I'm not saying that you can replace experience with high performance equipment or gadgets. Woodsmanship and patience are learned. However there are some pieces of equipment from simple to elaborate and economical to pricey that puts you in an easier situation to take a tom. Here's a few of mine.
Seat cushion: I'll be the first to admit I use a very elaborate vest and I utalize it in most every sense but the butt cushion is the thing that I appreciate the most.
Thermocell: nothing is worst than mosquitoes except buffalo gnats and my Thermocell keeps both at bay.
20 gauge: sounds silly but a lighter gun and with the advent of fed HW7 or tss shot I can travel lighter and my gun out performs my 3.5" 12 ga loads of yesteryear.
Clean dry socks: I usually have a pair stowed in my vest. Gives tired feet new life on a midday rest.
Travel size wet wipes some things should not have to be explained
Quality Binoculars. Even turkey hunting I'm surprised how often I use mine. A lot of hunters over look the advantages of magnification.
Sights/red dot/scopes: shooting turkeys is more akin to rifle shooting than the swing shooting of winged game. A accurate sight system that is able to adjust poa to actual poi is important especially when paired with tight patterns.
Google maps and smart phone:. Sometimes it makes a difference to see how a ridge runs or if there's a creek, field, or something else between you and him.
Choke tubes and short legged turkey chairs. I'm old and was hunting before either one of these were available.
I love the dry socks!!!
I thought I was the only one.
Turkey chairs, Thermocell, and HTL
Quote from: Spring Creek Calls on January 05, 2017, 06:46:06 PM
Choke tubes and short legged turkey chairs. I'm old and was hunting before either one of these were available.
Mike you're not old. Quit trying to receive handouts! :TooFunny:
Have a few things I rely on, with that said it depends on the hunt. Whether we are filming, Youth hunts or an old run & gun. I have gear for everything :)
Here's my top 10 list in no particular order.
1. My Cody World Class Slate (Day in, day out I have ended more birds with this call than anything)
2. Shotgun Rem 12ga 1187 (I have had a lot of work done to this turkey killing machine)
3. DSD Decoys (Absolutely deadly! If I put decoys out their the deal)
4. Double Bull Blinds (Helps out with the kids and when were filming and great for the bow hunts)
5. Binoculars (Swarovski SLC 10x30's, wouldn't be caught with out them)
6. Shooting Sticks (Bog-Pods or the Caldwell Deadshot we modified to use them with the kids & blind,
even caught my self using when self filming)
7. Turkey Seat (Made/modified my own up and been using for 20 years running & gunning)
8. Turkey Pack (Have cut down on a lot of what I carry, No vest anymore and wouldn't go back)
9. Video Camera (Anymore I film everything, setup a camera just for this)
10. Well I can't give out all the secrets but this one has helped me score on nearly 200 birds!!
I have passed it along to a few chosen that I hunt with :)
MK M GOBL
Snake boots, 20 ga. F HW7, camo, bottle water, better box calls and pot calls and good old Toilet paper...
Cell phone (real time aerial view map). I wish I had one 50 years ago. Could have saved a lot of miles and avoided some set-up mistakes.
The things I "never leave home without"
Thermacell
DSD Jake and Deception boss hen
Kuiu gaiters
Good binds
Bow, release, and extra release!
Blinds, and decoy flocks. They keep most of the hunters close to their cars and immobile.
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Red dot...never been much of a good shot
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Thermacell and gobbler lounger. I have been trying to cut back on "stuff" and go back to the more old school ways like when I started hunting turkeys in the mid 80s. But these two modern conveniences sure make it alot easier to sit longer and in much more comfort
Quote from: jakesdad on January 05, 2017, 08:21:08 PM
Thermacell and gobbler lounger. I have been trying to cut back on "stuff" and go back to the more old school ways like when I started hunting turkeys in the mid 80s. But these two modern conveniences sure make it alot easier to sit longer and in much more comfort
This. I'm much like many of you and have other things, but these two make turkey hunting better for me.
I got a crazy friend in Okie land that makes pretty ok calls, I've noticed I have done better since I quit buying Wally World calls.
The smart phone is great, especially google earth.
Always having tp and or wet wipes in my vest has made more than one hunt more pleasant.
Stepping up to a good choke with good shells has been a positive step for me as well
Consistent and quality mouth calls from Scott Hook,and the load technology is UNBELIEVABLE!!
Other than the normal things like calls, shotgun, shells, etc, I can only think of 2 other things that have resulted in some dead birds that had I not had them I might not of killed them.
Number 1 is a good set of binoculars. I constantly use them and there's many times I located a bird at a long distance I wouldn't of seen without them and or I was able to watch them in order to figure out how to get in position to kill them.
2 goes along with it and that's a good gps/map/phone that helped me get in position to work a bird I located or to get me in pisition to set up in the dark on.
If there's a 3 it would be a ground blind for when I've taken my kids hunting. I don't like it though and am trying to keep from relying on it. They're 9 & 11 and have each shot birds at 6, 7 & 8 yrs old. Since we've moved away from the blind... not so good.
