The Best Gift Ideas for Deer Hunters
When it comes to deer hunters finding the perfect gift can leave many of us getting cold feet and simply buying a gift card for our favorite hunter. This of course is exactly the opposite of the thoughtful gift that we envisioned when we started our trek for the perfect hunting gift. That is why we have compiled this hunting gift guide to help you find the best Christmas gift ideas for deer hunters!
Let’s stop wasting time and get to our list of the best gifts for your hunter needs!
For a quick reference guide, we have split them into a few different categories based on the type of hunter you are shopping for, which you can get to quickly by clicking the links below!
- The New Hunter
- The Big Game Hunter
- The Bow Hunters
- The Rifle Hunting Enthusiast
Now let’s get to the best hunting gifts that money can buy this holiday season!
Unique Gifts for Stocking Stuffers
With stocking stuffers two things matter: a small gift and a great price. So that leads us to five of our favorite gifts for deer hunting that make a great stocking stuffer.
The Gerber Randy Newberg Hunting Knife
Gerber is known for knives and this hunting knife is no exception. Featuring a primary blade that cuts easily through meat as well as a serrated secondary blade for literally anything else! This knife is a true value in our opinion at the price and makes an awesome feature gift to put inside any deer hunter’s stocking.
Vortex Optics Solo Monocular
Whether using binoculars or a monocular when out hunting it is imperative for deer hunters to be able to increase their range of vision. With 10x magnification and a field of view around 1000yds this is a perfect gift for anyone that is searching for that next target. Add to this it is under 5 inches long and weighs under 6oz and we think it makes a perfect gift!
HotSnapz Reusable Hand Warmers
Hand warmers are a pretty stock gift for anyone that spends time in the cold so they are perfect for deer hunters. There are a ton of options out there, but what we love about HotSnapz is that they are reusable simply by boiling them in water. A great feature to have for those long hunts that may last for days, or just if you don’t want to keep buying new ones!
Rhino Rescue First Aid Kit with Survival Tools
First aid kits are a must to have when you are out hunting, with knicks and cuts happening consistently and sometimes things that are even worse. What we love about this kit from Rhino Rescue is the ability to hook onto your pack while you hunt and the inclusion of survival tools like a flashlight, flint lighter, and knife. For the price it’s tough to beat.
Petzl Tikka Headlamp
Petzl is a well known and trusted brand in the headlamps market and the Tikka model shows why. The Tikka has a 50:50 Brightness to burn time ration (basically it stays bright even as batteries lose power), has full tilt, runs on three AAA batteries which are included, and even has a lock function so that it doesn’t accidently turn on. While a headlamp isn’t the coolest gift in the world, for deer hunters this can be an essential!
Bushnell Blood Tracking Light
Bushnell touts this as their “Ultimate Tracking Flashlight” and for good reason. With a blood trailing light mode, as well as night vision and regular flashlight mode with a 162-meter beam distance, this seems to do it all. This is an awesome gift for any hunter, especially if they have experienced a wounding shot and had to track it during the dusk or dawn hours.
Solar Charging Power Bank
Before we get too deep into this one let’s just address the common issues that come with solar charging phone power banks; the misconception that an hour in the sun charges it. That’s not the case with any model, especially when you aren’t using a massive panel. That being said, its a cool feature to have as a backup plan if you are out for a weekend camping and have sun access. This charger from BLAVOR is one of the most and highest reviewed on Amazon simply because it does what it is supposed to, has two different USB ports, and has a dual LED flashlight on it. Pretty great for the price!
Great Gift Ideas For New Hunters
Typically new hunters struggle with one thing: the unknown. That’s why they have to make sure they at least take care of what they can prepare for, the weather! While this gift list may seem somewhat boring, it will make all the difference when the cold days hit and they will be thanking you forever.
Sitka Men's Rain Jacket
Yes this jacket is pricey, but you get what you pay for when you are talking about gear. This rain jacket is not only from the renowned Sitka Gear, but it is also one of it’s best. Featuring water sealing cuffs, a multitude of pockets, and GORE-TEX with Stretch fabric, it’s no wonder the reviews are fantastic. Don’t believe me? Well check out this user’s review: “I hunted through 6 straight hours of rain in 30 degree weather and was completely dry and warm. I will never have to buy another duck hunting jacket. Worth every penny in my opinion.”
