What gun did you start turkey hunting with?Calls? Shells?Vests?

[RutnNStrutn]

I hunted with my original 870 that Dad got for me when I was 15. I covered it in Trebark camo tape and shot #4 steel because that's what I had for the ducks we hunted. I wore a new Realtree camo Bug Tamer suit. I had a couple of heavy, hard shell hen dekes. I used a box call and a push pin call that was made by some guy who had a little hunting shop down the street. I had no idea what I was doing!



The next year, I got better camo, better shells and choke, better calls and bagged my first gobbler!! This time I had a HS Strut box call and the "Lip Call", cause I hadn't figured out how to use a diaphragm yet.

[Spring Creek Calls]

Mid 1970's, Winchester model 12, 32" full barrel. Winchester Super X #4's. Roger Lathom box and a diaphragm. That first bird changed my life forever.

[Woods-n-water]

Killed my 1st in 1994 with a 12guage 870 wingmaster  No vest and an ol lynch fool proof box that I still have

[flintlock]

870 express w/remington extended turkey choke, $20 vest, 3" #5s.  Killed a good number of birds w/it before going to blackpowder.

[J Hook Max]

 I killed my first turkey with my Dad's Ithaca Model 37 pump. We had no three inch shells and turkey vests had not yet been invented. My Mom would sew inside pockets into our hunting coats to put calls and a water bottle in. Also , there were no plastic water bottles. We used 1 pint whiskey bottles. We also had no headnets and only wore gloves when it was cold.

[chatterbox]

I started with a Mossberg 535 with a stock Mossberg turkey choke, and number 4 Remington Nitros.
I used a primos slate pot call to call in my first long beard (gave that call to a good friend who gave us access to prime turkey land). I wasn't very good, and was probably just very lucky. I may have done just enough right to have success.
After finding the OG, I learned so much about calls, and chokes and loads. I am a much better hunter now after finding this place.

[Neill_Prater]

Killed my first bird in 1979 with a H&R 10 gauge using a Perfection mouth call. It was my third year of turkey hunting. I think I was using Remington #4's. At that time, the 3 1/2 inch shells only had 3 inch wad cups. Dedicated turkey loads and guns were unheard of. My first call was a Ben Rogers Lee box, which I still own, and, to this day, have never called in a turkey with. 

As others have mentioned, learning to turkey hunt in those early years unless you were fortunate to have a mentor, was largely a trial and error situation as there were no instructional videos to view, or message boards to ask questions on. I do recall watching a program called, I think, "Ozark Outdoors" which was produced by the MDC in probably the late 60's or early 70's, which had a segment on turkey hunting which was open in only a few counties in the state at that time. It was so poorly done, I really never could figure out what in the heck was going on, and left me with no desire whatsoever to try chasing turkeys. 

Turkey calls were almost impossible to find locally. This was before Johnny Morris opened his first Bass Pro in Springfield. Camo was more common, as bowhunting was starting to gain popularity, but the available patterns were few in number for several years. 

[J Hook Max]

Neil is right , it was hard to learn if you did not have a mentor. I was lucky , my Daddy loved turkey hunting just as much as I do today. He was also pretty darn good at it.
I lived in Memphis growing up and we had a good population around the Mississippi River bottoms and the bluffs nearby. We also had a very good place to hunt on private land. Nothing will make you a better turkey hunter than interaction with the turkeys. They will teach you what you are doing wrong.
As for calls , I had a Lynch box that Daddy gave me when I was about 12 or 13. Those old boxes had a sound you just cannot find today. Reading up on and listening to Ben Lee was a major influence on me in the 70's. Also , listening to Jack Dudley call with his natural voice. That is how I learned to purr and still use my natural voice today.
I sure miss some of those times , especially with my Daddy. One thing is for sure , I'll see him again one day and we will have a lot of turkeys to talk about.

[budtripp]

I killed my first bird in 2001. I was 14. Had a mossberg 835 I bought with money I'd earned bucking hay bales the summer before loaded with federal 3.5 in 4's. I had been playing cat and mouse with a big gobbler out in a pasture and was about 100 yds away when a jake walked out. After nearly 2 seasons of bumbling around and messing up countless opportunities I opted for the bird in hand and dumped the jake. Weighed 16 lbs and had a thick 5in beard.

[Tail Feathers]

Remington 870 Express w/28" barrel and a Stardot choke.
Winchester 3" #5's.
Bucklick Creek vest. 
My first calls were a Lynch Foolproof box and an Old Yeller slate call.
For my second year I picked up some HS Strut mouth calls.

[Cut N Run]

I learned to turkey hunt by trial and error, mostly error. I read a lot of books and tried to absorb everything I could about the pursuit.  I called in several birds for others to take before I killed my first.

I started with an Ithaca 37 21 ga. with 2 & 3/4 inch shells and I don't believe turkey vests had been invented yet.
I used an old Lynch box call, though I forget what model.  I broke it one day in 1982 when I was crossing the river.  I slipped and fell on some moss covered rocks and it was between my backside and the rocks. I tried other calls after that but it was a while before I found one with a sound the turkeys liked as well as I did.

My camo was Vietnam military surplus and a Jones style cap, though I had some of those early green camo mesh gloves and a half face net that barely wrapped around to my ears.  I can remember sitting there as still as I could be watching mosquitoes eating up the backs of my hands through those gloves.

I killed my first gobbler with a Stevens single shot hunting with 3 inch Federal #5 shot.

Jim

[Old Gobbler]

Winchester 20 gauge pump , with high brass 3 inch # 4's  , and a hand made box call my father made me and I still have to this day - turkey vests weren't invented yet I guess - woodland army camo was all everybody used , until Jim Crumbley invented treebark some years later

There weren't that many turkey hunters in those days , you got your education from the woods, other turkey hunters , or if you were lucky to find some books on the subject of wild turkeys

[turkeyfoot]

Mossberg 500 3 inch winchester lead shot no vest glass call and a box was tough start till met guy from Pa that showed me some things

[FullChoke]

My first gun was what I hunted everything with because that was all I had. It was an Ithaca model 37 12 gauge pump with a cylinder bore and rifle sights. The gun was intended to shoot slugs and it did that very well. Any shell with pellets was another story. I used Winchester 2-3/4" magnum shells with #6 shot, a Lynch's Fool-Proof one sided box call and an amalgamation of woodland camo. I generally gussied up using watercolor paints on my face and hands. As far as a vest or bag - nothing. Basically, if it didn't fit in the cargo pockets of my BDU pants, I didn't need it and I didn't tote it.

The truth be told, I really don't miss those old days. These are the good times now.

Cheers 

FullChoke

[63beards]

Remington 1100, imp cyl., win 6's, killed a bird first time i ever went, actually spooked 2 toms out of the tree walking in at daylight, i walked in the direction they flew, one gobbled,( i believe he thought i was another turkey walking in the dry leaves), sat down when i got close, heard one drumming, thought to myself, what the heck is that sound?, a second later one strutted into view about 25 yds. away, shot him, thought to myself, there ain't nothing to this turkey huntin.... that's the fun part to me, one day you think you're the greatest  turkey killer in the woods, next day they'll send you home with your tail between your legs...