What are practical holiday gifts for hunters, anglers and other outdoors lovers in Pa.?
Hunters and anglers are always looking for a new product or technology that provides an extra edge to get a fish to bite or to find that trophy buck.
If you're shopping for a holiday gift for a fellow outdoorsperson, you might already know just what to choose.
It's not as easy for the novice or uninitiated.
To make sure you are picking something that makes sense for the type of game someone hunts, species of fish they target or other time they spend outdoors, you can’t beat going to a locally-owned sports shop where the employees also enjoy and know about the hobbies.
For example, you might want to buy thick gloves with the highest warmth rating you can find. Based on what the person does, yes, they may want thick gloves to stay warm ― or thin gloves that feature a sensitive index finger for shooting.
If you have someone who likes to explore new areas, the OnX Offroad app allows people to see property lines and mark their trails. It’s a great resource to help navigate new territory.
There are practical stocking stuffers, like hand warmers and insect and tick sprays with permethrin that tend to need regular replacement.
In talking to sport shops on the east and west sides of Pennsylvania, it’s clear there are plenty of cool and pragmatic gifts for outdoorspeople.
“For the hunters, everyone needs orange vests and hats and orange suits to be out in the woods hunting,” said Bill Luffy, who is co-owner of Tudor Hook-n-Nook at Elk Creek Sports in Lake City, Erie County, with his wife, Lisa Noble, and partner, Keith Eshbaugh. “Those are standard and people go through and use them all the time."
“Things like ammo, hot seats and all different size of gloves. Gun-cleaning kits are always good,” Luffy said.
Other ideas include rain gear and small tent-shaped ground blinds for hunting. “It’s kind of like a rainproof hut that you can sit in,” he said.
Deer drag ropes and deer field dressing kits and knives are popular gifts at his store.
For anglers, Luffy said, “We have a multitude of combo kits, whether it be spinning reels or fly rod kits. For someone who is trying to get into fishing, you can buy the rod, reel and the line, pretty much everything comes on it,” he said.
In eastern Pennsylvania, Jere Dunkelberger has been providing outdoor gear to hunters and anglers for more than a half-century. He founded Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter in Stroudsburg in 1972, and he has a second location in Brodheadsville.
When it comes to gift shopping, he and his staff say they have learned what tends to make outdoorspeople smile. “No. 1 is a knife sharpener. It’s something that a lot of guys wish they had and never end up getting,” Dunkelberger said. Even if you’ve had one for years, he said there’s “a new style that’s been extremely popular. It’s been out for a couple years and is growing in popularity.”
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“Another thing that has been popular are deluxe gun-cleaning kits put out by Hoppe's. It comes in an aluminum case and the whole bit.”
An option for hunters is the Buck 110 folding knife. “It’s been a staple for us and a very, very popular item. It’s just a classic Buck knife.”
There are variety of easy-carry camp stoves to make a hot meal along a stream or in a hunting blind. Dunkelberger said freeze-dried foods and complete meal packages can make outdoor cooking more convenient or be put to use in an emergency field pack. “They are actually quite tasty," he said. “They even have desserts. They are very easy to heat up and make yourself a decent little meal.”
Another popular gift that has multiple uses is a 5-gallon camouflaged bucket that includes a swivel-seat lid.
The buckets work well for ice fishing, fishing along a shoreline and packing gear and food to the woods. “If you are doing jigging, it’s a must-have,” for ice fishing, Dunkelberger said.
With guns, think about the length of the stock as well as the caliber to make sure it fits well and doesn’t produce too much recoil.
For those shooting bows, proper draw length and pounds of pull for the archer's body size are vital. “If that’s not’s correct, it’s extremely cumbersome and it would be easy for a person to lose interest if it’s not fitted correctly,” Dunkelberger said.
Still don’t know what to buy that special outdoorsperson? A gift certificate to your local sport shop is a present everyone will appreciate.
Happy shopping.
More: Reviewed's guide to gifts for outdoorspeople
Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors, and Instagram at whipkeyoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: What Christmas gifts are popular for hunting and fishing in PA?
