I don't necessarily pack light in the turkey woods but I can carry everything I need without a turkey vest - Especially an expensive one. I think hunters espically new ones get caught up in thinking they need a turkey hunting vest. I sling gun and decoys on my back, cased mouth calls down a pocket or in my hat, a slate call or two in the cargo pocket of my pants and go. If I have my box with me many times I just hold it in my hand or slip it the side pocket of my decoy bag. No need for a $100.00 vest with 8000 pockets. Just sayin. Save that money and buy a nice new custom call, or if you don't have a gobbler lounger - Get one! The extra weight of the chair is well worth it once you get to your set-up. Not to mention it greatly increases the places you can set-up.
Heath Smith - Illinois Turkey Hunter
Ok, I'll play. :goofball:
I love my vest and I couldn't live without it. Everything I need for a hunt is in it. It will stay in it. Forever. When I am done with a hunt, I take my vest off. When I go on my next hunt, I put my vest on. I never forget my tags. Zip ties. Poop tickets. Calls. Conditioning tools. Face mask. Extra shell or 2. Limb saw. Pen. Bug dope. Or anything else. It is always all in one place. Doesn't matter if I get up 5 hours early or 30 minutes late. Grab and go. Of course, if I forget the vest entirely I am hosed, but it ain't happened yet and I've been a little "wobbly" a few times.
I'm gonna hunt 4 states this year. I don't have to think about what to take each time. It's packed.
Hooray for vests. Buy the best one ya can - it will last you 10 or more years.
I have been wearing army BDU jacket that i cut the sleeves off to make a vest. it has
two big lower pockets and two chest pockets also. I sewed on two 1 inch pockets at my waist to put a coiuple of mouth calls. i like it because the camo is colorfast, durable fabric
(milspec) and camo pattern of woodland green never out of style.
I also use it for bow hunting and as a dove hunting vest./
cost about $18
I hunt 25-40 days each spring and that vest is with me every one of them.
The way you feel about your gobbler lounger is the way i feel about my vest. I wouldn't hunt without one but I have no use for lugging around a chair, lol.
Got to same the same thing, wouldn't go to the woods without it.
Ok I guess to each their own but I really like my vest. I carries all my gear with the exception of my gun. I don't have to worry about how to carry my belongings or taking stuff in and out of my pockets becaus "it's in my vest" Just say'n
I was thinking more about this.
Almost everything could be declared to be too expensive and over rated by someone.
Dave Smith decoys - oh yeah. But I love mine. Foam works too...
Benelli M2. I love mine, but millions of Turks have died in front of less expensive pump guns and single shots.
Double bull blind. I could sit on the ground, sometimes I do, but sometimes the blind is the shiznit.
Custom calls. Lots of birds killed with cheap calls, or no calls if you are a voice caller.
Fancy aftermarket chokes. The full choke that came with the gun would work just fine 75% of the time.
There's an expensive and over rated solution for most everything...
I'll play, too! :blob10:
I carry a lot of stuff to the turkey woods that I do not "need" but sure make things easier and more comfortable.
I can can make pretty decent yelps, clucks, purrs, gobbles, crow calls, and owl hoots with my natural voice (not kidding), so I really do not need any calls. I've killed birds wearing military surplus camo and old work boots, so I really don't need any of my Natgear or my Muck boots.
I have an old single shot Iver Johnson Champion that throws a pretty good pattern of 2 3/4 #4 Remington Express loads to 20 yards, so I really don't need my 870 with an Indian Creek or my 835 with an XX full choke and 3 1/2 inch mags.
That being said, I'll be hunting 4 (maybe 5) states this year and logging a lot of miles on my truck and my feet, so I'll wear my comfortable boots and fancy camo. I might have a bird that hangs up at 40 yards, so I'll carry one of my pump shotguns. My throat hurts after yelping and crow calling too much, so I'll have my Gooserbat Calls.
Those calls will be organized and protected in my turkey vest!
