kevin November 11th, 2009

Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about what gift you’ll give the outdoor fanatic in your family. If his or her favorite spot in the world is a duck blind, take a close look at this list of top 5 gifts for waterfowl hunters.

Black Cloud Ammo - Black Cloud Ammo’s catch phrase is “they make it rain ducks.” Sure, ok, nice advertising. But let’s look past all the marketing hyperbole and get to the real truth about Black Cloud. Plain and simple, they make it rain ducks. Seriously. Featuring extended range, superb knockdown power and superior pattern tightening technology, Black Clouds are THE shell to use this season.

Avery Boaters Dog Parka - Probably the only thing the hunter in your family likes more than limiting out on ducks is his/her trusty companion. Give them something they’ll both like with the Avery Dog Parka from Macks PW. Afterall, you’re not the only one that gets cold on those freezing late November mornings.

Drake Floating Gun Case - There are lots of gun cases on the market, many of which cost well over $100. Don’t pay it. For $30.00, this Drake case is all you need and more to keep your shotgun safe and dry. It’s moisture-absorbing nylon denier material and outer pocket (for extra choke, calls, etc.) are a just a couple of it’s best features.

For more duck hunting gift ideas (including a plug for Binelli’s Super Black Eagle II) check out the Arkansas Duck Hunting Forum.

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kevin November 6th, 2009

Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about what gift you’ll give the outdoor fanatic in your family. Over the next several days, we’ll bring you the low-down on the best hunting and fishing gear on the market, from comfortable camo boots to duck hunting decoys to fishing rods and reels. Today, let’s take a look at the best hunting/fishing field gear of 2009:

#1 - Nikon Action Binoculars - Super light-weight and featuring the clarity you come to expect from Nikon, the Nikon Action binoculars are owned by yours truly, and I wouldn’t trade them for any other pair. Just a slight turn of the dial and these guys focus perfectly. No need to find “just the right spot” like your old pair of binoculars.

#2 - Bushnell BackTrack GPS - GPS devices are great for every hunter. However, many on the market are extremely difficult for hunters to operate, especially us older guys. But with the BackTrack, you simply mark your beginning location and navigate back whenever you’re ready – it’s that easy.



Find the rest of the first edition of the 2009 Outdoor Gift Guide in the Arkansas Hunting and Fishing Forum.

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kevin December 12th, 2008

To finish up the 2008 Arkansas Outdoors Online Gift Guide and hunting gear reviews, have a gander at these must-have Arkansas hunting tools to use all year-long, no matter the hunting season. We hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s Arkansas hunting gift guide.

Nikon ProStaff 550 Laser Rangefinder

When it comes to optics, Nikon is king. The Nikon ProStaff 550 Laser Rangefinder is no exception. It’s the perfect size for almost any Arkansas hunting adventure and features 6x magnification. It’s waterproof, fogproof, and boasts fast and accurate ranging in 1/2 yard increments to 99.5 yards and in 1 yard increments to 550 yards.

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Buck Knives Folding Omni Hunter 12Pt

Compact and Heavy Duty with a Sharp, Thick Stainless Steel Blade. Guaranteed not to let you down. Now that’s a Buck Knife.

The Omni Hunter 12 Pt gut hook will slice through the toughest game, and the ergonomical, DynaFlex thermoplastic handle won’t sting your hand on those cold Arkansas hunting days. 4 inch blade. 7.3 oz. weight.

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Lowrance iFinder H20 GPS

The Lowrance iFinder H20 is not the most sophisticated GPS you can buy, but it certainly gets the job done when mapping your favorite lake, river or hunting spot … at about half the price.

The iFinder is fast at picking up satellites (and even comes with an external antenna port for even better signal), it’s totally waterproof, making it perfect for taking out on the water or hunting inclement weather, and it features a 3 inch back-lit screen for use after the sun goes down.

The iFinder earns a perfect 5 star rating for its ease-of-use and its affordability.

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Smart Scouter™ Wireless Digital Game Camera

Trying to find a reliable game camera is a crapshoot. One brand is better than the other brand, depending on who you ask. And reliablity is never guaranteed, even on the most expensive brands. But, there’s a new kid on the game camera block, and its one of the coolest items of the year.

