met a hunter coming out of the woods on friday got me thinking. how many of you really gadget up for turkey hunting. This guy look like an over decorted camo christmas tree. he had calls, lannyards loaded up with calls, binos, range finder, decoys, backpack, vest with big goofy looking pillow hanging off his butt and even a camo foldable chairlike thing. he was a pretty hefty ol boy and i wondered how he could tote himself and all his stuff. i carry 1 small call and a gun with 3 shells. i cover a ton of ground and prefer no bulk or gadgets. camo running pants, long sleeve shirt and black tennis shoes or if it is wet- extra light muck field blazers. what about yall.go light or prepare for war?
TURKEY GADGETS....
- Thread starter redblood
- Start date
Light and mobile fits my run and gun/aggressive approach. I rarely sit still for longer than 30-45 minutes turkey hunting, many times 15-20 minutes tops.
Setterman
Well-Known Member
I wear a vest with an *** pad, and have calls and a shotgun. I carry no binos, no range finder, no decoys, and really nothing else.
I have no use for binos, I hunt woods, not fields and have never needed to glass even when around fields. Gobblers look different than hens even from several hundred yards away.
A rangefinder is completely useless for me. I have hunted long enough I can judge distances.
I don't use decoys, they are just a cumbersome waste of plastic IMO.
I could go with 1 call and some water, however a vest is handy for a camera, a couple extra calls I never use, *** pad, and the most important a huge pouch to stuff dead birds in for the walk out.
I have no use for binos, I hunt woods, not fields and have never needed to glass even when around fields. Gobblers look different than hens even from several hundred yards away.
A rangefinder is completely useless for me. I have hunted long enough I can judge distances.
I don't use decoys, they are just a cumbersome waste of plastic IMO.
I could go with 1 call and some water, however a vest is handy for a camera, a couple extra calls I never use, *** pad, and the most important a huge pouch to stuff dead birds in for the walk out.
TheAirMan
Well-Known Member
I don't really consider anything you mentioned a gadget. However, I don't see the need in a vest and a backpack. I don't get to carried away with what I take. I use a vest most of the time but could probably fit about all of what is in it on me. I learned a long time ago it's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Within reason, of course.
catman529
Well-Known Member
I need to be light packed because I do a lot of running and gunning. Backpack with basic gear including a cheap cushion for setting up long periods of time. Binocs go in cargo pocket so I can reach and get them when I need them. 5 shells in the gun and a few extras (including field loads) in the backpack just in case. Also snake bite/first aid kit, water, and the most important of all, TP. I have a few calls in the backpack but only use one - a tube call that I keep in my front shirt pocket.
stik
Well-Known Member
i take a couple of mouth calls, a pad to sit on, a decoy(sometimes used, sometimes not),bottle of water, thermacell,binocs(i never enter the woods without em),headnet and gloves,shotgun(of course),camera,tp.
BowGuy84
Well-Known Member
I carry 3 mouth calls, 1 pot call, thermacell, water, dip, tp, mask and gloves shells in the gun, all in a vest for a walk out. La grange rubber boots are light, fairly cool and waterproof.
bowhunterfanatic
Well-Known Member
Setterman said:
If you hunted fields instead of woods, would you still not use decoys? I'm a very novice turkey hunter, but I mainly hunt fields and feel that most of my success is due to decoys. I know for a fact that the three birds I had come in to 10 yards last Sunday came to the decoys and not my lousy excuse for calling.
Not trying to hijack, just curious...
Baxter83
Well-Known Member
I almost always wear my vest with 2 pots, a couple mouth calls, crow call, and owl hooter. It has a compartment on the back for a hydration bladder which is pretty awesome and convenient. I carry binos, but I use the binocular straps so it's like their not even there, and I also clip my thermocell on my vest in the late season as well. I carry more than I need more often than not :D
Oh, and I haven't used decoys since my first year of hunting 5 years ago. No need for them in the woods..
Oh, and I haven't used decoys since my first year of hunting 5 years ago. No need for them in the woods..
Buck Assassin
Well-Known Member
I use a vest and carry 2 slates, a box, several mouth calls, bunch of strikers, a deke, thermacell, and a couple bottles of water. It works well if I keep it all organized. All I need is my vest and my shotgun for a turkey hunt.
