There are few things more maternal than going out to hunt for food for your family. I happen to be a mother who hunts. When Mother’s Day rolls around, I can tell you that more than a few moms would appreciate a day of peace and quiet in the woods.
When it comes to Mother’s Day gifts, there are endless options that will help Mom enjoy her time there. Trust me when I say she’ll appreciate just about anything, but why not go big?
If you have a mom who hunts, get her something awesome to make her time in the field a little more comfortable, successful, and all-around better. Sure, get her a few bath bombs and some coffee, too, but why not throw in a killer jacket or a rangefinder?
I’ve put together a list of hunting gifts sure to make moms giddy when Mother’s Day rolls around.
Hunting Gifts for Mother’s Day
KUIU Guide Pro Jacket
Replacing last year’s recommendation of the Guide DCS Jacket, the new KUIU Guide Pro Jacket takes its place as just about the best dang jacket money can buy for your mom.
I wasn’t sure I’d be putting my DCS jacket away any time soon, but the upgraded PRO version has become my everyday jacket, as well as my go-to hunting outer layer. It fits like a glove and feels slightly lighter than the DCS. I also wear this jacket under/over my waders while I’m on the river for maximum comfort, regardless of what species I’m chasing.
That all being said, either jacket would easily become your mom’s favorite jacket, and in turn, you would easily become your mom’s favorite child.
SD Card Reader/Trail Camera Viewer
I’ll start out by saying I have like three or four of these card readers. They are cheap, and they work.
If you have a mom who is out pulling SD cards from cameras just to bring them home to offload images, and then trekking them back out into the field, this is the ticket. She can pull the card, upload all the images directly to her phone, and put the card back, all without leaving the base of the tree.
Aside from that, moms love taking pictures, right? This little card reader is slick and will let your mom snap wildlife photos on the big camera and immediately get them on her phone to upload to Facebook. If not as a Mother’s Day gift, just get these for everyone you know and a few for yourself.
Halo 3 GPS Dog Collar
Dog moms should not be counted out on Mother’s Day. I’m fortunate to have both two- and four-legged children. Few things have had a bigger impact on my pups than the Halo 3 wireless fence and GPS collar. We live rurally and don’t have traditional fences. After a traumatic GPS collar test failure that almost led to the loss of one of our pups, Halo jumped in to keep all of my dogs safe.
Now, I can have the peace of mind of knowing they won’t make it to the highway and they won’t run off chasing birds out of season.
If your mom has hunting dogs like mine or just family members who happen to be of the fluffy variety, the Halo 3 Collar is the perfect gift that will allow her to relax just a bit more on Mother’s Day.
Gunner Kennels & Food Accessories
Speaking of dog moms, Gunner’s G1 Kennels are what dreams are made of. Even my destructive pups are no match for these fortresses of dog containment. That, and if your mom travels with her dogs, it could mean the difference between life and death if there was an accident.
If a full-blown kennel is out of your budget, you could always get Mom the ultimate dog kitchen with the Gunner Food Crate and Dog Bowls. I have all of these items for my four-legged kids, and I’ll acknowledge that they are not easy on the wallet, but they are rugged and work.
The Gunner Food Crate is awesome at keeping mice out of the food, particularly at hunt camp. It also contains smells really well. The Dog Bowls have a tight-sealing lid, and that has been the biggest perk I didn’t know I needed. You can fill a water dish for your pups in the field, stop for a sip, and seal it back up without having to worry about leaks.
If your mother loves her dogs just about as much as she loves you (or maybe a touch more), she’ll love these.
Benchmade Mini Bugout
The Bugout got a little sister, and Mom’s gonna love her. I didn’t know how I would feel about a mini version of one of my favorite knives, but like a new mom, it was love the first time I held her. This isn’t necessarily a hunting knife, but it is the utility knife that helps keep your hunting knife sharp for the important stuff.
The Mini Bugout is now in my jacket pocket, clipped on my waders, or in my pant pocket almost every day. It is the EDC we all need, mothers or not.
Comfort Grip Drag Rope
This is another one of those cheap but handy things in the field that Mom will love. The Perfect Deer Drag makes the hard work of getting an animal out of the woods just a bit easier.
It’s one of those products that might seem silly to someone who hasn’t attempted to drag out a deer whole, but the ability to drag upright without straining your back, with a handle that doesn’t cut into your hand like a traditional rope, is game-changing.
If you need something for the mom who lives by Multus’s slogan, “No Braggin’ Unless You’re Draggin’,” this might just be the perfect gift.
Trelino Evo Toilet
I wasn’t sold on the Trelino Evo Toilet when I was first pitched it for testing. Now, I get it, and your mom probably will, too. These little portable loos are great to have at camp, particularly when the temps dip and the snow flies. They seal liquids away and have a separate compartment for solids. Without getting too graphic, these lock away odors and are shockingly easy to clean.