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Hevi shot a decent mouth call and thermocell and on occasion a tree umbrella especially if its wet and cold little dryness goes long way
HTL
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I would have to say my cell phone with internet..it makes research of turkey hunting equipment easy,Google maps,Google earth,etc...access to a great site like this with helpful people and feeds my passion from the end of turkey hunting season to the beginning. For actual turkey hunting I'd have to say the Gobbler lounger chair which helps me sit comfortable for long periods of time if needed. I also like the ammo improvements over the years.
After several decades of chasing turkeys, I am now a minimalist turkey hunter. There is one item however that I've used for much of the time I've hunted and that I never go to the turkey woods and fields without and that a diaphragm turkey call. I normally have 2-3 with me at all times.
I credit those calls with most of the success I've had. The value of not having to move and being able to make so many different individual sounds can not be overstated.
I can't imagine hunting without a diaphragm call.
Thanks,
Clark
There's a lot of things I've tried over he course of 20 plus years turkey hunting, but to limit to a list of the very best pieces of equipment would be the following:
Gobbler lounger chair
DSD decoys
HTL ammo or Longbeard Ammo
(1) Like some others have mentioned, a "gobbler lounger" is night and day above sitting on a seat cushion!!! Makes the long waits much more enjoyable!!!
(2) ThermaCELL unit, no brainer there
(3) 27" x 12' camo blind. Hate those sneakers that come in silently from behind you!!!
(4) Pruners and limb saw, really aids making a natural blind
(5) Feather-Flex decoys and bag, like the foam fold ups over the rigid models.
(6) New Winchester Long Beard XR shells, much cheaper than Hevishot, and pattern great too!!!
(7) The gun and calls are the same from 26+ years. Except for new mouth calls.
Excellent thread. If I had to pick a few things that increased my effectiveness they would be:
Versatility: Investing the time to become proficient on trumpets, wing bones, scratchers and long boxes.
Knowledge: Hunting videos, specifically Deny Gulvas' DVD collection.
Patience: Finally realizing turkeys aren't on the clock, I am.
Technology: Most recently smart phone with interactive topos.
:fud: :turkey:
Ground blind
The turkey chair is use for me. I can hunt for a day without it. I can hunt for the season with it.
gobbler chair
diaphragm calls
20 gauge HTL
Thermocell
- all of these are a must! i can live without the rest
GPS when I remember to take it. I'm a bit geographically challenged so it helps a lot. I can get lost in a parking lot fairly fast and have done so several times.
HTL
Red Dot
High end calls
Turkey tote
Short legged chair
Bi-pod sticks
These things have helped me so much. Comfortable and confident=more birds!!
Quote from: Tail Feathers on January 05, 2017, 08:50:36 PM
Quote from: jakesdad on January 05, 2017, 08:21:08 PM
Thermacell and gobbler lounger. I have been trying to cut back on "stuff" and go back to the more old school ways like when I started hunting turkeys in the mid 80s. But these two modern conveniences sure make it alot easier to sit longer and in much more comfort
This. I'm much like many of you and have other things, but these two make turkey hunting better for me.
X3!
(quote author=Spring Creek Calls link=topic=68314.msg667569#msg667569 date=1483659966]
Choke tubes and short legged turkey chairs. I'm old and was hunting before either one of these were available. quote) ^^^^^ This and I'll add the red dot scope and Hevi 13 3&1/2 inch shells.
I'm with Clark, I've ditched equipment.
Mouth calls, crow call and a gun.
I still wear my vest mainly for tp, shells, water, seat and to carry my bird out. Phone is valuable for mapping.
K.I.S.S. method
Defiantly a red dot. Don't use use one now, but when I was younger I missed several before I got a red dot.
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Great post, I like many here ,have been at this for over 30 years. I am surprised that no one has mentioned a turkey wing. If you have not tried calling turkeys without making a call , please give it a try. I never go without my non traditional types of calls. One is a turkey wing to use for scratching leaves and scraping on tree bark. Nothing sounds sweeter to a wary gobbler, and you have not even made a call,right? My other go to is a red wolf gobble tube. This call has seen me carrying more big gobblers over my shoulder than any other. I have ,just last spring called in toms running to this call looking for a fight. Believe me this is a great tool. There are times and places for all calls. It is up to the hunter/ woodsman to know how and when to use them, and in some cases, the balls to use something else when old tom screams out ,and your heart is in your mouth.
I also use a turkey wing but I'd say Hunt Comfort "Fatboy" cushion is the best piece of equipment I carry now. Let's my 53 year old butt sit comfortably a lot longer.
