It can be hard to come up with good gift ideas for duck hunters. Many of them can be picky and chances are they already have a ton of stuff for their obsession, so you may simply have no idea what to get for them.
But lucky for you, duck hunting is a gear-intensive sport and duck hunters could spend their entire paychecks on it in a weak moment. So there is always something they want, but don’t have.
Being a duck hunter myself and with the input of many friends who are intensely possessed by the sport, I have managed to put together a list of the best gifts for duck hunters. My hunting buddies and I own some of these things. And what we do not own, we want. This is good stuff.
This list is full of great duck hunting gifts for a boyfriend, dad, daughter, son, buddy, or hunting partner. Happy gift hunting!
What Do You Buy for a Duck Hunter?
What duck hunters want for Christmas or any other special occasion is a piece of useful gear they don’t already have, or a better version of what they do have.
You might think this means that if they already have a duck call, that they don’t want another one.
False. One can never have too many duck calls!
Different calls make different sounds which simulate a broader community of ducks on the water. This can bring in more ducks to shoot at. Or at least that’s what we hunters think, and we have a good time calling even on a slow day.
The same principle applies to other gear like decoys, waders, clothing, and the like.
TIP #1: You could simply go look at what they have in the garage, then buy something just like that, but a different brand or variation, and they’ll likely be pleased as punch.
TIP #2: You could engage in a painstaking conversation (for you, not them) where you ask them what sort of duck hunting gear has been on their minds and why. Just prepare yourself for much longwindedness and excruciating detail.
While this is an extensive list, it is not comprehensive of all the great deals out there for your duck hunter this holiday season.
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In a hurry? Here are our favorite gifts from this guide:
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Top Pick
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Best Budget
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Most Practical
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$63.96
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$15.99
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$44.44
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Why We Like It:
With 17 different accessories this is a great pocket item for any duck hunter!
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Why We Like It:
This duck call is durable, high impact, and made of plastic that imitates a duck's squeal from both air and land!
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Why We Like It:
This is a great gift for any duck hunter who finds themselves complaining about wet boots or waders!
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Duck Hunting Gifts Under $50
Any duck hunter worth their salt needs a quality duck call to bring in the day's bag limit. The Duck Commander Wood Duck Call is a durable, high impact, call made out of plastic that imitates the wood duck squeal from both air and land. This single reed tan duck call doesn’t just look the part, it performs well in the field. Easy to use, lightweight and rustic in appearance, this is a can’t-miss stocking stuffer for your favorite duck hunter this holiday season.
A great duck call for any novice outdoorsman, the Buck Gardner Calls Ducks Unlimited Green Wing duck call is versatile and easy-to-use. It’s capable of a wide range of calls, has a durable polycarbonate frame, and includes a free one-year Ducks Unlimited Greenwing membership. The dagger cut reeds provide a clearer, more dynamic calling capability that travels well over distance and provides duck hunters the full spectrum of mallard call vocabulary including nasal winds, snappy comebacks, mid range hail calls and mallard feeding calls. Priced low, this is an excellent affordable gift for duck hunters, especially new ones.
Oftentimes, the duck blind is a cold and damp place where hunters' patience and persistence are tested by both birds and weather. The Sitka Neck Gaiter helps keep hunters necks and faces warm and concealed in even the most austere conditions. Coming in seven different patterns, the high pile fleece liner and exterior stretch polyester knit fabric maximize both concealment and warmth. Hunter’s looking to stay warm and stay hidden in the duck blind would be thrilled to receive this top notch camouflage neck gaiter by Sitka
Just like milkshakes are sure to bring all the boys to the yard, these lifelike foam-filled Pintail butt decoys will definitely bring in the ducks. These draw birds into the duck pond or marsh for an easy shot. The durable, foam constructed drake molds are weighted to keep the tail end up, and the lifelike paint presents a realistic visual of diving Pintails for passing ducks. These are a game changer and a great budget gifts for duck hunters.