I wear a vest with 2 pot call, 2 mouth calls, several locator calls, binos, range finder, bipod, extra shells, water, snack, ground blind, saw, wing, and I think that's it. Normally only use my pot calls and diaphram but have everything else just in case I need it. Doesn't add much weight so I tote it along. Oh yeah one piece of property I hunt is only 40 acres and I can't move much so I carry a turkey lounger seat that lets me sit forever.
Setterman
Well-Known Member
bowhunterfanatic said:
Hard to say since I rarely hunt anywhere that has any open areas larger than a couple of acres. However, if I hunted some of the rolling pasture stuff with woodlots I would probably start using decoys. I am pretty deadly with a call and woods dwelling birds, but field birds can be difficult if there is nothing for them to associate with in terms of a bird that goes along with the calling they hear.
I would love to think I could get away with no decoys, but might change my tune if my hunting areas changed.
FrickorFrack
Well-Known Member
Whatever happened to using leaves instead of WHITE tp?!!!
I have a David Halloran glass and a slate call. And one mouth call. Of course I ain't ever killed a turkey but that's all I got. My collection is growing but I can't get anything much to sound like the real turkey sounds I've been listening to...except for partially on the pot calls and such.
stik
Well-Known Member
FrickorFrack said:
have you ever used leaves? THAT'S why the tp :)
Lawrence
Well-Known Member
I use a vest and a stool
one Box
one scratch box
and 2 slate calls
and a pocket full of mouth calls
one Box
one scratch box
and 2 slate calls
and a pocket full of mouth calls
Trevor2
Well-Known Member
Two pot calls, assortment of strikers, box call, 3 mouth calls, tp, 24 oz water bottle, owl and crowl call, head net, gloves, and my shotgun, all except shotgun is in my vest including a foam hen and jake decoy.
I wear a vest with butt pad. 3 pot calls, 1 box call, 5 or 6 mouth calls. I take binos - couldnt live with out em. Crow call, box call chalk, pot call conditioner and a primos carry sling for my dead turkeys thats awesome. Gun with 2 shells in it and one xtra in vest. Piece of leather to tie my tag on with. Thats it.
I just ain't going without my vest if I can help it. Mine has a frame built into it so you don't need a tree to lean in. It is just so comfortable it makes sitting for a long time much easier.
I do carry some binos that are strapped to me. They come in handy from time to time but can be a pain as well.
I don't see any of this as gadgets just things I personally see as something I want/need to turkey hunt. Most of my spots are 200-700 acres so it's not a TON of walking but I can cover some ground in a day. Now if I were to hunt LBL or something I may lighten my load somewhat.
I carry a few things in my vest but the hotter it gets the less I carry in it.
I do carry some binos that are strapped to me. They come in handy from time to time but can be a pain as well.
I don't see any of this as gadgets just things I personally see as something I want/need to turkey hunt. Most of my spots are 200-700 acres so it's not a TON of walking but I can cover some ground in a day. Now if I were to hunt LBL or something I may lighten my load somewhat.
I carry a few things in my vest but the hotter it gets the less I carry in it.
i am 36 and will take speed. i hate gadgets. i have set out decoys twice and the birds ran both times. i even boughtt the lightest 3.5" 12 gauge i could find. i do not really even know
therma cell is.
therma cell is.
Setterman
Well-Known Member
redblood said:
You, nor anyone else would last 5 minutes here right now without a thermacell or enough bug spray to hospitalize a human. The mosquitoes are so bad, we are turning our thermacells on before we get out of the truck to make sure they are warmed up, if you don't it takes hours for it to drive off the swarms.
I have been to the Amazon and a myriad of south Miss river bottoms, and have never seen anything like the bloodsuckers here this year so far. Hope they like the frost and freeze they are fixing to receive, and hope it bursts their cells and they suffer.
Like some of the other guys said, there's many ways to hunt turkeys,non of the the "right" way. I land somewhere in between with two foam decoys,a couple of slates,boxes,and mouth calls,along with locaters. I also don't leave the truck without bino's and my thermacell. I carry a 28" barrel 835. Its heavy,but gets me another 15-20yds over some of the shorter turkey models. As long as your getting on birds,it does'nt matter what you carry!
