Essentials Series | Turkey Hunting Gear List

We get asked a million times everyday what gear we recommend for certain hunts. I personally hate answering, but I’m an amazing person, so I slave away with the text and email responses so that anyone asking, can rest assured they have the best gear for their hunt. If you go on google, you can find infinite hunting gear recommendation articles. For those of you outside the outdoor industry, here’s a heads up: Gear guides are fake, product reviews are paid, and most “experts” read a three-page manuscript on open AI prior to compiling the gear list you’re betting your hunt on. At Bushman Journal, we’re only bringing you authentic reads, real gear that we actually use, that we actually pay for out of our lower than average bank accounts, guns that we actually buy that we would shoot beside you, and rods we’d risk an entrance fee throwing. Welcome to the Essentials List by Bushman Journal. Unpaid, authentic, essential gear that you actually need. And with turkey season coming to a wrap, here’s a breakdown of what we leaned on this year to take the heads off Toms. • Boots - Spring time means it’s likely you’re going to encounter some water. Whether this be spring showers or heavy dew on the grass, waterproof boots are a must. This year we used the VentLite GTX boot from Sitka. The GORE-TEX uppers will keep you dry and will keep you comfortable during any temperature shift. 

• Tops - The weather varies drastically during turkey season, at least here in the midwest. Having a few lightweight and midweight tops on deck is recommended. The Equinox Guard Hoodie from Sitka is a great lightweight option that also features Insect Shield, which repels Satan’s minions (mosquitoes & ticks). • Jackets - Sometimes the Toms are still up for some love making even when the rain showers come. In this instance, a light rain jacket can come in handy. We used the X1 Jacket from Stone Glacier this past season, and it was incredible. 

• Bottoms - All I’m looking for in a turkey pant is something durable with enough flexibility in case I have to run-and-gun a mobile Tom. The Equinox Guard Pant from Sitka is that pant. Plus, like the Equinox Hoodie, it will keep off Satan’s minions. • Packs - I prefer a minimalistic approach when it comes to my turkey hunting packs. This year I used the Kifaru Rogan Run-N-Gun. This let me keep all of my essentials organized, and allows me to stay mobile if I need to change my set-up. If you’re searching for a more traditional turkey vest with built-in seat, the Equinox Vest from Sitka is another option we love, and we’ve also had great success with the Impact Vest from Alps OutdoorZ, a more budget friendly option. Tools • Guns - Whatever gun you are most comfortable with is the one to bring. Turkeys are tough sons of bitches, so I prefer a 12 gauge. However, I’ve seen several turkeys get face raped by TSS out of a .410. This year I used a Browning Maxus II and it has become my favorite turkey gun. My friend has a Stoeger M3000 and he’s killed more turkeys than Thanksgiving. Pick your poison. • Optics - There are many areas where going cheap is sufficient. Optics is not one of those areas. This year I used the ACRO S-2 from Aimpoint. It mounts to almost every ventilated shotgun rib, it’s waterproof, and it’ll last long enough to give to your kids one day. Spend the money here. • Calls - If you’re new to turkey hunting, a box call is about as simple as it can get, while still sounding pretty damn close to the real deal. Slate and mouth calls will sound more realistic, but require a small amount of skill. You can get a Tom running to your spread from only a few clucks, so find a call you feel comfortable with and you’re golden. 

• Ammo - TSS has proven to be the holy grail when it comes to turkey shotshells, however, paying for it sucks, as most ammo manufacturers are charging between $50 and $75 for a box of five shells. If reading that raises your blood pressure, we’ve had great experiences with Golden Turkey from Fiocchi, which will run you about $1 a round compared to the $10 for TSS.

• Decoys - “K.I.S.S.” Keep it simple, shithead. Don’t get creative trying to set a Nicholas Sparks scene with your decoys. Grab a feeder hen from Avian-X, set it less than 20 yards away from your setup and leave it at that. If the local Tom isn’t gay and your calling is at least half good, with a little bit of luck he’ll come check it out.

This is your blueprint. Your turkey hunting gear list. Follow it, don’t follow it, take a few things from it. We don’t care. But now when we get asked for turkey gear recommendations, we can just send this link. Go hop in a blind, sit against a tree, or hide behind a turkey fan like Aaron does. Either way, experience one of spring's best activities.