Spring is just around the corner. It’s time to get the turkey hunting and fishing gear together. (As I’m writing this, they have already stocked trout). Over the years I have developed a list of necessary items to carry on a daylight to dark hunt. The list takes into account everything needed for a two-mile walk-in before daylight and the drag out after a successful hunt. Those days are over, but I still use the modified list for reference.
To stay out all day in all kinds of weather you have to stay warm and dry. A water-resistant coat and good pair of insulated waterproof boots is a must. I found an inexpensive coat on sale at Cabalas that works well and didn’t break the bank. Even though you can see my blaze orange camo coat a mile away it doesn’t meet the letter of the law. As a rule, I don’t like hats, but a blaze orange radar hat will stuff in a pocket and keeps me legal. I have also found that spending a few extra bucks on long johns is worth the cost. By dressing in layers and with a pair of lined cargo pants (which I don’t have right now because my old ones seem to have “shrunk” over the years), I can stay reasonably comfortable, at least for a while, in temperatures down into the single digits. I refuse to pay $200-$300 for a coat or a pair of pants. Any colder and I stay at home.
I don’t like backpacks. Instead, I have a very old, well wore pack that buckles around my waist. I added a pouch to carry food and water, or in turkey season it carries my box call and owl hooter. In addition to food and water the pack carries everything else I can’t stash in a pocket. That includes my hunting knife, shoulder harness and drag ropes, mouth call, flashlight, extra ammo & batteries, topo maps and hunting license.
Anything not found in my pack, such as gloves, a handkerchief, my hood, sit cushion and phone go in various outside pockets. I cut-off the tip of the thumb and trigger finger of one glove so I can more easily operate the safety and trigger on my gun. A hood is imperative at close quarters for turkeys (and deer) because other than movement, the first thing they notice is your face, especially if you’re ugly (lol)… or your beard and hair is silver or white.
The sit cushion acts as a moisture barrier as much as a cushion. Right now, I use a section cut from an old pair of fleece pants. Before that, I had sewed a piece of plastic between two sections of fleece, which worked well but I left it in Dull Hunt under a tree. The fleece can be folded and easily fits into one of the cargo pockets on my hunting pants.
And by all means let’s not forget the TP! TP works much better than leaves, even if you can find the right size and texture. (I just had a flashback that reminded me why I will never wear bib overhauls again while hunting.)
Food and water can add a lot of weight and is awkward to carry. An old military flask works better than a plastic water bottle. It has a contoured shape that works well in a pack, and it’s made of tough plastic, so it won’t break. It will hold just enough water to get through the day if you don’t guzzle it down all at once.
I don’t carry a lot of food. A sandwich, a candy bar, trail mix and some jerky. A peanut butter and jelly, or a cheese sandwich works well and won’t spoil on a warm day. Lately I like it toasted. Cutting it in half and eating half at a time makes it last longer. Don’t take anything spicey that can make you thirsty, you want to conserve water. I’ve found that jerky works well if you need to suppress a cough.
The heaviest thing to carry is your gun. I have always preferred lightweight guns with short barrels. I carry a Remington Model 7 bolt action, in 7mm08 for deer hunting and a 12-gauge Winchester Model 1300 Short Turkey, pump action for turkeys. Both guns have 18.5” barrels and scopes. With my eyesight it’s getting hard to pick out a turkey head in an opening.
Many hunters think you give up accuracy with a short, light gun, but that’s not necessarily the case. My Model 7 is finicky, but with a good solid rest, a clean barrel, Sierra boattail bullets, and the right frame of mind, it will routinely shoot less than 1”, 3 shot groups, at 100 yards.
My Winchester Short Turkey carries well in the woods and shoots a good pattern with #5 turkey loads. It will shoot 3” magnums and comes with an extra full choke.
The only question that remains is what will wear out first? My old ratty pack, my Rocky boots… or me!?
R.D. Cullers
Graduate of Bergton Elementary (Class of ’65)