Whether you are In the duck blind, or back of the truck, the Rambler 26 oz. bottle by Yeti will keep your coffee hot or water cold no matter the weather. This gift comes in a variety of colors and it’s customizable for an up charge.
If your duck hunter is constantly complaining about wet boots, then the Dry Guy Simple Dry Overnight is the perfect gift for them. This boot dryer works for mud boots, waders, hunting boots, or any other soggy footwear. It’s a practical gift idea for duck hunters and will be especially useful for those who hunt consecutive days.
Whether it’s getting to the duck blind, or doing outdoor chores, the Alaskan Guide XG headlamp is a great gift for duck hunters this season. With up to a 90-hour battery life, this durable yet sleek headlamp is waterproof and has an adjustable frame.
If you;re looking for a warm pair of socks with an emphasis on comfort and insulation, look no further than Cabela's Deluxe Cold Weather Wool Boot Socks. The yarn interior cushions the feet while the wool and Thermolite blend will ensure a duck hunter’s feet stay warm in the coldest of conditions. I love that they are 16” inches tall with heavy duty insulation perfect for cold weather hiking and hunting.
When it comes to budget gifts for duck hunters this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with the Nomad Camo Hunter Trucker Cap in a Mossy Oak pattern. Camouflage with a mesh back, this trucker cap features a dark gray under visor to combat glare from the water and a moisture wicking sweatband to keep the sweat out of a hunter's eyes. You’ll likely see him wearing this to town as well as the blind.
Cabela's is an excellent camouflage brand for hunting a variety of game species. One of their better products is their boonie hat, a wide-brim, scale patterned, camouflage bucket hat that provides both concealment for hunters and keeps the sun out of their eyes when on the water. This is a budget friendly addition to your duck hunters camo that can make a world of difference in the blind.
This reversible vest switches between a real tree pattern outer layer and a hunter’s orange exterior, perfect for hunters looking to avoid carrying extra clothing. This vest isn't just for show. It features a safety harness opening to the rear and its fleece fabric keeps hunters warm and safe in the outdoors. Give your hunter a machine-washable, reversible vest that’s perfect for the duck blind or the treestand.
One of the main complaints of duck hunters is having nowhere to carry their collection of duck calls to the blind. Enter the Pacific Flyway Heavy Hauler Supreme Lanyard. It’s the easiest way for duck hunters to keep duck calls easily accessible without impeding movement. It has a comfortable neoprene neck strap with four twin loops for calls, plus a whistle clip. And it’s pretty cheap.
If your duck hunter has trouble keeping track of time or is counting down the days till duck season, the Waterfowl Wall Calendar is a great gift this holiday season. Featuring twelve beautiful waterfowl photos, one for each month, this 12”x12” calendar has plenty of room for notes and also includes moon tables, which many hunters obsess over. Purchase your favorite outdoorsman a beautiful wall piece that will have them thinking about duck season all year.
If your favorite duck hunter is looking to keep their bird dog sharp during the off season, the Avery Mallard Bird Dog Trainer Dummy is the way to go. This floating, semi plastic imitation duck trainer is perfect for pools, ponds or lakes where your bird dog can learn the basics of fetch and retrieve. This is a cheap stocking stuffing most hunters overlook, but it’s an essential tool to keep your bird dog ready.
The Northern Flight Marsh Chair has a cushioned seat covered in waterproof polyester with a single leg prop, stabilizers, and a shoulder strap for carrying. This is an easy-to-transport chair for a duck hunter to use in the marsh. They will love the minimal weight/maximum comfort design of the Northern Flight Marsh Chair.
If you’re looking for a budget item to purchase your duck hunter this holiday season, the Mesh Decoy Bag is a great choice. The heavy duty mesh can hold 18 duck decoys and features shoulder straps for carrying it into the marsh. Your duck hunter can pack all his decoys away in this year's stocking stuffer.