The best part of a vest is sliding a big bird in the back pocket and packing him out.
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I bought a vest just for the pure fact that it was on sale and had a good amount of pockets and after the few times I've been out in the woods with it wouldn't trade it for the world
I love my vest but know a couple of guys who don't wear one. I like the fact that everything has it place and I can find it so much easier. Also you don't have to unpack it at night like you would have to your pants/shirts (especially to dry if wet). Saves me time in the morning when I am already waking up EARLY......
Like someone already said, I don't 'need' most of the crap I carry around.
One thing I learned about hunting at a young age, 'need' and 'want' are two totally different things....
mudhen
Good topic...interesting to hear other hunters thoughts. Here's mine:
Hunted for my first 4 years of serious turkey hunting with a little pack on my belt that held a box call, mouth calls , five shells inside, pot calls etc. etc. Maybe HS Strut brand? Worked pretty good...run and gun etc. Gave that to my 13 year old grandson to use this year.
Bought an inexpensive , maybe $39 vest last year at a Walmart...wow what a difference...mainly for me it was the ease of carrying stuff...decoys in the game bag and old tom and decoys in game bag on way out if good lord permitted...plus as others have mentioned...I pick up the vest it has everything I need in it no second guessing if I have something ...plus a comfy seat.
I will probably succumb to the "expensive" vest sickness next season but that's another thread for the future!
My vest started life as an old Cabela's ultimate vest. It has been highly modified since. I have replaced the straps with padded treestand straps, I have sewed leafy camo strips on it all over, I have added padding to the seat cushon, I have sewed additional pockets in the game bag to hold a turkey tote and rain gear poncho, I have added a pad inside the game bag between my back and the tree, etc. It is a conglomeration and looks throughly worn out and ready for the garbage bag but it is still highly functional. Everything has it's specific place and after 15 years with this vest I don't even have to think of where something is. I put it on when I leave the truch and take it off when I get back and I never have to empty my pockets or forget where I laid something when I did. It has no special features, just lots of tailored pockets where everything has a place. It is tattered and faded and I would never hunt without it.
I have a Wal-Mart clearance special I bought several years ago and I like having all my stuff in one spot! I will have to say though that if I have to choose between the vest and my lounger, the lounger goes every time!
I do hope to upgrade my vest next year to a nicer model.
I love my super elite 3 vest carries all my craps and I know exactly what pocket things are in....but last Christmas I received a funny pack in old tree bark im likely gonna try that and my gobbled lounger
Hopefully it works out well good luck to everyone hunting this spring
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Quote from: spaightlabs on March 18, 2013, 03:25:01 PM
Ok, I'll play. :goofball:
I love my vest and I couldn't live without it. Everything I need for a hunt is in it. It will stay in it. Forever. When I am done with a hunt, I take my vest off. When I go on my next hunt, I put my vest on. I never forget my tags. Zip ties. Poop tickets. Calls. Conditioning tools. Face mask. Extra shell or 2. Limb saw. Pen. Bug dope. Or anything else. It is always all in one place. Doesn't matter if I get up 5 hours early or 30 minutes late. Grab and go. Of course, if I forget the vest entirely I am hosed, but it ain't happened yet and I've been a little "wobbly" a few times.
I'm gonna hunt 4 states this year. I don't have to think about what to take each time. It's packed.
Hooray for vests. Buy the best one ya can - it will last you 10 or more years.
I agree!
I wear a vest and have owned many kinds. I have to say though--I have never had one I was 100% in love with.
My vest is my best hunting partner, We have been through alot togeather.
i just wouldn't feel right leaving my "buddy" home while i was out chasing turkeys. ;D
Quote from: jhcats10 on March 18, 2013, 03:58:36 PM
The best part of a vest is sliding a big bird in the back pocket and packing him out.
