I’ve always figured that it made no sense to give Christmas-themed gifts—like a Santa sweater—or Christmas decorations for Christmas because the recipient won’t be able to use them for a whole year. And I’ve also kind of suspected that the Board of State Game and Inland Fisheries scheduled hunting season to extend into January so hunters would be able to enjoy some of the stuff they found under the Christmas tree without having to wait a year. Of course, many of the items that hunters use during the season, such as camouflage clothing and boots, can be, and are, used all year long.

When it comes to camouflage there always seems to be another pattern coming out, but in my opinion the cutting-edge new product in this category is scent absorbing clothes. They not only hide you from view but they also hide you from the nose of your quarry (and your pets for that matter). To an animal’s nose, no amount of deodorant soap can hide the smell of humans. Until now, hunters would tie a swatch of cloth to their boots or belt treated with fox urine or “essence of doe” in hopes of masking their natural scent. Scent-absorbing clothes have a layer of activated carbon which draws in body odor like a sponge. The odors remain trapped in the cloth until the carbon is reactivated in the dryer.

There are several brands, like Scentlok and Scentblocker, offered by the sporting goods retailers.

Another recent breakthrough in clothing is the new “moisture wicking” undergarments, such as Under Armor®. These cotton polyester blend products pull the sweat away from your body, providing greater comfort and coolness between your skin and your stiff, insulated outer garments. The brand name “Base Layer” offers moisture wicking and activated carbon in the same clothing. Moisture wicking undergarments are also something the hunter on your holiday list can use year round.

This next gift is a great investment, but it can’t be used during the couple weeks of hunting season following Christmas. You could also call it effort by The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to shop for future hunters, thereby guaranteeing a future for VDGIF. The department now offers a Legacy Lifetime Hunting License. The license can only be issued to children younger than 2 years of age and when the child turns 12 the license can be upgraded to a Lifetime hunting license at no additional cost—provided they have completed a hunter education course or the equivalent. Once the license is upgraded it is good for life even if the holder moves out of Virginia and no longer qualifies as a resident.

The current price of a Lifetime hunting license for residents age 12-44 is $260 and a Lifetime license is not even available to non-residents, so at $125 for resident children and $250 for non-resident kids, the Legacy license is a real bargain. I recommend if you intend to purchase this license for the new child or grandchild in your family make sure you consult the other family members, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc., that may have the same present in mind since you only need one per child. The Legacy license must be purchased through the Richmond VDGIF office or by mail. You cannot pick it up at your local license agent sporting goods store. For more information, contact VDGIF customer service at (866) 721-6911 or by email at . Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., except certain holidays.