I know how difficult it can be to choose the perfect gift.
You don’t want to give them something they’ll stick in a drawer and forget about. And it’s almost worse if you buy them something they already have.
Which is why I’m here to help you choose the best possible gift for your hunting friend.
The best gift for your hunting friend is any item that shows you care about their hobbies and passions. This can be anything from a silly novelty to that practical item they’ve dreamt about but won’t buy for themselves.
With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of great gifts for your hunting friends ranging from the silly to the pragmatic.
DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links in this article are affiliate links. If you click on a link we may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
In a hurry? Here are our favorite gifts from this guide:
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Top Pick
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Best Gadget
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Most Luxurious
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$49.99
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$19.98
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$289.95
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Why We Like It:
Every hunter has binoculars and every set of binoculars needs great protection!
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Why We Like It:
This repeller will fit right into your hunter's pack and offers the least bothersome way to repel mosquitos without any odor!
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Why We Like It:
If money isn't an issue and your hunter complains about their meals while hunting, this is the perfect gift!
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How to Pick the Best Gift for a Hunter
Hunting is a gear-filled hobby, so unless your friend or partner likes to drop nude out of trees onto deer to hit them with a rock, they already have some hunting stuff.
So, how do you choose the right items to augment their lifestyle?
If you hunt with them, that’s easy. They probably already talk to you about their equipment, what they like, and what they’d like to replace.
But the rest of us may not be lucky enough to have them as a hunting partner.
You can still talk with them about hunting as a hobby, though. People like to talk about themselves, and gift ideas will naturally come up during these conversations.
Jot down any products they desire, even if it’s just something like them complaining about their old pair of binoculars.
Another good option is to blend together two of their hobbies.
Does your friend like whiskey? Perhaps they’d love an antler-handled whiskey tower. I know I would!
Whatever you choose for them, make it personal. Even the cheapest gift is valuable when there’s a link between them and you.
When in doubt, people love food. Why not get them some game sausage?
A Word About Upgrades
Be careful when buying bits to upgrade somebody else’s gear, though!
Sometimes that piece of equipment has sentimental value. I’d never buy a set of ear muffs for a friend if his pair was a gift from his late father, for example.
Upgrades work best when the recipient wants to upgrade.
40 Best Hunting Gift IDEAs of 2023
Need some ideas for gifts? Here you go!
This list is initially grouped by the expense, from the most expensive items to the least.
However, near the bottom are some more specialized gift ideas for certain types of hunters.
The Overall Best Gifts for Hunters
These gifts may be expensive but they will knock that hunter’s woolen socks off!
Though not everyone will admit it, every gun hunter feels pride toward their hunting rifle. It's a beautiful, practical tool. No, more than that. It's a companion they've spent hours with at the range and days with in the woods. Why not help them show off their beloved rifle with a high-quality display case? Their rifle or shotgun will be the centerpiece of the room when it's displayed in the Castlecreek Gun Display Case.
An important aspect of hunting is range time. Practice is more than just firing a round or two at paper each year to make sure the scope is still on-target. A good hunter will spend lots of trigger time with their gun. But poking holes in paper can eventually lack a certain oomph. That's why many shooters like plinking at steel targets. That PLINK! lets you know for sure that you hit your target. This builds confidence, which translates into steadier shots in the field. Copper Ridge's 10" gong is a great steel target. And it comes with its own stand!
I've noticed that many hunters don't seem to want to put a lot of money into their hunting backpack. It's just a sack for carrying stuff. Why spend money on a fancy backpack when an old school bag will do? Five minutes with an Eberlestock pack changes their mind, especially the Team Elk Pack M5. These great hunting backpacks help hunters carry their gun, supplies, and game meat in comfort. And it'll last for years, if not decades. Plus, 10% of the sales of the Team Elk pack go to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, helping conserve elk for generations to come. This will surely give the recipient the feel-goods.
Binoculars are invaluable hunting tools. However, they are made of precision glass, which means they're susceptible to damage when used outdoors. And where do you hunt? Outside! That's why Badlands makes the Mag Bino Case. It's effectively a binocular harness turned up to 11. The case's main function is to protect binoculars from the bumps and whacks that can scratch and crack glass lenses. But that's not all! Other features include a bow hook, lashing points to attach small pieces of equipment such as flashlights, and the case is compatible with backpacks and hydration systems!
Does your hunter friend need a good pair of binoculars to put in that case? Then consider gifting them one of the best binos you can get for the money: Vortex Diamondbacks! These binoculars have 10x magnification and a field of view of 330 feet at 1,000 yards, which is darn good. And, since the glass is waterproof and fogproof, they will work for your friend in any weather. Vortex has a best-in-class warranty for their binoculars (and other optics) but these binoculars are so rugged the hunter won't have to use it. Plus, they have a svelte ergonomic design, so you won't weigh your friend down!
