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HOW MUCH GEAR????

M350

M350

PMA Member
TURKEY HUNTERS ARE UNIQUE CREATURES. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS ON WHAT CALLS BIRD IN TO RANGE. GRANDPAS OLD BOX MAY CALL IN A BIRD EVERY YEAR OR ALL I EVER HUNT WITH IS A SLATE CALL. BUT MOST OF US HAVE SEVERAL TYPES OF CALLS BY DIFFERING MANUFACTURES.

HOW MANY CALLS DO YOU CARRY INTO THE WOODS IN THE SPRING AND WHAT OTHER GADGETS ARE A MUST FOR YOU???

I LOOK LIKE A CAMO STAYPUFF MARSHMALLOW MAN, POCKETS BULGING WITH THE LATEST STUFF.HERES MY TYPICAL GOODIES:: A BOAT PADDLE, 2 SIDED BOX CALL, ONE SIDED HIGH PITCHED BOX,A PUSH BUTTON CALL, 3 SLATES, 6-8 STRIKERS,TUBE CALL, A DOZEN MOUTH CALLS,COYOTE HOWLER, OWL CALL,CROW CALLAND A GOOSE CALL. USUALLY THE BASIC EXTRAS ARE CHALK, SANDING PAPER,SLATE CONDITIONER,3 DECOYS,EXTRA FACE MASK AND GLOVES,WATER, COMPASS, FOOD, MINI BINOCS, RANGE FINDER,PRUNING SHEARS, KNIFE,EXTRA DECOY STAKE AND THE EVER SO NEEDED TOILET PAPER....WHEW!!! BY THE WAY IF YOU RUN INTO ANY CALLS OUT THERE LAYING NEXT TO A TREE WITH MIKE MANNING WRITTEN ON THEM---COULD YOU PLEASE RETURN 'EM TO ME--I MAY HAVE LOST ONE OR TWO IN THE PAST...HOW MUCH IS TOOOOO MUCH, NO KITCHEN SINK COMMENT PLEASE...
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M 350 OUT
 
How much gear??? Wow, what an question!!! My list is extensive in the begining but by 3rd season I only take the bare essentials. Here we go...

Box call, 2 double sided slate calls, slatex call, aluminum call, anywhere from 1-7 mouth calls, 2 push button calls, gobble call, crow call, 3-6 decoys & stakes, T.P., my bow, my double bull blind, chair, xtra clothes stuffed in with my blind, bow holder, books/magazines, 2 facemasks (one for inside the blind-solid black- and one camo one for walking around), 2 hats-floppy&normal brim-depends on how quiet the leaves are for walking in, grunt tube incase I see a buck, chalk, sandpaper, countless strikers, extra stakes for my blind, waterproof liner to put all my crap on inside my blind cuz nothing irritates me more than having my call not work cuz the dew from the grass got on it, knife, pen, pruning saw, water, snacks, disposable camera, string to make "motion decoys", compass, xtra broadhead blades and...uh...probably something else

and I almost forgot my bow!

By 3rd season I'm down to my bow, my blind, 1 decoy, my box call, crow call, couple mouth calls & my saw.

The weird thing is I always think I get in better shape as season goes cuz I'm breathing easier when in fact it's just cuz I drop pounds of equipment instead!!
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Just sorted by through my gear boxes last night to make the switch from deer to turkey. Here's what I typically carry in a vest and fanny pack and it sounds alot like your list:

Two wooden box calls with chalk, two slates with six strikers and sandpaper, half a dozen diaphragms, crow call, owl hooter, hen and jake decoys with stakes, pruning shears, collapsable pruning saw, rain gear, extra face mask and gloves, extra shells (Winchester buffered turkey mags #5 shot), package of Hot Hands handwarmers, laminated aerial photo of hunting ground (from Terraserver.com), compass, knife, multi-tool, small bottle of bug spray, compact 35mm camera, compact binoculars, hunting journal and waterproof ink pen, and two small flashlights (one a Rayovac clip-on with a red filter).

I'll add a water bottle, breakfast bars and a bag of trail mix when it's time to go. Then I carry an HS turkey stool with bun saver pad attached to it. Hauling all that around helps make you a patient hunter .... it's too much effort to pack it back up to move!!!!

