How Much Crap Do You Take?

Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,829
Location
Michigan
I have the vest and used to have all of the pockets stretched. Now I have one slate with a wood and carbon striker, five reeds, one owl locator, two jakes and a hen. Is it just me or does it piss you off when you move and the push button or box call makes any sound? They are the last two to get removed from my arsenal. How invigorating!
 

Poser

WKR
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
5,033
Location
Durango CO
I carry a metal surface call and either a glass or slate call + a box call and a couple of mouth calls. No decoys for me. -used to carry them, but never actually killed a bird of a decoy. (In fact, I consider turkey decoys to be the single most overrated hunting item on the market.) I also carry a lot of water, a lot of food, a thermacell, binos, and a light pair of pruners.
 

bradb

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
959
I carry to much stuff! i would guess 99% are killed with 1 mouth call. i use the Avery Neoprene box call case, stretched over my box call(opposite direction they tell you ) to keep mine quiet. I think decoys are great addition, not really needed but can help. I have had 3 toms, out of 7 killed, attack my decoys this year. 1 of the other birds was coming but just had first time hunter kill it, the bearded hen another first time youth hunter shoot pecked at decoy for a bit, one bird was kind of a stalk no decoy, and last we moved quick and got in the path of birds and never used decoy. It was fun watching the show for a while at under 10 yards in 2 of the cases.
What I carry can depend on my set up and location

I think I got my edit done correct in the above, in a hurry getting work done so I can run out for a couple hours!
 
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OP
Brandon Pattison
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,829
Location
Michigan
I never sat without a decoy. It is flat here so running and gunning is hard without one. I've had them run for 1/4 mile to get to my decoys. I have stalked a few with just a shotgun though.
 

JNDEER

WKR
Joined
May 2, 2012
Messages
1,503
I use to bring the boat anchor, but not anymore. Box and a couple mouth calls. Woody and owl, one hen decoy is all I ever bring. However, I hunt on public land and usually kill my birds a mile + from the road, so I am usually wearing a day pack. If I could hunt near roads or on private land I would probably have more decoys, ground blind, etc. Not that it is needed, just do try some new ways of killing them.
 

MOcluck

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
286
Location
Missouri
I carry a ton of calls,3 pot calls, glass, slate over glass, a small slate, a box, push-button, 4 mouth calls, an owl hotter,a crow call and another wooden turkey call with two pieces you strike together not sure what its called, one Dave Smith upright hen, some cabelas space rain ashells for a 410, 20,and 12, and my binos. I take quite a few people out and have gotten over a dozen people their first birds. I like having all my options with me and its easier to grab my vest and go in the morning instead of having to figure out what I want to bring. If I worke a bird one day and don't kill him I'll switch calls on him the next day. Is it a lot of stuff to pack? Overkill maybe but thats my style and tuekey season is only three weeks. I don't wanna leave nothing on the table. No regrets buy the end of the season I wanna be draggin butt and ready for a break. It only last a couple of days though then I start to miss those early mornings but I know the good lord will bless me with another spring next year and that my friends ain't so bad.
 

jmez

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Messages
7,404
Location
Piedmont, SD
I used to carry the kitchen sink , calls, decoys, full vest, etc. Now I take a couple mouth calls, one box call and a gun. Don't even wear a vest anymore. I've found most of it unnecessary. Sometimes turkey's would run to my decoys and sometimes they would run from them. Since I've stopped taking them sometimes the turkey's run to my calling and sometimes they run from my calling. I haven't seen a difference. I use the box for a long distance locator and do all of the rest of my calling with diaphragms.
 

PA 5-0

WKR
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Messages
471
Location
Suburb of Philly
I (In fact, I consider turkey decoys to be the single most overrated hunting item on the market.)

Are you serious Bro???? Except for the two bearded suspects I shot this year because they came running at me while doing locator calls, EVERY bird I have decapitated, a couple dozen mountain gobblers, have died rollin into a two decoy set. I have probably called in another dozen for my family and buddies to blast. And that doesn't count the couple hundred that spooked, got missed by my hunters or ran off at the last second. May I humbly suggest you put out some deeks and work on your calling. I would bet any serious turk pursuer could write a book on encounters where gobblers would have walked by at a 60-80-100yds but ended up glancing over, seeing a decoy they liked and came rolling right in. I know I could. I don't know that I would go turk hunting without at least one decoy.

Last year, with my non-hunter friend laying beside me, I called two gobblers 4-500yds across a game land field. They were just poking around and gobbling every few minutes until the lead bird, at like 200yds, looked up and saw the jake decoy my buddy was holding up in the air. They broke into a sprint and ran up to about 4ft away. The lead bird caught a very bad break.

