Is this the BIGGEST and BADDEST show?

[ScottTaulbee]

I think looking the part has become as important to many as playing the part. I have noticed (this is just in general and not pointed at the folks here) that there is an awful lot of preening and posturing going on in the hunting world. It's part fashion show and part social status. That's why I have always made cracks about my good looks and general amazingness. It's me poking fun at the stupidity of it all and basically mirroring the chest puffing and bragging that many seem to consider important. Bottom line is, buy whatever you want as long as it ain't with my money. If it makes you happy, go for it. Personally, I am gonna be more worried about what a quiet guy with a well-used pump shotgun, faded camo, and a few well-used calls is gonna do to the gobbler population, then the loud guy that shows up in a jacked up truck, e-bike in the bed, sitka camo, benelli shotgun, and 4 decoys.

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Happy, it's funny you say that first part. I'm guilty of the playing the part excerpt myself. But not in the way you stated it. My thing is a turkey vest. I grew up watching the Lohman guys, the Drury's, the Mossy Oak videos, Knight and Hale, and they all had vests. So naturally I thought I had to have one to be a turkey hunter and it's stuck with me. I can't just stuff a few calls in my pockets and go, I've tried the satchels, I've tried the fanny packs, but to this day, I just don't feel like I'm turkey hunting if I don't have a turkey vest on. It's a dumb thing but that was just something that was ingrained in me as a kid.


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[GobbleNut]

I think looking the part has become as important to many as playing the part. I have noticed (this is just in general and not pointed at the folks here) that there is an awful lot of preening and posturing going on in the hunting world. It's part fashion show and part social status. That's why I have always made cracks about my good looks and general amazingness. It's me poking fun at the stupidity of it all and basically mirroring the chest puffing and bragging that many seem to consider important. Bottom line is, buy whatever you want as long as it ain't with my money. If it makes you happy, go for it. Personally, I am gonna be more worried about what a quiet guy with a well-used pump shotgun, faded camo, and a few well-used calls is gonna do to the gobbler population, then the loud guy that shows up in a jacked up truck, e-bike in the bed, sitka camo, benelli shotgun, and 4 decoys.

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Happy, it's funny you say that first part. I'm guilty of the playing the part excerpt myself. But not in the way you stated it. My thing is a turkey vest. I grew up watching the Lohman guys, the Drury's, the Mossy Oak videos, Knight and Hale, and they all had vests. So naturally I thought I had to have one to be a turkey hunter and it's stuck with me. I can't just stuff a few calls in my pockets and go, I've tried the satchels, I've tried the fanny packs, but to this day, I just don't feel like I'm turkey hunting if I don't have a turkey vest on. It's a dumb thing but that was just something that was ingrained in me as a kid.

I suspect many of us have bought into the turkey-vest hype over the years. I think I have four or five of them laying around and haven't worn any of them in recent years. They just don't fit my hunting style or my needs. However, I am just as certain that there are folks who hunt in ways and places where they are very handy. Where I hunt, how I hunt, and the few things I need in that regard just make wearing a vest an unnecessary burden.

Then again, I still carry around a shotgun that seems like it weighs about twenty pounds when I really don't have to...so there is that contradiction to my "unnecessary burden" theory...     

[compton30]

Bet that 30" single shot was a bad boy back in it's day though.

[ScottTaulbee]

I think looking the part has become as important to many as playing the part. I have noticed (this is just in general and not pointed at the folks here) that there is an awful lot of preening and posturing going on in the hunting world. It's part fashion show and part social status. That's why I have always made cracks about my good looks and general amazingness. It's me poking fun at the stupidity of it all and basically mirroring the chest puffing and bragging that many seem to consider important. Bottom line is, buy whatever you want as long as it ain't with my money. If it makes you happy, go for it. Personally, I am gonna be more worried about what a quiet guy with a well-used pump shotgun, faded camo, and a few well-used calls is gonna do to the gobbler population, then the loud guy that shows up in a jacked up truck, e-bike in the bed, sitka camo, benelli shotgun, and 4 decoys.

