A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Art Lander’s Outdoors: Last minute holiday gift ideas for the anglers, hunters and birdwatchers on your list


With Christmas just two weeks away, now is the time to finish up your shopping.

Is there an angler, hunter or birdwatcher on your shopping list? Here are three last-minute gift ideas:

For the avid musky angler, a subscription to Musky Hunter Magazine, published in Frenchburg, Kentucky.

Get the latest news on record catches, read lure and tackle reviews, learn about musky fishing destinations, get fishing tips from guides, buy gear and calendars, and learn about musky fishing shows and expos in your area.

A one-year subscription is $28.95. Their 2022 calendar is $14.99, plus shipping.

Telephone (800) 23-MUSKY, or visit their website at www.muskyhunter.com

Be sure to sign up for their e-newsletter.

Editor Gregg Thomas is a musky guide on Cave Run Lake, Lake St. Clair, near Detroit, and five lakes in Minnesota.

For the big game hunter, Rocky ProHunter Gore-Tex insulated hunting boots.

On sale for $99.97 at BassPro Cabela’s.

Quality boots are important to support your soles and ankles while walking on uneven ground.

Rocky brand hunting boots are built to stand up to the roughest terrain, with all-around comfort and protection. Rugged, full-grain leather and 900D Cordura uppers stand up to underbrush, rocks, and other hazards encountered in the woods and their Gore-Tex liners repel water while allowing your feet to breathe.

Available in men’s sizes: 8 to 12.

Buy online at www.cabelas.com

For the birdwatcher, a copy of The Birds of Kentucky by Burt L. Monroe Jr., published by University Press of Kentucky.

Author Burt L. Monroe Jr. (1930-1994), who was professor and chairman of the Department of Biology at the University of Louisville from 1970 to 1993, details 345 bird species that have been documented in Kentucky.

This includes extinct and extirpated species, native and non-native species, and birds that are permanent residents, winter residents, summer residents, visitants, or transients.

The hardcover 152-page book is richly illustrated with 51 color paintings by wildlife artist William Zimmerman (1937-2011).

The addenda has records of 33 birds noted subsequent to the writing of the main text, and there’s a six-page chart of occurrence and abundance records for all species.

There are numerous historical references from John James Audubon, Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, Alexander Wilson and other naturalists and ornithologists who visited or lived in the state beginning the 19th century.

Kentucky’s varied landscape, with five physiographic regions, is a major reason why the state has such diverse avifauna. This book is based on a lifetime of field observation and research.

Writing in Birding Magazine, Brainard Palmer-Ball Jr., author of The Kentucky Breeding Bird Atlas, said The Birds of Kentucky is “a pleasing blend of artistry and informative text that will be hard for local bird enthusiasts and casual, armchair birders to resist, especially at the reasonable price.”

The 152-page, 9 by 12 inch hardcover book, sells for $40.

To order online click, visit www.kentuckypress.com

Art Lander Jr. is outdoors editor for the Northern Kentucky Tribune. He is a native Kentuckian, a graduate of Western Kentucky University and a life-long hunter, angler, gardener and nature enthusiast. He has worked as a newspaper columnist, magazine journalist and author and is a former staff writer for Kentucky Afield Magazine, editor of the annual Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide and Kentucky Spring Hunting Guide, and co-writer of the Kentucky Afield Outdoors newspaper column.

Related Posts

Leave a Comment