Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Warm ups after a quick, hard freeze are ideal times to hunt reverse migration mallards. (Ryan Askren/)

A north wind, skeins of greenheads riding it south, breaking from on high at the cut of your call, and falling into the decoys. Buddies jump up with shotguns pointed at fluttering mallards…those are mornings every duck hunter lives for—Migration Day.

Now reverse that. Mallards headed north on a south wind, racing back to the breeding grounds (so they think), but first they have to make stops along the way to feed, water, and rest. They are incredibly susceptible to being killed during this small window. Hungry and anxious to get home, tough late-season mallards turn into fresh birds.

When to Expect the Reverse Migration

How can you get on a hunt like this? Reverse migrations of mallards and geese can occur just about anywhere you get a hard freeze followed by a quick warm up. If you live in a state where that kind of weather occurs regularly during the season, then you are likely going to see greenheads and geese funnel back from the south. I’ve seen it happen from October in South Dakota to January in Kansas. Hell, one of the best Canada goose flights I’ve ever witnessed took place during a sunny morning on Long Island, New York, two days after the temperature dipped below freezing and a foot of snow fell.

Be ready for the birds trickling back north, because the window to hunt them is going to be short. (Ryan Askren/)

How to Prepare Your Hunt

Congratulations, you finally convinced that friend, partner or family member to try hunting. Now give them a Christmas gift that’s meaningful and functional. We’re assuming that your new hunter already has a subscription to Outdoor Life. [If not, well, here’s the link.] But once that’s covered, we’ve lined out perfect gift options for a newbie hunter that will help ensure that first hunting season leads to another, which leads to another. From penny-saving (and also life-saving) orange caps to engravable folding knives to inspirational hunting books, we’ve got you covered.

RELATED: Buy Your Hunting Mentor a Gift They Will Treasure Forever

Badlands Gear Pursuit Backpack

Bigger packs are nice if your new hunter plans on carrying a load of gear or sleeping in the backcountry, but for now, go with a bag that does it all and weighs in at just under 2 pounds. (Badlands/)

Unless you intend to go on every hunt with your new recruit, and carry enough supplies for the both of you, think about gifting the Pursuit backpack. It’s light, durable and has just enough pockets to keep gear organized, but it’s also simple enough that nothing will get lost. It’s as handy for chasing rabbits as it is elk. The pack has a reservoir for a water bladder, that will keep your newbie hydrated. Bigger packs are nice if your new hunter plans on carrying a load of gear or sleeping in the backcountry, but for now, go with a bag that does it all and weighs in at just under 2 pounds.

Buck Knives 110 Folding Hunter Knife

Fred Zink success in a shallow-water marsh. (Plano Synergy/)

Ask Fred Zink for tips on decoying waterfowl and you’d better be ready because he can unleash a torrent of information that he’s gleaned from his experiences as a champion caller, decoy and hunting blind designer, and founder of Zink Calls. I asked, and here’s what came through the floodgates.

1. You Have to Get Right on the X

Know the precise location of where ducks and geese want to be is key to setting up on the X. (Plano Synergy/)

The most important aspect of decoying ducks and geese is location, says Zink. But you’re going to have to be more specific than that if you want to consistently take waterfowl.

“Knowing the exact spot is important, but just part of the whole puzzle,” he says. “There is always an exact location where ducks and geese want to be because of available food or cover—whether it’s ducks in shallow water or geese in a field. There are areas in that field that are fed out and there are areas in that field where there’s still food. Those birds, whether they be ducks or geese, want to be right there. That is where you set your decoys.”

2. Plan For Hunting Traffic Birds

Bigger shells mean more pellets. However, that might not necessarily translate into the best gauge to use. (Ron Spomer/)

The 12-gauge shotgun is the most versatile, effective one-gun solution for all hunting — but that doesn’t mean it’s ideal for all shotgunning. Sometimes a 20 gauge and even a little 28 gauge can be the better tool. Let’s see if we can figure out why.

How Shotguns Perform

First, a few basics. Unlike rifles, shotguns do not generally use rifled barrels. You can put a rifled barrel on them and shoot single projectiles, called slugs, but in this article we want to investigate shotguns for hunting flying birds. That means throwing shot, a bunch of small pellets. And that requires a special shot shell.

