Being a lifelong sportsmen with a known singular track mine for all things outdoors it would seem that I should be one of the easiest people in the world to shop for.  I am going to assume that most of you reading this Holiday Buying Guide are pretty singularly focused like we are but we decided to give you and yours some great holiday gift giving guides....Maybe you could leave the browser open to the gift you would most like and or email the link or drop it up on your Facebook page for the world to see...May all of your stocking be stuffed with great gifts.  Each day we are going to highlight a different product, book or item as well as a great conservation organization that you could have your family get you a membership to or donate to in your name.

Day One - ALPEN OPTICS SHASTA RIDGE 10X42 CAMO BINOCULARS

This November on our trip through North Dakota, Manitoba and Saskatchewan we had the opportunity to test out the Shasta Ridge 10X42 Camo Binoculars from Alpen Optics and test them out in all kinds of conditions and this weekend they got tested by one of the roughest optics handlers known to man, my 12 year old son Tristan.

First the Stats:

The optics come fully packaged with a great strap, case, lens covers and the optics themselves.  The quality of the glass on these lenses is excellent for the price and the optics are clear and easy to use.  We were able to see clearly in light conditions from dark, moonlight, dusk and high noon and all times in between.  I used them for almost 4 days straight in Manitoba scanning the treeline looking for any sign of deer and it just was not meant to be.  I can always tell the quality of optics because if they are poor quality, I get headaches and feel like my eyes have been pulled from the sockets of my head.  These Binoculars performed extremely well and I glassed for almost 10 hours straight looking for that one deer that would make our Manitoba trip a success.  I had no headaches.

The optics are armored in a soft feeling rubberized coating and the optics feel solid but not too heavy. The lenses have built in cups that easily slide out and fit well whether you wear glasses are not...I tried em out with my sunglasses on a few times by mistake and they worked quite well.

This weekend, i took Tristan out hunting and needed a pair of binocs for him to use so I grabbed the Shasta Ridge Bino's and handed them over for him to use.  He loved the opportunity to glass the fields along with me and we got to see geese, hunters and even a few deer.  About 4pm his interest was waning and he set down the binocs in the field and never picked them up again.  After an exhaustive search on Sunday, I headed back out to the field today and there they were sitting in the field, cold, wet and ready for action.  I picked them up, hung them over my neck and used them to spot the geese so I could move in for a quick ambush.

Every hunter needs a great set of optics and these Alpens are a great set of optics.  Amazon.com has them for $150.00 for the exact set that I used and I have included a link.  Alpen also has a great set of Binoculars in the Breast Cancer Pink and a portion of the proceeds go to The National Breast Cancer Foundation.

www.alpenoptics.com

Whitetail Deer Hunting has been a tradition in our family for a few decades. My dad (John Sr.), brother (Mike) and I (John Jr.) spend as much time as we can in the woods together and have made it a practice to share in one another's success by celebrating when we butcher and process our own deer. It was during such a celebration after the 2008 New York deer season that we decided to book a whitetail hunt in 2009.

In February of 2009, we attended the Eastern Sportsman's show in Harrisburg, PA. This is where we met Harry Walker of Sandy River Outfitters located in Manitoba, Canada. We could tell right away that Harry's operation was different. His booth was staffed with long term clients hunters who politely answered questioned and told us about the type of experience we would have at Sandy River Outfitters. After spending a good amount time talking with Harry and some of his returning hunters, we were confident that we could be successful at Sandy River Outfitters in the fall.

We booked the trip with Harry a few weeks after the show and spent parts of the summer periodically corresponding with him and Angie via e-mail. Before we knew it, November was here and we were on our way.

Saint Paul, Minn. - November 24, 2009 - Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are proud to announce that long-time partner Federal Premium® Ammunition is now the organization's "Official Ammunition Sponsor." Over the last decade, Federal Premium's Pheasants Forever-labeled Wing-Shok® shotshell boxes have helped benefit "The Habitat Organization's" conservation efforts, and Federal Premium has now produced more than 20 million rounds in support of Pheasants Forever.

"At Federal Premium, we don't treat conservation as an afterthought; it's a part of how we operate. Over the years, we've been proud to support Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever . And Federal Premium wants to do more to support their vision to the future. Pheasants Forever members are some of the most passionate conservationists you'll ever meet, and we're proud to be a part of such a great effort," said Ryan Bronson, Conservation Specialist with Federal Premium Ammunition/ ATK Commercial Products.

"Federal Premium has been a model supporter of conservation over the years," said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever's National President and CEO, "Many pheasant hunters and Pheasants Forever members already load up with Federal Premium, and we're proud to call them the Official Ammunition Sponsor of this organization."

MARSHALL, Minn., Nov. 25, 2009 – Ducks and other wildlife will find a rejuvenated shallow lake when they visit Gislason Lake in Lincoln County next year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered with Ducks Unlimited to install a water control structure that will allow managers to improve the water quality and vegetation conditions on the lake. The project is supported by a 2009 grant to DU from the Minnesota Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.  

