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Jesse's Hunting > Hunting Articles > Hunting Gear > Stuffing the Stocking - Christmas is Around the Corner
Stuffing the Stocking - Christmas is Around the Corner
Phillip Loughlin - JHO ProStaff/Editor
- SF Bay Area, CA
October 29, 2007
I know, it really seems early to be thinking about this, but the fact is, time flies! Besides, since the JHO Journal only comes out once a month, it'll be too late to do your Christmas shopping by the time the next edition comes out.
So with that in mind, I've been doing a little poking around. I'm sure everyone has their own ideas about that special gift, whether it's a new rifle, a cool out-of-state hunt, or maybe a new hunting rig. But what if you're in the position of playing St Nick this year? How are you gonna stuff those stockings?
Books and videos are a perfect way to go. Here are a couple I've had the opportunity to get a closer look at, and they're out just in time for the Holidays.
Pocket Field Dressing Guide
Clear description and instruction for field dressing any North American game. |
From Stoeger Press, The Pocket Field Dressing Guide, by Capt. James A. Smith, is one of several "pocket guides" from this publisher. The guide is a nice, handbook-sized book loaded with very clear instructions on field-dressing pretty much anything you'll encounter in the US. Even though I've done my share of animals, some of what I read in the little book will definitely be helpful when I get ready to do my next animal. For a new hunter, I think these instructions could be really useful... although you may want to do your studying before you have an animal on the ground. You wouldn't want to bloody the pages of this excellent guide.
Politically Incorrect Guide To Hunting
Frank Miniter's book provides powerful ammunition for hunters to counter the anti-hunting platform. |
I have to admit I was a little biased against this book when it first came out. The book is promoted as "ammunition" for the debate against anti-hunters. When I first read the blurbs and out-takes, I expected the book to rely too heavily on stereotypes and generalizations against anti-hunters, with very little real substance to support hunting as a sport or wildlife management technique.
I've been involved on various levels in the pro/con debate about hunting for a long time, and I've seen a lot of foolish and innaccurate information passed around from both camps. The anti-hunters play on emotion, and far too often, the pro-hunting argument stems from the same source. The trap is that pro-hunters start preaching to the antis, which is a lost cause. Our audience should be the non-hunting public, and emotional arguments are not going to sway them... we need logic, and empirical data.
Miniter stays real close to the line in his book, but he does manage to provide solid arguments for hunting, as well as examples of cases where the anti-hunters' approaches have failed while hunters have succeeded. This is the kind of knowledge hunters should have if we're going to talk to the non-hunting public. It allows us to address the challenges to our sport in a logical manner, and to provide examples that support our position.
The book does read more like an extended column than a book, per se, but it's quite readable and informative. Good stuff, and worth a spot in any hunter's Christmas stocking.
Videos fit well in a stocking as well.
About the only time I watch hunting videos is when I'm staying at a well-appointed hunting camp. Even then, they're usually only background while we're sitting back by the fire socializing after the hunt. However, what I have seen has been a wide mix of good and bad.
At any rate, when the folks from Hunters Specialties sent out the release announcement for Prime Time Bulls - 5, I decided to take a review copy and see what I thought.
The video was really great! I was surprised, as the hunts didn't really come across as especially staged, the action was good and well-filmed, and best (to me)... the guys were shooting "normal" elk. With one exception, all of the bulls killed on this video were realistic-looking animals, taken under fair chase, wild conditions. This was a welcome relief from the stacks of videos and TV shows where the only thing deemed "worthy" had to be 350-class or better.
I'll be taking a look at more of their offerings in the near future, and will post up my recommendations then. In the meantime, I definitely think Primetime Bulls 5 will be a welcome discovery when the hunter on your list dumps that stocking on the hearth, come Christmas morning.
One other item I had a chance to review this past season is a little big for the stocking. It's the Konus Pro rifle scope. I saw these guys at SHOT this past winter, and was really intrigued by the concept of the reticule being etched into the glass. This means you should never be able to break a reticule, regardless of what kind of recoil your rifle or shotgun delivers. In fact, Konus offers a pretty strong warranty...even a challenge... against reticule breakage. (I think smashing it with a hammer will void the warranty, though.)
Konus Pro 3-10x44
A real good scope for the money. Perfect for the hunter on a budget, and good enough for the rest of us too. |
I picked out the Konus Pro 3-10x44 for my review. Priced at under $200, I figured I'd compare this against the stack of Tasco scopes I have in my safe. In this price range, I figured it's a good buy for the budget-minded hunter. After spending time using this scope, though, I'd have to upgrade that from "good" to "excellent"!
I found the Konus clarity and brightness to be significantly better than the 3-9x50 Tasco World Class scope I currently have on a .270. I also found that it kept that clarity throughout the range of magnification, while the Tasco tended to blur a bit at the higher end.
On a whim, I also compared the Konus to a couple of my Leupold VX-II 3-9x40 scopes. To my eye, and without scientific equipment, the quality seemed pretty close. I think the extra diameter of the 44mm objective lens may have helped out the Konus in this comparison, but it was still pretty good.
In the world of hunting optics, the addage that "You get what you pay for" holds a lot of truth. But everyone can't drop the cash to buy a $1000 scope. For folks with a more modest budget, the Konus offers a good, solid scope that should serve perfectly well in any hunting condition.
I hope these ideas will help you prepare, as the Christmas rush will begin in a couple of weeks. The JHO Journal will bring you more gift ideas next month!
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