Fundamentally, a shotshell consists of a hull with a primer in the bottom. You pour powder atop the primer, push a plastic wad over it to keep the powder isolated from what comes next — the shot. The plastic “over-powder” wad these days includes a shot cup which holds most of the pellets and protects them from scraping the steel barrel walls on their trip out. Seal the end of this shell by folding it over and there’s your ammo.

When you fire a shotshell the firing pin strikes the primer and detonates it. It shoots a small flame into the main powder charge. This oxidizes (burns) and expands so much and so quickly that it shoves the payload of shot out the barrel, usually at around 1,200 feet per second (fps) to as fast as 1,700 fps.

Michael Hunsucker sets up a Dave Smith deer decoy on private land in Iowa. (Heartland Bowhunter/)

How many times have you been in a treestand, seen a shooter buck in the distance and thought, “man, I hope that deer comes my way?” If the answer is never, you’re a dang liar. All of us have been in that scenario. And if you are a new deer hunter, you soon will be. The buck you’ve been watching on trail cams for months steps out of the timber with a group of does and there’s no way to bring him into bow range. Or, hell, a booner you have never set eyes on suddenly shows up in the field and stays out in the middle of the cut corn, feeding, and then disappears into the woods forever.

What if you could have more control of situations like these? Heck, have a fighting chance? With a buck decoy, you can. It’s just a matter of know-how and when to use one (don’t use it on public land or during rifle season). Josh Tatum, a Kansas hunter and cameraman, and Michael Hunsucker of Heartland Bowhunter have been utilizing decoys for years with success. Whether you are shooting cull bucks or targeting a monster whitetail, these tips can bring more deer into your stand.

The Right Way to Set a Decoy

Tatum has been hunting the Flint Hills of Kansas his whole life. It is a unique mix of wide-open spaces, timber stands and river bottoms. You can have enough open country to watch a deer walk a mile one day and be sitting in an oak tree the next in the thickest thicket. A deer decoy can work in both scenarios.

“One of my best setups is to set a treestand where a buck cannot get behind me,” Tatum said. “I’ll set the decoy facing me about 20 yards away with the wind blowing in my face.”

You hear it all the time: Buy the most expensive optics you can afford, and then plunk down an additional 50 percent. The reason is that with sporting optics—riflescopes, binoculars, and spotting scopes—price is a pretty good proxy for quality.

At least, it used to be. I’m happy to report that the price tag of an optic is no longer a reliable barometer for its quality. Improvements in manufacturing processes have evened the quality of the glass and coatings that are the heart of an optic as well as the gearing, housing, and finish that make an optic pleasant to operate.

You can pay several thousand dollars for a European binocular, and expect best-in-class performance. But you can also pay a fraction of that price and expect a very good optic that was made in China, or Malaysia. The market is also awash in junk, products that might wear the logo of a premium brand but are manufactured in facilities that produce worst-in-class products for a wide variety of brands.

What does this all mean to you? Buyer beware. Educate yourself on how to differentiate good optics at a fair price from brands that might also sell premium products at premium prices as well as subpar products at elevated prices. But don’t dismiss products simply because their price is too good to believe. This gift guide features those optics that deliver excellent performance for a fair price.

Leupold Freedom 3-9x40 • $199

The price of guns has risen over the years, but it’s mostly due to inflation. (Tyler Freel/)

There’s a story my uncle is fond of telling, in which as a young man, he asked his uncle something about “the good ol’ days.” His uncle, who grew up in a mountain cabin during the depression, replied by pulling a McDonald’s senior citizen free coffee card from his wallet. “You see this?” He asked. “I can go into McDonalds any time I want and get a free cup of coffee,” he added. “These are the good ol’ days.”

We live in a time of amazing technological advances, and guns are no exception. The price of those guns has also advanced, and it leaves many folks feeling that the normal working man can’t afford many of them. This sentiment is boldly apparent in the digital content of today. Look at the comments on just about any gun review or roundup, and you are likely to see some discontent expressed as to the cost of said guns. We know that prices in the past were much lower, but does that really mean many of these guns have gone beyond reasonable prices? To objectively figure that out, we must take into account inflation, median income levels, and also the quality of the products we’re talking about.