Does your hunter friend complain about having to subside off of cold food when out on a hunting trip? Prepare them for hot, gourmet meals with the MSR Reactor. It's a windproof stove system designed to be as compact as it is easy to use. Set it up, turn it on, and they'll be boiling half a liter of water in a minute and a half! I can't boil water that fast with my home gas stove. The stove sips its isobutane/propane fuel blend so one small canister will burn for up to an hour and a half. About the only downside is that the MSR Reactor doesn't include an igniter, but I've had bad luck with camp stove igniters anyway.
Duck calls are practically necessary when it comes to hunting ducks some year. Using them is a fine art and, like other fine arts, requires the right tools. But many hunters continue to use the same cheap ol' duck call they bought when they were first starting out and didn't want to spend a lot of money. The Meat Hanger by Echo Calls is a double reed duck call that sounds immaculate and will help persuade those pesky ducks to make a landing right next to your friend. But it's not just an expert's item, oh no. The Meat Hanger is perfect for beginners, too. This call is easy to use and can be quiet or loud, depending on what the hunter needs at the time. Whether a gift for a new duck hunter or upgrade to an older one, the Meat Hanger will serve your friend well.
Do you know how many times I've had to use logs and stumps as tables when hunting? Too many times to count! Which means I've dropped my food on the forest floor. Logs don't make for the most stable surfaces! Tables seem like such a heavy, bulky item that many hunters don't even consider bringing one with them. But few things are better than a sturdy, flat surface when you need one. The Nemo Moonlander camp table is lightweight and small enough to fit in many laptop sleeves. However, it's sturdy enough for food prep during those chilly Autumn evenings. Plus, it can be used at two heights, great for whether the hunter is sitting in a camp chair or just on the ground. It also makes for a safe place to set down binoculars and other gear when hunting from the ground.
I bet you were wondering what I was talking about when I said "whiskey tower" earlier, right? It's like a bar tap, except for a whiskey bottle! Perfect for a hunting lodge, home bar, or (dare I say it?) man cave, this liquor dispenser can hold a bottle up to 1.75 liters in size. It has a chrome tap to make it easy to clean. The base is pine and cowhide helps accent the whiskey bottle's appearance. Plus there's that whole antler handle thing that makes this whiskey tower perfect for a hunter.
The Best Hunting Gifts Under $100
Here are some great presents that your hunter friend has probably been thinking about but hasn’t yet bought for themself.
Rifles and shotguns are not the only firearms that are worthwhile enough to be displayed in a fancy case. The Castlecreek Handgun Display Case is good for pistols and revolvers your friend is particularly proud of. The green felt will protect your handgun's finish, whether it's a WWII-era parkerized 1911 or a blued Colt Single Action Army. And the glass will keep dust away. Keys keep the golden-colored latches locked so grubby hands can't get at the prized pistol protected within. The interior dimensions are 12.9" by 8", so most handguns can fit inside.
The first time I cleaned a game animal I had one knife and no gloves. It was a warm and moist experience that would have gone by much faster had I the Browning Primal 6-Piece Combo Kit. Game processing is one of those tasks that's better handled when you have the proper tools, yet many hunters are like me and carry only one or two blades with them. Bolster your friend's game processing experience by sharing with them this lightweight yet effective kit!
Ah, nature's call. For some people this means hunting as well as certain other excretory activities. Human waste can be environmentally disruptive. The Cleanwaste Go Anywhere Portable Toilet makes for an easy way to take care of business without spoiling nearby streams. A good toilet enhances every base camp, and Cleanwaste's toilet is a lightweight solution for even the most remote hunting trips.
Hunting can involve camping, and every campsite needs a comfy chair. RTIC's Big Bear is a folding chair made for comfort and durability. It has a wider-than-average setup so your thighs won't rest on angled tubes, which can make many folding chairs uncomfortable. And for those long nights around the campfire there's not only just a cup holder but also a cooler under the left arm rest capable of holding four cans. Also, the seat is padded, so your friend's butt won't get sore when resting after a long day in the woods. And for the larger framed hunters, well, the Big Bear can support up to 400 pounds.
Mosquitoes are the bane of hunters all over the world. Stalking and stand hunting both require hunters to stay as still as possible to not spook their prey. Then a single mosquito lands on your hand, bites, and you have to slap it away. Aaaand the deer spooks. And bug spray? It's stinky and wears off. If it works at all. The mosquitoes are so used to DEET in some areas I swear it attracts the bitey little blighters! Sitka Gear's Equinox Guard Glove is perfect for keeping one's hands free from bugs without relying on spray-on chemicals. They thin, breathable, and won't cause one's skin to become all sweaty. But they do keep mosquitoes away and are durable enough to use for many hunting seasons.
