Best Gifts for Hunters | MeatEater Gear

Whether you’re looking for a stocking stuffer, a last-minute gift, or, like Cousin Eddie, something real nice, here are some of the best gifts for hunters you can find.

Some of the best memories are made at deer camp. If you’re looking for something to add to the fun, the MeatEater Trivia Collector’s Edition offers 1,300 trivia questions on hunting, fishing, conservation, woodsmanship, and more for you and your hunting buddies. Best of all, a portion of the proceeds directly fund conservation. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Whether you’re firing up the old Bunn or boiling water over an open fire, coffee is a mainstay at deer camp. I’ve been using Yeti’s Rambler French Press for the past year, and it’s been as critical to my hunting as any other piece of gear. I even use it at home, and it’s become one of the main ways I brew coffee. It’s tough, easy to clean, and best of all, it makes a good cup.

This Steven Rinella inspired recipe for buffalo jerky makes a perfect snack for backcountry hunts, all-day rut sits, or games around the camp table.

The MeatEater Cookbook Box Set contains The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook and MeatEater Outdoor Cookbook. Inside, you’ll find a definitive guide for cooking wild game, recipes for a variety of outdoor cooking techniques, and stunning photography. If you’re shopping for a hunter who appreciates wild game recipes, consider the MeatEater Cookbook Box Set.

Contact Archery’s VBS and MD3 fixed blade broadheads offer devastating wound channels for both deer and elk alike. They’re not cheap, but they’re tough, easy to maintain, and reasonably priced. We’re also big fans of Iron Will’s fixed blade broadheads, a bit more expensive, but certainly worth it.

Most hunters need a good bino harness, and the FOB offers silent, easy access to your binoculars, thanks to the front opening design. If you’re shopping for a hunter in your life, you can buy them the pouch and let them customize their straps and other pouches, or throw some add-ons in that you know they’ll use. You don’t need high-powered binos to see that the FOB makes a stellar gift.

If you’re buying for a backcountry hunter, they need a Garmin inReach Mini. With location sharing, satellite messaging, and interactive SOS alerts, users and loved ones can have peace of mind during those off-grid excursions. It’s a premium gift worth every penny.

These reusable ties allow you to tether gear to your pack, hold climbing sticks together, or even hold branches back in places where you’re not allowed to cut them. They’re one of the best gifts for saddle hunters, and you can purchase them in a variety of colors and sizes.

This might not fit in a stocking, but it’s a gift to make anyone grin. If you’re going to use a calendar, make it entertaining. No puppies or firefighters here, just a ton of F*cked Up Old Trucks.

Bow hangers are easy to lose, and it never hurts to have an extra one in your pack when one decides to break. I’ve been running this bow hanger all season. It’s quiet, sturdy, and packs small—a discreet gift for the stocking.

Deer hunters need a solid headlamp for those long treks in the dark. Black Diamond’s Storm 500-R is a bright, rugged, and rechargeable headlamp that will give hunters years of hard use. Can’t decide on a headlamp? Check out our review of the best headlamps for hunters.

We’ve all had to buy for an extremely picky person. Take the guesswork out of it and give them a First Lite gift card so they can get exactly what they want. Shop Now

Pocket knives make classic Christmas gifts, and the Case Trapper has probably been the most gifted one of all time. Whether you’re buying for a small game hunter or an outdoor generalist, the dual blades make it ideal for carving, whittling, and squirrel skinning. If you’re looking for more knife options, check out our reviews of the best hunting knives and best EDC knives.

Becoming a successful hunter requires stealth, among other things. While you can’t buy woodsmanship, you can buy Stealth Strip to silence your hunting gear. A roll of this stuff can help you silence your climbing sticks, tree stands, bow shelf, you name it. If you’re shopping for a hunter and not sure what they need, they’ll find multiple ways to use this handy material.

A hunter can never have enough hats. Maybe you’re looking for something functional in the field, like the Rugged Wool Beanie or the Trace Boonie Hat. Or perhaps you’re after something that’s a little more multipurpose, like the Wired to Hunt Vintage Hat. Like your grandpa’s old .30-30, this hat includes a heavy dose of nostalgia. It’s stylish, utilitarian, and only gets better with use.

If you have to wear orange during gun season, you might as well do it in style.

A hoodie is great in the field and for everyday wear. The Kiln Hoody is one of my favorite pieces of clothing. I wear it as a standalone piece, base layer, or even casually. I’ve been running the same one for five years with no signs of slowing down.

Whitetail hunters tend to get obsessive when it comes to deer. Help the deer hunter in your life keep tabs on those shooter bucks. If you think they have enough trail cameras, there’s always room for one more. You can even save a few bucks by buying one of the double packs.

Get the deer hunter in your life a grunt call they won’t lose. Unlike the rows of plastic calls in your local sporting goods store, the Wired to Hunt Buck Grunt features a Teak barrel and a one-piece tone board that sounds as good as it looks. It produces realistic buck grunts with a wide range of volume, so you can call even on high wind days. Phelps is also donating $5 from every purchase to the National Deer Association.

Sometimes you can’t put on enough clothes to keep warm. If you’re buying for a hunter who likes to hunker down in a hunting blind or shooting house during the late season, consider giving them the gift of warmth with one of these portable heaters.

Ironically, mobile hunters seem to carry the most gear. Help them stash all that gear in one convenient place with First Lite’s Transfer Lite Pack. It’s modular design allows hunters to separate the waist pack from the backpack for quick setups or all day sits.

As a hunter in the deep South, I wouldn’t make it through those first few weeks of deer season without a Thermacell. This budget-friendly mosquito repellent is perfect for warm-weather hunts.

There are lots of muzzle brakes out there, but few combine weight-saving and performance like the MDT Hunt Brake. Weighing in at just 1.7 ounces (thanks to its all-titanium construction), the Hunt Brake won’t weigh down your rig. But it will help control recoil and muzzle rise, which lets you see your shots–whether you’re trying to hit an elk or a steel plate.

This might not be the most exciting gift, but it’s one of the most practical. If you’ve ever dropped your gun muzzle-down in the mud or snow, you know how much of a pain it is to get your shooting iron back in the game. And even if you clear the obstruction, there still might be grit and grim in the lands and grooves. The Rapid-Rod folds down into a handy, six-ounce package you can throw in your pack and be ready to maintain your rifle no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. (Plus, it’s only $20.)

It won’t take long after you buy your first suppressor to realize you need a suppressor cover. A cover allows you to remove the can from your rifle even when it’s hot and helps control heat mirage. One of the best is the TAC MTN Suppressor Cover from FHF gear. It pairs an internal fire sleeve with a removable outer compression sleeve, and also includes a muzzle cover to help keep rain and debris from getting into the bore of the rifle.

All KILO Series rangefinders from Sig Sauer are compatible with the onX app, which allows you to drop a pin on a remote location just by ranging to that spot. This lets you mark a promising glassing spot, the location of an animal, or anything else you want to integrate into your onX map. Plus, like any other waypoint, you can share those pins with your hunting partners to let them know exactly where they should look or walk.