We know that gun prices over time have gone up, but to get a reasonably accurate look at whether or not they are more expensive to the buyer; we need to track that over time. I dug through some old issues of Outdoor Life, looking for gun ads with a retail price listed. I looked for guns that still have an equivalent model in production today for a more accurate comparison. Granted, some of the guns have undergone significant changes in that time, and some may be considered not as well-made, but in theory, it’s as close to the same gun as we can get. Compare prices then and now, and compare it to what the old price would be at today’s inflation rate, and you have a crude idea of whether or not that gun has become more expensive.

Let’s start with one of the classic deer rifles, the Marlin 336C in .30-30. In 1949, this lever gun was advertised for $61.45, creeping up to $89.95 in 1965, and $694 today. It seems like quite the drastic increase for the same rifle, but that $61.45 in today’s dollars is right around $704. In 1957, a Remington 870 Wingmaster would cost you $85.95, going up to $847 today, a bit over the inflation adjusted price of $787. Another American Staple, the Ruger 10/22’s price tag read $54.50 in 1965, that’s $445 today, but you can pick up the same model carbine for $309.

Just as in the past, there are now higher end, or more specialized (and expensive) rifles. A Winchester model 70 African was $295 in 1957, while the equivalent rifle in 2019 is $1,559. If we went by the rate of inflation, that rifle should cost $2,078. A modern higher-end production rifle like the Browning X-Bolt Pro Tungsten will cost you a hefty $2,219, which would have been $272 in 1957. Considering the performance and quality of manufacturing you’re getting, you can’t say it isn’t a competitive price (in either era).

They taught you how to hunt, the right gear to use, and even how to walk quietly through the woods. What will you give them this holiday season?

It’s a pretty good bet your mentor didn’t introduce you to hunting for any material reward. They did it to pass on their knowledge, and probably because they recognized something in you that encouraged them that you’d perpetuate the tradition. Still, it’s more than a nice gesture to get your mentor something for the holidays. It’s a recognition that you appreciate all the time and attention they poured into you.

The gift you select will be as individual as the relationship with your mentor, but here are some ideas that any hunter, especially one who has spent a lifetime in the field, will appreciate.

onX Digital Map Subscription • $119 (per year)

onX Digital Map Subscription • $119 (per year) (onX Maps/)

What better gift can you give a hunter than the gift of bearing. An annual premium subscription to onX provides state-specific maps that detail public-land boundaries, private landowner names, and overlays like hunt-unit boundaries, CWD areas, and even the dates of forest fires, so you can target elk and deer in succulent green-up areas. Make sure you buy a subscription to the correct state!

The author with a great post-rut Oklahoma buck. (Michael Hanback/)

A few years ago in North Dakota, the entire month of November was warm, with hardly any snow. “Needless to say, the rut was tough,” says resident bowhunter Derek Plautz.

Plautz hunted hard for weeks without seeing a shooter buck. But in early December, the weather cooled down, snow flew, and the deer started moving. With two days left in the season, Plautz checked his trail camera. Finally, a big 10-point.

He didn’t have a tree stand in the area, so he built a little brush blind behind a fallen tree and climbed in for the evening hunt. Deer started moving and soon here came Big Ten, bronze antlers glinting in the fading light. When the buck crossed at 30 yards, Derek let fly. The deer kicked like a mule and ran, but it didn’t go far.

“What a great way to end a weird season,” Derek says. “I got to hunt for weeks and then cap it off with a big buck at the very end!”

A hunt like Derek’s is becoming the norm rather than the exception across North America. My observation and theory: As temperatures have gotten warmer in late October and November, deer patterns are gradually changing. While does and bucks still breed in mid-November as they always have, they tend to move less in daylight and more during cooler nights.

Editor’s Note: Bjorn Dihle is a hunter and writer based out of Juneau, Alaska. This fall, he and his hunting partners made a film about deer hunting in the Tongass National Forest, which could become exempt from Roadless Rule protections. The comment period on removing the Tongass from Roadless is open until 12/17. Leave your comment here.

At the beginning of a Sitka blacktail deer hunt last August, I followed a well-worn brown bear trail to a salmon stream on Chichagof Island in northern Southeast Alaska. I was hunting with my close friend Forest Wagner and filmmaker Ben Hamilton. The watershed we were in was part of the 26,000-square-mile Tongass National Forest, the largest intact temperate rainforest left on Earth. A bear appeared beneath the root wad of a fallen spruce. It walked closer, lifting its nose and trying to catch our scent before sauntering away. We studied a nameless mountain rising into the swirling gray clouds. Tomorrow we’d climb to the alpine with the hopes of shooting a buck or two.

