First and foremost, I think the decision to shoot a small buck, or any deer for that matter, should be left up to the individual hunter as long as the deer is legal (* with an exception as stated below). Whether you agree with the game laws or not. But if a spike buck with 3 1/2 inches of hard antler above the hairline is legal in your state and you want to put a tag on him and take him home, you should have that right if you purchased a deer tag or hunting license.

*And since I mentioned the law, I think having laws restricting hunters to harvesting deer with a minimum antler count is plain wrong. Arkansas comes to mind with its 3 point rule (or is it 4 points per side?). Whatever it is, I believe it's wrong. A hunter should be able to put their tag on any buck they can see the antler on. These types of laws also rob our young and elderly hunters of chances of enjoying the harvest of a buck deer. Which may be the greatest tragedy of all.

The State and other Hunters should not be the ones making the rules telling me whether or not I can shoot a buck with hard antler above the hairline. There have been years where I went home empty handed and happy because I was chasing a few select Trophy bucks. There have been other years when I killed 4 or 5 deer and everyone was a 6 point or less. I was a happy camper both times.

It's the individual hunters enjoyment that spells success. If that means taking a Spike buck, so be it. If that means putting 20 hours a week in going after a Trophy buck only to go home at the end of the season empty handed, so bit it. It's the Hunters choice and that's the way it should be.

I once knew a fairly famous bowhunter in our State who also owned an Archer shop. They guy was always nice to me even when I was a wet behind the ears teenager in his store only spending a few bucks. He was what I considered your average archery owner. Pics of his trophy's all over the place. Which I'm totally fine with.

But one year he'd went most of the year without killing a deer. Even went through the rut and rifle season without killing a buck. Then toward Christmas he shot a small buck with 2 points on one side and 3 points on the other. Nothing real special as far as the head gear went. But this guy's story was he shot the deer because the side with 3 points was rare and he'd never killed a buck like this.

Personally, I thought a little less of him after that. I didn't get the feeling he was being totally honest with anyone. I did get the feeling he killed it because it was getting near the end of the deer hunting season and he wanted to shoot a buck. Which I've done the same thing and I believe it's certainly within the rights of a deer hunter to do so. But be honest about the reason you put a tag on a deer! Heck, there should be no shame saying the season is coming to an end and you wanted to put a tag on a deer!

Okay, another rant here. You guys who go around saying "you can't eat horns" are correct. But don't spout that crap off then when you get a wall hanger in front of you blast the crap out of him. Then proceed to tell everyone what a trophy he is. There's no shame in saying you're a meat hunter or that you wanted to shoot the first thing that comes by. I know a lot of hunters who wished they could kill a buck, any buck, each and every year like some of you do. Be proud of the fact that you're good enough to kill any deer consistently!

I'd also like to call out the guys who hunt high dollar leases or go on nothing but guided hunts and then look down your nose at people who kill small to average bucks. I've often said, and still stand behind this statement, that anyone who can kill a legal buck on Public Land consistently is a far better deer hunter than someone who only hunts exclusive leases or pays to hire a guide. Just because you have the money to hire a guide our lease up half a county in Illinois does not make you a better hunter!

Finally, no one should have the right to tell me, or you, which buck I can shoot. Study after Study have shown that taking spike bucks does not affect the quality of the deer heard. No one should have to ask if it's wrong to shoot a small buck!

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So, here are 10 gift ideas for the Deer Hunter on your Christmas list. They vary in price range so that anyone can afford at least one of them. You Guys and Gals can thank me later!

Hunter's Specialties Butt Out Big Game Dressing Tool

Cost: $9.99

Some of you may remember back last year when I did a review of the Butt Out Tool. Every time I use this, I can't believe I didn't invent it. It's so darn easy to do and makes a crappy job (pun intended) easier and cleaner. Get this for your Deer Hunter, they will thank you the next time they field dress a Deer.

Razor Edge Sharpening System

Cost: Kits - $22.95 to $229.95 - individual hones less

If it's one thing I love more than a great gun (okay, maybe I should have said 'as much'), it's a great knife. I don't know why, but I just feel a special connection when I'm handling a good knife. So it only stands to reason that I have used nearly every sharpening system known to a Hunter. Diamond hones, Arkansas Hones, etc. You name it, I've tried it. Nothing has ever given me a great edge like the hones I bought nearly 20 years ago from Razor Edge Systems. If you have trouble maintaining a correct edge on your knife while sharpening, then get the Guides. I'd recommend reading the book and/or watching the video if you're not skilled in bringing a knife to a razor sharp point. Click here to visit Razors Edge Systems. They also make hones for fish hooks and broadheads. I'd recommend getting your Deer Hunter one of their kits.

Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License

Cost: Varies from State to State

I'm not sure if every State has a Lifetime Hunting & Fishing License. I do know that Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Kansas do. These make excellent...and I mean EXCELLENT gifts for your kids. They're also not too shabby for other Deer Hunters in the Family if they do not already have one. My Dad bought my Oklahoma Combo Hunting and Fishing license for my 16th birthday. Back then, they were $225. I can't tell you how many times these have paid for their self. I've lived in different states for about 15 years of my adult life and it was always a great feeling to know I could come back to Oklahoma and hunt or fish without having to buy those expensive Non-Resident license! Contact your States Wildlife Department to see if they issue Lifetime License and the procedure for obtaining them.

Brownell's NRA Officially Licensed Magna-Tip Screwdriver Set

Cost: $49.99

I hate working on a gun or scope mounts with regular screwdrivers. In fact, I won't unless it's an emergency. Regular screwdrivers are not designed to work with the screws that hold your gun together. They're tapered and do not grab the screw properly. Few things in life are as ugly as damaged gun finishes caused by someone using a regular screwdriver on a gun. Get yourself, or the Deer Hunter in your life, a Magna-Tip screwdriver set from Brownell's. These are the nicest and most durable set of screwdrivers I've used. I've had a set for over 10 years and it has saved me from screaming curse words many times over while working on my guns. The set I'd recommend is the NRA Officially Licensed Magna-Tip Kit. You can see a video of all of the Magna Tip sets by clicking here.

Magellan Triton 300 Handheld GPS Unit

Cost: $149.99

Even if your Deer Hunter goes hunting behind your house, they should always have a compass or GPS unit with them. Nowadays many hunters are carrying these little handheld GPS units with them hunting, fishing, hiking and camping. Many more are using them for navigation while driving. I prefer the basic GPS units. I just want to know where I started from, my waypoints(stand locations or fishing spots) and where I've been. I don't need all the bells and whistles that come with many of the GPS units on the market today. The Magellan 300 has all these features and a few more, but not so many useless features as to leave you needing a 300 page manual to figure it out.

Custom Hunting Knife

Cost: Varies

Recently I went shopping for a hunting knife. Since I recently move and I'm in the middle of a renovation, all of mine somewhere in a storage building and I had no intentions of digging through the building and finding them. I have to say, I was more than disappointed with the current crop of mass produced "hunting knives" on the market today. Too many come with crappy plastic handles. What's even more disheartening is the designs? Who is designing our hunting knifes? Klingons? These things look like something out of a Science Fiction movie! They're crap! I did finally locate one of my fixed blade Case hunting knives (by accident). I've had this particular knife nearly 20 years. If you're like me and love a good hunting knife, try buying a custom one. There are many good knife makers out there who know how to design and build a hunting knife. I personally like a blade between 3 and 4 inches long with a drop point. The Loveless designed knives are just right in my opinion and Beretta makes one that Mr. Loveless designed. Dozier Knives makes several excellent hunting knives. Consider them an investment you can hand down to your children. You can also shop on ebay and find hunting knives by up and coming knife makers. The only thing is about ebay is you'll have to sort through a lot of junk but there are some jewels there! There are many fine knives for you to choose from once you get past those. We no longer have to choose from the crap that mass producers push on us.

NRA Membership

Cost: $35 per year

I think every Hunter and Gun Owner should belong to the NRA. If not, don't whine when you guns or ammo are taxed or legislated away. Although other organizations are out there to help Hunters and Gun Owners, only the NRA is large enough to actually help us. I don't agree with them 100% of the time, but at least they have the muscle to do something. By the way, if you don't know about The American Hunters and Shooters Association, stay away from them. They're actually an anti-hunting, anti-gun group formed by the Democrats to try and divide NRA members to lessen their impact on elections. For a political party to go to this extreme in starting and organizing an association to try and trick Sportsmen and Gun Owners, should show you in easy to understand terms, what they have in mind. By the way, the link above is not to their site, it's to the NRA's Fact Sheet on The American Hunters and Shooters Association. You'll learn a lot more at that site.

Gift Cards

Cost: $10 and up

I use to think Gift Cards were cheesy. I still do in a lot of ways. But I understand us Deer Hunters can be a hard lot to buy presents for. So if you have a Deer Hunter on your Christmas list and you don't know what to get him or her, go to one of the online retailers and purchase a gift card for them. There are many to choose from. Some of my favorites are Campmor, Cabela's, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, Midway USA, Brownell's and Amazon (for hunting books). This way, they can get what they've been wanting and you come out smelling like a Rose!