For hunters looking to purchase a stable, consistent steel shot 12 gauge shell, look no further than Browning Wicked Wings. Any and every duck hunter will burn through ammo, so this is a safe gift duck hunters no matter what they already have.
Steve Rinella‘s The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook is an excellent last-minute gift for a duck hunter. With several hundred recipes for wild game in its pages, this is a go-to present for any backwoods culinary aficionado. This is a cheap way to ensure that your favorite duck hunter’s next kill tastes as good as it looks.
The collaboration between Montana Knife Company and Tacticalories resulted in a delicious sea salt seasoning that is perfect on any wild game dish. Naturally sourced with a proprietary blend, this a great last minute addition to your favorite wild game cook’s gift list this holiday season. These sell out quickly, so grab them while they are in stock.
Gifts for Duck Hunters That Have Everything
If your loved ones' truck seats are looking a little rough from wear and tear, Kryptek seat covers by Cover King incorporate some of the best camouflage on the market with durable, water and UV resistant material. This is a great gift for any waterfowler and their truck.
This completely rechargeable flashlight comes with a charging cord and integrated USB charging port that powers a durable, LED light that will stand up to the harshest of conditions. If your duck hunter is looking for a top-of-the-line handheld flashlight, the Streamlight Protac HL5-X provides 3500 Lumens of illumination that will help him find his way to the duck blind.
Even the most seasoned duck hunters are always looking to upgrade their blind, and the Realtree Max-5 Camouflage netting can do just that. Its 3-D foliage pattern, lightweight netting and incredibly durable composition is a pricey but worthwhile gift for a duck hunter. This camo will keep your loved ones covered for years to come.
This electric trap throwing machine features a foot pedal and wireless remote that makes it fun for the whole family or great practice for a duck hunter. The Champion Targets Wheely Bird 2.0 is capable of holding up to 50 clay targets and can launch them out to 55 yards. Its 12V battery lasts up to 3000 throws. This is legitimately a good one and I wish I had it myself.
While there are a variety of high-quality camouflage brands out there, nothing says I love you like buying them the fanciest waders on the market. Keep your duck hunter warm with a Gore-Tex waterfowl wader from Sitka. This completely waterproof, durable and comfortable wader can be zipped on and off with ease while its knees and shins are reinforced with foam padding to ensure maximum comfort. It is a pricey piece of camouflage but one that will be greatly appreciated by your favorite outdoorsman. For more wader ideas, check out our duck hunting wader buyer’s guide.
These 100% waterproof gloves are a knit composition of three layers; nylon, a hydrophilic membrane and a warm merino wool to insulate the hands. This pair of gloves is perfect for placing and retrieving decoys in frigid weather, and with its moisture wicking interior, it will keep your hands dry and cool at the same time. This is a unique gift for duck hunters that will be put to good use.
For hunters who like recording their day on the water, the Hero10 Black by GoPro is a lightweight, high-quality camera that can be connected to the cloud. It’s easy to record high-res hunting videos and share them. Your duck hunter will have the ability to film the day's greatest hits on a rugged, waterproof camera that charges fast and features wind resistant microphones for even the most gusty days on the water.
As far as shooting vests go the the Filson Lightweight Shooting Vest is a top of the line piece of gear for that any duck hunter would be lucky to have. Tear resistant, this mole skin overlain vest has a mesh body and two large front pockets for shells. Wrap this up this year and you’r hunter will probably pass it down to the next generation.
These sliding weight anchor lines let you spread out your decoys across the pond or marsh without risk of losing them to wind or waves. With hook points that make them easy to carry on a single carabiner (which removes the need for a decoy bag) this is a weighty stocking stuffer that is sure to get used. And they’re useful even for duck hunters that already have a solution, because this sort of thing often needs to be replaced.
One of the best modern shotguns available today, the Winchester SX4 is a 12 Gauge that forgoes aesthetics, bells, and whistles in favor of a rugged, high-performance gun that any duck hunter would be lucky to have. With fiber optic front sights, a cushioned recoil pad and one of the lightest frames on the market, this shotgun is a workhorse. It’s meant to be dragged through the reeds and dropped in the mud, not kept in the safe. This is the perfect gift for duck hunters who spend plenty of time on the water and are looking to upgrade their firearm.
