Hunters' Top 5 New Year's Eve Party Conversations

All in all, if you’re a hunter, it has been a good year. Maybe you got that big whitetail you were chasing, maybe you didn’t. It’s all good when we spend time outdoors with family and friends. Plus, there’s always next season. So as we get set to gather with family and friends one last time in 2015, here are the top five chats I’ll be having. Happy New Year!

• Favorite Hunting Gifts: Who got what? Maybe you got a new shotgun or rifle. Or maybe your stocking contained a unique piece of gear. Or, whether you missed your big buck and want to hone your skills come Jan. 2 or you just want to block out the party’s background noise to focus on hunting conversations, maybe that new Walker’s Game Ear hearing protection and enhancement muff will come in handy sooner than expected!

• 2016 Western Big Game Application Deadlines: It’s never too early to start planning for next season. Who wants to go where, and when, and for what species? And which hunting method will be the ticket?

• Trail-Camera Images and Trophy Shots: Do you have before and after big-buck or elk photos to share in the form of trail-cam pics and trophy shots? Or, if your buck outsmarted you this season, flashing that handy trail-cam pic no doubt will lead to a chat about winter scouting—especially if you’re strategically placed cameras indicate he’s still there!

• Getting Kids Involved in Hunting: Is it time to get the young person in your life into hunting? Who in the room is aware of NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC)? The most comprehensive youth hunting program in North America, YHEC is open to anyone who has completed hunter-safety training at the state or provincial level. Conducted under simulated hunting conditions, it provides the best practical environment for reinforcing and testing a young hunter's skills in eight events, including rifle, bow and muzzleloader activities and map-and-compass orienteering. Visit yhec.nra.org for a copy of the YHEC Guidebook and official rules and regulations or contact NRA Hunter Services: 800-492-4868 (option 3); yhec@nrahq.org.

• 2016 Elections: Last but never least, with the approach of Election Day 2016, we hunters and shooters must get set to harness our collective power and get out the pro-Second Amendment votes. Anti-gunners and anti-hunters are using mass media and social media as weapons in a cultural war aimed at outlawing our rights. Help NRA-ILA to elect NRA-endorsed candidates on Nov. 8 by visiting nraila.org/take-action.