning mix! We love this original flavor, though you can also find it in all sorts of other varieties.

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game – $25 – If you’re looking to do a little more with the processed meat besides making hamburgers and sausage, this book has a ton of great venison recipes and tutorials!

Hopefully this gift guide has given you a few ideas on what the get the hunter in your life for Christmas or an upcoming birthday. If you’re not familiar with hunting equipment yourself, it can certainly be a bit intimidating trying to determine what would make a good gift. If you found a few things your hunter may like, drop a comment and let me know! Or if you have another idea of something to add to this list, let me know that as well. The more the merrier! Happy hunting!