Christmas shopping for the Waterfowler in your life!
By Bobby Cole, Kansas Program Coordinator
Christmas shopping for the Waterfowler in your life!
It’s that time of year again! The trees are going up in the house, lights and yard decorations are going up, and the chill of winter is starting to set in. The spirit of giving is in the air for those who celebrate Christmas! If you’re like me, you started Christmas shopping back in Oct. If not, you’re feeling the pressure; it’s crunch time, and you have got to figure out what you will get your loved ones. Every year, my wife tells me that I’m so hard to shop for and that she doesn’t know what to get me… Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that shopping for your loved one who loves the outdoors really isn’t that hard. In fact, I’m going to break it down according to budget and pursuit!
For the Waterfowl Hunter in your life!
Duck hunters are probably the easiest outdoorsmen to shop for. We like our toys and are hard on our equipment, so we constantly find ourselves replacing damaged or lost items.
A new Gun, no self-respecting duck hunter will say no to a new gun. But what gun is the question? Most duck hunters want an autoloader or a pump action that’s reliable and tough. Here is my pick for Waterfowl guns!
Budget Friendly- Weatherby Element. I personally use an Element for all my waterfowl hunting. It is user-friendly and can take a beating. I once had a friend drop it in the lake. When we pulled it out it was full of mud, we whipped it off then proceeded to shoot a limit of ducks with it! The Weatherby Element comes in both 12 and 20G with a 26” or 28” barrel. It also comes with five chokes. Its not hard to find an Element for between $500 and $600.
Budget Friendly- Savage Arms 560 FIELD. I haven’t personally owned a 560 Field, but the few people I know that have them love them and stand by them 100%, and why shouldn’t they? Savage has come a long way since the days of our grandfathers. They are constantly pumping out great guns at an affordable price! The 560 FIELD comes in 12G with a 28-inch barrel and three different chokes. You can purchase one for right at $500.
For those where Money isn’t an issue- The Browning Auto 5/A5, in an ideal world, everyone would own and use a Belgium-made Browning Auto 5, arguably the best autoloader ever made. However, we aren’t in a perfect world so those of us who weren’t lucky enough to inherit one or find one in the back of our local gun shop, we will have to settle with one of the new A5’s. I already know I’m going to get some backlash from this (looking at you, Paul), but the new Auto 5 is pretty nice. The new A5 comes with all the bells and whistles and comes in a wide variety of gauges and barrel lengths. They also come with a full set of chokes. A new Browning A5 ranges from $1500 to $2500.
Decoys: A Waterfowler can never have too many decoys. Whether it’s goose, duck, Crane, or anything else, we want them all! There are so many different brands of decoys out there that it’s hard to go wrong. In general, you want a sturdy, realistic decoy. I personally like Final Approach decoys. They look very realistic and won’t break the bank. Other top brands are Avian x, Topflight and Divebomb. When it comes to decoys, my biggest recommendation is to buy what you can afford.
Duck and Goose Calls- Like decoys, a waterfowler can never have enough calls. Even if they don’t use them on their call lanyard, a custom call will look great on display. Calls can run anywhere from $20 to $300. It depends on your budget and what you’re looking for in design.
Budget-Friendly Calls- The best budget-friendly calls, in my opinion, would be Buck Gardner and Duck Commander. These calls are mass-produced and tend to run between $20 and $100. They Sound good and are user-friendly.
Custom calls/higher-end calls- Nowadays, you can’t throw a rock without hitting someone who “makes custom Calls.” When it comes to custom calls, they usually run between $120 and $300. Do your research before buying a custom call because all call makers are not equal. If it’s in your budget, I highly recommend getting a custom call from Kelley’s Kalls. Kelley’s Kalls is a veteran-owned company that makes functional art. Check out their website and listen to some of their audio clips.
Jerk Rig- A waterfowl hunter’s worst enemy is a windless day! There is nothing worse than setting up a huge spread of decoys just to have no wind and if you don’t have a jerk rig or something similar in your bag its almost pointless to stay out because do a duck or goose it just looks like a bunch of statues set out.
I recommend getting a Duck Spreader from Motion Ducks LLC. It’s a Jerk rig that moves for decoys at once. It looks very realistic and is very effective.
Waders- Every waterfowl hunter needs a good set of waders. I have tried several different pairs, and some have been better than others. When it comes to waders, for the most part you get what you pay for. I personally use a pair of Rogers Toughman 2-In-1 Insulated Breathable Waders. They come in at under $300 and come with removable insulation that will keep you warm even in frigid weather. During the early season, you can remove the insulation in less than a minute. I am extremely rough on my waders, and they have held up great for the last four seasons.
Bonus gear / Stocking Stuffers- Socks (Merino wool, alpaca wool, etc.), Rechargeable headlamp: custom/personalized call lanyards, Game Totes, and waterproof clothing bags. Hand balm, Gloves, Beanies, Blind Bags, ammo, and Ear Plugs are great stocking stuffers that any waterfowl hunter would be happy to see in their stocking.
Shopping for a hunter isn’t that hard; just ask him or her what they need/want, and they will tell you! When all else fails, get them a gift certificate to their favorite outdoors company, or even better, get them a few tickets to our gun-a-week raffle!!