LAST UPDATED: June 23rd, 2020
At one point or another, we likely have all found ourselves in absence of a particular item while in the woods, that we wished we had not left behind. It seems as if there is no better way to realize how important a single piece of our gear can be, until we are left to carry on without it.
Maybe this particular item has been left in your truck, ¾ of a mile away, or perhaps you thought it surely wouldn’t have been of use on this particular day. Whatever the reason, we as turkey hunters can, at times, can be a forgetful bunch. The inconvenience caused by this forgetfulness can vary in its severity, sometimes causing discomfort or aggravation, and other times costing us a shot opportunity at a stealthily approaching tom.
You should never leave home without these five items when setting out for battle in the spring turkey woods.
1. Insect Repellant Or Thermacell
With the onset of spring comes the reemergence of biting, buzzing, and swarming insects. For some reason, it seems as if pests of this nature love turkey hunters. At times, it feels like a box call attracts nearly as many mosquitos, as it does longbeards, and sweat bees cannot help but to give your camo facemask a repeated fly-by at point blank range.
In the absence of quality insect repellant or a Thermocell, your arms are sure to become tired at the constant swatting that must take place to defend your turf, and by the end of the day, you will have more bites and stings than one person can count.
Even more aggravating is the fact that any army of ants, or swarm of gnats, always seem to require swatting when a lock-jawed strutter sits just outside of your peripheral vision. This often puts an end to your hunt on the spot, and renders a hard lesson learned.
2. Face Mask and Gloves
It is no secret that a turkey’s sense of sight is otherworldly. At times, you can sit perfectly still, only to watch as a gobbler peers in your direction, just prior to making a swift departure to the next county. It is times like these that leave you pondering whether or not a turkey can see you blink at 60 yards, as you walk back to the truck in disappointment.
With a sense of vision that is unrelenting, and a generally nervous disposition, you must attempt to conceal yourself by any means possible. This often begins by completely covering all exposed areas of skin.
This point often gets driven home in earnest when the sun glimmers off of the hands or face of a hunter who has left their facemask and gloves in the truck. If you do not wish to stand out like a hardened criminal in a line up, these should be among the first items placed in your vest.
3. A Comfortable Seat Or Cushion
After only a single season of hunting, nearly any turkey hunter who sits backed against a tree, can vividly describe the pins and needles feeling that accompanies hours of remaining in one place. Many refer to this as their “legs falling asleep”, and it can cause even the most seasoned of turkey hunter to fidget and rock about. This is not only aggravating, but it seems as if upon each occurrence, a tom will materialize out of nowhere just in time to spot your movement.
Fortunately, much of this discomfort can be prevented when a quality cushion or turkey seat is used. These seats and cushions slightly elevate your backside, and alleviate much of the aches associated with sitting directly on the ground below. As a side benefit, most hunters are far more likely to remain in the woods for a longer period of time when comfortable, therefore giving them a better crack at a lonely mid-day gobbler.
4. A Pair Of Brush Clippers
Just as a particular stand often requires shooting lanes to be cut, the same applies for many locations where you might find yourself setting up when bowhunting turkeys. It takes but a single branch to send a wayward arrow sailing into parts unknown, and more than one turkey throughout history owes its life to a hunter’s failure to ensure a clear flight path for their arrow.
A simple pair of hand pruners can be placed into a turkey vest with a minimum consumption of space.
These pruners can save the day when a nearby gobbler hammers at your insistent yelping, and the only place to set up limits your visibility and clearance. However, a pair of pruners are only of benefit if you remember to bring them with you.
5. A Diverse Selection of Calls
While it might seem like a matter of common sense to ensure that your calls are with you on every hunt, the issue here does not stem from whether or not you have a call or two. It has to do with a lack of diversity in the calls that you carry at any given time.
It can be quite easy to grab a mouth call or two, and a box call, leaving any other additional calls at home to save on space and heft. However, there are some days in the woods where you throw every call in your arsenal at a longbeard, before getting the response you are after.
On these days, not packing a wide variety of calls can often be the difference between tagging a bird, and going home empty handed. Do not be caught without the ability to dig deep into your calling repertoire.
Doing Without Can Do In Your Hunt
Before heading to the woods this spring, make sure that you are armed with all of the gear that is needed to hunt comfortably and efficiently. Doing so will not only enhance the quality of your outing, but can possibly keep you from unknowingly self sabotaging your hunt as well.
What might at first seem like unnecessary clutter, can very possibly serve as added insurance against your hunt going awry.