Gobbler Lounger
Thermacell
Blind (for both kids and my Dad)
GPS
Good diaphragm calls
Good pot calls
A lot more patience. I hunt Florida WMA's and kill alot of birds late mornings to the 1pm cutoff after others have given up and headed to the truck
Quote from: turkaholic on January 08, 2017, 12:15:38 PM
Great post, I like many here ,have been at this for over 30 years. I am surprised that no one has mentioned a turkey wing. If you have not tried calling turkeys without making a call , please give it a try. I never go without my non traditional types of calls. One is a turkey wing to use for scratching leaves and scraping on tree bark. Nothing sounds sweeter to a wary gobbler, and you have not even made a call,right? My other go to is a red wolf gobble tube. This call has seen me carrying more big gobblers over my shoulder than any other. I have ,just last spring called in toms running to this call looking for a fight. Believe me this is a great tool. There are times and places for all calls. It is up to the hunter/ woodsman to know how and when to use them, and in some cases, the balls to use something else when old tom screams out ,and your heart is in your mouth.
The wing is the thing! Agreed.
Thermacell
Bushnell Trophy Red Dot Scope
Baby wipes in a zip lock bag
Binoculars
Thermacell and comfortable snake boots
Quote from: jakesdad on January 05, 2017, 08:21:08 PM
Thermacell and gobbler lounger. I have been trying to cut back on "stuff" and go back to the more old school ways like when I started hunting turkeys in the mid 80s. But these two modern conveniences sure make it alot easier to sit longer and in much more comfort
^Exactly. I also love my SBE II and Speed Bead. I killed plenty of turkeys with my old single shot and I haven't needed follow up shots with the SBE yet, because when it speaks, the turkeys lay down.
Jim
TSS is probably the biggest for me.
seat/lounger. those thin cushions were killer 20 some years ago
a good, light-weight vest (ol tom). helps me carry only the bare necessities
Hammock seat. Comfort is everything when trying to set still. The #1 thing that has helped me be a better turkey hunter is Old Gobbler Blog. Lots of great guys sharing experience. Thanks !!
Quote from: Devastator on January 05, 2017, 08:57:59 PM
Consistent and quality mouth calls from Scott Hook,and the load technology is UNBELIEVABLE!!
yes sir!!! all I need is my hooks mouthcalls and my gun. everything else, including camo, I can and have killed turkeys without.
:camohat: A red dot, Custom turkey calls for their sound range and realistic turkey talk and thermacell.
Quote from: Happy on January 05, 2017, 08:05:27 PM
Blinds, and decoy flocks. They keep most of the hunters close to their cars and immobile.
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:agreed:
Toilet paper to answer the call !!!!!!!!!!!
Red dot optics
Realtree camo
Modern shotshell technology
Modern choke tube technology
Gooserbat's Heckler diaphragm
wet wipes
my home-made shooting stick
.................to mention a few.......
Now............... when I started............ the only camo was woodland. Guns with interchangeable choke tubes were the exception rather than the norm. The ONLY sight on ANY shotgun was a single front bead. Magnum shotshells were not buffered. There were two brands of turkey calls, PERIOD, to be found anywhere near where I live.
Rainchalk was a great find for me. And spring fishing and turkey hunting go great together, so a boat, or better yet a buddy with a boat. :funnyturkey:
The computer and the internet. Sharing information, thoughts, and ideas with all of you guys has done more to make me more effective than anything else! :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Quote from: GobbleNut on January 19, 2017, 10:15:05 PM
The computer and the internet. Sharing information, thoughts, and ideas with all of you guys has done more to make me more effective than anything else! :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Your welcome! :TooFunny:
As noted earlier a good pair of snake boots. Had never worn them until two seasons ago. Shockingly opening day that season I got popped by a cotton mouth crossing a beaver dam to get to a gobbling turkey. Wasn't paying attention as my mind was fixated on where I needed to set up. He was right in the middle of the dam in plain view. Hit about 1/2 way up the boot. I used to just wear old regular rubber boots and would have been toast still scared me to death.
Quote from: BB30 on January 20, 2017, 03:40:34 PM
As noted earlier a good pair of snake boots. Had never worn them until two seasons ago. Shockingly opening day that season I got popped by a cotton mouth crossing a beaver dam to get to a gobbling turkey. Wasn't paying attention as my mind was fixated on where I needed to set up. He was right in the middle of the dam in plain view. Hit about 1/2 way up the boot. I used to just wear old regular rubber boots and would have been toast still scared me to death.
I would have needed some of Boykin Hollow's toilet paper and maybe an electric shock to the heart!
About stepped on a copperhead two years ago. We went our separate ways. He'd have been carrying some Hevi shot with him but I was on my way to a bird at the time!
Quote from: guesswho on January 20, 2017, 08:48:22 AM
Quote from: GobbleNut on January 19, 2017, 10:15:05 PM
The computer and the internet. Sharing information, thoughts, and ideas with all of you guys has done more to make me more effective than anything else! :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Your welcome! :TooFunny:
...And you, Ronnie, have been right at the top of the list,...or at least somewhere on the list.... ;D :toothy9:
It's not the spot on the list that I wonder about. I wonder more about which list I'm on.