That night Ben, Forest, and I sat near a fire listening to the ocean lap onto the beach. I’d agreed to be part of this film after it became clear the U.S. Forest Service, under orders from the Trump administration, was about to abolish the 2001 Roadless Rule in the Tongass. Stripping Roadless Rule protections would open up 185,000 acres of Southeast Alaska’s last old growth rainforest for clear-cut logging and destroy critical habitat for bears, salmon, and deer. If it happens, hunters and fishermen for generations to come will lose the opportunity to pursue their way of life. I grew up eating Sitka blacktail and salmon, the lifeblood of the Tongass. Now, I feed these same foods to my nine-month-old son. Without the Roadless Rule, the woods and mountains my family have utilized for three generations may no longer be huntable.

The author hunting blacktail deer in Alaska's Tongass National Forest. (Ben Hamilton/)

I’d chosen the mountain we were hunting for two reasons. One, much of the area around it had been logged. To open its remaining stands of old growth trees to clear-cut logging would essentially make it so people could not hunt the area in the decades to come. Two, some biologists believe it’s one of the most bear-dense mountains in the Tongass. Brown bears are the soul of this country. It had been no small thing for Forest to agree to be part of this project. A fellow lifelong Alaskan, he’s the only person I know who has fought a brown bear while falling off a mountain and survived. He’d never talked about it to the press, although reporters from media stations around the world had hounded him. It was much easier for Forest to venture into dense brown bear country than talk about the attack. With the future of the Tongass in jeopardy, however, he made an exception for this film.

Read Next: The Forest Service Wants to Open 9.2 Million Roadless Acres to Potential Logging. Here’s Your Chance to Say Something About It

Joe Weimer with his giant Missouri nontypical. (Joe Weimer/)

The day Joe Weimer’s daughter was born, he was intensely focused on killing a giant Missouri nine-point he thought (but wasn’t 100 percent sure) was the same buck he couldn’t connect on earlier that season after an arrow clipped a pin oak limb in front of his stand. Weimer had the deer on camera, but had not seen it in months until he spotted the buck on an afternoon goose scout in early January 2019.

There were only days left in the season and a big snowstorm was on its way. It was all lining up. After months of anguish, thinking about where the buck had gone, Jan. 10, was going to be the day. He was in the doc’s office for a routine check on the health of the baby, and couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there, and back in a tree. But plans changed and his lovely—and understanding—wife had to make an emergency delivery.

“I had the stand set and knew where the buck was coming from, but Hillary called and said we had a doctor’s appointment, and it turned out the baby had to be delivered that day,” Weimer said. “Then, after the baby came we got snowed in at the hospital for two extra days, and by then the season was over.”

Ten months later, after a whole lot more waiting, work, downright obsession, and 30 straight days of sitting in a stand, Weimer would finally tag that buck, which was now a 197-inch non-typical. To kill it, he had forsaken everything outside of deer hunting, left friends wondering if he’d lost his mind. Here’s how he did it.

Determination Turns to Obsession

Examine deer pellets carefully. They can provide valuable insight about the current hot food source. (Jace Bauserman/)

Face it, we hunters we are infatuated with feces—especially when it comes to whitetails. It’s for good reason, too. There is a lot to discover from it. Here are 10 facts about deer pellets that you might not know, but can help you put venison in the freezer.

1. Deer Poop—A lot

Wildlife biologists agree that deer defecate roughly 13 times per day during the fall months. If you consider a family group of deer consisting of two does and three fawns, it amounts to 65 different excretions during a single day. As hunters, we often build our deer hotspots around rubs and scrapes. A bad plan? No, but if you find a trail lined with pellets, you should take notice. One of my best Colorado whitetail stands isn’t on a rub or scrape line, but rather in a spot where deer pellets traditionally abound. When I discovered it, I did a hang-and-hunt in the area and saw 14 different deer. Over time, as I learned the property more, I came to realize that the area is a major staging zone used by the deer just before heading out to the big ag fields for the evening.