If you’re in a strictly pack-out area, these are amazing. If you have young kids at hunt camp who are in potty training mode, there is no need to break the momentum. I even use mine in an old dry cabin and I can attest, for a box that holds your … well … waste products, it does it well without the smell. (You can have that rhyme, free of charge, Trelino).
Darn Tough Wool Socks
These Darn Tough Socks are, in my very tested opinion, the best women’s hunting socks money can buy. I once had a buddy at deer camp ask if I’d been wearing the same socks all week. Honestly, I probably could have been because these socks wick so well and have no odor. In reality, I just had the exact same version of a fresh pair every single day. I love them that much.
Though I tend to stay away from super-thick wool socks in the early season, these still fit the bill. They breathe really well and offer cushion for long days in the field.
If you’re thinking about getting your mom a pedicure for Mother’s Day, get her a pair of these as well. Her dogs will thank you when she’s in the backcountry.
Husky Liner Floor Mats
Whether your mom keeps a clean rig or essentially lives out of it during hunting season, one thing is probably universal: Moms who hunt are going to find themselves muddy. Keeping a car, truck, or SUV interior from getting ruined is a heavy task when you’re a hunting fool. With Husky Liners Floor Mats, Mom won’t even have to think about it.
Mud, snow, and everything in between can hop in the truck with her and be rinsed off later. There’s something oddly comforting about not worrying about what you carry into the cab with you.
Knives, Arrows, and Ammo
Let’s cut to the chase: if you have a mom who hunts, she either needs another knife, more arrows, more broadheads, or more ammo. This is less a specific gift to buy, and more the overall idea. Think about the hunting “expendable” products.
Ammunition
Ammunition gets used. It needs to be replaced. A box of ammo is worth more than it used to be, and I know plenty of moms that are spending their hard-earned money on their kids and not on their ammunition stores. A box of Nosler Ammo, depending on how cool your mom is, might just bring a big ol’ smile to her face.
Arrows
If your mom bowhunts like I do, she needs new arrows. That’s just a fact. Arrows get broken, damaged, and lost. Be sneaky and go see which arrows she shoots. Make sure to note the weight and spine of the arrows she’s already shooting. If she’s got a grab bag (like I do), I happen to love the Victory Vaps.
Knives
A person can simply never have enough knives. Whether your mom is a master wild game cook or a master field dresser, she can always use another knife. I love the Stonewall Skinner from MKC. I also happen to love a quick and easy disposable blade knife like Outdoor Edge.
My newest favorite knife is Benchmade’s 4″ Meatcrafter. If she does it up right in the kitchen, the Benchmade Station Knife is hard to beat.
How to Find Mother’s Day Gifts for Your Hunting Mama
Moms work hard, and I think most of us don’t extend nearly enough appreciation. If you have a mama who hunts, why not get her a hunting gift for Mother’s Day? I’m sure she puts a ton of thought into your gifts. Remember, Mother’s Day gifts are not one-size-fits-all.
If your mom is a bird hunter, there’s no reason to look into getting her a big game pack. At the same time, if she’s a mountain elk hunter, a duck blind might be a silly gift. If you don’t know the type of hunting she does, ask! What a great opportunity to learn more about what the woman who loved you first enjoys doing in the field.
If you have a mom who has everything she could ever want and more, then this is the perfect time to step away from the shopping cart and into the field. Maybe it means planning a trip for the two of you (or more) to go hunt together. Perhaps you can set her up on a guided trip that she’d never splurge on for herself.
The fortunate news about having a mother who hunts is you can always just go hunt with her. Remember those coupons you made her when you were a kid? Make her a “Hunting Trip” voucher. She’ll love it.
If you don’t want to get it wrong, stick with the basics. Handwarmers, toe warmers, gloves, dehydrated meals, and all the little extras that get used up on a hunt make great gifts. You don’t have to go big, just make sure to go thoughtful. Maybe make up a package of warm accessories or make her a gift basket of dehydrated field snacks and backpacking food.
There’s no need to take out a loan for a gift if you don’t know she’ll love it. The good news is that everyone loves having warm fingers and toes. Keep it simple.
Why You Should Trust Us
Well, to put it simply, I happen to be a mom who hunts with a lot of other moms who hunt. I know the products I wish I had in the field and the ones I could have done without. I’ve also received some seriously questionable Mother’s Day gifts.
Listen, your mom will love you no matter what you get her for Mother’s Day, but why not get her something she’ll actually use and enjoy?
Now, if you wandered here by mistake and you have a mom who isn’t the hunting type, I highly recommend checking our list of gifts for moms who fish. If she’s at home in both the stream and field, you can definitely double-dip.
And don’t forget, spending time with Mom doing something fun is likely the greatest gift of all. Leave your wallet behind and give Mom time.