Glad to finally see some action on this forum!!! How much longer???

Threebeards
 
Muddy and M350 you guys are cracking me up. Sounds like you both need a pack mule!
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Muddy what are the magazines for and can you give me the strategy behind the two hat thing?
A grunt tube while turkey hunting, that's interesting.
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I try to keep it simple with a backpack full of slates, box calls, binos, bow and all the bow garb., mouth calls, 1 hat and 1 set of clothing, T.P., knife, saw, 3 decoys w/stakes, face mask, owl call, gobbler call, crow call, sand paper, chalk, rangefinder. That about does it for me.

Nonres
 
M350 I'm surpised that you can walk up and down the big hills of Lansing with all of that gear. I carry less than what you do and I about die those first few mornings climbing the "little" hills of Cherry Mound and Waterville. As to the topic; I carry 1 box, 2-3 slate, extra strikers. owl hoot, extra shells, chalk, sand paper, 2-4 decoys, bottle of water, crow call, push box, binocs, an extra coat for 1st season, and of course my shotgun. I'm sure there's more, but that's all I could think of off the top of my head. Can't wait for April!
 
Wow....compared to you guys, I am a light packer! I usually carry a camo pack with all my calls and other stuff in it. Included this year are: 1 slate, 2 strikers, 2 different mouth calls (one single reed, one double), an old push button call, one lynch box call, 2 gobble shakers (one jake, one boss), crow call, owl hooter, conditioning stone, sandpaper, chalk. Not to mention a few decoys, my trusty turkey gun, a box of shells (just in case I get in a gun battle with a tough tom) and all the camo I can wear. Usually when I hunt with my buddies, I use their decoys.......then we can split the carrying load
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Man I can smell spring coming......can almost hear those toms gobbling........can't wait!
Good luck and good hunting!

-GunnerJon
 
Nonres

The magazines are for reading of course!! What else would they be for?? The grunt tube is usually left over from deer season and it's kind've fun to grunt at the bachelor groups in the spring. The floppy hat is for when it's raining since I have glasses it helps a lot. The normal hat is for when I'm walking around cuz otherwise the floppy hat makes it harder to hear while in dry leaves. Funny thing is I don't wear either one while in the blind, just pull my hood up. The crazy thing is I fit all that crap into a fanny pack and the rest in with my Double Bull blind carrying sack!!
 
Don't everybody laugh at once but here is my list. Pop up blind, muzzleloading shotgun with 1 reload, 1 decoy and 1 call. I usually don't wear camo pants as I'm in the blind. The call I use is the only type I've ever used. Homemade from a film cannister, rubberband and part of a rubber glove. Allmost forgot, camera and thermos of coffee carried in tall bucket for seat.
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You may find this hard to believe but I've heard M350 run all those calls at the same time. I hunt on the other side of the fence from him. You don't need that much room left in your vest when you carry out a mature gobbler tipping the scale at 14 lbs, and that included dew. It was wet that morning.

Allamakee Grand Slam
 
I still need to break the obsessive-compulsive in me that packs extra shells- like the 3 in the gun won't be enough. If I ever miss more than once, I'll be headed for the truck anyway. I'd The rest of what I bring depends on who is with me. Sometimes I can get by pretty light. Otherwise- assorted calls (never the right striker), extra gloves & mask, a snack, binoculars. blind. TP, clippers, decoys, cracked corn(whoops), knife, GPS (if new area), thermos, rangefinder, batteries, etc. Anyway if I can run the 50 in less than 20 seconds I go back for more :)
 
I don't pack nearly that much stuff either. I usually feel like I have way more than I need out there. On 95% of my hunts give me the ole' "cheeseburger" mouth call and a load of Winchester #5's. Beyond that if I could only pack a couple more things it would be my 10-sider box call for windy days, and the "wing". Good luck!

NWBuck
 
This is something I have adjusted through the years same as deer hunting. And now days I take as little as possible to carry around the woods.

If bowhunting I take my Double Bull blind and milking stool.

Normal hunting gear is 2 foam decoys, 1 favorite slate call, my only box call, 8 or 9 diaphram calls, owl hooter, goose call, pruners, facemask and gloves all stuffed in my turkey vest.