Magazine Subscriptions

Cost: $15 and up depending on the Magazine

Magazine subscriptions are gifts that keep on giving. When I was a kid, one of my favorite birthday or Christmas presents were magazine subscriptions to Outdoor Magazines. Back then, my favorite were the "Big Three". Outdoor Life, Sports Afield and Field and Stream. This was back in a time when they still wrote excellent articles about hunting and fishing. Back before they went Yuppiefied and starting writing crap like kayaking on Alaskan Bays or Biking down a Yosemite trail. I haven't picked one of those magazines up in ages. They have forgotten who their readers are in my opinion. Instead, the magazines I tend to pick up now are ones like Fur-Fish-Game, Deer and Deer Hunting, North American Whitetail (not real crazy about this one either), Bowhunter, Muzzleloader Magazine and Traditional Bowhunter. Two others that I highly recommend are Backwoods Home and The Backwoodsman. Both are excellent magazines although they're not entirely hunting related.

Books about Shooting and Deer Hunting

Cost: $10 and up

Just as with my magazine choices, the books I read on Hunting and Shooting tend to be older. It seems the older I get, the less I can stomach most of the commercialized junk that gets passed off as Deer Hunting literature. Some of my favorite authors are Charles Alsheimer, Peter Fiduccia, John Weiss, Leonard Lee Rue III, Gene and Barry Wensel and a few others. If you're Deer Hunter is really into Shooting and Hunting, try getting them some books that are out of print. You'll pay dearly for them, but they'll be a unique and original gift! Some of my favorites are any book by Jack O'Connor, One Man's Whitetail by Gene Wensel, BowHunting Rutting Whitetails by Gene and Barry Wensel, Bowhunting Alaska's Wild Rivers by Jay Massey. Actually, any book by the late jay Massey is an excellent gift. I have several signed books of his and hold them dearly. I also like "How To Bag The Biggest Buck Of Your Life" by Larry Benoit. The original has long been out of print and is quite pricey. There was a new printing of the Paperback a few years ago and they're in the normal price range of books. You can find any of the books I listed here by searching Amazon.

Okay, so there you have it. 10 gift ideas for the deer hunter on your Christmas list. Yes, I wrote "Christmas!". I hope you have a Merry one at that! There's no need for you to get another blaze orange tie with Deer on it or a Sweatshirt with a Big Buck on the front. Now you have an idea what your Deer hunter really wants! If you have some unique or unusual Christmas gift ideas, please leave a comment and share them with everyone else.

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Hunting Clothes

You want to know a secret? You don't have to have the latest designer Camo to kill a deer! Yeah, shocking hunh!

Hunters in the Northeast have been killing deer for eons wearing nothing but Grey wool pants and the traditional black and green pattern wool coats. Some even wear the black and red plaid coats.

Any dull colored clothing will work fine as long as you're comfortable in it and it's quiet. Olive drab military surplus clothes work great. You can generally find the Military camo patterns available also. The Desert Camo is great for late season bow hunting. I would avoid wearing any brown or white colors during the Gun season though. Expect to pay less than $100 for true Military Surplus clothing (the stuff that has actually been used!)

You can also browse your local Wal-Mart store for hunting clothes. I scored several years ago on a green fleece jacket with huge pockets. Perfect for the way I hunt plus it's warm. I don't have a problem saving money on hunting clothes, I don't care who the retailer is.

Hunting Boots

Any good leather or rubber/leather boot will work for deer hunting. I've seen guys out in the woods with tennis shoes on, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Personally, I would buy a pair of boots just for deer hunting so they could be put back and kept clean.

In bow season and Muzzleloader season, I'll wear either the $15 a pair rubber boots from Wal-Mart or any other discount retailer. Good Ole Black PVC rubber boots are cheap. These rubber hunting boots will keep your feet dry if you hunt in wet areas. They're also very good and keeping your scent off the ground, which is why I use them during bow season.

They'll even work well in cold weather if you'll buy a size larger and layer your socks. I've used one pair of Cotton socks on first followed by a thick wool sock. Works wonders for keeping your feet warm.

Don't get the sock and boots too tight. A tight fit will cut the circulation off to your feet and they'll get cold, not matter how many layers you have.

I will tell you that you should not scrimp on your hunting boots if you can avoid it. If you have feet that get cold easy or have sensitive feet, pay the money and get you a good hunting boot.

