It’s almost here. Well, for some, it’s already here! Whether your county opened on the 15th, or you’ve got to wait until April 1st, let’s make sure we’re all prepared for turkey season. Last season was fairly slow on the turkey hunting front, but we have some great hunts lined up for this spring. Now, we all know I am a list maker to the extreme, and I always want to be prepared ahead of time for whatever is coming my way (at least when it comes to this sort of thing!). So, let’s get prepared for our adventures!

We’ve got to get dressed first, right? We can’t very well turkey hunt nekkid, can we? Hah! Actually, don’t answer that. Your base layers really just depends on where you’re hunting and what the weather is. South Carolina is notorious for wildly varying weather, so when shorts are in order one day, you might find yourself digging for this warm layers from January’s duck hunts the very next day. Who am I kidding? Some of this hunts warranted shorts under my waders! That being said, choose accordingly.

I use the term base layer because I like to wear a ghillie suit when I turkey hunt. The entire thing blends together, and has a nifty hood that pulls over your head with a little screen so you can still see. Plus it’s great for when the state bird is out in full force – the mosquito! No bug suit? No worries. I’d just make sure you’re in head-to-toe camp, unless you’re hunting from a blind ground and you’re at least partially covered. The suit just helps you blend into the foliage around you a little better… Essentially you’ll just look like a weird plant or bush. A gun-wielding, turkey-calling bush… Yea. Don’t forget your hat/face mask and gloves either! Again, with this Carolina weather, it’s already gotten warm enough for these guys to swim and sun bathe, so you better believe the snakes are moving too. I’ve had this pair of snake boots for years  and I love them.

Now for the fun stuff. For starters, you can’t shoot a turkey without a weapon. If you’re a bow hunter, go for it. Otherwise, a 10- or 12- gauge shotgun will do the trick. This Benelli is what I use. You really need a gun with some power behind it, and I’d recommend shooting 3.5″ shells. As you can see in this group of gear, they make shotgun shells designed for turkey hunting – you’ve got a small target and more than likely only one, maybe two chances to make your shot count. {If you’re new to turkey hunting, you don’t want to try to shoot the bird in his body – that’s a lot of feathers and meat to get through before you get to and vital organ. Aim for the base of the neck, and you should take him down with one shot, doing quick but deadly damage.}

So you’re dressed for the hunt, gun in hand. Let’s make sure that gobbler comes to you. I like to wear a turkey vest like this one. It’s got a fold down seat cushion at the back so you’re at least somewhat comfortable on the ground, and it snaps up and out of the way when you’re walking. Plus, it’s got quite an accoutrement of pockets for all the rest of your stuff.

Turkey call – a must. How’s a gobbler supposed to get near you if there’s no enticement of a potential lady friend for him? The type of call is up to you. I’m not very good at all. But I prefer a box call. There are 100 different calls out there, so take your pick and don’t forget it! The call goes hand in hand with the decoy(s). A visual enticement is just as important as an audible one. Heck, take a few out there. A hen or two and a tom with his pretend feathers puffed up in a pretend show? Sounds like a plan to me.

I also like to bring my rangefinder. It’s a helpful way to judge distance so you (hopefully) don’t put yourself in a position where the bird is out of range because you set your decoy up too far away or hid too far away from the clearing where he’s strutting his stuff.  I’m a terrible judge of distance, especially early in the morning when I’m setting up to hunt, so a range finder really comes in handy.

Lastly, my Thermacell. Once you’re all set up, hunched against a tree hiding from the turkeys, you don’t want to be swatting skeeters away from your face,  living around a whole bunch. I promise, that turkey won’t think the strange looking bush only has one branch blowing in the breeze.

I think that about sums it up! Of course, this is a pretty bare-bones list, and you may want to have a camera, bottle of water, tp, etc with you as well. None of those would hurt, I can tell you that much!