The Smart Scouter takes pictures just like any other game cam, with one exception. No other game cam allows you to view those pictures on the computer, no matter how many miles you are away from the camera.

Yeah it is expensive and requires a subscription, but for most of us, it’s still cheaper than what it costs in gas to go check cams everyday. Rest-assured, it’ll be a holiday bonus put to good use.

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kevin December 10th, 2008

Redington® Crosswater Fly Rod and Reel Outfit

Redington is known around the globe as one of THE premier crafters of fly rods and reels. Begginers. Intermediates. Experienced Professionals. No matter your fly fishing class, Redington can hook you up.

Beginners, try your hand at the Redington Crosswater Fly Rod Combo. It’s affordable, lightweight, and best of all, incredibly easy to cast.

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Bass Pro Shops® Tourney Special® Baitcast Rod and Reel Combo

For hundreds of dollars less than the Johnny Morris’ and Daiwa’s of the fishing retail world, you can score a rod and reel combo that’ll bring in the bass with the best of ‘em.

Owned by yours truly, Bass Pro’s Tourney Special is a quality baitcast rod and reel that is light and smooth from start to finish. The rod is fitted with high-grade, multilayer IM-7 graphite blank for greater strength with, plus Fuji® aluminum oxide guides for enhanced line flow in either direction. The reels smooth 4-bearing system includes PowerLock™ Instant Anti-Reverse and an easy-to-adjust precision 6-pin centrifugal brake system.

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Fishpond® Gore Range Tech Pack

Designed with the fly fisherman in mind, Fishpond’s Gore Range Tech Pack features lightweight, waterproof fabric, padded shoulder straps, and several large, adjustable straps to give you the perfect fit and 17 convenient pockets for storing everything from the smallest flies to tools and water bottles.

It’s so handy you’ll end up wearing this pack weather you’re on the White River, or fishing your favorite pond.

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Mister Twister Electric Fillet Knife Combo

If you’re like me, you fish year-round … and go through fillet knives like toilet paper. The Mister Twister will change that. Believe me, when you need to fillet fish, count on the Mister Twister Electric Fisherman. It’s study and seems to be more “heavy duty” with more cutting power than your standard wal-mart brand. The serrated, double-action blades are extra-sharp stainless steel.

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kevin December 9th, 2008

If there is one thing Arkansas hunters can never get too much of, it’s camo. From warm-weather jackets and insulated boots to temperature-defying outerwear and scent-controlled base layers, follow the Arkansas hunting apparel guide and you’re sure to see smiles on Christmas morning.

Under Armour® ColdGear® With Capture Scent Technology

Base Layer: Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Yes. Under Armour offers apparel that not only every hunter wants, but every hunter needs. Start with UA’s ColdGear apparel with new Capture Scent Technology. The UA base layers keep you warm and dry by wicking away sweat and help to destroy odor-causing bacteria with its new Scent Technology. Doesn’t earn a perfect 5 star rating because it’s a bit pricey.

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Cabelas’s Predator Extreme Pac Boot

Footwear: There’s nothing that drives a hunter out of the woods faster than cold feet. Cabelas’ Predator Extreme Pac Boot is the answer to that problem. Light, warm and built for comfort, these boots boast a removable 9mm Texel® liner that warms your feet and draws moisture away from the surface of the skin. This liner also sports a heat pack pocket under the toe area for the coldest temperatures. 100 % waterproof with a layer of 1,200-gram Thinsulate.

Stocking Stuffer: Columbia Monarch Pass Sock

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RedHead® StormTex™ Camo Rain Jacket

Rainwear: The Redhead StormTex line of rain jackets protect you from some of nature’s toughest elements, most notably, wind and rain. The StormTex boasts superb breathability, and for a rain jacket, you won’t be disappointed with how quiet it is. Available in both Mossy Oak Break-Up and Advantage Max-4 HD, at only $49.95, it’s a great bargain.

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Rocky® SIQ™ Atomic 10-Pocket Pants

Warm-weather: Silent. Comfortable. Scent-free. Lightweight. The Rocky SIQ Atomic 10-Pocket Pants offer everything a warm-weather hunter could want out of a hunting pant. Ten pockets make ideal compartments for all of your spring turkey calls, and the pants can also double as early season archery wear.