When I'm not wearing the old cheapo rubber boots, I have a pair of LL Bean Maine Hunting Boots. Leather tops with rubber bottoms. In my opinion, one of the finest hunting boots on the market. They keep my feet dry, they're durable and I leave minimum scent walking in. I think my pair was around $95 and worth every penny.

Deer Scents, Calls, Etc.

Okay, for you new people to deer hunting, here's another secret I'm going to let out of the bag. You don't need all the scents and deer calls on the market to kill a deer! In fact, you don't need any! Yeah, I know what the marketing departments of the big companies all say, but don't listen to them. They're just trying to sell you deer scent and deer calls.

In fact, if you don't know how to use calls or scents, they can hurt your hunting more than help. Learn how to hunt deer without the gadgets. When can kill a deer on a routine basis without using calls and scents, then you'll be ready for them. Calls and scents are nothing more than an aid to deer hunting. Any as I just mentioned, in the wrong hands they'll hurt you more than help. You'll not get that many chances, so take advantage of every one you get.

Leave the calls on scents on the rack until you're a little more experienced.

Archery Hunting Equipment

Don't start out thinking you need the latest whiz-bang-wammy-mammy bow in order to kill a deer. You don't.

If you're not experienced in archery, I would strongly suggest that you stop by your local archery shop to buy your first set up. Tell them you're on a very limited budget and you just need a reliable bow set and arrows. Expect to pay around $200 for a bow set up for hunting and about $75 for arrows, field points and broadheads.

It's important for first timers to get help from experienced archers. Generally you'll find helpful staff in a bow shop, however from time to time you'll find the self adsorbed jerks there also. If you're jerk - snooty meter goes off when the guy or gal opens their mouth, leave and go elsewhere. You'll eventually find a shop staff member that is helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. Life to short to deal with cocky bow shop staffers!

If the store owner tries to sell you some 3,4,5 or $600 bow, go elsewhere, they're worried about their profit rather than seeing you're outfitted well.

Also, don't go buy a bow setup from a catalog or a discount store then take it to a bow shop and expect them to give you help. Some will, but most won't. Can you blame them? They way they look at it is that their bows may be slightly higher than Wal-Mart or one of the big Outdoor retailers, but you're getting personalized service and helpful customer service when you buy from them. Don't be surprised if you ask for help and they tell you to go back where you bought it from for help. Something to keep in mind when buying a bow.

Don't get caught up in the "Speed Kills" marketing hype. I believe this was a marketing buzz word put out by the Bow manufacturers many years ago to sell new bows. The funny thing is, I was just browsing Bass Pro's Archery offerings and looking at all the bow speeds. Most of those $500 to $600 bows are shooting in the 300-325fps range.

I can remember back when I bought my Darton Viper over 15 years ago. There were many bows on the market then that would shoot carbon arrows in the 300+ fps range. The main thing that has changed over the years is that the bows have become shorter and lighter. I'm not convinced that a shorter and lighter bow is worth $500 to $800. But hey, it's your money!

Treestands

If you're not experienced in using treestands, it's best to just leave them be. There are far too many hunters getting permanently hurt every year from falling out of treestands or having accidents while putting them up. Find someone to help you and who will show you how to use one or leave them alone for now.

If on the other hand you do have experience with treestands, then I'd suggest buying a new one. I've bought several used ones that have had problems. Better to get a new one that the manufacturer will stand behind. You'll also likely get a free harness as well. Use it!

You have several types of stands to choose from; Hang On, Ladder, Tripod, Tower or Climbing. I started out using Loc-On stands that had the plywood platforms and the chains. Geez, talk about dating myself! Now that I'm older, I look for comfort and the stands that do that for me are the Ladder stands and Tripods. However they are not a good choice for a person who wants to be mobile.

If you plan on hunting public land, you'd be wise to invest in a lock. Those treestands have a tendancy to walk away when you're not around.

If you choose a hang-on type stand, you'll be able to choose how to get your stand and yourself up the tree. Screw in steps, strap on steps or climbing sticks/ladders. Obviously the screw-in type steps and the strap on steps are the lightest and easiest to carry. Climbing sticks and ladders can add not only expense, but weight as well.

Good quality hang-on type treestands can be had for under $125 and many are beneath $100.

Blackpowder Rifles

A good blackpowder rifle will run you less than $200. I'd suggest your first blackpowder deer hunting rifle be a .50 caliber rifle that will accept 209 shotgun primers as the ignition source. CVA and Traditions both have rifles like this for under $200.

A scope would be nice if you can swing it, if not, don't sweat it. Save your money and buy one later.

