November 13, 2014
By Wildfowl Online Staff
Waterfowlers are probably some of the most demanding hunters around, which also makes us some of the hardest to shop for. Year in and year out, we expect our gear to hold up to the worst of elements. After all, most of us can't afford to replace every piece of gear annually. But with the holiday season fast approaching, now is the perfect time to make your wishlist or start shopping for the waterfowler on your list this year.
For additional gift ideas beyond the world of blinds and birds, be sure to also check out the Game & Fish 2014 Holiday Gift Guide for Hunters .
Make the 2014 holiday season one for the ages with these great WILDFOWL gift ideas:
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Avian-X | AXP Over-Sized Mallards Banded | Hailstone Jacket Banded's Hailstone was designed specifically to provide core protection. It's super lightweight and packable too, and made of a windproof, rip-resistant shell fabric treated with a durable water-resistant finish. Insulated with 40-gram PrimaLoft.
Price: $ 140
Banded | Honey Badger Honey badgers are downright nasty, just like this aptly-named single-reed. Compact, ferocious, ultra-realistic, and tough, the
Honey Badger is an Arkansas-style, medium volume meat call. One of the smallest calls in the Banded line packs a lethal tone.
Price: $ 139
Benelli | ETHOS An absolutely gorgeous gun, the
ETHOS is as reliable and functional as it is handsome. The inertia-driven auto-loader handles the light 2¾-inch loads to the heavier 3-inch shells, and the new patented easy-locking system ensures the bolt is locked every time you close it.
Benelli's Progressive Comfort recoil system takes the bite out of the heaviest loads. The replaceable carbon-fiber rib reduces overall weight and the Crio system barrel improves pattern density for better performance. The ETHOS weighs 6.4 pounds and is available in 26- or 28-inch barrels with five Crio chokes.
Price: $ 1,999
Beretta | Xtreme Ducker Gloves More of a shooter's glove, the
Xtreme Ducker's contain some insulation, but not so much you lose contact with your shotgun. They include an adjustable cuff for a snug fit and gripper pattern for a better, eh, grip. WindStopper doubles the insulating capabilities.
Price: $ 35
CZ | 612 Wildfowl Magnum CZ's 612 pump is aimed straight at waterfowlers. Chambered for 3 ½-inch shells, it comes with a 26-inch barrel. Even better, the 612 comes with a modified choke tube designed for steel waterfowl loads and an extra-full choke for turkeys.
There's no need to buy a separate gun for the duck marsh and the turkey woods; this gun is just as deadly on honkers as it is on spring toms. The synthetic stock and barrel are wrapped in an all-purpose camouflage, making it an ideal two-season shotgun.
Price: $ 428
Dakota Decoy | X-Treme Canada Arguably the most detailed, realistic decoys
Dakota has unveiled, the Canadas were developed with an EVA blend plastic, a soft, hearty material that really retains paint. The non-removable heads and tails are flocked, and movement is fostered by Wind Walker Motion bases.
Price: $ 220 (6-pack)
Drake | MST Hybrid A breathable wader with the insulation of neoprene, the
MST Hybrid is outfitted with 800-gram Thinsulate boots, Hydro-Flex knee pads and custom-fit ankle adjustments. Uppers include three-layer breathable nylon and polyester materials.
Price: $ 375
Fowl Foolers | Game Strap Every walk-in hunter needs a good duck strap, and this leather one from
Fowl Foolers will last a lifetime (you will probably be able to hand it down to the junior hunter in your blind). Available with just a brass swivel snap or the swivel and a shoulder strap, carrying your kills out is a snap.
Price: $ 20-
$ 25
Hard Core | Backwater Full-Zip Simple, effective and affordable, the
Backwater Full-Zip is made of 100 percent polyester, anti-pilling fleece, seam-sealed to keep the elements out. An adjustable cord-lock keep drafts out and the kangaroo-style pockets will warm cold hands.
Price: $ 100
Hard Core | Full-Body Snow White geese flock by the thousands, so you're going to need an attention-grabbing spread. That's where
Hard Core's TruMotion bases come in. They make Full-Body Snow Geese dance in the slightest breeze, drawing the birds in for a look.