Part of the charm of heading out to the duck blind is leaving technology behind. However, a watch with GPS capabilities, heart rate monitor, and a compass is an accessory most duck hunters would be happy to have on while leaving their phones in the dry box. This watch is durable, waterproof, comfortable and by far my favorite watch I’ve ever owned.
Useful Gifts for Waterfowlers
These compact electronic ear muffs have an electronic noise reduction feature that makes it easy to talk in the duck blind but keeps the shotgun blasts to a reasonable level. The low profile ear cups and comfortable, perforated headband make them my favorite set of hearing protection I have ever owned. It’s basically a steal that will save your duck hunters hearing.
If you’re looking for a budget set of waders for your favorite duck hunter, look no further than the Tidwe Chest Waders. With built-in rubber boots, these waders are 100% waterproof, featuring triple-finished seams and polyurethane coated leggings to ensure your outdoorsman stays high and dry while chasing birds this season. Compared to others, these waders are inexpensive with respectable quality, making them the best bang for your buck.
These 100% percent rubber, steel toe boots keep your feet high, dry and warm. The 5mm neoprene coating provides a shock proof and waterproof boot that is great for duck hunters in any environment. 17 inches in height, this boot ride high up most duck hunters' calves and the grippy, lugged outsole will help duck hunters maintain footing in all kinds of environments. This is a quality gift that is worth its weight in gold, especially for duck hunters who hunt crop fields and marshes.
These rugged, high ankle boots are perfect for austere terrain with low water levels and lower temperatures. Waterproof thanks to its Gore-Tex lining, the All Terrain grip will prevent any slips or mishaps on even the most slick surfaces. This is a multi-purpose gift that will not only keep your duck hunter’s feet dry in the field, but they’re top-rated for backpacking and general outdoor use as well.
These merino wool base layer thermals are the perfect gifts for duck hunters looking to spend extended amounts of time in the cold. While many thermal base layers retain odor or chafe hunters, the SmartWool merino base layers place an emphasis on comfort and odor resistance. Both top and bottom come in multiple color variations and make a great duck hunting stocking stuffer for this holiday season.
If you’re looking for a wind and waterproof set of gloves for cold weather, these will keep hands toasty in the duck blind. These fleece insulated gloves feature both Pittards OIltac leather and PrimeFlex fabric keeping them lightweight at 3.07 oz, but still wind resistant. They’re available in 5 different patterns (Valo is great for duck hunting) and range in size from Small to XXL.
The Oakley Gascans are one of the most popular models in the Oakley sunglasses lineup. The collaboration with Kryptek provides duck hunters a stylish frame that is cool and camouflaged with polarized lenses. These glasses can be worn everyday, but they truly shine in the field where the robust frame and durable lenses will handle even the most wild environments. Provide your favorite duck hunter with high quality eye protection this holiday season.
These waterproof, lightweight bags keep gear dry out in the marsh. Sizes range from 3.8L to 51L. With durable plastic buckles that seal off the rolltops, these bags are perfect for keeping your hunting gear organized in your pack or your shells dry. The Kuiu Roll Top Dry Bags are a great gift for any outdoorsman this holiday season.
If you’re looking for a stool that is more suited towards a flat bottom or duck blind, the Northern Flight Swivel Stool is a better choice. Featuring a polyurethane seat cover, plush cushioning and a swivel seat, this stool allows duck hunters to rotate 360 degrees to track ducks from a seated position. This is a practical gift for duck hunters this Christmas season.
Whether it’s repairing a piece of gear, cutting rope or screwing something in, a multitool is a great pocket item for any duck hunter. Leatherman offers a top of the line multitool in its Rebar model which has 17 different accessories that are all stainless steel. Coming in three different colors, this multitool is a great gift your duck hunter can use in the blind and in everyday life.