If you know what you're looking at, Pawn Shops can be a great source for good muzzleloaders and most can be had for a song.

I'd recommend trying several of the .50 caliber bullets on the market. Hornady, Thompson Center and others put out quality bullets for muzzleloaders. Next, I'd start with Pyrodex or Triple Seven pellets. They're easy to use and come in 50 grain increments. In most rifles, two pellets will be all you need.

The pellets are pricey, but for the ease of use and the speed in reloading, they're worth the price in my book. (not to mention you don't need a powder measure!)

If you live in a State or region that only allows Shotguns or Muzzleloaders, then it might be worth your while to get a good flat shooting muzzle loader. I'd much prefer a flat shooting muzzleloader over a Shotgun. Check out my review of the MDM Buckwacka muzzleloader for a flat shooting, hard hitting muzzleloader.

Spend some time at the range with your new muzzleloader. Follow the directions for cleaning your gun. If you're going to hunt with muzzleloaders, you'd better learn how to clean and care for them properly. Even the modern blackpowder rifles need to be kept clean in order to work properly.

Deer Hunting Rifles

This will probably be your biggest expense when you start deer hunting. (if you choose to hunt with a modern rifle)

Here again, you don't need a $800 or $1000 deer rifle to kill deer. A $150 Marlin or Winchester you bought at a Pawn Shop will do the job just as well. There are many used deer rifles on the market that are just waiting to get taken out in the woods. Here is a list of 7 used deer rifles I'd recommend.

Pawn Shops can be a great source for good rifles at discount prices. If you're on a tight budget, plan to spend less than $200. You can even find some great military surplus rifles that will be more than adequate for deer hunting.

Here's an article you can read if you're just beginning deer hunting and looking for a rifle cartridge. 5 rifle cartridges for the beginning deer hunter.

Gun shows are also another source for good bargains, especially late in the day on the last day of the show. The remaining vendors will be looking to sell some inventory before packing up. You'll also find people walking the isles with For Sale signs on their guns. Cash talks so take it with you and leave the plastic behind. You'd be surprised at how a wad of green will get a Gun dealer to come down off the price of a gun!

If you don't know much about guns, then it would be in your best interest to find a local gun shop and buy your first deer rifle there. Just as with bow shop owners, if you run across jerks who happens to own a gun shop, move on.

A good gun shop owner will help you pick your first rifle and accessories. They'll also help you keep it under your budget.

Just like with the blackpowder rifles, grab you several different brands of ammo. Find what shoots best in your rifle.

Cabela's sells bulk ammo for several popular calibers like .270, .308, 30-06 and 30-30. It's 100 rounds and comes in a waterproof ammo box.

If you really want to go cheap, learn to reload. You can reload on the cheap by grabbing you a reloading manual and a Lee Classic Reloading Kit along with some powder, primers and bullets (follow the instructions in the Reloading Manual and Lee Reloader set to a "T")

The Lee Classic Reloader Kit comes for many popular calibers and the kit sells for about $20. If you have several rifle or pistol calibers you'd like to load for, then look at the Lee Hand Press reloading kit at around $35. It uses standard dies so you can switch from caliber to caliber. A reloading manual will cost you about $15 to $25 depending on which one you go for.

If you're really on a budget or live in one of the Midwest states that prohibit rifles, then break out your Shotgun. There are many choices when deer hunting with a shotgun. You may have a Shotgun like a Mossberg or Remington where you can exchange the smooth barrel for a rifled barrel. Or a barrel with rifle sights on it. So don't feel left out if you can't afford a rifle or live in an area where rifles are not allowed. If you can use a Shotgun, grab it and run to the range. Try out several different brands at 25 and 50 yards to see which one shoots best. You can then move back further and further until you reach 100 yards. That's just about maximum for most Shotguns with slugs.

Summary

So there you have it. Let's go over what we have.

• Hunting Outfit(s) bought at Military Surplus or Discount Store - $100
• Boots - $20 for cheapo's or $125 for better quality
• Deer Scents and Calls - $0
• Bow set, Arrows and Broadheads - $275
• BlackPowder Rifle and Accessories - $300
• Modern Rifle or Shotgun - $200

See, getting started in Deer hunting doesn't have to cost an arm and leg. Many times we get caught up with keeping up with the Jones' thinking we have to have the latest and greatest gear. If you can afford it and it makes you happy, know yourself out. On the other hand, if you want to get into the sport of deer hunting and don't have a lot of money, this is how it's done.

Good Luck and share some of your hunts with budget gear with me. You can even send me a picture, maybe I'll post it and share the story with other deer hunters here!

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