Also by Sitka is a blaze orange vest that's leagues beyond that cheap orange mesh piece of fabric many hunters use as a vest. The Ballistic Vest has a magnetic buckle so you can easily add or remove layers in the field without struggling with cheap zippers. It also has a shoulder pad that can be swapped from one side to the other to help absorb recoil. Plus there are two zip-up hand pockets, good for storing miscellaneous gear. The contents won't fall out even when scrambling over tough terrain. The fabric also has a water-repellent finish so the safety vest won't uncomfortably hold water even after the rain has passed.
There are few things that bring a smile to a hunter's face like finding evidence of that big buck, whether it's on their hunting property or in their bag yard. A trail camera is great for providing a picture of a deer, bear, coyote, ground hog, or big foot. Set one up and wait for the photos to roll in! Give one to your friend and you'll surely receive pics of animals in the wild, and who doesn't like those? Stealth Cam QS20s are good trail cameras. This combo pack comes with two of them as well as the SD cards required for their operation, making this a complete package.
Few things can ruin a hunting trip like being cold and miserable. One of if not the best portable heater is the Buddy by Mr. Heater. Many heaters are only suitable for operation in larger structures, such as a hunting lodge. However, the Buddy is great for tents, RVs, and even hunting blinds! That's because it's CSA-certified for indoor use. It has both low-oxygen and tip-over safeties so it won't cause a fire. A one-pound propane canister fits in the side cubby so hunters can grab it and go without having to lug around a massive propane tank. Though, it's still a good choice for the hunting lodge as it can be connected to those twenty-pound tanks!
Too many hunters decide to go hunting without proper hearing protection. I understand the argument. It's only one shot. How much hearing damage can it actually cause? Well, a single gunshot is loud enough to cause permanent damage to your hearing! With the right ear muffs, your favorite hunter can protect their ear and still hear the deer coming. Walker's Razor Slim Quads have four microphones and a volume setting that not only passes the sound through but also makes it easier to hear incoming animals. I use Walker's Quads for both range shooting and hunting, and I recommend every hunter tries them out.
The Best Hunting Gifts Under $50
On a tighter budget? Not a problem!
The following gift ideas are just as perfect as something that costs more money.
If your favorite fisherman complains about the bugs on the water or constantly comes home with bites, then the Thermacell MR300 Portable Mosquito Repeller Mossy Oak Fishing Bundle is the gift for you. This electronic Mosquito repeller creates a fifteen foot clear zone that is scent and DEET free. It’s quiet and easy to set and forget during an outing on the water. You can attach it to a backpack, tacklebox or clip it onto a boat. I have one of these and can testify that it really works!
It's easy to remember your first deer, but after so long, all of those hunts start to blend together. The Rustico Leather Hunting Log Book is the perfect gift for that person you know who goes on so many hunts it's hard to keep them all straight. The cover is made of leather so it'll last for many years and each page has a useful layout.
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.
Tree stand hunting is very effective. However, it can be dangerous to carry a firearm or bow when climbing a tree. That's why the Allen Automatic Bow and Gun Retreiver is perfect for the stand hunter in your life. It's inexpensive yet very effective. Set it up, leave the gun below, climb the tree, and raise the rifle to the stand! Tree climbing is so much more pleasant when you do not have to worry about dropping your weapon.
There are not many dry places to sit in a marsh. That's fine for ducks, with their waterproof feathers, but leads to soggy butts for duck hunters. The Northern Flight Marsh Chair solves this issue and provides a comfortably and dry place to put a posterior. It jabs into the ground and has two fold-out sections for stability, plus a shoulder strap for easy carrying.
The Most Delicious Gifts for Hunters
Food is the fastest way to most people’s hearts, and hunters are not excluded.
Try one of these tasty gifts and your hunting friend will be grinning in delight.
Hunting can be long, hungry work. Keep your hunting buddy focused on the hunt by gifting them this meat stick variety pack by Wenzel's Farm. Wenzel's Farm uses true hickory fires, not liquid smoke or artificial flavor. And each stick is made as part of a small batch so your friend gets a more delicious, handcrafted taste. You get eight pack, each with two sticks, so you can even make one purchase and share with multiple hunters if you wish!
Want to gift something more substantial than meat sticks? Why not this sausage sampler pack by Hunter's Reserve? The Taste of the Wild sampler has five hickory smoked summer sausages from just as many animals. The flavors are Elk, Bison, Venison, Wild Boar, and Classic, which has both beef and pork. Do you have a friend who is unsure of which animal to hunt? This sampler pack can help them decide which animal they find most delicious!
The Best Gifts for Bow Hunters
Not everyone hunts with a firearm. If your friend chooses the bow, consider gifting them one of these items.
