Dec. 15–In the darkest corner of every outdoorsman’s closet, you can usually find evidence of the trouble people have picking out gifts for hunters and fishermen.
For some, it’s the singing plastic fish that became too annoying for the light of day just 20 minutes after it was pulled from underneath the Christmas tree.
For others, it’s a weirdly colored white camouflage jacket that can’t be worn in the Mid-South because it was designed for people who hunt in blizzards up north.
People who don’t spend time outdoors simply don’t know how to buy for people who do — and their well-meaning mistakes often lead to wasted money, wasted closet space and hurt feelings.
Recognizing how hard it can be to buy for outdoorsmen, many major companies have taken steps to guide non-outdoors types through the land mines of holiday gift buying. As a result, it’s easier than ever to find the right gift for the important outdoorsman in your life.
“We do our best to make shopping easier for people who might not always know what to buy for an outdoorsman,” said Tammy Sapp, a spokeswoman for Bass Pro Shops — a national company planning to build one of its biggest retail stores inside The Pyramid. “We want people to get the most for their money — and we want the people they’re buying for to be happy.”
Bass Pro has actually published lists this year, separating its merchandise into categories for outdoors women, anglers, kids, hunters and outdoors adventurers. The lists give nuts-and-bolts information on several items that are likely to suit people from each specified category.
For women, Bass Pro recommends everything from wildlife-themed lamps and bird feeders to flannel sheets and ultra-plush fleece wraps. For anglers, they recommend gifts from a wide range of prices like a five-piece crankbait kit for $15.99 and a Lowrance Elite-5x HDI Fishfinder for $399.99.
Several other outdoors companies have also taken special measures with their websites to make shopping easier for those who don’t have the time or the knowledge to sift through hundreds of possible gift ideas.
Cabelas.com has a red banner at the top of its front page that reads “Christmas Shop” with individual shopping categories for hunting items, fishing items, camping items and stocking stuffers. Sportsmanswarehouse.com offers point-and-click shopping with all of its vital shipping deadlines marked at the bottom of the page.
For shoppers who still can’t settle on the right gift idea, most stores and outdoors companies provide gift cards that allow the recipients to pick out their own merchandise — and though some people consider the cards a little too impersonal, they’re often the perfect choice for outdoorsmen with specific tastes.
“I usually tell everyone in my family, if they’re going to get me anything, make it a gift card,” said Lee Miller, a Mississippi resident who hunts and fishes all over the Mid-South and buys most of his equipment in Memphis. “You can take a $25 card and buy several little things that you know you’re going to need eventually. Or, you can save up those $25 and $50 cards until you have enough to go and buy a big, expensive item.
“Either way, it’s better than unwrapping something on Christmas Day that you know you’ll never use in a million years.”
Shopping for outdoorsmen?
Here’s a list of websites that might help you when it comes time to buy a gift for the outdoorsman in your life:
Avery Outdoors: averyoutdoors.com
Bass Pro Shops: basspro.com
Bass Pro Shops Christmas gift guides: bit.ly/19HBOVj
Tommy Bronson’s Sporting Goods: tommybronsonsportinggoods.com
Cabela’s: cabelas.com
Dick’s Sporting Goods: dickssportinggoods.com
Outdoors Inc: outdoorsinc.com
Rangemaster: rangemaster.com
Sports Authority: sportsauthority.com
Sportsman’s Warehouse: sportsmanswarehouse.com
Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop: wbu.com