Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

Father's Day is coming up sooner than you think, and sometimes dads can be super hard to buy for. If dad is a shooter, we've got you covered – here are some ideas for gifts any shooting dad would be delighted to receive.

Peltor Electronic Hearing Protectors

Every shooter needs hearing protection, and Peltor makes the ones Margie and I wear. We love the electronic ones – you can hear conversation, but they electronically detect the sound of gunshots and muffle them. We bought our new daughter-in-law a pair for her wedding shower gift.

You seriously cannot go wrong with a set of these. You'll be the favorite kid after this. You can find them on Amazon and at good sporting goods stores. The Sport Tactical 500 model is $120 on Amazon.

Game Unit Map

If your dad is a hunter, he would love to have a good topo map of his favorite hunting unit. You can pick up a great one at Wide World of Maps in Phoenix. They range in price from around $20-40 depending on the size of the unit. They'll show him public land, water, and even Game and Fish data.

The maps are tough and waterproof – the perfect gift. Wide World of Maps was on Indian School Road just west of the I-17 forever, but they recently moved a few miles east and they are now located at 2133 East Indian School Road. You can also buy online at http://www.maps4u.com. (Hint: Enter your email at the pop-up window and get 10 percent off.)

Swagger Bipods

A bipod reduces fatigue and improves your shooting immensely, but the trouble I've always found with them is that they are stiff. You can't swing around from side to side or really even move your gun up and down easily with most bipods.

But Swagger bipods are incredible – they have "crazy legs" that are flexible, independently adjustable (one-handed!), and retractable. They are shock-corded and automatically connect when deployed from the chassis that mounts to your stock.

You can seriously use these sitting, lying, or even standing, and you can move right, left, up, or down. They are amazing. You need to go to http://www.swaggerbipods.com and check them out. The field model is around $200 and the treestand/blind model is around $210.

Alien Gear Shapeshifter Starter Kit

This is a holster system that includes everything Dad needs to carry four different ways – just a couple of quick steps gives him these options: IWB holster, appendix carry holster, OWB belt slide, and OWB paddle holster. All the options are secure and comfortable, and even the belt slide is sturdy and stabile.

The OWB (Outside the WaistBand) can be equipped with adjustable active retention, passive retention, or both – trust me, Dad will love this holster system. They are made in America and have a Forever Warranty as well as a 30-day Test Drive. Check them out at http://www.aliengearholsters.com.

The system is a hair under $100 and you'll need some info about dad's gun. You can order online at the website above. If you don't have the details about dad's gun, you can get a gift certificate. Just hover over the "shop now" tab, then click on "extras".

Off-Road Adventure

Give Dad a day he'll never forget by renting a couple of UTVs and taking him out, or better yet – get him a guided UTV trip with sizemattersrentals.com. We actually ran into this guy in a box canyon and he's the real deal – Dad will have an absolute blast riding with this guy. He can pilot a rental or ride along if he'd rather just enjoy the scenery.

All you have to do is give Mike a call and let him know what you had in mind. He can handle anything. The number to call is 623-262-0026 or go online to http://www.sizemattersrentals.com. Mike is totally down to earth and even takes military personnel to Alaska for survival training. Dad will be in good hands and will have the time of his life.

Kayak Adventure

If Dad is more of river rat than a desert rat, how about a guided kayak adventure down the Verde River? We did this with the granddaughters a couple of years ago and it was absolutely awesome. You paddle and float for about two hours down a gorgeous part of the Verde, and there are even a couple of fun chutes and riffles.

This is a trip that you should take your dad on together because it's awesome to float down a river and talk to someone you love. The whole trip, including shuttle time, is about three and a half hours. You don't have to worry about tipping over or falling in – first of all, that's pretty rare, and second, the river is only about two or three feet deep most of the time.

For an adult, the cost is just $86.40 plus tax and a Clarkdale permit fee of $5.50. The scenery is gorgeous and there is a lot of history there as well. We are headed back later this year with our youngest son and his new bride.

Go to http://www.clarkdalekayak.com to book or get more information, and be sure to check http://www.groupon.com to see if there are any specials! You can also get gift certificates on the Clarkdale Kayak website.

Affordable Practice Ammo

Give Dad the gift of fun – get him a couple boxes of Winchester USA Forged Ammo. This ammo has steel cases to save on costs, with the same brass-jacketed lead bullets and clean burning powder as their other fine ammunition. It's designed for practice and fun shooting, so it's very economical.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

It comes in boxes of 150 rounds – enough for a fun day out in the desert or at the range. The ammo is reliable and well made in the USA. You can find it at Cabelas: 150 rounds of 9mm is $35. So far, 9mm is the only caliber available.

Pepper Ball Lifelite

LifeLite is a flashlight with a PepperBall launcher cleverly concealed inside. Dad can openly carry this bad boy anywhere, and feel confident and protected. Or, he can toss it in his glove box or in his briefcase.

An Alien Gear gift card or Shape Shifter starter kit is the ideal gift for a dad who shoots.

The PepperBall is a projectile that contains a powerful pepper irritant that immediately incapacitates an attacker. It can be launched up to 60 feet and the flashlight also has a laser to help you aim and operate the launcher precisely. The laser also serves as a deterrent.

I'm thinking of getting one of these to ward off the loose dogs who seem to prowl our neighborhood now and then. Our little French Brittany was attacked three different times by pit bulls, and one of these would have made a huge difference.

A regular pepper spray can waft back on you when you deploy it, which is distressing for both you and your dog. But a PepperBall only affects an area of about a three to five foot radius around where it hits. You don't have to make a direct hit – just hitting the ground near the target will diffuse the threat.

There are plenty of how-to videos on their website, so check it out at http://www.pblifelite.com. The LifeLite Kit comes with everything you need and it's $299.99.