The price is great too when compared to other brands—something we always find appealing about Rocky’s line of top-notch apparel.

Matching Top: Rock SIQ Atomic 1/4 Zip Pullover

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Mossy Oak® DryStalker™ 2 Parka

Cold Weather: The best thing about the DryStalker 2 is its warmth, compliments of Torrent, Mossy Oak’s exclusive waterproof, windproof, breathable laminated membrane. The second best thing is its built-in anti-microbrial scent technology—ScentStop.

Oh, and the price? We think you’ll like that too. Mossy Oak DryStalker 2.

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kevin December 8th, 2008

Hoyt Katera

Even if you’re not a Hoyt shooter, it’s easy to appreciate all that the Katera has to offer. Two key factors to this bow’s success is the Stealthshot string-stop feature, and the all new Z3 Cam & 1/2 System. The Katera comes with all the speed you could ever want for Arkansas bow hunting, but with enough shootability for average shooters.

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Rage 3-Blade Expandable Mechanical Broadheads

Stocking Stuffer: Get the Arkansas bow hunter in your family the mechanical broadhead that won’t fail you. The Rage 3 is not only dependable (guaranteed to deploy before entry), but it inflicts damage unlike anything seen on the mechanical broadhead market today.

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Stealth Cam® Epic Cam Action Sport Video Camera

The only thing better than harvesting a deer with a bow is capturing it on video. With the Stealth Cam Video Camera, you can do just that. The cam conveniently mounts on your gun or bow stabilizer, and features up to 200 minutes of AVI video with continuous audio or 5.0 MP jpeg images. And it’s ultra-lightweight at only 3.0 ounces. Video quality is just “OK” overall, but the fun you’ll have with this baby while Arkansas bow hunting is well worth the $169.99 price tag.

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Tru-Fire® 360 Elite Buckle Foldback Release

The best feature about this Tru-Fire release is its foldback design that keeps the arm from loudly flopping around while you move and make adjustments in your stand. But the releases 360 degree head shouldn’t go unnoticed either, as it allows you to place the trigger in the position you feel most comfortable shooting from. The head can also be locked in place.

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Summit Razor SS Treestand

Compact, lightweight, durable and easy to carry. The Razor SS sit-down/stand-up climber is a must-have Arkansas bow hunting tool. It includes an EZ climbing bar that easily folds out of the way, and the cable attachment system makes for easy setup.It also fits together perfectly for easy carry when you’re ready to move it to a different area.

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kevin December 7th, 2008

Browning A-Bolt Stainless Hunter

Available in favorite deer hunting calibers — .243, .270, .308, 7mm-08 –, weighing under 7 lbs, featuring 22 and 23 inch barrels and costing under $800, the Browning A-Bolt Stainless Hunter delivers dependable, pinpoint accuracy that exceeds the stringent standards of the modern rifleman

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Nikon® ProStaff™ Rifle Scopes

BEST BARGAIN: Five star quality at a four star price, the Nikon ProStaff rifle scope will certainly be the only scope you’ll ever want or need. The ProStaff boosts light transmission up to an amazing 90% for extremely bright, high-resolution pictures unheard of in similarly priced scopes.

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A-Way Bowgrunter Plus

Grunt up that giant buck without ever having to take either hand off your bow or rifle. Between fumbling with doe bleats, binoculars, rattle bags and every other important deer hunting “accessory,” the A-Way Bowgrunter Plus attaches easily to your clothes and is a pleasant surprise of user-friendliness for deer hunting.

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Remington® Whitetail Pro® Core-Lokt® Centerfire Rifle Ammo

Stocking Stuffer: The Remington Core-Lokt design locks the progressively heavier jacket mid-section to the lead core, preventing separation, yet allowing maximum energy transfer. The result is a bullet that stays together on impact, expands in a controlled manner, and mushrooms uniformly to nearly twice the original diameter.

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Hunting Journal

A hunting journal is perfect for recording hunting trip info like weather conditions, wildlife movement, mapping terrain, and other important hunting data. Also great for recording the sights and sounds of adventurous hunts to relive another day.

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