Christmas ideas for that special outdoors person on your list
With Christmas fast approaching, it’s time to begin thinking of all the gifts to be considered for us to assist Santa with his plans for family and friends so everyone can enjoy a merry time come Christmas morning. For my family, first thoughts are always about hunting and camping equipment for our favorite hunts we’ll get in on this coming year. My bet is anyone who loves the outdoors would be tickled pink (or blue) with camping or hunting gear to make for great times in the outdoors.
One suggestion for the hunter or angler, would be a 2019 license — single or combo. By getting the combo license for both hunting and fishing, it would be a gift greatly appreciated. If you plan to get a license for a youngster, how about taking him or her to the next hunter safety education class being held at the Yuma Regional office of Game and Fish or at Sprague’s Sports. There is endless information to learn that would help make a hunt productive, and for those who have already taken the course, the second time around is a great refresher. Be sure to check out all the books and the Arizona Wildlife Views magazine at Game and Fish while you’re at it — any of them would be of great value to any outdoorsman, woman or older child.
Do a share of window shopping at sports dealers in the Yuma area. There are so many ideas for gifts of value for any of us who venture outdoors even if it’s just for a short camp out or fishing outing. For stocking stuffers, check with Game and Fish about a free copy of the 2018 Urban Fishing Program Guidebook as well as a copy of new fishing regulations for your fisherman or woman. Something new again this year is the fishing license for Arizona military families, active and retired, available at Game and Fish as well as license dealers. Also an endless variety of tents, extra warm sleeping bags (for northern Arizona areas), really warm jackets or clothing (don’t forget thermal underwear or wool socks) and boots for the cold country, sleeping cots, lanterns, cook stoves and utensils, dutch ovens, cast iron skillets, fishing equipment, hunting rifles and pistols, as well as archery equipment. The list of possibilities never ends. If your sportsman enjoys a good, hot cup of coffee, Coleman has a 12-cup coffee pot that sits on your camp stove top that makes an excellent cup of coffee to warm the bones.
A nifty gift for any youngster is giving of your time by accompanying him or her to an outdoor camp (check hunt happenings below for camps coming up after the new year). Another valuable gift of your time would include taking your youngster fishing — a world of fun for any child to learn some of the tricks of the trade (add that fishing pole and/or tackle box with lures or live baits to a Christmas list of things youngsters would enjoy). Check Game and Fish at azgfd.com to learn when fish are being planted at local fishing holes — good places to take kids fishing and close as well to where they are easy to get to.
Another idea for that man in your life who likes to fish might be a membership (fairly low cost) to one of the fishing clubs in Yuma. A good opportunity for anyone (women and families, too) to not only get in on fishing fun but to learn a heap of tips from other anglers who love to be on the water. Be sure to check out the sports dealers in town for a handful of new lures and baits, or a new rod and reel.
A wonderful Christmas present for your favorite lady is the BOW (Becoming an Outdoor Woman) that gives women (18 & older) the opportunity to learn about hunting, fishing and related activities in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Skills such as gun safety, shooting, angling (including fly fishing), camping, dutch-oven cooking, maps and compass reading, marksmanship with rifle and bow are all included in a three-day weekend.
How many of your Yuma kids have never had a chance to play in the snow? Think about a trip to the cold country in Flagstaff or other higher elevation areas for a wonderful trip for the whole family at Christmas time (plastic sleds — or something that slides — make great toboggans for riding down the hills). Be sure to include ear muffs and mittens!