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Turkey Gear

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
I hate forgetting gear and I'm actually packing up my gear this weekend for the opener just to have it ready and home.

I thought I'd throw my stuff out and snap a quick picture.

turkey gear.jpg

Remington 870 with Undertaker Choke - I threw an Allen red dot at the end of the barrel
#4 3 inch Nitro's
Gear bag - going this route instead of a vest this year (no sense of a vest in a blind); including face paint, hand warmers, headlamp, license and permission holders, rope, etc.
Limb saw
Knife
Sharpie
Spare pair of gloves
Thermacell for later season hunt (wishful thinking for warm weather?)
Under Armor hat/facemask - snagged this for $12 at a UA Outlet
UA gloves
Lynch Box call and chalk
Mouth calls (assorted)
Keystone slate
Turkey call
Rangefinder

Not pictured: assorted camo, pop-up blind, and blind chair. I'll probably throw in my mouse squeaker in the case of a decoy-curious coyote.

I also will be using 2 pairs of jake and hen decoys, one pair is heavy plastic and the other are foam for days without wind, although them blowing around can get their attention. I picked up a Herter's decoy bag for those.

I'm sure there will be some other stuff that I throw in at the last minute, but I feel slightly prepared at this point. Also not pictured is an alarm clock, which is my weakest part about turkey hunting!
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
Try a hen bedded and the Jake behind her. I bought that runt Jake and it should work well if any toms get an eye on it. Looks like your ready to shoot the lips off a bird....good luck!!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Nothing wrong in starting your preparation early Huck! Looks like your ready to let some feathers fly! Good luck this season!
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Ya getting my stuff around to. I had to buy new decoys. I left my other foam decoys in my hunting tower couple weeks last year and a damn squirrel got into them and chewed all of them up in to 1/2 pieces. Might have been good luck as I probaly wouldn't have changed until they was gone.
Found some nice ones on closeout special from our Dist.
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
I never took my stuff out of my vest after last year.:smiley_blackeye: I did go through my camo last week and put some light weight stuff and rain gear on top. I might get a chance to play with a couple calls, but I figure, get up, throw on some camo, and grab my vest. should have everything I need.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
I never took my stuff out of my vest after last year.:smiley_blackeye: I did go through my camo last week and put some light weight stuff and rain gear on top. I might get a chance to play with a couple calls, but I figure, get up, throw on some camo, and grab my vest. should have everything I need.

Hahahaha! I feel ya buddy. If I hadn't sold the damn vest, the stuff would still be in it!
 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
I will throw all my stuff together next friday afternoon. I would like to take my kids a few times so I'll be using a ground blind also. You got quite the collection their Huck. Do you own any glass friction calls?
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Looking good Steve! Best part about it is: No need to worry about scent! KY opened today. Can't wait to see some texts from my cousins with birds on the ground.

Good luck Sir!

Mental note to self: Get online. Renew license. Purchase turkey tag.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
I will throw all my stuff together next friday afternoon. I would like to take my kids a few times so I'll be using a ground blind also. You got quite the collection their Huck. Do you own any glass friction calls?

No, I'll probably rely on the Keystone slate, it's one of the best sounding calls I've heard. They do sell it with glass, but I went with the PA slate. Aren't the glass frictions good in the rain? I've always used the Lynch on rainy days.

I was holding a Primos glass slate last night but opted out because I didn't have the half an hour to wait in line at Vance's. I will probably pick up a mini box call or a glass slate in the next week.
 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
No, I'll probably rely on the Keystone slate, it's one of the best sounding calls I've heard. They do sell it with glass, but I went with the PA slate. Aren't the glass frictions good in the rain? I've always used the Lynch on rainy days.

I was holding a Primos glass slate last night but opted out because I didn't have the half an hour to wait in line at Vance's. I will probably pick up a mini box call or a glass slate in the next week.

With anything but a wood stricker. I would bet your better with a diaphram than you give yourself credit for, I watched a guy call a tom in and kill, and I would've bet 100 bucks that the bird and everything else in the woods would've ran the other way, no shit I was laughing my azz off listening to him
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
With anything but a wood stricker. I would bet your better with a diaphram than you give yourself credit for, I watched a guy call a tom in and kill, and I would've bet 100 bucks that the bird and everything else in the woods would've ran the other way, no shit I was laughing my azz off listening to him


Remind me if we ever hook up for a hunt to leave ALL my calls at home...

