I am not a turkey hunting veteran by any means{this will be my 17th season}but I find myself buying less gear prior to the season and plan to carry less gear each season.Can't wait to just stick a mouth call in my shirt pocket and get after them.How does everyone do with this,is less really more?
I used to buy a lot more before the season than I do now, but I always have to try out a few new diaphragms for sure.
A far as what I take in the woods, I like to have a variety so I'm prepared for just about anything. I have 4 turkey calls and 2 locators in my vest. We (my dad and I) usually have at least 1 decoy, but not always. Sometimes it is nice just to plop your seat against a tree, put a couple shells in and a diaphragm and get to work. If we are planning to stay a while, we bring more in. If it's a run and gun type thing where we may have spotted some from the truck and we're trying to get on them, sometimes I leave my vest in the truck and bring a call and a gun.
I consider myself a veteran, I have 17 years in too.
I do carry a few mouth calls and a few friction calls and this year i'll be taking my boat paddle box call along
This will be my 46th spring spent in the turkey woods if I make it until then. My vest used to weigh between 28-30 lbs without a turkey bird. I've scaled way back. I travel fairly light now-a-days compared to a lot of folks. I learned a long time ago that most of that 30 lbs. was for show, and I usually didn't have anyone to show it to.
my shotgun, and a snuff can of mouth calls in my pocket. Don't really take anything else with me. use vocals for locating, crow call or owl hoot. Sometimes I wish I was a call maker after seeing all the calls they sell these days.
If I new I could call a turkey with just one call i would have one call. I aint that good so I have a friction call and a few mouth calls and a crow and owl call. No decoy for me
I say every year I am gonna cut back on what I tote in but dang it, that vest dont seem to get much lighter. I dont consider myself a minimalist by any means.
definately not a minimalist, got enough stuff in my vest to open a store, extra gloves & face mask, extra skoal can of mouth calls, one slate, one ceramic, 2 strikers, light, tp, water, snack, all kinds of other stuff, one decoy usually, will shed some stuff if a long walk or raining, but hate to need something i left in the truck, also have carried a ammo box with me in the truck for 15 years, just in case me or someone else needs something, i usually got it
I generally start the season with everything I own crammed in my vest. But as the season wears on, I carry less, and less, and less until I'm down to the bare minimum!! :lol:
I didnt even use a vest until about 4 years ago , I use one now that is very nice
My gear:
Vest - Calls , mostly push pins , with a crow and owl call , a container for chalk- a few drinks, facemask ,gloves, insect repellent , pruning shears , camo face paint - ammo
I hunt in a Guillie suit , nylon "church socks" , crocks for shoes , and carry a SP10 - I have a bag with a decoy cause if anything is getting shot by a idiot, it will be the decoy
That's about it, I am conditioned and used to the 12 pound gun and gear - and it works very well for me - I typically keep all my gear in a empty cooler in my truck - I normally drive the last half mile with the lights off and park hidden - I try to wait until another truck car goes by , then I turn the ignition off - I get to the back in the cooler and put all my gear on super silent and take my sweet a-- time creeping to my spot - I set up super quiet and wait for the show to start - I never use a flashlight
Nylon socks and Crocs! :TooFunny:
I would have a Copperhead on my pinky toe before first light!
Quote from: K9Doc on February 07, 2012, 11:35:04 PM
Nylon socks and Crocs! :TooFunny:
I would have a Copperhead on my pinky toe before first light!
He's not lying! Seen it firsthand hand! Couldn't believe it myself.
Usually carry way more than I need,but scale down as the season goes on.my dad is definetely a minimalist;3 shells in the gun, 1box call and whatever camo he decides to wear that day.
I used to carry a lot but there's no telling how much I've left laying beside trees. :TooFunny:
I always carry more than I need. Just habit. Everything has a place in my fanny pack and belt. We don't get but 7 days to hunt in Wi. (it was 5 until this year), so it is not too cumbersome for too long..
I go light, since I like to be able to move / relocate quickly. I have a small, simple camo fanny pack that holds my fold up hen decoy and binoculars. On the fanny pack strap hangs a pouch that holds a couple diaphram calls, slate call, crow call, face mask and gloves, with room for a small flashlight and gobbler tube if I think there needed. That and the gun slung over my shoulder is all I carry. Well... that and the TP in a ziploc baggie in my pant's cargo pocket.
(http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=9010.0;attach=4136;image)
I'm a minimalist.
