Stocking up for April 2

[Reemus Buckshot]

I began turkey hunting this year and became addicted. I have always been a big deer hunter, but once I tried turkey hunting it's hard to say which I like more now. Turkey hunting is definitely a rush. Anyways, I will be buying a good vest soon and I need too know what are all the essentials I should have besides the obvious mosquito spray, decoys, and calls.

I am terrible with a mouth call. I have used a slide call and box call so I will look into buying one of those. I also might buy the gobbler call that basspro sells because I have seen it work before. But besides all that, what should go in my vest?

 

[Blount County Hunter]

Definately a slate call, its a really easy call to learn and practice with and IMO sounds better than a box call if done right, but I always carry my headnet, gloves, bottle of water, orange vest to throw on turkey while I'm carrying it out, small pair of pruners for making a hasty blind if needed, I haven't had much luck with gobbler calls, seems to draw more dumb hunters to my area thinking they located a bird then anything

 

[bvoss]

My Vest ( opening morning): five mouth calls, three slate calls, four strikers, one box call, one crow call, range finder, tp, bottled water, one hen decoy, b-mobile.

( after a couple days of hunting): five mouth calls, two slates, three strikers one crow, range finder, hen decoy, tp, bottle water.

( last week of season) two mouth calls, one slate, two strikers range finder, tp, bottled water

If the season kept going i'd probably end up with my gun and one mouth call

 

[bvoss]

I've seen the gobbler calls work,but i just don't like the idea of hunters sneaking in on me to get a shot at the gobbler they hear.

 

[Blount County Hunter]

I've seen the gobbler calls work,but i just don't like the idea of hunters sneaking in on me to get a shot at the gobbler they hear.

Yep, better off leaving it at home, but I left tp off my list, that's one of the big things you should always carry, nobody likes using random leafs or a sock if they don't have to, and why leave the woods to go take a dump if you don't have to? Oh and I left off my crow call, owl hoot, disposable camera just in case, and my trusty watch so I keep track of when I call, usually every 30 minutes

 

[REN]

dont OVER accessorize yourself! just carry a few different calls that you are 100% comfortable with. Remember how you use them in your house or car is far easier then when you are in the woods and each sound can make or break you. also the sounds in those places vs the woods can be very different.

slate or glass is pretty easy to use and if you add a couple different strikers you can have 1 call that makes a variety of sounds....no reason to carry 3 different glass or slate calls. I recommend you start practicing with mouth calls because A) they are cheap and B) are super easy to carry a few of them.

I try to bring as little as possible with me that way the decision of Which call to use is easy to do.

I tend to only carry 1 slate, 1 glass, 1 tube call and 3-4 mouth calls.

 

[Blount County Hunter]

dont OVER accessorize yourself! just carry a few different calls that you are 100% comfortable with. Remember how you use them in your house or car is far easier then when you are in the woods and each sound can make or break you. also the sounds in those places vs the woods can be very different.

slate or glass is pretty easy to use and if you add a couple different strikers you can have 1 call that makes a variety of sounds....no reason to carry 3 different glass or slate calls. I recommend you start practicing with mouth calls because A) they are cheap and B) are super easy to carry a few of them.

I try to bring as little as possible with me that way the decision of Which call to use is easy to do.

I tend to only carry 1 slate, 1 glass, 1 tube call and 3-4 mouth calls.

I agree, I usually only carry 1 slate call with 2 strikers, box call for windy or wet days, and a homeade turtle shell call, 95% of the turkey I killed came to the exact same slate call that I have been using for years, don't overdo one call in area though if you scared away a few toms with that call earlier, they will sometimes associate that same call to danger when they hear it again and won't respond to it, but it just all depends, I have shot at a turkey from 20 yds away while laying in the prone position because he gobbled just over the hill as I was walking out of the woods to leave, I missed, and he flew away, and I called the same turkey back in 15 minutes later

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Keep working with that mouth call.

 

[Reemus Buckshot]

I'm terrible with my mouth call. Only been practicing a month or so, but I am awful. I'll stick with slate and box for now, but I'm not sure how I'll manage once a gobbler comes into range and my hands aren't free.

 

[catman529]

use handy-dandy duct tape and tape the slate to the side of your gun and then use your trigger hand to hold the striker and do purrs...they will vibrate down the barrel and bring that gobbler straight in...then you can put the striker down and pull the trigger

all right I'm done

Good luck practicing the mouth call. I got to get myself one sometime to try and learn just so I have it under my belt

 

[Blount County Hunter]

They make a few push button calls that don't sound all that bad that can be easily used with one hand, the lonesome hen by h and s strut sounds pretty good to me, and I called in a tom and killed it with it the that call the first time I brought it into the woods, something about a new call that the turkey haven't heard in the area seems to get their curiosity level up to come check out the new hen on the block

 

[catman529]

then you could always use your voice and make a mean-sounding gobble...either get them in out of super-curiosity or send them flying from terror...

 

[Blount County Hunter]

Haha catman, I can actually do a pretty good gobble and some good yelps with just my mouth, but I haven't had the confidence to really test them out in the woods, so I usually stick with what has worked for me in the past

 

[catman529]

give it a go during off-season...

Oh and check your PM inbox

 

[Blount County Hunter]

I might, but I don't really like calling to birds in the offseason, I feel that it educates them a lot more and makes them more call shy in the spring

 

[bvoss]

I'm terrible with my mouth call. Only been practicing a month or so, but I am awful. I'll stick with slate and box for now, but I'm not sure how I'll manage once a gobbler comes into range and my hands aren't free.

Those guys are so sharp by the time he gets into range he has probably already pinpointed the tree the calls are comming from. When he is that close it's best to sit quiet any way.

 

[REN]

agree with Voss....if you see him and he is still coming there is no reason to call anymore. just sit tight and play the game.

 

[big 8s in Weakley county]

THERMA CELL

 

[scope eye]

It took me for ever to learn to use a mouth call. I finally watched a youtube vid on it and had it down patt after about thirty mins. Primos and Knight and Hale make a "piggy back" style of mouth call. It had a double frame which keeps the reeds separated about 1/16 of an inch. It is super easy to use and the reeds don't stick that way. I prefere the K&H, "040". There are some really good vids on youtube on how to use a mouth call that will help you out.

 

[Anonymous]

Keep after the diaphram, it'll get easier. you mite have to move it around to find a better fit in your mouth (just dont get strangled).
Say kee-yup slowly (take about 2 seconds to make the yelp), once you get better withthe yelp say it faster, it just take practice, it took me a long time to get wher I could do a decent cackle or some yelps with some cutts inbetween them, but if ya dont practice it aint gonna happen.

A slate/pot calls is easy, yelps, cuts, cackles( takes practice) even fight'n purrs can be done.

Tube calls are the bomb, some people call'm snuff cans, ther a little harder to learn but are some sweet calls, you can do it all,even gobbles. (my faveorite call)

Box calls are easy and you can do gobbles if ya want, sometimes a handy trick, but they add to the clutter factor.

I dont like to carry a bunch of junk with me, it rattles and squeaks when you walk, 2 slate calls (one is double sided)with 2 strikers,my snuff can call and a few diaphrams, extra shells( I'm a bad shot)and thats about it.

Before season gets here load your vest and take a walk to see how it actually works for ya, learn wher to put stuff so thers no diggin around for it when ya need it in a hurry, gives everything a good shakedown before hand.

OH YEAH...almost forgot, get the dvd MASTERING THE ART OF TURKEY CALLING, Primos puts it out, thers some good how to info on ther, also...you dont have to be a turkey call'n rock star, some turkeys dont even sound like turkeys, do your best and dont sweat the rest.