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Happy, it's funny you say that first part. I'm guilty of the playing the part excerpt myself. But not in the way you stated it. My thing is a turkey vest. I grew up watching the Lohman guys, the Drury's, the Mossy Oak videos, Knight and Hale, and they all had vests. So naturally I thought I had to have one to be a turkey hunter and it's stuck with me. I can't just stuff a few calls in my pockets and go, I've tried the satchels, I've tried the fanny packs, but to this day, I just don't feel like I'm turkey hunting if I don't have a turkey vest on. It's a dumb thing but that was just something that was ingrained in me as a kid.

I suspect many of us have bought into the turkey-vest hype over the years. I think I have four or five of them laying around and haven't worn any of them in recent years. They just don't fit my hunting style or my needs. However, I am just as certain that there are folks who hunt in ways and places where they are very handy. Where I hunt, how I hunt, and the few things I need in that regard just make wearing a vest an unnecessary burden.

Then again, I still carry around a shotgun that seems like it weighs about twenty pounds when I really don't have to...so there is that contradiction to my "unnecessary burden" theory...   

That's the thing, I really don't carry enough to warrant using a vest and 9 times out of 10 I drop it off by a tree and come back to get it after the showdown plays out. I just can't seem to find a better method to carry my stuff. Just stubborn I guess. The amount of calls I carry typically wouldn't fill up 2 pockets on a new vest


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[Brillo]

My "turkey" gun is a Franchi "turkey" with the fancy camo, pistol grip, etc.  I am sticking with the iron sights though.  I bought a Glenda Green small satchel off here and a couple trumpets from craftsmen on here.  Love hunting with it all. In three years of hunting I have only shot one jake.  And... I wear Sitka Timberline pants.  Love those too. 

[Zobo]

My "turkey" gun is a Franchi "turkey" with the fancy camo, pistol grip, etc.  I am sticking with the iron sights though.  I bought a Glenda Green small satchel off here and a couple trumpets from craftsmen on here.  Love hunting with it all. In three years of hunting I have only shot one jake.  And... I wear Sitka Timberline pants.  Love those too. 

Not to try and make you buy more stuff🤣, but do you have a good box call? It's a must IMO for "newer" hunters. Put one in your satchel, even the best trumpet callers cannot duplicate an assembly call the likes of a box.

[eggshell]

I wear a vest and wouldn't want to be without it. My main purpose for it is carrying out the bird. I am most comfortable with a bird in the pouch on my back then any other way. I have an old Liberty vest that is bare bones and only one layer of material, I don't like  the heavy hot ones.

[Twowithone]

I have an old Winchester 1300 topped off with a Simmons Pro Diamond scope this rig is 30+ yrs old its gotten turkeys thats all I can expect from it. I dont need a shell that throws 90 pellets in the head at 80yds the old 3 in the head he,s dead holds with me.

[Happy]

It's all good gents, I don't care what people do with their money. We all have our things. I wear a turkey vest as well and love it. I spent a good chunk of change on mine to boot. I was speaking more to the matching, expensive camo, the expensive shotguns, and shells, etc. Once again, if it increases someone's enjoyment of the sport, then so be it. But I know a few fellows that wouldn't come close to making the bass pro turkey catalog that are darned deadly in the woods. Matter of fact, most of the hard-core guys I know look like they have been drug through the ringer by the end of the season and did most of their shopping at yardsales. We joke and call it high fashion. I think, over time, we figure out what we like and choose function over form. I know that for me personally, matching camo typically doesn't happen.