I need to pick up a few more calls, as all I have are mouth calls. I messed around with a Primos Wet Box today, and thought it sounded pretty good. Any recommendations for a rookie on a good box call and a locator call?
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
With anything but a wood stricker. I would bet your better with a diaphram than you give yourself credit for, I watched a guy call a tom in and kill, and I would've bet 100 bucks that the bird and everything else in the woods would've ran the other way, no shit I was laughing my azz off listening to him

Yea, it's a mental thing. Actually with any calls, it always sounds like those first few clucks are a chicken in a trash compactor...
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Remind me if we ever hook up for a hunt to leave ALL my calls at home...

I need to pick up a few more calls, as all I have are mouth calls. I messed around with a Primos Wet Box today, and thought it sounded pretty good. Any recommendations for a rookie on a good box call and a locator call?

I would say most box calls are created nearly equal. My Lynch is two sided, so one side is a hen and the other is a tom. Sound nearly the same, but it's mostly a pitch change. I happened to get this one as a gift, and it's a nice piece of wood. Most box calls work well in the rain (just don't flip it over and expose the paddle to wet) and the old timers put 'em in a plastic bag to keep them dry. Mine has hooks for rubber bands to go over the paddle of the call and it seems like most other calls don't have those, but instead just have a loose paddle (adjusted by a screw) over the box.

Whichever you pick, make sure you get a thick rubber band to clamp the paddle shut while you're in the woods.



As far as a locator call, you can't go wrong with a crow call. I just picked up a new Primos and it was $8. Other guys use owl calls, which work better at night if you're trying to get a gobble off the roost. Of course, if you can do a good hoot owl with your own vocal cords, that works well too. The other common locator call is a peacock call. Really anything shrill or loud will get 'em to gobble. It's their "oh shit!" sound.
 
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aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
Remind me if we ever hook up for a hunt to leave ALL my calls at home...

I need to pick up a few more calls, as all I have are mouth calls. I messed around with a Primos Wet Box today, and thought it sounded pretty good. Any recommendations for a rookie on a good box call and a locator call?

Dang Greg I'm sorry dont take anything I say to heart, the only witness to my calling is my Mom, and she is the only one that has anything good to say about my calling, I hope. As far as a box call Im partial to Woodhaven Real Cherry, but I honestly have never called a bird in with a box call, I love a push button yelper tho.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
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Southeast Ohio
Dang Greg I'm sorry dont take anything I say to heart, the only witness to my calling is my Mom, and she is the only one that has anything good to say about my calling, I hope. As far as a box call Im partial to Woodhaven Real Cherry, but I honestly have never called a bird in with a box call, I love a push button yelper tho.

Aaron, I was just joking brother. Honestly, I don't think I sound too bad with a call, I just don't know what I'm saying to them. Hoping I can get out a little more this year and try some stuff. I learned a good bit last year, the biggest thing being that I need to be more patient. It's just hard to be patient when you have no clue what you are doing. lol

As far as calls, I'd just like to have a variety. Not too concerned about having the best, just something that sounds decent!
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Aaron, I was just joking brother. Honestly, I don't think I sound too bad with a call, I just don't know what I'm saying to them. Hoping I can get out a little more this year and try some stuff. I learned a good bit last year, the biggest thing being that I need to be more patient. It's just hard to be patient when you have no clue what you are doing. lol

As far as calls, I'd just like to have a variety. Not too concerned about having the best, just something that sounds decent!

You know the woods and you know how to sit still, so you're more than halfway there. Just get up way too early and sneak within 100 yards of a roost tree. Stick with some soft clucks on the roost til they fly down and they will know where you are. If they start heading your way, shut up!

When nothing comes in, say "Buncha queers! Don't like the sound of women anyhow" and take a nap. Repeat.
 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
Calling is way over rated in my book, it's just has to be a bird that wants to die. When you find that horny bird that doesn't have a care in the world he's not going to be on his feet for very long.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Calling is way over rated in my book, it's just has to be a bird that wants to die. When you find that horny bird that doesn't have a care in the world he's not going to be on his feet for very long.

And stupid jakes. I'm actually hoping to take a jake this year to put on a decoy.
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
i dumped out my vest this morning, chalked the box and pushpull calls, scuffed up the pot calls... Braylinn was sitting in bed with us while I was doing this and was very interested in what i was doing. Turns out she prefers the lil deuce pot call with the flextone striker.



amazingly enough, she waqs actually getting some sounds out of it.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
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Appalachia
Good stuff Dante!

My shit is scattered to the ends of the earth and back. If I can manage to find the time, I'll get it together before the weekend so I can take my cousin out. Won't be long now!!!