Whew! With the incredible chaos and huge crowds of "Black Friday" shoppers now safely behind us, if you were not part of that frenzied mob scene and if you are still scratching your head for a Christmas present for that special outdoor person in your life, here are some suggestions.
Pick one (or more) and you can make 2007 a truly special Christmas for that special individual.
Alaska magazine
This is my all-time favorite suggestion for a Christmas gift:
A one-year subscription to Alaska Magazine.
Alaska Magazine is a spectacular gift for those who have already been to that unforgettable location in the Far North or for those who daydream about visiting Alaska but have never done so.
Heck, with this subscription, anyone can visit Alaska every month of the year.
Go to www.alaskamagazine.com. Once there, you can get him/her (plus yourself) a one-year subscription for $18, plus a copy of the 2008 Alaska calendar.
For customer service information, call 1-800-288-5892.
CALIF. LICENSE
A California Non-Resident Annual Fishing License, complete with a Second Rod Stamp.
The 2008 version will cost $104.20 for the license and $12.10 for the stamp, but it is well worth the expense for a whole year of sport fishing in the Golden State.
Heck, you can spend that much when you go to a fancy dinner house, and still be hungry the next morning.
You can buy those California licenses and stamps at any number of different locations in this general area. One of which is Dave Kirby's Woodfords General Store in Woodfords, Calif. (530-694-2930). Closer to home, you can also buy them at the Angler's Edge in Gardnerville (782-4734).
CATALOGS & INTERNET
If you are one of that rapidly growing number of people who like to buy gifts either out of a catalog or on the Internet, here are several suggestions:
Bass Pro Shops: Website www.basspro.com or call 1-800-BASS PRO (1-800-227-7776).
Cabela's: Website www.cabelas.com or call 1-800-237-4444.
L. L. Bean: Website www.llbean.com or call 1-800-221-4221.
Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI): Website www.rei.com or call 1-800-426-4840.
Fishing Pyramid lake
If that special person has never fished for Lahontan cutthroat trout at Pyramid Lake, this could be the perfect gift for an unforgettable day in the Great Outdoors.
There are excellent sport fishing guides at Pyramid Lake including:
Chris and Jeri Grellman of Hog Charters in Sparks: 358-5199.
Jim Hartfiel of Just Rite Fishing at Pyramid Lake: (775) 575-7850 (home) or (775) 813-3411 (cell).
George Molino of Cutthroat Charters at the Pyramid Lake Store on the Pyramid Lake Highway: (775) 476-0555.
Fishing lake Tahoe
If that special person has never caught a Mackinaw (Lake) Trout, how about a gift of a sport fishing trip at Lake Tahoe?
There are a large number of excellent sport fishing guides at the lake, including these two:
Mickey Daniels: Mickey's Big Mack Charters, Carnelian Bay, North Lake Tahoe. (800) 877-1462 (for large groups).
Gene St. Denis: Blue Ribbon Charters, South Lake Tahoe. (530) 544-6552 (for groups up to four).
They both charge about the same amount (about $85 per person) and provide all of the necessary fishing equipment.
UNUSUAL GIFTS
Mind-boggling color prints of state-record mule deer ("Beauty and The Beast," "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Dirty Dozen") from King's Outdoor World. Go to website www.kingsoutdoorworld.com or call 1-800-447-6897.
A one-year membership in the Ormsby Sportsmen's Association (OSA) of Carson City. It's the best bargain in the whole world ($5 for an adult and $2 for a youngster under the age of 16). Call Bob "Slick" McCulloch at 882-6810.
A Garmin GPS device (advertised as an invaluable as a traveler's portable navigator and reference guide). Note: A Garmin is not necessarily always fail proof.
We have one, I was using it as the navigator, Elaine ignored my directions and she got us lost leaving the Nashville airport parking area in late August.
Metal detectors (for possibly making a tidy profit while wandering around in the outdoors).
Delorme state topographical maps, so you don't get lost in the daytime.
A headlamp, so you don't get lost at nighttime.
Laser range finders (for knowing the exact yardage to that big trophy buck deer or bull elk that got away from you).
Finally
When that special outdoor person opens that special gift package at Christmas, remember to tell them that you got the idea from Don Q.
That special person will be delighted and so will I.
• Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you what Don Q wants for Christmas.
If he grins and says, "Don wants a new wrist watch" he might have been peeking at my Christmas wish list.
• Don Quilici is the Outdoors editor for the Nevada Appeal.