As far as calls, I carry a couple slates, 6-7 reeds in a little neck holder, a nice box call quieted by one of my daughter's hair bands and a Primos gobble call. My turk territory is the PA mntns. Gobblers, especially 3yrs and older, can be finicky pains in the asses. In more than one instance, I have gone thru a couple different calls to get a bird to commit. Variety helps. I have killed two of my biggest birds in the last 5 yrs with the Primos gobbler after every other call wouldn't bring them in. If you nailed me down to one, the Primos black double stack mouth call is my bread and butter. Always produces a great, raspy sound. No bullshit, with my buddy Dave in the truck and the double stack singing, I called two hens off a mntn, across a game lands field and right up to the side of my pick up. Videoed them in the truck mirror. Luv crazy turks.
 
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Eagle

WKR
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
1,069
Location
Western Kentucky
Are you serious Bro???? Except for the two bearded suspects I shot this year because they came running at me while doing locator calls, EVERY bird I have decapitated, a couple dozen mountain gobblers, have died rollin into a two decoy set. I have probably called in another dozen for my family and buddies to blast. And that doesn't count the couple hundred that spooked, got missed by my hunters or ran off at the last second. May I humbly suggest you put out some deeks and work on your calling. I would bet any serious turk pursuer could write a book on encounters where gobblers would have walked by at a 60-80-100yds but ended up glancing over, seeing a decoy they liked and came rolling right in. I know I could. I don't know that I would go turk hunting without at least one decoy.

Last year, with my non-hunter friend laying beside me, I called two gobblers 4-500yds across a game land field. They were just poking around and gobbling every few minutes until the lead bird, at like 200yds, looked up and saw the jake decoy my buddy was holding up in the air. They broke into a sprint and ran up to about 4ft away. The lead bird caught a very bad break.

As far as calls, I carry a couple slates, 6-7 reeds in a little neck holder, a nice box call quieted by one of my daughter's hair bands and a Primos gobble call. My turk territory is the PA mntns. Gobblers, especially 3yrs and older, can be finicky pains in the asses. In more than one instance, I have gone thru a couple different calls to get a bird to commit. Variety helps. I have killed two of my biggest birds in the last 5 yrs with the Primos gobbler after every other call wouldn't bring them in. If you nailed me down to one, the Primos black double stack mouth call is my bread and butter. Always produces a great, raspy sound. No bullshit, with my buddy Dave in the truck and the double stack singing, I called two hens off a mntn, across a game lands field and right up to the side of my pick up. Videoed them in the truck mirror. Luv crazy turks.

I think a lot of it is regional. The most experienced, and best turkey killers in my area of Alabama (northeast in the mountains) don't use decoys either, birds shy away from them in our area.

However, using a fan is deadly and very rarely fails, so I always have a fan with me. Aside from that though, I'm pretty minimalist in what I carry compared to most.
 

Poser

WKR
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
5,033
Location
Durango CO
Are you serious Bro???? Except for the two bearded suspects I shot this year because they came running at me while doing locator calls, EVERY bird I have decapitated, a couple dozen mountain gobblers, have died rollin into a two decoy set. I have probably called in another dozen for my family and buddies to blast. And that doesn't count the couple hundred that spooked, got missed by my hunters or ran off at the last second. May I humbly suggest you put out some deeks and work on your calling. I would bet any serious turk pursuer could write a book on encounters where gobblers would have walked by at a 60-80-100yds but ended up glancing over, seeing a decoy they liked and came rolling right in. I know I could. I don't know that I would go turk hunting without at least one decoy.

Last year, with my non-hunter friend laying beside me, I called two gobblers 4-500yds across a game land field. They were just poking around and gobbling every few minutes until the lead bird, at like 200yds, looked up and saw the jake decoy my buddy was holding up in the air. They broke into a sprint and ran up to about 4ft away. The lead bird caught a very bad break.

As far as calls, I carry a couple slates, 6-7 reeds in a little neck holder, a nice box call quieted by one of my daughter's hair bands and a Primos gobble call. My turk territory is the PA mntns. Gobblers, especially 3yrs and older, can be finicky pains in the asses. In more than one instance, I have gone thru a couple different calls to get a bird to commit. Variety helps. I have killed two of my biggest birds in the last 5 yrs with the Primos gobbler after every other call wouldn't bring them in. If you nailed me down to one, the Primos black double stack mouth call is my bread and butter. Always produces a great, raspy sound. No bullshit, with my buddy Dave in the truck and the double stack singing, I called two hens off a mntn, across a game lands field and right up to the side of my pick up. Videoed them in the truck mirror. Luv crazy turks.

Are you a turkey decoy sales rep? Lol
 

Murdy

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2014
Messages
623
Location
North-Central Illinois
I've had mixed results with dekes -- seen some come in; some go the other way. I think it has a lot to do with pressure. If they've seen dekes a lot, dekes don't help, otherwise they probably do. I tend to use them more early in the year and less as the season goes on.

I carry less than I used to, but still carry quite a bit (in a vest): box, 2 pots, a crow and an owl call, a few mouth calls, sometimes a gobbler call, usually a hen deke, sometimes a jake too, plenty of water, food, knife, gps, xtra gloves and usually socks, a couple bags (since its morel season too),
I've stopped carrying (for the most part) a screen blind, a push-pull call, other locator calls, dekes sometimes.
 
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