A common misconception among spouses and girlfriends of outdoorsmen is that the hunter or fisherman in their life already has every gadget, product or accessory ever manufactured.
True? Of course not.
Outdoorsmen prefer ammo over neckties - and lures over almost anything. But each holiday season brings new opportunities to seek out unique and compelling gifts for those who fill the freezers with venison and fish fillets.
Admittedly, not everyone can swing a Hummer H2 with OnStar and computerized rear wheelbase suspension ($52,395 plus tax), but there are plenty of other options to bring a warm glow to your loved one's face.
A glimpse at local sporting goods stores (and a few other places) brings up a few trendy suggestions:
• For the music lover, there is the Johnny Stewart Prey Master - a tiny stereo, complete with loudspeaker, and already programmed with some of nature's greatest hits: Pleading Chicken, Desperate Cottontail, Wild Pig Distress and even a rendition of Distressed Rodent. Cost: $199.95.
• Cold feet have been a perennial complaint since prehistoric man first crawled out of caves. Rocky Charger Warmgear offers electric boots ($229.95) with rechargeable batteries built into each ankle in a lightweight, sealed, waterproof case. They even have a thermostat.
• Anglers and hunters enjoy another product that has been in such demand that most retailers are perpetually out of stock and waiting for more. The ThermaCELL ($36.99) is a butane-powered mosquito repellent that has earned a reputation of being both odorless and effective.
• For the outdoorsman and trophy hunter who may indeed have everything, the Augusta Museum of History has something not often found in Augusta: a mounted buffalo.
"He's in perfect condition," said museum curator Gordon Blaker. The creature was once part of a display, but has been declared surplus by the museum's trustees, meaning is it for sale.
The price: $3,995. "He's even on wheels," Blaker said. "If you get tired of him in the dining room, you can roll him right into the den."
• Another gift option: a guided fishing trip. Local guides who work lakes Thurmond or Russell often load the boats for their clients. The cost ranges from $150 to more than $600 for a large group, but it's a wholesome way to spend a day with kids.
FEWER GATORS: Georgia's second alligator season yielded plenty of interest but a reduced hunter success rate due perhaps to tropical weather that flooded much of the habitat opened for the September season.
Greg Waters, coordinator of Georgia's alligator program, reported a harvest of 99 gators this season from the 300 permittees drawn by lottery from among thousands of applications. The success rate was barely 33 percent.
During 2003, when the Wildlife Resources Division held its first-ever gator season, 184 permits were issued, yielding a harvest of 74 gators - or a 40 percent success rate. This year's season expanded the hunting areas from five to eight zones.
BUSSEY POINT DEER: The Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled one final hunt at the Bussey Point Wildlife Management Area in Lincoln County, which has produced some outstanding bucks this season.
The Dec. 17 muzzleloader hunt will be limited to 100 hunters with a bag limit of two deer, of which one must be a doe and the other must be a quality buck with four or more points on at least one side. Gate hours will be from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sundown and check-in is required.
For more information contact Corps of Engineers, 1-800-533-3478.
Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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