by Luke Clayton

 Christmas is quickly approaching and if you have an outdoors enthusiasts on your shopping list, there’s still time to get them a gift that will ‘keep on giving’ throughout the upcoming year. As a full time outdoors writer, I have the opportunity to test and use a lot of products. Here are some that I have come to depend upon:
ELECTRIC SMOKER- I use my Smokin Tex (www.smokintex.com) electric smoker to prepare everything from BBQ chicken to wild hog hams. These units are easy to use and turn out great meals. Small pieces of wood is loaded into a ‘smoke box’,  the meat is placed on the racks, the thermostat set and I walk away and, very often, letting the meat slow smoke overnight while I sleep. Smokin Tex currently has a special Christmas sell on the units.

LIGHT FOR HUNTING HOGS AT NIGHT- A few years ago, Karl Harmon (www.ultramaticfeeders.com)  invented his Feedlight, a unit used for hunting hogs at night. The unit has a built in solar panel to keep the battery charged and when the sun sets, the lights come on to illuminate the area around your corn feeder. I’ve used mine for the past 6 years and it’s still working fine. The company also offers THE REMOTE, a small unit that remotely activates your game feeder. The Remote used in conjunction with the Feedlite is highly effective in harvesting wild hogs at night.

OPTICS- Every hunter of fisherman needs quality optics. Alpen Optics (www.alpenoptics.com) offers a line of excellent products at a price many of us can afford. I’ve used their rifle scope this season and found it to function as well as scopes costing 3 times as much.

GUIDED FISHING TRIP- In my OUTDOOR TIP OF THE WEEK, I included my picks for places to enjoy some ‘hot’ winter fishing. Included is contact info for several guides. A guided fishing trip makes a great gift for the avid angler on your shopping list.
A HUNTING TRIP- Many ranches in Texas that are on at TPWD management program offer trophy whitetail hunts through the end of February, long after the regular season closes. Hog hunts are very affordably priced and provide a great winter get away. Here are some ranches I’ve hunted that offer a variety of game:  Near Palestine, Big Woods On the Trinity (www.bigwoods.net), In Knox County, Ranger Creek Ranch (www.rangercreekranch.com), In Trinity County, B & C Outfitters (www.easttexasexotics.com) , Circle T Bowhunting Ranch near Commerce (www.circletbowhuntingranch.com).  In Red River County, Rio Rojo Rancho,Mike Ford (www.riorojorancho.com) , Near Mineral Wells, Holt River Ranch (www.theholtriverranch.com).  Squaw Mountain Ranch (www.squawmountainwhitetails.com) near Jacksboro, Texas.  Waterfowl guide Cory Vinson (www.nofishnocharge.com) is offering gift certificates for guided duck hunts with meals and lodging at his private hunting lodge at Seven Points near Cedar Creek Lake. Cost is $200 and includes a steak dinner, overnight lodging, breakfast, guided duck and bird processing.
HUNTING BLINDS- GhostBlind (www.ghostblind.com) came out with a revolutionary new hunting blind this year that uses mirrors on the outside and conventional camo on the inside. The blind weighs less that 20 pounds and can easily be transported in the field. I’ve used my GhostBlind on many hunts and found it to be one of the most effective blinds I’ve hunted from.

OUTDOOR COOKING GEAR, SEASONINGS- Check out Frisco Spices (www.friscospices.com) for gifts for the outdoor cook. Sausage and jerky seasonings, cures for meats and just about everything you can imagine for cooking outdoors is available here.

TRAIL CAMERAS-  The use of trail cameras has revolutionized the way many of us scout for game. Predator Trail Cams (www.predatortrailcams.com) offers a camera that is easy to use and read. Images can actually be viewed from an onboard screen rather than having to download images from a memory card as is the case with many trail camera.