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[ScottTaulbee]

It's all good gents, I don't care what people do with their money. We all have our things. I wear a turkey vest as well and love it. I spent a good chunk of change on mine to boot. I was speaking more to the matching, expensive camo, the expensive shotguns, and shells, etc. Once again, if it increases someone's enjoyment of the sport, then so be it. But I know a few fellows that wouldn't come close to making the bass pro turkey catalog that are darned deadly in the woods. Matter of fact, most of the hard-core guys I know look like they have been drug through the ringer by the end of the season and did most of their shopping at yardsales. We joke and call it high fashion. I think, over time, we figure out what we like and choose function over form. I know that for me personally, matching camo typically doesn't happen.

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I'm the same, the most expensive shotgun I've ever owned or killed a turkey with was a dream of mine since I was a boy. My Belgium Browning Auto 5. It costed me a whopping 750$. Other than that, I don't own a gun that costed more than 250$. Other than the couple I've bought for the kids. My entire camo set including hat, gloves and face mask I probably have less than 100$ in. I do have a couple vest that were expensive at the time but less than most vest now days. I did splurge on a rare opportunity at an OG pushpin and I have a few calls in the 150-200$ range but they're mostly for the kids to have when I trust them enough to take care of them. Over the years I've realized that for me 99% of the time the turkey isn't going to see me by how I I like to set up, all but maybe a handful have came in to a cheap mouth call, and the mossberg 500 and 835 kill em as dead as anything else.

I like to be the guy at the public land gate that when the other hunters see me they think "there is no way this guy is going to kill a turkey, he might be homeless".


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[bbcoach]

I like to be the guy at the public land gate that when the other hunters see me they think "there is no way this guy is going to kill a turkey, he might be homeless".

Scott, I Love the Homeless analogy.

[deathfoot]

Back when I started turkey hunting I couldn't even afford to eat lunch much less buy anything bigger or badder. So I hunted with what I could. When I saved enough to buy a Mossberg 500, I thought I was in heaven. I had more confidence with a camo gun and it really changed the way I hunted. Funny, I know...but with that gun I thought every turkey I heard was dying that day. As ya'll know, that wasn't the case.

Now I'm very fortunate and very blessed with a great job, so I choose to buy nicer guns, scopes, red dots, the best mounts, chokes and TSS. Since turkey hunting is my passion, I don't mind spending big bucks on it. From travel, to cabin rentals, gas, etc.

As for camo, I'm still wearing clothes that I've had since the 90's. But I have bought a few new clothing items from time to time when I catch camo on sale. Priorities, I guess I don't see clothing as the main one. lol

[10th Legionaire]

It's all good gents, I don't care what people do with their money. We all have our things. I wear a turkey vest as well and love it. I spent a good chunk of change on mine to boot. I was speaking more to the matching, expensive camo, the expensive shotguns, and shells, etc. Once again, if it increases someone's enjoyment of the sport, then so be it. But I know a few fellows that wouldn't come close to making the bass pro turkey catalog that are darned deadly in the woods. Matter of fact, most of the hard-core guys I know look like they have been drug through the ringer by the end of the season and did most of their shopping at yardsales. We joke and call it high fashion. I think, over time, we figure out what we like and choose function over form. I know that for me personally, matching camo typically doesn't happen.

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I used to do some pipeline work for a major oil company client. As with anything there are guys that have to have the biggest lifted welding truck and high end tools. Some of the guys would show up in fresh cloths every day with the fancy cowboy stitching on their jeans and starched shirts to lay in a ditch and weld pipe.

We called them "designer pipeliners"

[Brillo]

Most people take themselves too seriously. Today I spent a few hours in the woods trying to shoot a squirrel or two.  I pick a few days a year when we get some sunshine between blizzards.  In two years I have yet to kill a squirrel.  Its OK with me. A sage observer once said: "Most men go fishing all their lives not knowing it is not fish they are after.
That might be a self serving attitude for an inept hunter but I don't care even a little.     

[Paulmyr]

When it comes to buying camo I'm in the Guesswho camp.....

Before season it's discount camo and after the season it's camo on clearance!