Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

People are always telling me I'm hard to buy for, but since I shoot and hunt, it's actually really easy to find great things I'd love to have. If you have a shooter or hunter on your list, here are some things to consider this year.

The Jaeger Pak ™

The Jaeger Pak ™ by Outdoor Edge has everything your hunter needs to field dress and break down game of any size. Compact and lightweight, it has a skinning, gutting, and boning knife, a rib cage spreader, wood/bone saw, and a two stage ceramic/carbide sharpener. All this fits neatly into a hard case for easy, safe storage.

All the knives are full tang and high quality stainless steel blades with blaze orange handles and molded texture on the handles for easy grip. The T-handle on the saw makes for easy cutting at any angle. The Jaeger Pak is just under $70, and you can check it out at http://www.outdooredge.com.

The Mag-Tac LED

The Mag-Tac LED Rechargeable Flashlight System is ideal for anyone, actually, whether they shoot or not. Since it sits on its stand, it's always ready when you need it, plus it's compact and can be charged with any USB 2.0 standard outlet. Regularly $149.50, it's on sale right now for $85, so get over to http://www.maglite.com and snag a couple.

Tactical Pouches, Packs

Maxpedition sells tactical pouches and packs that are extremely sturdy and well made. The often run BOGO events and if you sign up to receive their newsletter you can score 15% off your order. My favorite Maxpedition pouch is the H-1 Waistpack, which is currently on sale – buy one, get one free. They are $39.99, but since you get two for that price right now it's a screaming deal.

This pouch rides comfortably on your belt and will hold a camera, phone, notepad and pen, knife or flashlight, plus extra SD cards and a camera battery no problem. It's rigged and sturdy canvas in tan or black. You'll love it. See them at http://www.maxpedition.com.

Crimson Trace

Crimson Trace makes shotgun and pistol lasers that make it a lot easier to find your target in low light. They aren't cheap – they start at around $165 and go up from there, but if you really want to wow your shooter, get him or her one of these. You'll need to know a bit about the gun it's going on, so be prepared for that by visiting their website at http://www.crimsontrace.com.

Targets

Targets are always a great gift for a shooter or a hunter, and Grizzly Targets are the cream of the crop. These metal targets are eco friendly because they are reused pretty much indefinitely. These targets are so much fun – you can hear and see when you make a hit, just like shooting a bottle or a fruit, but without the mess.

The sizes and prices are incredible, so you need to go online and check them out. You'll need to know the caliber your shooter uses. Buy them at http://www.grizzlytargets.com.

Premium Shells

It's quail season and places like Desert Creek Sportsman's Club have chukar and pheasants as well. This is the perfect time to get your bird hunter some premium shells like Federal Prairie Storm shotgun shells. These are ideal for upland hunting and prices are in the $27 - $32 range for a box of 25. You can get steel or lead shot and it's now available in 28, 20, 16, and 12 gauge. Go to their website at http://www.federalpremium.com to learn all about it.

Desert Creek Sportsman's Club

Speaking of Desert Creek Sportsman's Club, a membership or even a day trip here would be a fabulous gift for anyone who loves upland hunting. You don't even have to have a bird dog, because Tony Marquez has great ones. An individual membership is $350 and includes 6 chukars and 4 pheasants, with discounts for additional birds. You can also buy smaller packages, great for a single day in the field. Five chukar, for instance, is just $140.

They also have waterfowl hunting and access to dove hunting. You can buy a gift certificate and Tony is easy going and great to work with. Call him at 623-512-8496 or check out the website at http://www.dcsportsmansclub.com.

Zink Calls

Zink Calls has a beautiful Mallard Drake Whistle that actually looks like a duck. They say it isn't just for mallards, either – it will also bring in pintails and wigeon. This, they say, is a great introductory whistle for novice hunters who are just starting to explore different types of calls. It's only $12.99, so it's the perfect stocking stuffer for the waterfowl hunter in your life. See all of their awesome calls at http://www.zinkcalls.com, and get 15 percent off your order if you sign up for newsletters.

Handler's Vest

The new Peregrine Field Gear Trekker Dog Handler's Vest is $170 - $180 and worth every penny. Margie just bought herself one and she is in love with it. It has plenty of pockets including two removeable chest pockets for e-collar transmitters so they don't get lost in the field. Of course it has a nice big game pouch, but also a nice roomy rucksack on the back. The bottom pockets on the front close magnetically and have removable shell holders.

Also, the bottoms of those pockets unzip to make it quick to empty them and get back to business. Inside there is a wide webbed belt that is compatible with a Quick-Shot shotgun holster which you can also buy on the website. Check it out at http://www.peregrinefieldgear.com.

Holsters

Alien Gear holsters is having a holiday promotion that's hard to beat – all orders $99+ qualify for a free holster mount, free shipping, and even additional bundle deals. For instance, their ShapeShift Core Carry Pack is marked down from $159.40 to $99.88, which is a screaming deal, and even better because it qualifies for free shipping and the free mount! Go to https://aliengearholsters.com/and start shopping.

Swab-Its

Outdoor Edge Jaeger Pak

It's a fact of life: if you shoot, you clean guns. I personally enjoy cleaning guns, and I enjoy it even more now that I've found Swab-Its. These spongy little gadgets on sticks are designed to fit into the crevices and small places on your guns and clean them without leaving behind lint or fibers like cotton swabs and other things can. Plus, they're reusable and they don't cost much to begin with, so it's a win-win-win.

You can find Swab-Its at any gun store or sporting goods store, and also on Amazon. Your shooter will love to get a handful of these for the holidays, trust me. You can see all the different types of Swab-Its at http://www.swabits.com. They're only a few bucks, so you can buy lots of different sizes.