Every archer needs a good target and the Hurricane H-20 is one of the best portable bag targets on the market. It's small enough for lugging it around to not be a pain but still has four targets on one side and a deer's vitals on the other side. Plus, the two sides are offset from each other so using one side won't degrade the other. The colors make it easy to see the aim points even at far ranges, making this target bag great for testing your friend's maximum range.
Upgrade your friend's hunting ability with the Hypodermic Trypan NC Arrow Head by Rage Broadheads. It's as accurate as a field point, unlike many broadheads. It also uses metal finger tabs instead of a retention collar, making this hunting point more reliable. Whether your friend hunts turkey, pig, or deer, the Hypodermic Trypan NC is the perfect arrow head for them!
Being successful when bow hunting involves a surprising amount of factors. How heavy is your arrow? Does it fly to a different point of impact when you swap the target point for a hunting point? Does that new release actually help you achieve smaller groups? Help your bow hunting friend figure all this out by gifting them a score sheet log book. They'll be able to track their results when practicing, both when experimenting with equipment and their long term practice trends. Good feedback at the target range leads to good results in the field.
There are few things more frustrating for a bow hunter than missing an animal then losing their arrow. This problem also strikes at the target range. I don't know a single archer who hasn't lost an arrow to some foliage. And those arrows can be expensive, man! Which is where light-up nocks come into the picture. They offer a bright light to help bow hunters and casual archers find their lost arrows, even in bright daylight. And Lumenok makes some of the best light-up arrow knocks.
The Best Gifts for Lady Hunters
Women who hunt can be great hunters but may experience certain difficulties men don’t face.
Here are some gifts that will speak to your lady friend. Though, you may want to have the right type of relationship if you’re going to buy one or two of these items…
An important part of hunting is the passing on of generational knowledge and sharing of wisdom. While women hunters have become more common in recent years, that hasn't always been the case. Woman in the Wild is an excellent resource to share gal-specific information about what it's like to safely enjoy the wild outdoors. It's a source of information that promotes empowerment, as opposed to certain other outdoorwomen's guides that are vaguely sexist and imply she's only out there because of a man.
The weather can be quite chilly on those cold Autumn and winter hunting days. Sometimes, normal neck gaiters just aren't enough to keep the cold out and the heat in. That's why She Outdoor makes the Infinium Windstopper neck gaiter. Made with Gore-Tex, it's windproof and waterproof on the outside and super soft on the inside. And the TrueTimber Strata camo pattern is great for those colder days.
No matter how comfortable those hunting boots are, it's always a relief to take them off after a long day hiking. But when the weather drops those camp sites can be awfully cold. And your friend won't always be able to keep her feet right up against the fire. House slippers? Outside? That's not a good idea! ThermoBall Traction Booties by The North Face are slippers, except tough, insulated, and with soles capable of handling the slippery outdoors. Help your hunting friend rest in comfort with these booties.
Outdoor hygiene can present certain difficulties. The Circe Care Pee Cloth helps to alleviate these difficulties. It's a reusable wipe that replaces toilet paper, simplifying what you need to carry. This sounds yucky at first, but it's infused with silver ions, making it antimicrobial and leaving it fresh even during long trips. The camo side is waterproof so your hands stay clean and you can snap the cloth shut to keep it discrete and protect your other gear. Help your friend practice Leave No Trace principles with a high-quality pee cloth!
Sometimes schedules coincide in a specific way and periods start in the middle of a hunting trip. That's why Animosa sells the Go with Your Flow Pack. It's a menstrual kit for women going on adventures. Available in two sizes, the kit comes in a discrete fabric pouch and contains wipes and odor-proof waste storage bags. Plus there's room for her favorite supplies.
Just Need a Stocking Stuffer for Your Hunter Friend?
Finally, here are the smallest and silliest gifts you can give to that hunter in your life.
Every hunter has felt a bit like Elmer Fudd at some point. Bring some humor to your friend's hunting kit with an Elmer Fudd patch! Whether it's duck season or rabbit season, this morale patch is sure to bring a smile.
After the hunt is over some hunters like to sit back and relax with a drink on the rocks. Why not help them enjoy their booze with a hunting themed rocks glass? I'm partial to the .308 bullet rocks glass, though BenShot does make their cups with a variety of projectiles.
Cold, windy days can lead to chapped lips. Duke Cannon has hunters covered with the Tactical Lip Balm. It's tough enough to keep lips comfortable no matter how nasty the weather gets.
And if your hunting partner lacks a stocking to stuff, well, why not get them a hunting-themed stocking? The Wooderd River McWoods Christmas Stocking is an heirloom-quality stocking that's sure to attract attention, whether it's put above the fire in a suburban home or a wooden hunting lodge. What will you choose to stuff inside this stocking?