A Boot Dryer
While that jacket was cool, having wet boots is not. Okay enough with the bad jokes let’s get to the product! This boot dryer not only has space for boots and gloves, but also does its job supremely well. Most boot dryers take over 12 hours to do what this can do in about 80 minutes. Did we mention that it also has a deodorizer to get rid of smells?
The Winter Hat with a Twist
Sure you could go out and get a regular old beanie to wrap up and let your favorite deer or even duck hunter open. But why not do something that is going to get them excited! This beanie from Panther Vision comes in either Real Tree or Mossy Oak patterns, is made of a light premium compression fleece, and includes attached LED lights in case you forgot to buy that headlamp we listed earlier!
Danner Pronghorn Hunting Boots
Searching for hunting boots can have you spiraling down a rabbit hole quickly due to the amount out there that cater to different specialties. Let us save you some trouble and recommend our favorite all-around boot, the Danner Pronghorn. Coming in at an average weight (around 3.3lbs per pair of size 10s) and to be honest a pretty average look, this boot is well above average at everything else. The knocks? It’s not made to be the best at anything, but for the new hunter that’s exactly what they need. These are comfortable, waterproof, ready to tackle any terrain, and are priced well below the $500 elite while offering a solid boot.
Classic Merino Wool Base Layers
Merino wool base layers are a staple of hunting in cold weather and this Smartwool 1/4 zip is literally the cream of the crop. From the light and comfortable fabric to the warmth to weight ratio, it is the top of its class. Being 100% wool there is some washing and drying care that needs to be kept in mind, but its completely worth it to have this in your closet.
Great Christmas Gifts for Big Game Hunters
Big Game Hunters are a different breed in terms of deer hunting. They may prepare all year for just a single hunting trip with long hours in the cold weather to find that one big buck that will make not only their year but possibly their entire life! For these hunters you have to find the perfect Christmas gift that is good quality and will last a long time. Here some of our favorite ideas.
Trigger Sticks
For those that don’t know, trigger sticks are basically a gun tripod that helps stabilize the weapon for an accurate shot. For those big game hunters that shoot from a significant distance, these can be the difference between downing a trophy animal or missing the shot of a lifetime. This trigger stick from Primos is one of the best with an easy set-up, legs that adjust at a collar, and a quick detach yoke system, making it an awesome and useful gift for any hunter that fits this profile.
The Amazing Camp Light
This is a steep price to pay for an LED light right? Not if you are on a hunt for multiple nights. The Goal Zero Skylight extends to 12ft high and can produce light up to 300ft. While this does need to be plugged into a portable power bank, it’s an awesome tool to bring to any campsite and lasts extremely long on its lowest power setting. This may not be the most fun gift in the world, but it will be one of the most used.
Trophy Tape
Your hunter could shoot a large buck, then fumble around with a piece of tape and a calculator to figure out how the animal scores. Or you could be the gift giver that exceeds expectations and have them unwrap the Rackulator. This bad boy not only measures, but also scores the buck like it was in the hands of a professional. Just make sure to watch a video or two on YouTube about how to use it.
In fact here’s a great video to watch.
Hunting Log Book
Learning and improving are essential for a deer hunter, especially those going on expensive trips. Gifting these hunting logs from Eassty you are helping your favorite hunter along their journey. These logs look great and come with pages packed full of prompts that ensure every piece of pertinent information is written down.
Vortex Laser Rangefinder
This definitely wins the award for most expensive gift on our list but give us a chance to explain. This rangefinder connects via Bluetooth to the Geoballistics app, and allows users to create custom profiles “featuring a heads-up display, ballistic reference charts, interactive mapping features, and a comp tab to build and save range cards.” There is also built-in environmental sensors where everything from wind to humidity can be added to the calculation for easy solving.
To explain more simply: it’s awesome!
LEM Mighty Bite Meat Grinder
Harvesting a deer can be quite a process, but what can make it even more of a hassle is getting finished and having to take it to a local butcher to get the meat ground. This meat grinder from LEM takes care of that for you and packs quite a punch for the price. With the ability to process 4-5lbs of meat per minute and accessories to make anything from burgers to sausages, this grinder is truly a great value.