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I agree 100%. My vest is an old HS Strut that I bought about ten years ago. It has a big game bag in the back that clips open and shut. I lay my birds across the game bag and clip it shut so they don't fall out and away I go. What a great feeling to have that extra weight on your back as you hike out of the woods. I love my vest! ;D
I have one of the original mossy oak super elite style vests. Bought it from a friend when I was 14, maybe 2001 ish. Its slightly faded, has several holes torn in it from barb wire, thorns etc. The seat has long since disappeared. Yet it is still like an old friend to me. That vest has been with me on many a fine spring morning and several not so fine ones. I tried the vestless approach in 2011. Man what a pain in my a**. Having calls and shells and tags etc stuffed in my cargo pockets, not being able to find something when I needed it, forgetting things in the truck I can go on and on. After a week or so I dug out my old friend and loaded it back up and have no plans to change anytime soon
Love my vest. Can't imagine going back to the days when I didn't use one..
Well here goes!!! You would think I was nuts then. You see I have 3 vests. A Buck Lick creek, Cabelas tactical tat'r with the kickstand and an Ol tom. I even have the "worlds best hunting chair". Each vest has a purpose and the area I am hunting dictates what vest I use. Also I have back trouble and the vests with the back rest helps me alot. Go get'em!!!
I got one of the smaller vest that you can buy but I agree with the others that I wouldnt leave the truck without it because its easy to keep everything organized.
Facemask, mouthcalls, one box call, chalk, a few extra shells, topo map if I'm on a new place, thermacell (yep mosquitoes can be drastic down here in the south), cell phone and a water bottle... and of course the seat that's attached to it. All things that i'd probably lose or leave beside a random tree or in the truck if I didnt have a vest to keep up with it all. When the hunt's over, I just take it off and leave the vest by the door and I always know that I got just about everything I need (the gun is all that's really missing) to go chase turkey.
Gave up the vest with 20+ pockets for a fanny pack with shoulder straps. With the straps that pack feels like it weighs nothing. And I give that up when I ride the mountain bike in, and instead ride with a trumpet, box call in a belt holster, scratch box in the shirt pocket, and a mouth call. Water bottle goes on the bike, which is one less thing I'm toting on the shoulders. :bike2:
I agree about the simplicity of grabbing a vest out of the back of the truck and going -- that is spot on. With my vest I wasn't disciplined enough to manage the things I was carrying -- just be cause I could carry them. I just got tired of carrying 80 pounds of stuff I might use once during the season.
Wow glad to see so many opinions on this subject. To be perfectly honest a lot of the points for vests got me thinking. I really like what many said about the bests being ready to rock and roll at any time. Its true that most mornings I have to reorganize my things back into pockets. I don't hunt several states like some of you who posted but I hunt well over 30 days in my home state of Illinois. I may have been swayed a bit here. I like the idea of everything ready to go and organized. I think I don't like the idea of spending the money......okay I'm gonna post something new. Now I need a recommendation on a best....just in case I decide to break down. I will end by saying a vest is nice but not necessary.
If I'm going to carry a gobbler lounger and have a specific plan I like to use a fanny pack. It's a great alternative to a vest at times. 90% of the time I have my vest on. Got to have a place for my thermacell and lot's of water. The latter part of Alabama turkey season can be hot and humid.
I also like a variety of friction calls and strikers. Sometimes a different sound or pitch is all it takes to break him loose.
I use a vest and always have. The night before opening day I tromp 57 lbs of junk into it. But every few days as the days get hotter and the walks get longer I unload something that I haven't used all season. So this year I'm starting out with what is in it from the last day last season. I'm through with feeling like a packmule.
Feel free to do what you want, but I'm not giving up MY vest, thanks. It's got a nice cushy seat, just the right number of pockets to carry calls, gloves, knife, water, ammo, hat, etc. I've had it twenty years now (it's in Realtree Xtra Brown), and I expect to get another 20 out of it.