Bucks tend to drop more pellets than does. If you have the time, perform a count. (Jace Bauserman/)

2. Buck Or Doe?

Many hunters believe that they can tell the sex of a deer by the size or shape of their pellets. I’m one of them. Earlier this season, I watched a large buck tend a doe in a massive sea of tamarack. The duo was unapproachable, and despite my best grunts and snort-wheezes, I couldn’t get the brute to come investigate. Days later, I checked the area out. I found a number of piles of long, formed droppings along with countless piles of smaller-sized pellets. Their size and length allowed me to easily distinguish between buck and doe droppings. Many top researchers do suggest that the length of a formed pile can suggest buck or doe, especially when dealing with a mature buck.

Peruse this collection of deals, find something for everyone on your list, and wrap a bow around your 2019 shopping season. (Susanne Jutzeler/)

If you’ve been good this year, you can count on Santa to come through with everything you put on your wish list. If you haven’t, well, enjoy the coal and better luck next year. I’m likely a member of the coal class of 2019, so unless I email someone a link pointing to exactly what I want slid under the tree, then it ain’t going to happen.

That’s why you’ve got to love Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the other promotions retailers can conjure before December 25. To help easy your shopping stress load, we’re continually combing the internet for the best deals available and uploading that info here. That means you need to refresh the page often as bargains appear (or disappear) so you don’t miss the best deals of the season. When it’s all over, you’ll have finished your shopping without the annual migraine headache, and you can feel free to get something nice for yourself. You’ve earned it.

Please Note: Some deals last for a limited time or may sell out. We’ll do our best to remove those products from this list, but with so much happening, we may get a little behind.

Fishing

Plano B-Series 3600 Mossy Oak Manta Tackle Bag – Price: $37Pelican Elite 30-Quart Cooler – Price: $169Plano Angled Guide Series Stowaway Tackle Box – Price: $65Piscifun Waterproof Dry Bag Backpacks – Price: $15 to $35Shakespeare Complete Panfish Spincast Rod and Reel Combo – Price: $18Pflueger 8-foot Fly Fishing Starter Combo – Price: $30Wakeman Outdoors Single Tray Tackle Box with 55 Pieces – Price: $14Shakespeare Ugly Stick Saltwater Spin Fishing Kit – Price: $31Humminbird Helix 5 Sonar G2 Fishfinder – Price: $180Shakespeare Fuel Ice Fishing Rod and Spinning Reel Combo – Price: $15South Bend WormGear Tackle Box with 88 Pieces – Price: $10Berkley Cherrywood HD Spinning Reel and Rod Combo – Price: $40Flambeau Premium Tuff Krate Kayak Tackle Storage – Price: $45Shakespeare Wild Series Walleye Spinning Reel and Rod Combo – Price: $40Plano Guide Series Five-utility Pro System Tackle Box – Price: $40Abu Garcia Catfish Commando Baitcast Reel and Rod Combo – Price: $66Abu Garcia Silver Max Low Profile Baitcast Reel – Price: $66PENN Warfare Star Drag Conventional Fishing Reel – Price: $66Quantum Icon PT Baitcast Reel – Price: $60Berkley Jumbo Fishing Cart – Price: $155Minn Kota Endura C2 30-lb. Thrust 30-inch Transom Trolling Motor – Price: $93Classic Accessories Roanoke Pontoon Fishing Boat – Price: $200Minn Kota Endura MAX 55-lb. Thrust 42-inch Transom Trolling Motor – Price: $200Cabela’s Prestige Fly Fishing Combo – Price: $100Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Baitcast Reel – Price: $125Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Spinning Reel – Price: $70Bass Pro Shop XPS Hardbait Kit – Price: $10

Hunting

The author sets up on a self-filmed hunt. (Tony Hansen /)

The camera never lies. Unless you really know how to edit...then, well, it can.

I’ve spent my fair share of time in the woods with a video camera. Sometimes, I was there to lay down footage of someone else trying to fill a tag on whatever critter was in season. Other times, I was the one in front of the lens, working in tandem with a cameraman to deliver something folks would want to watch.

But, lately, it’s been a solo show. Just me, the camera and whatever happens to saunter by. While the end goal of capturing whatever transpires on video is the same, the two methods for getting there could hardly be more different.