Best Christmas Gifts for Bow Hunters
Deer hunters that brandish a bow are a significantly different breed than the hunters that we just discussed. Bow hunting takes significant practice, control of the emotions, and an extreme amount of patience. This means our gift list has to include some very different ideas.
Rinehart Big Tine Target
Most bow hunters own a target block. You’ve probably seen them out in the yard or field with a square block that has a neon target on it much like a dart board. Help them upgrade their game with this 3D deer target from Rinehart. The cool thing about this is the price and durability, combined with the replaceable insert that most heavy users will only need to renew yearly. The insert (found here) is under $100 and will continue to give you an idea every year!
The Intimidator Deer Call
One caveat of bow hunting is that the deer has to be close. This means that the tactics used to draw them in are different than those used by rifle hunters. A deer call is a must in these situations and the one that tops our list is The Intimidator by Woodhaven. This call is versatile, affordable, and the flexible tube allows for easier volume control. The need for less airflow than others is also something we enjoy.
Ozonics OrionX Ozone Generator
Hunters know that unfamiliar scents for deer can quicky ruin a hunt. Why do you think that people sell deer urine and hunter’s spread it on their clothes? Well save them the hassle and the smell by purchasing this Ozonics product. Just hang this bad boy on the tree next to the stand and it destroys the human scent, essentially creating a scent invisibility cloak. This unit includes a hyperboost mode to make it even more powerful, and an added bonus is that you can actually use this in your vehicle or home to eliminate other odors too!
A Deer Carrier
Deer carriers are a bit all over the place but we recommend staying right in the middle ground. Sure there are heavier duty carts than this one offered by Rivers Edge, but a bow hunter usually carries his things to his stand and the ease of carry here makes this stand out. While it is only rated to carry 300lbs, the non-inflatable wheels are a plus and it can be disassembled and folded up quickly. If you are looking for something larger, we recommend the Hawk Crawler but know that comes with its own limitations too.
Millennium Monster Hang-On Treestand
Tree stands need a few things: safety, comfort, and ease of set-up. This tackles all three like a pro in our opinion, with a weight of 19lbs, an ascending/descending rope and carabiner, and one of the most comfortable seats around. With an average review of 4.8/5 at time of writing, it seems that purchasers agree with us!
SKYPOINT Link Cellular Trail Camera
SKYPOINT makes a lot of trail cameras and is a name synonymous with some of the best. While you could go with one of their newer versions such as the M2 or the Flex we recommend going with the tried and true Link that comes with a dedicated solar panel so that you don’t have to worry about battery life. With solid photo quality, an included lithium battery and solar panel, a simple to use app, and hunters that have used it for years, this is our pick.
Best Gift Ideas for Rifle Enthusiasts
We are down to our last category of hunters and while any of the gifts above could be used for these people, there are a few things that gun lovers may enjoy that others may not. That is why we created a few perfect gift ideas for them.
GuardTech Universal Gun Cleaning Kit
If you own a gun then you need a good gun cleaning kit to keep it functioning properly. What we love about this kit from GuardTech is that they understand most rifle owners also own other firearms as well. This kit includes tools for rifles, pistols, shotguns, and even pellet guns too! It’s truly an all-encompassing kit, and the hard case provides great storage as well.
SecureIt Agile 52 Gun Safe
The SecureIt Agile 52 Gun Safe is a bit different than other gun safes due to its smaller size and lighter weight. We love it for that because it will fit just about anywhere, even the back of your closet. The cons though is that it only fits 6 long guns and needs to be bolted to the floor or wall. The security panel is great and we like the easy customization of the interior, so the cons are far outweighed by the pros in our opinion.
Rifle Scope Mounting Kit
If your favorite rifle hunter has a few scopes at their disposable then they should also have a few sets of mounting rings. We like the affordability of these from Leupold since it allows us to have multiple sets on hand at all times.
**Make sure that these will fit the rifle, scope, and are for the proper gun.
Wrapping Up Our Ultimate Gift Guide for Deer Hunters
If you’ve made it this far then first off, thanks for taking the time and trusting our opinions with your gift-giving. Whether you were shopping for a family member that is already looking towards their next hunt or trying to introduce a new hunter to the great outdoors, we sincerely hope you found what you need.
Thanks again for reading, and happy gift-giving!