Price: $ 165 (6-pack)
Haydel's | Stout-14 One of the most versatile calls ever produced by the folks down in Bossier City, the
Stout features both shortened and enlarged-diameter barrels, along with a modified sound tunnel to create an instrument that's loud, dark, and as Rod Haydel so rightly puts it, full-bodied.
Price: $ 25
Hevi-Shot | Hevi-Steel Hevi-Shot's non-round pellets proved so effective they have even been adopted by the turkey hunting crowd. But the rising price of tungsten prompted some folks to save their heavy hitters only for special trips. Hevi-Shot responded first with hybrid Speed Ball. This year, they've introduced
Hevi-Steel , an affordable alternative for 'fowlers who hunt every day of the season. It boasts over 26 percent more pellets on-target than some competitors. Available in 12-gauge, 2¾, 3- and 3½-inch and 20-gauge 3-inch loads.
Price: $ 15-
$ 18
LaCrosse | Alphaburly The
Alphaburly Pro wears like a tennis shoe (and is about as light), but won't get sucked off in the mud thanks to the Ankle-Fit technology, which keeps feet dry. A friend went down to his thighs in a sloppy mud hole during goose season and came away with two dry feet.
Price: $ 150
Pelican | 0955 Sport Wallet Water is sometimes a waterfowlers worst enemy. Isn't that ironic? An inadvertent step in the marsh can leave you with a pocket full of drenched dollar bills. The
Sport Wallet has a water- and dust-resistant seal along with dual mesh pockets inside to keep everything from keys to driver's license safe from the elements.
Price: $ 31
Primos | Shock Caller The
Primos Shock Caller is a short wood barrel, machined aluminum collar, and polycarbonate insert combine to provide deep, throaty honks, murmurs, and clucks. Patented ditches on the sound board help prevent reed-lock and moisture build-up.
Price: $ 43
Rig'em Right | Hand Warmer Rig'em Right always nails it. Keep your hands warm and shells accessible with this Neoprene Hand Warmer. Along with external pockets, there are also internal pockets for storing licenses or keys, and the waist belt easily attaches directly to your waders or around your waist.
Price: $ 22
Trulock | Waterfowl 3-Pack Conditions can change during the course of a single hunt. That's why
Trulock came out with a 3-pack of Close-, Mid- and Long-range chokes. Made from high-strength, rust-resistant 17/4 PH stainless steel, all three are rated for all non-toxic shot types and available to fit most popular shotguns. They feature a no-glare black oxide finish, an extended, knurled end for quick removal.
Price: $ 120
Yeti | Tundra 65 We slayed the snows this spring and threw the breasted white geese in the Yeti — only one problem, NO ICE! So we shoveled in some of nature's fresh winter powder. When the lid opened the following morning, that fine dusting of snow still covered our snows.
The 65 is also grizz-proof if you hunt in bear country, big enough to hold a small quartered deer and keeps a bevy of pan fish fresh for the pan.
Price: $ 400
Zink | Green Machine ATM Designed as a companion to the popular
PH-2 , the
ATM double-reed features the same smooth mallard sound callers have grown to love, but with greater volume and a radically improved bottom-end feeder chuckle. Featuring the Z-CUT no-stick tone channel, you'll get a huge range of tones while virtually eliminating irritating reed-lock.
Price: $ 140
SPOT | Gen3 For those looking for a critical, life-saving line of communication while adventuring off the grid, consider the
SPOT Gen3 , a simple one-touch GPS locator/tracker/messenger. Using 100 percent satellite technology, it tracks your movements and relays them back to a website where others can see your real-time progress. It also sends out prepared text messages/emails to a contact list to let them know you are fine, you need help, or you simply need more supplies. In an emergency, it also features an SOS button that will send out a distress signal with your exact coordinates to rescuers.
Price: $ 149.95
ATN | BinoXS-HD 4-16X If you're looking for some of the most advanced optics in the world, you can't miss the
BinoXS-HD 4-16X from ATN. The BinoXS works day or night, comes loaded with WiFi, Smooth Zoom, records video and takes photos, and has a built in compass. It's fully capable of GPS geotagging, so you can mark waypoints as you go. With WiFi technology you can see the viewfinder on your smartphone, take photos and record video in 1080p HD. What's not to love?
Price: $ 500