I have a vest for the seat and so I dont leave my calls and other stuff in the woods. I lost alot of calls before I had a vest
I have one that I picked up for $20 about 10 years ago or so and I freakin' love it. Only two straps over the shoulder (don't get too hot and it is light) with a big zip pocket on each side and a back pouch for the turkey. Just unclip the bag at the top, throw the gobbler in there and clip it between his feet and he'll ride all the way back just as pretty as you please.
Good luck
Wess
i have went through 5 different ones and finally found this one and love it,i have modified it a bit,sewed a clip on the back for the seat.I have the others hanging in my basement,i really do not think that they are expensive,some don't like or need them...H'n'B'
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/59167
I like my vest. Its about shot, its been patched, sewed, and patched again. Wish I could find one just like it.
:OGturkeyhead: :OGturkeyhead:
I went years and years with out using a vest , I think from about 1988 to about 2005, then I started using a Primos vest , then I got myself a bass pro shops one, it has a internal seal fold out type with the straps , it's a bit heavy but I can set up anywhere with it , in a brush pile , anywhere
Quote from: Old Gobbler on January 23, 2014, 05:10:57 PM
I went years and years with out using a vest , I think from about 1988 to about 2005, then I started using a Primos vest , then I got myself a bass pro shops one, it has a internal seal fold out type with the straps , it's a bit heavy but I can set up anywhere with it , in a brush pile , anywhere
i have both models of the Primos vests and like them both...H'n'B'
I love my Super Elite, and never go into the turkey woods without it.
I've tried going vestless. Tried a fanny pack (not good for box call).
At my home spot, some days I'll toss a bottle of water in the bag with my Gobbler Lounger, take my mouth calls and hit the woods.
Most of the time, and especially when I'm hunting new ground, I like the vest to have a few items at hands for whatever I may encounter.
I am going to play along
I like hunting with a vest. I can put all my stuff in it and never take it out. Slide it on, ready to go.
Also the padding for my seat is a life saver. I take my fold up seat and put it in the bag for the bird and I am ready for a great morning. Also can pack food, drink, fruit and other goodies to snack on.
One place where I hunt I walk a good ways and don't want to have to make trips back and forth to truck. Well worth the 60-70 dollars in my opinion.
Quote from: Old Gobbler on January 23, 2014, 05:10:57 PM
I went years and years with out using a vest , I think from about 1988 to about 2005, then I started using a Primos vest , then I got myself a bass pro shops one, it has a internal seal fold out type with the straps , it's a bit heavy but I can set up anywhere with it , in a brush pile , anywhere
I have the same one from bass pro shops and love the seat feature but hate the weight and pocket design but that seat makes it worth it
I either use a vest or my backpack. I hate digging thru jacket or pant pockets for gear......might not make sense but that's the way it is for me.
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I got a good deal on an ol tom. its very comfortable. it is my most used tool more so then my gun when I take other people I don't carry a gun. I have 50 dollars in my vest. that's not much for something so practical as a turkey vest. that's just me. It carries a lot of stuff and all I have to do is zip it up throw it in the truck and then throw it on when Im ready. I will always own one. and they last a long time I have one that's retired now that lasted 8 years. for a 100 dollars that only a little over 10 dollars a year. that's worth every penny to me. to each their own though. what ever floats your boat and what ever works for you.
Saw earlier that Under Armour has a vest now. Seen it anywhere from $154 to $200!
I saw that to and it seems like it wouldn't even hold that much it may be comfortable but im out on it. I like ol tom and cabelas they are very comfortable and nice vest
The Under Armour vest looks like it was made by a guy who has never turkey hunted.I am a Under Armour fan,I showed it to the women and she asked if I wanted it...No thanks.
I have a Ol Tom..Only vest I have ever had but I like it a lot and it's priced fair.
Sent from West By God Virginia.
I could not imagine hunting without me tactical tat'r. The seat, the removable game bag, and the ease of access when sitting down. Best vest I ever owned. I like to run and run and with all the adjustment straps the vest becomes part of me.
