A Guide to Turkey Hunting on a Budget
As March breathes a little warmth onto the earth, the fields and woods come alive with the sounds of its inhabitants. And there’s one sound that has turkey hunters anxiously waiting: the gobble.
Turkeys are abundant in most regions, and hunting them doesn’t require as much preparation or technical gear as most wild game. There are several factors to consider when turkey hunting. It doesn’t matter if you primarily bow hunt or prefer shooting turkeys with a shotgun, most of your gear will be the same. Pursuing turkeys is one of the most exciting forms of hunting. The birds are tough to hunt yet engaging. Read on to learn more about purchasing the right gear with a budget in mind.
Turkey Vest
The purpose of a turkey vest is to securely, comfortably, and accessibly carry the essential gear needed for turkey hunting. Turkey vests have developed over the years from being a simple layered vest with a few pockets to having a variety of useful features that keep everything you need within easy reach to minimize movement.
An ultra-lightweight turkey vest is crucial. At 1.5 pounds, the RNG-200 from Knight and Hale claims to be the lightest vest on the market. The RNG-200 is made out of a tough fabric that's reinforced in the right spots, and it includes 10 adjustment points for a perfect fit. It has all the pockets you realistically need, a six-layer cushion seat, and a decoy sling. No one likes sitting on the ground for an extended period of time, especially in the spring when the earth is often wet or terrain is rough.
Turkey Shotgun or Bow
In most states, choices for method of take for turkeys are shotgun, muzzleloader, or bow. A few decades ago turkey hunters used the same shotgun to drop a tom that they used to hunt ducks, doves, and upland game. Now, manufacturers design specialized turkey guns with camo dips, shorter barrels, specialized chokes, and upgraded sights and optics.
Stevens 301 .410 Turkey: If you're one of the many who reaches for a .410 to shoot a gobbler, here is a simple, effective, and inexpensive gun to do it with. This break-action single-shot comes prepared for the turkey woods with a camo synthetic stock with sling swivels, an integral base for a red-dot sight, and an extended turkey tube
Browning Cynergy: A higher end option, the Cynergy Ultimate Turkey gun contains a short Picatinny rail for a red dot sight optic. The package includes five Invector-Plus choke tubes for different ranges when hunting. The unique over and under design allows the hunter to switch chokes with the flip of a switch.
Bowhunting: Hunters aren’t limited to firearms when it comes to hunting turkeys. Recently compound bow hunting spring turkeys has become its own tradition. More and more, folks are hitting the turkey woods with bow in hand hoping to come full draw with a nice tom turkey.
Turkey Calls
When it comes to turkey calls, prices range heavily. Although there are beautiful custom slate and box calls handcrafted by true artists, however, there are alternatives. You can try building your own calls with kits and materials from places like Brookside Game Calls. They sell everything you need to assemble your own custom box or pot-style calls.
A custom call isn’t that important when it comes to calling in a longbeard. Box-store sales are likely to hold last year’s calls like the Ol Yeller and Scarlet Fever pot-n-peg calls from Knight and Hale, among others, or the Closer box call and time-proven diaphragm calls from H.S. Strut. Below are the different kinds of turkey calls:
Box Call: Mostly made of wood, a box call is used by scraping a paddle bottom along the side panel's lip. With a hollow chamber, the call provides a distinct note that appeals to the birds.
Slate Call: The slate call features a striking surface constructed of slate, glass, or aluminum inside a hollow pot with holes drilled underneath. You'll grip the wood, carbon, plastic, glass, or even turkey wing bone striker like a pencil and move it along the striking surface.
Diaphragm Call: A diaphragm or mouth call is an inexpensive choice that creates authentic sounds, and it keeps your hands ready to take aim with your firearm. A diaphragm call boasts a U-shaped frame with latex rubber stretched across.
Locator Call: If you enter a new area and you're not seeing any signs of activity, you could use a locator call. Also known as shock gobbling, a locator call makes a very loud sound to place a gobbler. These should be used sparingly but can be helpful in getting the birds ready to be called in.
A tom can be very vocal when it’s searching for mates early on in the season. When selecting a turkey call for your next hunt, consider how easy it is to use and how comfortable you are carrying it around. Practice your calls regularly. There are many instructional videos on YouTube that will help you master basic clucks and purrs of hens. However, use them sparingly and bring that tom in close.
Decoys
Turkey decoys have become sophisticated, but simple collapsible decoys like the highly-rated Avian-X LCD Lifelike Jake Turkey Decoy or silhouette dekes that easily ride in your vest still earn their keep. They’ll grab a tom’s attention and keep him distracted. Don’t forget to pack the stakes.
Once you call a tom, visual cues get the bird interested. If a mature tom is prowling the property, the first thing he wants is some female company, and the last is competition. Hen decoys like Dave Smith Decoys’ Jake can be useful to provoke big toms.
The H.S. Strut-Lite series is a great bang for your buck. It boasts a foldable, hollow body, so you’re able to pack it in and out of the field with ease. These come in single options, or you can buy a pair or flock and save a little more money.
Blinds
While there are several different methods of concealment, many hunters prefer a ground blind for a number of reasons. Here are two contenders.
Primos SurroundView Stakeout Blind: With one-way-see-through fabric, the 2-panel blind is a favorite amongst hunters around the globe. A foolproof, exclusive hub design aids in ease of setup. This blind is perfect for bowhunters as it hides movement from the turkey’s eyes while you draw your bow. Also, at 4.5 pounds, this blind is extremely portable and perfect for hauling through the woods.
Summit Viper Ground Blind: On those days when the best plan is to sit and wait, the Summit is loaded with features, including a silent, swing-open panel door and TruView fabric windows, which allow you to see out but don't allow turkeys to see in. Also, this ground-blind comes in 3 and 4 person models.
HuntWise
From planning out your turkey hunts to e-scouting, HuntWise is the #1 app for turkey hunters. To help prepare for—and improve—your spring turkey season, we came up with the best ways HuntWise can help you find more birds this year.
Find Public and Private Land: Gain an extra edge by using the Public Lands Layer to help navigate boundaries and find opportunities for less-pressured birds. This layer helps you find access points and sections of public land. Also, find private land and landowner information by tapping a parcel. Always be sure to gain permission before hunting on private property.
Use Pins: Whether you are in the field taking note of roost trees, strut zones, and blind locations, using pins to mark locations will increase your odds of success when opening day finally arrives.
E-Scout Using the Web Map Before Heading Out: HuntWise can help you optimize your time and be more efficient when in the field. Whether you are a public land hunter looking for access or seeking landowner permission on private property, HuntWise can help you find your next hunting location.
Aerial Imagery to Uncover the Perfect Turkey Habitat: Aerial imagery will give you an accurate bird’s-eye view of these fields and openings with nearby woodlots for roosting.
Share Pins and Transfer Information Between Friends and Family: Send over the meet-up location on opening morning or share pins of roost trees, ground blinds, bird sightings, or the general area where you have had success before. This feature allows you to easily stay connected with your hunting partners and ensure you’re on the same page.
Save Maps Offline: Saving the map prior to going to the field will allow you to access all of the necessary layers for your hunt.
Track Wind and Weather: Use HuntCast to uncover the best hunting time for turkey with hourly weather forecasts, wind direction, sunrise/sunset times, and more.