“The Service is extremely pleased to partner with DU on this important shallow lake enhancement project,” said Alice Hanley, refuge manager. “Having the ability to manipulate water levels in Gislason Lake will greatly enhance our ability to improve its water quality and provide optimal habitat for wetland-dependent wildlife on this large unit of our refuge.”

The 1,132-acre Gislason Lake Unit, which includes the 120-acre shallow lake and surrounding uplands, was added to the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge in 2005. The Northern Tallgrass Prairie Refuge is a complex of small units scattered across western Minnesota and northwestern Iowa, containing remnant native prairie and wetlands that host a wide variety of migratory birds. The Gislason Lake Unit is unique because all of the uplands surrounding the lake are owned by the Service which gives managers complete control to manipulate water levels as necessary. 

Two days of bear hunting have produced a preliminary harvest of 2,709 bears, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission reports.

Last year, 2,518 bears were brought to Game Commission check stations after two days of hunting.  In 2007, 1,638 bears passed through check stations the first two days and, in 2006, biologists inspected 2,185 bears after two days. In 2005, when the state record bear harvest was set, agency personnel processed 2,875 bears through the first two days of season; followed by 2,262 in 2004; 2,299 in 2003; and 2,022 in 2002.

The top 10 bears processed at check stations on the two days all had actual or estimated live weights that exceeded 570 pounds. Terence J. Burkhardt, of Jim Thorpe, harvested the largest bear, which was a male that weighed in at 654 pounds (actual live weight). The bear was taken in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, at 4:35 p.m. on Nov. 23.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us

Please have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone and remember to say a little prayer or a moment of silence for our Great Men and Women of the United States Military who are overseas or stationed away from thier families this year as well as our police officers and firemen!!!!

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA - The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show, the largest consumer event of its kind in North America, will feature vendors selling hunting and fishing gear at all levels-from the budget conscious to the top-of-the-line-when it comes to the State Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg February 6-14, 2010.

"We heard from many of our visitors that it is important to feature the widest variety of hunting and fishing gear at all price points...and we listened. This year there will be something for everyone no matter what their budget, " says Chris O'Hara, Event Director, Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show.

Retailers include some returning favorites, and new exhibiting companies as well: Cabela's, Lancaster Archery Supply, Keystone Country Store, Susquehanna Bait and Tackle, Shyda's, Sportsmen's Liquidation, Schleff's Bait and Tackle, Kinseys Outdoors, Lion Country Supply, Weavers Store, East Coast Gun Sales and more.

HARRISBURG - The state's biggest draw for hunters is set to begin the Monday after Thanksgiving, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe, when the two-week firearms deer season opens.

"Fluorescent orange and camouflage clothing soon will be in fashion across the Commonwealth, and cars parked on the shoulders of roads that cut through forested areas or farming communities will be a common sight," Roe said. "Deer season has a dramatic effect on the Pennsylvania; it provides hundreds of thousands of hunters a chance to put venison in the freezer, as well as stimulates a multi-million dollar economic surge that local businesses rely on.

"Deer season is the most important method that the Game Commission has been using for more than a century to manage Pennsylvania's whitetails. The efforts of hunters are far-reaching, and they help to keep deer populations in check and enable the agency to meet deer management goals that benefit almost everyone who resides, visits or travels through this state."

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA -- The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show, the largest consumer event of its kind in North America, will be bigger and better when it comes to the State Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg February 6-14, 2010.

"Building on last year's success, we are again bringing in some of the biggest names in hunting and fishing to present seminars and meet our guests. And, of course, we continue to bring in more manufacturers, retailers and outfitters from around the world than any other show in the world," says Chris O'Hara, Manager, Strategic Accounts Eastern Sports & Outdoors Show.

The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show attracts outdoor sports enthusiasts from across the country to view the latest and best hunting and fishing products, plan and book hunting and fishing trips, shop for the latest gear, boats, ATVs and RVs, and enjoy a wide range of contests and family entertainment.

PHOENIX - The more than 35,000 hunters who applied for a tag to hunt spring turkey, javelina, buffalo or bear in 2010 can find out if they were drawn by visiting the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Web site at www.azgfd.gov/draw or by calling (602) 942-3000 (option 2).

Game and Fish officials said that hunt permit-tags will be mailed out to successful applicants no later than Dec. 4. Unsuccessful or rejected applicants will have their refund mailed out by Nov. 27.

There are plenty of remaining tags available on a first-come, first-serve basis for those individuals who forgot to submit an application or were unsuccessful in the 2010 spring drawing. Remaining tags include more than 10,000 javelina tags (328 juniors-only), nearly 200 turkey tags, and just over 70 tags for archery-only bear hunts. For a detailed listing of leftover permits, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw or call (623) 236-7702