4 pot calls
1 box
One mouth call
Pruning shears
The one thing I have a lot of is toilet paper. Gotta let the cosby's out when they want to go play...
Otherwise you could be "hardcore" like an acquaintance of mine and make who made cow patties in his pants while waiting out a hung up gobbler just out of gun range. Never did kill that gobbler but he was certainly "productive" that morning.
Wow, he actually crapped his pants! I have nearly peed myself but I probably would've gave up on the bird and dropped my pants in his situation. Just me and our season is long.
I am w/ya Gotcha! I have an old vest that just has two black straps that go over the shoulders and carry a slate, glass and longbox in the front bottom pockets. I thow a few water bottles in the turkey pouch, with some blackpowerder and shot in the final pocket and it is go-time.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flintlock/wess_Gobbler2011.jpg)
Good luck
Wess
I definitely am a minimalist. Carry my gun and three Hooks mouth calls. I don't need anything else.
Day one vest weight about 150 lbs.
Day 5 . What vest ? Just me,my Benelli, Sla tek, 2 purpleheart strikers.
I wouldnt say a minimalist but not a heavy duty either, 2 pot calls , 3 or 4 strikers, a few diaphragms ,pruning shears and I did borrow a decoy last year and that was a nice little addition, a bottle of water, shells and my gun
Started out with the kitchen sink 24yrs.ago and grandfather laughed at me.spent money on a bunch of junk. Have all I need now and spend it on ammo and chokes. My vest has a wingbone,trumpet,diaphram and slate.water,pruners,compass,scothbrite,gloves,etc.. pretty light though. Quit hunting with decoy yrs. Ago and that definetly lightened the load.
2 pot calls / couple strikers
1 box call
Diaphragm, sandpaper, scotchbrite bits
Binos, knife, TP, water, shells, foam hen, pruners
If out all day I add food and rain jacket and a phone
Usually start out the season with a call in every vest pocket, carrying bino's. As the season wears on I cut the amount of calls in half, and leave the bino's in the car. : ;D
I carry ALOT less now than I used to carry but I do carry quite a variety of calls. You never know which one the big guy will like. It's not like when I was a kid and wore WWII pattern camo,facepaint,my 20 ga. single shot shotgun and one call, a Lynch "World Champion" box call.
Depends on the situation and who I am hunting with.
For me by myself on our lease or private land, I have my vest on because of the padded seat but only have a crystal-freak, a slate, two strikers, and a Lynch's World Champion. If the gobbler puts the moves on me and I end up with him all day, I generally leave the vest and take my gun and just the call I have been working him with. Always have a couple mouth calls in a case in my shirt pocket.
When I hunt with a buddy, it may be scenario above or if we are hunting a place that we may walk 10 miles that day I will just take my gun and a game bag. I put my slate it my shirt pocket and striker in my pants pocket. In the game bag, I will have two bottles of water, a sandwich, and dry socks.
Now as the season wears and I get on one boss gobbler and am hunting him exclusively, I leave it all at the truck except my gun, my slate, and my mouth calls. I want to be mobile and have absolutely nothing that will squeak or rattle on my person.
I take a few mouth calls, two slates and strikers in a pouch on the belt.
Other than that, gloves on hands, facemask around neck. And a few extra shells in the pocket.
I have needed those extra shells before.
Ohh, a fat boy hunt comfort seat and a turkey tote in my side pocket of the pants.
:morning:
I've got a few mouth calls, a slate, The FREAK, a box and two locators. All in my vest. Water bottle too.
Sometimes I've got decoys and other days I don't. Depends where and how long I have to hunt. Some mornings its only 45 minutes before I've got to get back home before the wife leaves for work.
I'm torn on the decoys anymore. It seems if I hunt closer to home, I have better luck with them. The place I hunt further north, they don't seem to do much good. Same with calls. I'm finding out its better to just hunt their travel areas and wait them out just like deer.
Though, its not quite as fun vs. calling them in. They like to answer the call, just not move in. Maybe I need to work on my calling.
Every year I say I am going reduce what I carry, but always seem to end up with way too much stuff in my vest. I carry a slate call, glass call, couple of strikers, a box call, crow call, owl hooter, thermacell, too much ammo, snacks and drinks. If my 10 year old son is hunting with me, it seems to double my load because then I have to carry shooting sticks, twice as much food/drinks, and sometimes a blind and something for him to sit on.