These 100% polyester waterproof camouflage articles of clothing are windproof yet breathable, warm and feature waterproof zippers. Compared to alternatives, these are inexpensive but still a great choice to wear in the duck blind. This budget hunting clothing will serve any duck hunter well.
The Remington 870 Fieldmaster 12 Gauge combines the classic beauty of an old school shotgun with the quality of modern gun manufacturing. With a stock and pump made out of American Walnut, this shotgun looks old school but shoots better than most modern scatter guns. This is a proven bird hunting gun. I’ve had one for years and it’s sure to be a smashing success under the tree this year.
This universal gun cleaning kit will help keep everything in the safe clean, prepped and ready to roll. While many avid hunters purchase several kits to cover the different calibers and types of firearms in their arsenal, the Otis Elite Premium Cleaning Kit is your one-stop shop for all things gun cleaning. This is a one time purchase that will last your favorite duck hunter a lifetime.
With 10 different functions, this Instant Pot Ultra is a great gift for duck hunters and cooking enthusiasts alike. Duck meat can be tough if not prepared just right, but this will make it tender every time. It comes with a variety of accessories and it will quickly become a necessity in any kitchen. Just because you buy it for your favorite outdoorsman doesn’t mean you can’t cook with it yourself.
More Gift Ideas for Duck Hunters
The Jetstream Jacket features Gore-Tex Windstopper fabric that blends function and comfort seamlessly into a high-quality camouflage jacket. Breathable and mobile, this soft shell jacket is great for early to mid-season duck hunts or even the late season in warmer climates like in the southern US. We have used it and love it!
While Leupold is most known for its rifle scopes, they make an excellent pair of shades that are the perfect gift for an outdoorsman. The Switchback features polarized, ballistic lenses that maintain a crisp image, which is uncommon in shatterproof lenses. They even have a stylish frame and would make a solid stocking stuffer this year.
The Huk Fin Water and Wind Resistant Performance Hoodie lives up to its name. Perfect for wearing around the boat launch or at the camp, this machine washable hoodie features a water repellent DWR coating and antimicrobial material, so sweat, blood and mud won’t stick around. Your duck hunter will appreciate this stain resistant outer layer that can handle even the roughest weather.
This durable polyester, foam lined gun case is a rugged answer to keeping your gun covered in inclement weather. With wrap around handles and small side saddlebags, this zipper closed case is a duck hunting gift idea that anyone can use.
These lifelike Teal Duck Decoys work magic on the water with their intricate feather carvings, detailed painting and realistic sizing. These pair well with the mesh decoy bag further up on the list.
These high-quality knives are made from carbon ball bearing steel, and maintain a razor edge for months of hard use. A knife designed for the field, this do-it-all blade comes in limited drops from Montana Knife Company. It isn't cheap but it’s an amazing knife that any hunter would be lucky to own.
In a market saturated with high-quality optics and even higher prices, the Vortex Diamondback HD is a top shelf pair of binoculars at a reasonable price. Duck hunters will love this pair of binoculars as they are rugged, lightweight and crystal clear at distance. They’ll make it easy to identify greenheads while they are still out of range so they can set up for the perfect shot.
One of the best duck hunting kayaks on the market, the BKC PK 13 is a paddle driven kayak that is a favorite amongst wranglers and outdoorsmen alike. It has space to add a trolling motor and can hold a total weight of 550 pounds. This makes it easy to load up with decoys and gear when heading out on the water in search of ducks. The lightweight yet comfortable chair and scupper holes make it a solid bargain, even if it is the most expensive gift on this list.
This limited edition high-quality cutting board is 2 inch-thick American-made hardwood beauty. Featuring rubber feet that make it nonslip and allow for airflow beneath, this heavy-duty cutting board blends elegance with functionality. Buy your duck hunter a cutting board that will make their table fare worthy of the front cover of a cookbook.