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About 20 years ago, I went shopping for my first turkey vest and decided then that if I had to pay that price for one, I would either not have one or I would just sew one myself. That's what I did. I found a good pattern, bought a few yards of the hottest camo pattern on the market then: Mossy Oak Full Foliage, bought some polyester thread, designed a few custom details and extra pockets and jumped in. It took two evenings and it turned out fantastic. I will pull that vest, which is still in great shape, out of the closet opening morning and we will head out to the woods together again. I have gone through three guns since then, but that old vest just keeps on going.
Over rated? Too expensive? Not this one.
FC
I've hunted with and without a vest down through my 30 years of turkey hunting. Also tried several different types. But the one I always come back to is my Buck Lick Creek one. You can, and I have, set up anywhere to work a gobbler. Needs no tree to lean against. I think Bass Pro is selling the newer versions of them. Like others have said, just pick it up and go!! Very few turkeys make it to the bag, since it is packed with water, tp, snacks, flashlight and such. I bought a leather turkey tote from Kenny knisley this year. Going to give that a try.
I have elite 3 I've hunted with for years. Decided this year to go lighter with a small fanny pack and a gobbler lounger. I carry a 32oz water bottle inside chair when closed. Fanny pack has enough room for 2pot calls. Snacks. TP, 1st aid kit, mouth calls, phone, etc...clip on thermocell.
The only thing I'll miss is the bag to carry bird.
I was looking at the Bass Pro Shops spring catalog last night and I noticed an Under Armor turkey vest for $199. I'm guessing the majority of that price is the under armor logo on it. I always wear a vest, I wouldn't hunt without one. I love my Super Elite 3 vests.
Every once in a while I think I don't need this stupid heavy vest, or I get a rain day and try to hunt without it. That's when the trouble starts. What about my tags and license and oh I lost a glove or the batteries died on my gps, or I'm hungry or thirsty. Or crap I forgot my toilet paper! Not goin there no more. If I'm chasing gobblers the vest is comin. I don't want to be handicapped doing my favorite thing in the world. Can't imagine not having all my weapons at my beckoning call. My only problem is the direction vests are heading in. When you find one you like buy two ,because they won't make that model very long. I like it simple no lounger rig for me just lots of well set up pockets and a good seat. I like the buddy loc system where you can clip on different pouches for say gps , radio ,water or call cases. Just try and find that feature in a vest now it's not easy. There are a lot of vest out there but not many I like. I wish there were a custom vest company out there, it may be worth the cost to get what you want and have it built to last. But then that's just me.
I started reading this post and quotedt he second poster so I could agree cuz that guy thinks the exact someway I do. Then I realized that was my post I was agreeing with. :z-guntootsmiley:
My vest is 10 years old, might get a new one this year, but I kinda hate to have to learn a new setup.
Just got my new one in the mail. I have used a backpack for years. Just decided it was time to switch back. I almost went with the Ol Tom vest but did not like the one size fits most style so I went with the Cabelas
My lightweight bottomland vest is an essential piece of gear, that goes with my lightweight bottomland shotgun. Where one goes, the other follows. Three reasons. In this order 1. Game bag 2. Simple cushion 3. Minimal pockets for shells, a crow call, toilet paper, and 3 diaphragms. Absolutely necessary, in my opinion, for mobile ridge running in Middle TN. The hills that I hunt, the game bag is easily the number one reason.
Back in the day I didn't use a vest. Of course all I carried was a Lynch"s box call. When I started to accumulate more gear, my pants and jacket pockets soon became maxed out. Over time I decided I didn't like walking around with a bunch of stuff bulging out my pants cargo pockets. Enter my first turkey vest. I'm on my fourth one now and never leave it behind. I wore out my first one (cheapie) but my second was given to my Dad who in turn passed it along to a friend when I gave him number three the season before last. Kinda cool meeting up after the hunt and seeing old friends (vests) again.
I HAVE 7 or 8, got my first in late 80's i think. a 10x brand , first one i ever saw.
Never hunt without one. Bought my son one when he was 7. Last year he wore my original 10X, 16 now.