Most hunters aren’t going to have a dedicated cameraman on the majority of outings. Sure, you may team up with a buddy from time to time. But, for the most part, the everyday hunter is going to self-film. If you’re new to the self-filming game, pause for a minute and thank those lucky stars overhead. You’ve got it damned good.

Today’s technology and equipment make it infinitely easier to capture your hunt on video. I’ve been around just long enough to know what it was like before the advent of micro-sized cameras and specialized self-filming tools. Which means I’ve learned a few tips and tricks that might help you out. Here’s seven to get you started.

While you’re preparing to feast on Thanksgiving dinner, the fattest muskie and pike that swim in your local river are moving to the shallows for a feast of their own.

This season of really big, really aggressive esox is short. Fly fishing guides Rebekka Redd, Luke Swanson, and Harry Desmond have learned to take full advantage, tailoring their tactics for this special opportunity at a giant. Use their tactics to find a monster before ice-up, or spend the rest of the dark, cold Winter with regrets.

Slow Down When the Temperatures Drop

“Cooling temps bring on ‘survival mode’ in pike, meaning they are aggressively feeding in preparation for Winter,” says Rebekka Redd, of Rebekka Redd Fly Fishing. “A slow presentation with large flies has proven to be successful.”

That survival mode in pike and muskie has them zeroed in on baitfish, trying to fatten up for the winter. Your fly should behave like their forage. “Essentially your fly is mimicking cold temperature affected bait fish, meaning they are lethargic,” says Redd. “Slow your retrieves and lengthen your pauses.”

Who can forget the iconic phrase from A Christmas Story, “Don’t shoot your eye out.” It’s hard to believe, but Red Ryder BB guns have been in production for 80 years, and to celebrate, Daisy created an anniversary edition. Get one for a young shooter in your life. —$25 (Daisy/)

I’ve never been a fan of shopping. It’s likely one of my least favorite things to do. Negotiating the traffic and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other customers in a store, only to realize the one thing I’m looking for is out-of-stock, is enough to give anyone the bah-humbugs.

Thankfully, online shopping is easier than ever, and because so many promotions begin before Black Friday officially commences, like the ones listed here from Walmart, you can get all your gifts ordered and shipped without taking a step outside. Peruse these categories, find something for the outdoorsman or woman in your life, and free up more time to gobble up Thanksgiving leftovers.

Trailcameras

Spypoint 12 MP Link Dark V Cellular Trail Camera—$300

Bushnell Trophy Cam HD 20MP—$70

I’ve always loved camping, but ever since I’ve had kids, the notion of what and what doesn’t constitute as a camping trip has changed. In years past, it meant sleeping in the dirt and chasing big game or alpine trout. Now it includes makeshift backyard adventures and overnights a stone’s throw from the truck tailgate. But it all revolves around that ever-important takeaway we all want to bring home from every adventure—memories. If that sounds like you, a friend, or a family member, here are a few gift ideas that can help create more memoirs in 2020, and several years after.

OtterBox Elevation Tumbler Mug

OtterBox Elevation Tumbler Mug • Price: $25 (OtterBox/)

Camping and warm beverages go hand in hand. Whether your poison is coffee, hot chocolate, tea, or maybe even a warm "adult" blend like cider and spiced rum, the best way to stay comfortable on those chilly nights and mornings is to heat the body from the inside out. To prevent drinks from cooling, you and everyone else in your camp need a mug built to keep hot drink hot, and the OtterBox's Elevation Tumbler does just that. Made of 100 percent stainless steel, there's an internal copper ring that keeps contents at an ideal temperature, and the outer coating doesn't sweat or leave rings on countertops. A leak-proof lid is included and it's available in five different colors so you can assign one to each person in camp for the duration of your adventure, which helps cut down on dish duty.

Coleman Dome Tent with Screen Room

Coleman Dome Tent with Screen Room • Price: $140 (Coleman/)

In recent years, it's become more difficult to sneak away with my boys on a quick, two-night turnaround camping trip. School, sporting events, and other obligations seem to be soaking up the vast majority of their Friday's, Saturdays, and Sundays. Thankfully, we've been able to adapt by overnighting in the backyard—and it's a blast! I don't have to haul gear all over Hell's half acre, the "outhouse" conditions are five-star, and if the weather turns rotten, we don't have to suffer through it. We've also discovered a big tent, like Coleman's Dome Tent, makes a big difference. It's easy to erect and take down, there's enough room inside for us to move around our cots, and the cost didn't burn through my gear budget. If there's someone in your family looking for a solid car-camping shelter, or a kid just begging for more time under the stars, the Coleman Dome tent is a terrific option.