I went thru the try everything, and carry the backup stages long ago for both deer and turkey hunting. Even on my long distance adventures I always seem to get by fine with minimum gear.

I have always found a personal saturation point in spending money and carrying junk to the woods versus actual payoff in my enjoyment of being out there.
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Shovelbuck,

Was interested to hear from someone else who hunts turkeys with a muzzleloading shotgun. I bought a Knight muzzleloading shotgun through Iowawhitetail classifieds about a year ago and took a beautiful tom with it on opening day of first season.

Anyway, here's my question: what loads do you shoot? I experimented with many different things last year and found 5's patterned best with 4's close behind. Did most of my patterning work using 100 grains of powder at 40 yards. I have found myself wondering if a 50/50 mixture of 4's and 5's might be a good load. Just wondering....thanks.

NWBuck
 
I use #4's with 80 grains of Pyrodex. The gun is a Navy Arms brand. This gun has not given me the greatest dependability though. It blew up this deer season using a single .715 ball is front of 80 grains. That's a whole different post though!
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The furthest I shot a bird with it was 30 yds.
 
NW BUCK-

I, too, have the Knight shotgun. I purchased it in the summer of 2000 and killed my second season Iowa bird the last two years as well as 4 Missouri turkeys with it. I would not trade that gun for anything in the world.

I was coached a little on how to load the gun, I know the gun will hold this load, but be careful when you shoot it. I take a bottle of Knight Brand 4 shot and 6 shot, mix the two together in a coffee can and pour it all back in the two bottles. I then take one Knight black (double sided) speed loader and pack it full of Pyrodex powder. When I say pack, I mean tamp it in and hit it on a solid surface to make it settle. I then load one and one-half sides of a speed loader of shot into the gun.

I was told 125 grains of powder and the above listed shot is the perfect combination. I agree, it definetely is. This year I am contemplating purchasing the XXX Full choke tube for the gun, but with the pattern as well as results in the field, I may not do so as this gun is nicknamed "AT&T" as it will reach out there and touch you.

Oh, and did I mention, watch the scope when you really lean into those long shots. I shot a turkey at a distance I would not normally shoot at and it ended up costing me $350 for 8 stitches between the eyes, a broken nose, and the appearance of a badly beaten Racoon. But, the turkey didn't even flop and the head was "full" of pellets.

Excellent choice in weapons and try the load as an experiment. I am sure you will like it. Don't worry about the gun, I am in contact with Knight Rifles and they said it will take that load with no problem.

This year.......I have switched to a red dot.
 
full-strut,

Interesting load combination I'm going to try. The owner's manual that came with the gun recommends no more than 120 grains of Pyrodex. I can see why, because that load definetely kicks like a mule. I was hunting with a partner who was close to me when I shot the bird last year and he said it threw flames more than a foot out the barrel. I shot the bird at only 12 steps, so I didn't get a chance to test its' range real well
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I don't have mine scoped...just Tru-Glo sights, which I love. Your story of getting "crowned" has me convinced not to put one on either. Good luck, and good hunting!

NWBuck

PS. Do you know...is the 209 conversion kit available for this gun yet? The phone rep at the factory told me (last spring) that it would be this year. I'd like to be able to use the 209 discs and pellets from my Disc rifle...just alot more convenient.

PSS. Ever shoot a pheasant with the gun? I generally shoot 20-30 birds up here each fall and have been thinking it would be cool to take a cackling rooster over a solid point using the old smokepole! That one would be worth videotaping.
 
NW BUCK-

Sorry it took me so long to get back with you, I have been out of the loop for a while. Yes..the 209 conversion kit is now available. I have it in mine already. I have not shot a pheasant with it yet, but I am planning on doing a duck hunt with it this year, though.

Additionally, Knight now has a compensated X-Full choke tube that you can purchase. It is a little high in price, but it will definetely knock down some of the recoil.

If you go to the deer classic, make sure and stop by their booth. I am sure they will have one for you to look at. Also, take a look at the new Disc Elite they came out with. It is a lot lighter, but it does not have sights. It is a gun for all of us in Iowa, but is not allowed in Colorado due to the fact a scope must be used.

Good luck on the pheasant hunt. Make sure and update me if you shoot one.

Full-Strut
 
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