Gifts for a Dad Who Hunts, From the Kids Who Grew Up Hearing the Stories

The best gifts for a hunting dad are rarely gear. They are time in the field with him, his old stories turned into something you can keep, and a table where the family eats what he brings home. If you grew up hearing the stories, you already know what he would like most.

Dads who hunt tend to own exactly the equipment they trust, and guessing at it goes badly. This guide to hunting gifts for dad is for the grown son or daughter who wants to give something that says "I was listening all those years," and a few practical picks that carry no risk.

Quick picks

• Go with him. Buy your own license and tag, and ask to tag along this season.
• Revive a camp tradition. The same weekend, the same cabin, the same breakfast.
• Record him telling the story of his first deer. Then keep the recording.
• Frame an old photo of him at camp. Or mount a worn hat or his first tag in a shadow box.
• Cook the family wild-game dinner. You cook, he sits down.
• A practical comfort. Good wool socks, a heated seat cushion for the stand, a quality thermos.
• ArcherVitre glasses with a real arrow as the stem. Our pick, covered below.

Gifts for a hunting dad who has everything start with your time

A man who has hunted for decades has the boots, the knife and the favorite jacket. What he may not have is a grown child who wants to be out there with him.

Look up what your state requires, buy your own license and tag, and ask when you can come along. You do not need to carry a weapon to go. Many hunters are just as glad to have company in the blind or on the walk in, and you will be there for the quiet parts he has never found words for. Ask first and let him set the terms. It is his woods.

Revive the camp tradition

Most families have one: the weekend at the cabin, the pancakes before dawn, the card game after dark. If it faded when everyone got busy, bring it back. Pick a date, call your siblings, and handle the planning so he only has to show up. Cooking the first breakfast yourself is half the gift.

Turn his best stories into something kept

Every hunting dad has a story he tells at every holiday. Gifts that hold the story are the ones that last.

• Record him. Sit down with a phone, ask about his first deer, and let him go. Ask the follow-up questions you never did: who was with him, what the weather was, what he would do differently. Keep the file somewhere safe and give copies to the family.
• Frame an old photo of him at camp. Check the family albums and ask relatives. Have it printed well and framed, and write the year and the place on the back.
• Mount something worn in a shadow box. A favorite hat with its sweat stains, his first tag, a call he has used for thirty years. A frame shop can set it behind glass with a small label.

A family wild-game dinner, with you cooking

If he has venison in the freezer, ask him what he wants made from it. Then make it, and let him tell you where it came from while you work. Invite the whole family and set the table properly. For a hunter, a meal like this closes the loop on the season.

Experiences, if he wants them

A guided hunt can be a good gift, but only if he has said he would like one. Some hunters love the idea of someone else reading the land for a change, and others would rather earn every bit of it themselves. Ask him, or ask someone who hunts with him. If the answer is yes, book it as a gift certificate with an outfitter you can check references for, and let him pick the dates.

Practical picks that need no specs

These work as gifts for deer hunters and for any hunter who has everything else.

• Good wool socks. Cold feet end more sits than anything else. Choose a known outdoor brand and buy two pairs.
• A heated seat cushion for the stand. Look for one with a rechargeable battery and a few heat settings.
• A quality thermos. Coffee that stays hot through the morning sit is the one thing he will use daily.

Skip the optics, the weapons and anything with a model number. Those are choices he has already made.

Our pick: ArcherVitre, for the toast at the end of the season

The one thing on this list he probably does not own is a pair of crystal glasses with a real arrow for a stem, fletching and all. They come from ArcherVitre, the archery line from Specialty Stemware, founded by an orthopedic surgeon.

It suits a hunting dad because every season ends with a toast: at the family dinner, when the last of the venison is on the table, or when camp breaks. Hand him one and keep one for yourself, and the first drink from them can be with you. Bowhunters will know the arrow on sight. Rifle hunters may still like it as a hunting piece for the den or the table. If he is a bowhunter, our guide to gifts for bowhunters and archers goes further into that side.

• Set of 2: $109
• Colors: red or green
• Styles: wine, martini, or champagne
• Free shipping on U.S. orders, and they arrive gift-ready.
• Hand wash only. They are not dishwasher safe.

Order by December 15 for delivery before Christmas.

Questions people ask

What do you get a dad who hunts and already has everything?

For gifts for a dad who hunts, start with time and memory. Give him something that cannot be bought off a shelf: a day in the field together, his best story recorded, or an old camp photo framed. If you want a physical gift as well, glasses with a real arrow stem are something he is unlikely to own.

Should I buy hunting gear for my dad?

Only the kind that does not depend on his preferences. Wool socks, a seat cushion and a thermos are safe. Optics, weapons and anything tuned to a setup are not.

Is it okay to ask to go hunting with him?

Yes. For many hunters it is the best gift on the list. Buy your own license and tag if your state requires them, let him set the pace, and follow his rules on safety.

Can I give ArcherVitre glasses to a dad who hunts with a rifle?

You can. They are crystal glasses meant for drinking, and many hunters like a piece that nods to the hunt. If he hunts with a bow, the arrow stem will mean even more.

See the ArcherVitre collection, or browse more ideas on our gift ideas page.