Don't seem to fit me anymore ::)
Was proud to see it back in the woods. That has carried a lot of gear and TURKEY'S.
28LB and bigger it gets a bit hard to zip though. I get all wind up when that happens!
Carrying a tom out with the spurs digging into your hand, beak bouncing of your keister ???
A turkey vest is as much of a symbol for turkey hunting as a turkey gun, choke ,seat, or turkey loads in my opinion. :morning:
I love my Mossy Oak Super Elite III Hybrid Turkey Vests....been using it for many season and can't do without it!
God Bless
I mainly turkey hunt down here in Dixie, so a lot of times during our seasons, vests are just too darned hot! I have a Primos Gobbler Vest, but don't wear it that often. Most of the time I wear my Beard Buster Belt.
(http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/Cabelas/s7_420956_999_01?labelKey=label&&id=JAfRl3&wid=379&hei=323&fmt=jpg)
I added a couple of extra pouches on it to carry all the stuff that I don't use most of the time. :lol: It is comfortable, doesn't heat me up or restrict my movement. About the only thing it doesn't do is carry my decoys.
It's a bit pricey these days, but back when I got mine it was a bargain!
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 18, 2013, 03:37:26 PM
I hunt 25-40 days each spring and that vest is with me every one of them.
The way you feel about your gobbler lounger is the way i feel about my vest. I wouldn't hunt without one but I have no use for lugging around a chair, lol.
This ^^
Hunting 50+/- days a spring I need all the help I can get in the 'not forgetting something' area. And I ain't carrying a chair. . . .
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on January 26, 2014, 12:12:04 PM
I mainly turkey hunt down here in Dixie, so a lot of times during our seasons, vests are just too darned hot! I have a Primos Gobbler Vest, but don't wear it that often. Most of the time I wear my Beard Buster Belt.
(http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/Cabelas/s7_420956_999_01?labelKey=label&&id=JAfRl3&wid=379&hei=323&fmt=jpg)
I added a couple of extra pouches on it to carry all the stuff that I don't use most of the time. :lol: It is comfortable, doesn't heat me up or restrict my movement. About the only thing it doesn't do is carry my decoys.
It's a bit pricey these days, but back when I got mine it was a bargain!
i am debating on picking one of these up for when i am bow hunting for turkeys,i recently picked up a Tenzing 1140 for spot n stalk bow hunting for turkeys..Also come late season,i also find myself wearing my vest less and less...
Quote from: Hooks' n' Beards' on January 26, 2014, 02:25:43 PMi am debating on picking one of these up for when i am bow hunting for turkeys,i recently picked up a Tenzing 1140 for spot n stalk bow hunting for turkeys..Also come late season,i also find myself wearing my vest less and less...
Yes, and late season I find myself carrying less calls and other stuff with me. I really like my belt. I wear it over a vest about 95% of the time.
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on January 26, 2014, 02:29:04 PM
Quote from: Hooks' n' Beards' on January 26, 2014, 02:25:43 PMi am debating on picking one of these up for when i am bow hunting for turkeys,i recently picked up a Tenzing 1140 for spot n stalk bow hunting for turkeys..Also come late season,i also find myself wearing my vest less and less...
Yes, and late season I find myself carrying less calls and other stuff with me. I really like my belt. I wear it over a vest about 95% of the time.
does the belt work loose?i like my belts tight on my turkey pants,or do you wear this over your regular belt for your pants?..
l don't normally wear a belt while hunting. But if I were to, the belt would fit over my regular pants. I haven't had any problems with it coming loose, and I've had it for years. Also the main pouch has a strap/clip set up that allows it to cinch it down to your leg when walking around.
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on January 26, 2014, 02:40:12 PM
l don't normally wear a belt while hunting. But if I were to, the belt would fit over my regular pants. I haven't had any problems with it coming loose, and I've had it for years. Also the main pouch has a strap/clip set up that allows it to cinch it down to your leg when walking around.
thanks,good to hear...