Hunting checklist

The annual Utah general rifle deer hunt is only days off.

And, if they haven't already, it would be a good idea for hunters to go down their checklist of necessary gear prior to walking out the door and heading off to the hills.

If anything happens to be missing, there's still time to stop by their favorite hunting store and fill in the blanks.

On a recent sporting-goods-store walk-through, the staff made a few suggestions, starting with some of the new rifles and going down to some of those little items hunters tend to forget, such as rubber gloves.

Winchester 300 ShortMag rifle with DuraTouch stock. This is one of the elite members of the new generation of hunting rifles that fires the new ShortMag ammunition. The new cartridge is shorter, which allows for a shorter action and, theoretically, a tighter action. The shorter cartridge also means a quicker action and less movement in the rifle, which translates into a better chance of hitting the target. The stock is an armor coating that is an elastic polymer in a camouflage pattern that resists the nicks and scratches that victimize wooden stocks. The new synthetic stocks do lack the feel and absorbing qualities of wood, but this is offset with better recoil pads. The rifle comes with a stainless steel action. Price: $779.99.

Winchester Model 70 with laminated stock. The laminated stock has the look and feel of wood yet is much stronger. Between 25 to 30 layers of veneer go into each stock, which makes it less likely to warp with changes in the weather. And, like the synthetic stocks, the laminated stocks are impervious to moisture. This model, too, comes in the ShortMag series. Price: $659.99.

Sako Model 75. This rifle has one of the most renowned actions on the market. The synthetic stock comes with a harder grip but with a softer polymer on the butt. It comes with a fluted barrel, which reduces weight and dispenses heat more rapidly, all of which makes for greater accuracy. Price: $1,269.99.

Remington XCR. This is another of the shorter-action rifles with a synthetic stock. This one comes with a softer insert in the grip area and a custom vibration recoil pad. As with other Remington rifles, this is one of the most accurate rifles out of the box. The barrel comes with a Nitrite-type coating that looks like stainless steel. It was developed by the military to make the action more resistant to weather conditions. Price: $779.99.