Sure, the coolest survival gear items are knives, guns, and

Sure, the survival gear that gets the most attention are the flashy items like knives and fire starters. But the simple everyday items, like zip ties, tarps, and even steel wool are going to be more useful in the long run. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, these are the items you should look to order online. Doing so will save you some cash, but it could also save your life.

15. Altoids

These curiously strong candies can freshen your breath and leave you with a versatile container for many survival projects. (Altoids/)

With plenty of flavors to choose, there will be an Altoids product for every palate. Once the candy is gone, then you’ll have the real treasure—that metal tin. Empty Altoids tins have been used to make excellent char cloth boxes for flint and steel fire making. They also make great survival kits and first-aid boxes. We can even turn them into a “survival stove” by filling them with cardboard strips and melted wax. Just leave a little piece of cardboard sticking up above the wax level and you’ll be able to light the stove with an open flame. If there’s still fuel left when your cooking is done, close the lid and snuff out the flames (just let the molten wax cool down for a few minutes before you put the tin back in your pocket).

14. Water Key

Black Friday, historically one of (if not the) busiest shopping days of the year, is almost upon us, and over the next 48 hours, lines will begin forming at the front doors of retailers nationwide. Trying to get in on the action can be a maddening, stressful experience—but it doesn’t have to be.

To help ease your stress load, the good folks at Bass Pro Shops are making some of their best promotions available early. Today through Sunday, you can save some serious coin, and get the majority of your gifts purchase without leaving home. Here is a short list of some of their best bargains.

Save $130 and help someone begin processing their own wild game with the Ultimate Processing Package, which includes the Cabela’s #5 meat grinder, Heavy-duty Vacuum Sealer, Heavy Duty Slicer, and Harvest 5-Tier Dehydrator. (price: $200; reg: $330) (Bass Pro Shops/)
Save 60% on RedHead Lined Shirt Jackets. (price: $18; reg: $45) (Bass Pro Shops/)
Save $80 on Cabela’s Prestige fly-fishing outfits. (price: $100; reg: $180)
Save $75 on Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Baitcast Reels. (price: $125; reg: $200)
Save $50 on Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Spinning Reels. (price: $70; reg: $120)
Save $180 on Garmin 64st Handheld GPS units. (price: $170; reg: $350)
Save 50% on Ascend Ladies’ Sweater Fleece Full-zip Jackets. (price: $38; reg: $75)
Save 25% on your choice of Under Armour Specialist Henleys, Fleece Half-zip Jackets, and Armour Fleece Hunt Hoodies.
Save $10 on Bass Pro Shops Folding Fillet tables. (price: $80; reg: $90)
Save $70 on Pelican Protector Wheeled Double Cases. (price: $200; reg: $270)
Save $300 on Cabela’s Classic E-lock 48-gun Safes. (price: $1,300; reg: $1,600)
Save 40% on XPS Hardbait kits. (price:$ 10; reg: $16)
Save $230 on Leupold RX-1600i TBR Rangefinders. (price: $250; reg: $480)
Buy 1, get 1 free on Spypoint LINK-S Solar Cellular Trailcameras. (Bass Pro Shops/)
Save 40% on Toilet Paper blasters Skid Shot Spitball Guns. (price: $15; reg: $25)
Save 25% on Columbia Basin Trail Fleece Long Sleeve Pullovers. (price: $38; reg: $50)

To help you get a jump on your Black Friday and holiday shopping for your favorite outdoorsman or outdoorswoman, here are some deals that are available NOW through Cyber Monday (December 2, 2019).

BioLite

Save up to 35% on BioLite products. (BioLite/)

Save up to 35% on BioLite products, including the FirePit complete kit, the Energy Bundle+, CampStove 2 bundles (includes a FREE CoffeePress), HL330 headlamps, and all BioLite swag.

SPOT

Save $50 on all SPOT devices. (SPOT/)

Save $50 on all SPOT devices. If you know someone that is reluctant to carry a GPS into the backcountry but likes knowing help can arrive in the event of an emergency, this is the gift for them.