It's probably my favorite time of the year. I love spring turkey hunting and I very much like to have very functional pieces of turkey hunting camo. So I wanted to give you five essential items that I think every turkey hunter should take to the woods with them.
Merino Wool Base Layer
My favorite base layer is the Kaibab 150 merino wool base layer. I personally prefer the quarter zip to the crew neck style, but either option is great. I like to be able to zip it all the way up for coverage when I'm sitting down for a turkey or on cool mornings. And I can zip it down if it starts to warm up.The 150 merino wool is my number one choice for a hunting base layer, because not only is it a great insulating piece that you can wear under a jacket, hoodie, or vest when it's colder in the mornings, but it's also an extremely great warm-weather piece.
And as we all know, during the spring, it gets really warm during the day and in some locations, it's just warm. The further south you go, the warmer it gets this time of the year. The merino wool base layer breathes and it wicks away moisture to help keep you cool and dry at the same time. You won't find better than lightweight merino for warm weather and it's a great versatile piece of turkey hunting camo.
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Hardscrabble Vest
The second piece I recommend is the Hardscrabble vest. I choose the vest because it is very, very functional. It gives you a little bit more core warmth on those cold mornings. It's easy to kind of take on and off. It's got a lot of pockets. And it doesn't have a lot of constriction in the arms.
Generally, when you're turkey hunting, you're moving a lot. You're up and down trying to set up on that bird. So having mobility in your arms is really important in my opinion.
Hardscrabble Pants
I went with the Hardscrabble pants in this list, because I think they're the in-between pant for spring turkey hunting. I generally find myself able to wear the Hardscrabble in almost any condition. They aren't too heavy and even when it gets warm it has the hip zips. And I can add a lightweight merino wool base layer underneath for those extra chilly times.
There are times when it's cold enough in the mornings, or I'm in an area where it's just cool enough during the Spring, that our Uintah lightweight pant is just too light.
Balaclava
Our balaclava is a lightweight merino wool material. It can serve as a neck gaiter to cover up for cooler temperatures. But most importantly, when used as a balaclava, it covers up your nose and mouth.With turkey hunting, you've got to really maximize your camouflage. Turkeys can see really well, so you have to wear some form of face-covering when you sit down to a turkey.
Turkey Call
The last thing that is an essential piece for turkey hunters is, obviously, a turkey call. We have a SKRE series glass surface pot call made by our friends at T3 Custom Calls.
I think a pot call is the best basic, all-around turkey call. It makes all the sounds that you need to kill a turkey. Now, there are lots of calls on the market. And there are other calls that some people might find easier than a pot call. But for me, it's just like, writing on a piece of paper.
And with a little practice, almost everybody can get the basic turkey calling sounds.
Clucks and cutting of a hen.
Basic yelps.
Soft clucks and purrs.
Learning to use those calls at the right time are the basic calls that you need to sit down and work on a turkey and call them into gun range.
The great thing is we're going to give you one of these free with the purchase of any SKRE turkey bundle.
Now, this isn't a comprehensive list - there are other things that you might want for turkey hunting. There are other calls that you may want to invest in and learn how to use in order to expand your turkey calling abilities.
You obviously want some kind of hat to go with your balaclava.
You're probably going to want a hoodie or a jacket to carry around for colder days.
Our lighter-weight Uintah pant is awesome during turkey season for warmer days and climate areas.
But I think these are five core pieces that I would use to start building out your turkey hunting gear. I really think they will take care of you while you turkey hunting this spring.
And if you buy one of SKRE's turkey bundles, you can get all the gear mentioned here, save 20% AND get a free SKRE Pot Call.