Turkey hunting is really a calculated battle plan, requiring careful preparation for execution. I always create a list of essentials to ensure I'm prepared for anything, whether I’m doing the hunting or the guiding. If there’s one thing I've learned from turkeys over the years, it has to be that nothing is standard or predictable—or at least you shouldn't count on it being that way.
The only big decision each morning is whether to pack my turkey vest or my backpack. I test-drove the Bone Collector turkey vest recently and found it to have all the features a hunter could ask for. With lots of pockets for extra calls, ammunition and even a soft pad for sitting on, it fit the bill for setting up on gobblers in the early morning. That said, most vests are pretty well designed these days, so it’s hard to go wrong.
In recent years I've found myself often utilizing a backpack as a more convenient means to haul my gear, lunch and even extra clothing. A pack is easy to carry and is more comfortable for covering rugged terrain in river valleys or steep hills.
Personally, I found that the Alps Extreme pack offers a ton of features for turkey hunters on the go. In fact, the pack is a natural when hunting from a blind. It has more capacity than a vest and leaves everything at your fingertips—from ammo to cameras. The unique feature on this pack is the removable accessory pocket, which can be used in three different positions with the supplied attachment points: one is stowed on the back of the pack, the second is located on the front shoulder harness of the pack, or third, it can be worn by itself with a strap that’s tucked in the back panel of the accessory pocket. It’s designed to give the user versatility to keep calls and other essentials always close at hand … even if the entire pack isn’t needed.
The Alps Extreme is unlike any other pack you have, and I guarantee it. Molded foam back panels, Lycra soft edge shoulder straps and tough materials such as ballistic nylon and Hypalon at stress points give these Extreme packs not only an upgraded look, but also a true step up in comfort and durability.
If the Alps Extreme isn’t quite what you’re looking for, I suggest giving the Badlands Packs lineup a look. That brand continues to impress me as well.
Here is my standard packing list for gear to take in the field on any given turkey hunt. I’ve got my favorite proven brands, but to each their own.
Turkey Pack List
- Maestro box call
- H.S. slate and glass call with extra strikers
- Diaphragm call
- Locator calls: crow and owl
- Cyclops head lamp
- Face mask
- Hat and gloves
- Shears for cutting shooting lanes
- Avian X hen decoys
- Primos Chicken on a Stick fanning decoy
- Camera
- ALPS Pop up blind or chair
- Primos Trigger Sticks
- Bushnell Fusion 1 mile Binoculars with rangefinder
- Water bottle
- Rocky Athletic Mobility boots
- Mossy Oak camouflage shirt, pants, jacket and rain suit
- Turkey vest
- Alps Extreme backpack
- Gerber knife
- Extra-large Ziploc bags
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