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My hunting style is not Run & Gun so I never bought a vest, but I'm considering it. I'm a transient drifter.

Currently I take one of my big canoe trip packs and throw in the chair that fits my rainy day blind or my collapsible fence blind and decoys and lunch. I tend to sit long and only move when I must. I'm fidgety at times so having cover helps me get birds.

So whats your non-vest only set up to see if its more light and mobile than mine. Or do I cave and get a vest...




Last edited by humdinger; 06/21/19.

Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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I haven't used a vest in going on 20 years.

What I use is a "messenger bag" or, most recently, a "tactical bag." That carries my calls and my ammo and my license and tags. I attach a butt pad to it. It's light, and it does not weigh me down. When I wore a vest, I always felt like I was dragging the kitchen sink along. I probably was.

When I need more, I use a musette bag and carry it on the opposite shoulder. I can stuff my sweater or rain gear in it along with a thermos of coffee for cold mornings.

Most importantly both bags have the ability to be sloughed off easily. A lot of times, if I'm up moving around, and I find myself in close with a turkey, I don't want all that stuff hanging off of me. Both bags have buckles that allow them to drop off with no muss or fuss.


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My dad carries a couple of calls and a small pillow as a seat cushion with a length of cord tied to it for a sling.

Also carries one of those slip over shotgun slings to pack his bird out, one loop over the feet and the other over the neck, pretty convenient way to pack one out.

Shotgun and a bottle of water.

Calls in one pocket of shirt jac and sling/water in the other.

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Avoid the vest, Dinger.

It would offer some weather protection for you, but by the time you get done reachin and grabbin and unzippin and rezippin, lookin for what you want, youll be warmed up anyway.

Get a decent size camo waterproof bag, sling it over your shoulder and fill it up. Whatever yoire lookin for is in one of two zippered holes in that bag.

Vests always made me feel like the stay puft marchmallow man. Chit stuck all over em.

Gotta stay swift. Lean.

Last edited by WillARights; 06/21/19.

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Originally Posted by WillARights
Avoid the vest, Dinger.

It would offer some weather protection for you, but by the time you get done reachin and grabbin and unzippin and rezippin, lookin for what you want, youll be warmed up anyway.

Get a decent size camo waterproof bag, sling it over your shoulder and fill it up. Whatever yoire lookin for is in one of two zippered holes in that bag.

Vests always made me feel like the stay puft marchmallow man. Chit stuck all over em.

Gotta stay swift. Lean.



good point.

The zest I was looking at had just enough room for my two bigger decoys (primos gob stopper? sized somewhere in between cheap foam and bulky avion X) and it seems like you have to take the vest off anyways to get the decoys out.

Maybe a woman who can unsnap her bra while its on can get those decoys out... but not me.


My mid-april turkey hunts also start out cold in the morning either on snow or frst and then warm up so I'm packing a extra layer of clothing too.


Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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Mine has a large pouch in the back that allows me to pack bagged turkey back to the truck. The vest is worth it to me for that feature!

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I ditched the vest a decade or more ago.

Went to a small belt pack (fanny pack if you're gay and turn it 180 degrees) that holds a box call, a slate call and striker, a pack of wet butt wipes, a pen a couple zip ties, my license, 3 shotgun shells, a small piece of chalk, a mini tape measure and a square of ScotchBrite and sandpaper. What I actually carry is likely about 1/2 the size of what you are picturing in your mind right now. I hunt super light and portable.


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Originally Posted by LEADMINER
Mine has a large pouch in the back that allows me to pack bagged turkey back to the truck. The vest is worth it to me for that feature!


I'm with you. I hunt large blocks of public ground. I may kill a bird 1/4 mile from the truck or it may be 4 miles cross rough steep country from the truck. Putting the gobbler in the vest leaves both hands open for climbing and descending steep hills and bluffs. I have room in the vest for water, venison snack sticks, a place to stow a shed layer when it warms up, map and compass, calls, comfy seat cushion, ect. A good vest definitely makes my hunts more comfortable.


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Chest rig, and a pack if I am carrying more than one decoy.

I have a Haley Strategic chest rig, and another one I made from Condor pieces. In my chest rig, I carry a box call, a pot call, usually two strikers, a couple of mouth calls, rangefinder, a few spare shells, a .22 pistol, and a trauma kit with tourniquet, compression bandage, and Quik Clot. The chest rig is so easy...everything within immediate grasp, don't have to take it off and put it on when moving, and it can go over or under any sort of clothing. Easily one of the best things I have ever bought for turkey and predator hunting.

I have come to prefer the cheap Cherokee inflatable decoys. If I am feeling like a lone hen or jake kind of day, I will just throw a rolled up decoy in my pocket with the stake. If I need a tom, or a multiple bird spread, I will carry a small day pack with decoys and stakes. I have gone full circle on seats, from a cushion, to a low slung turkey chair, and back to a cushion now. Just easier to carry.

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No vest for me- I use a camo fanny pack, which carries everything I need, including calls, knife, cord, bottle of water, and a couple of extra shells.


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I cover alot of ground while turkey hunting and wouldn't dream of not having a vest. It works best for me.

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This setup is near perfection for Turkey, Pigs, and Coyotes for me...Not me in the pic, I am not that cool.

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Last edited by liliysdad; 06/24/19.
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I should clarify..........

I do own a vest. If I'm hunting where I think I may have to carry a bird out for miles, I'll wear it. But otherwise, it's been relegated to a hanger in the closet.


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I almost went the chest rig route when i dismissed the vest. Back when the only chest rigs I could find where fly fishing ones.

Never took the plunge cause I was concerned about overly sweaty and shouldering interference.

May be time for reevsl in future.


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I wear my chest rig a little low, about solar plexus level. It does not interfere at all with strong or weak hand shouldering issues, and so far sweat had been no issue.

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those chest rigs look pretty handy. it would have to be low, but high enough to let my gut roll up.


Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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If I can remember, I will try to get a photo of my rigged up for turkey, on and off.

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Originally Posted by humdinger
My hunting style is not Run & Gun so I never bought a vest, but I'm considering it. I'm a transient drifter.

Currently I take one of my big canoe trip packs and throw in the chair that fits my rainy day blind or my collapsible fence blind and decoys and lunch. I tend to sit long and only move when I must. I'm fidgety at times so having cover helps me get birds.

So whats your non-vest only set up to see if its more light and mobile than mine. Or do I cave and get a vest...




I've started using my rigid frame back pack a lot more than a vest.

Collapsible fence blind? Is that any thing like an umbrella?


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Originally Posted by JackRyan
Originally Posted by humdinger





Collapsible fence blind? Is that any thing like an umbrella?



Its that blind material you buy in a roll about 3 foot tall and 12 foot long, but it has 5 collapsible tent poles in it to stake it in the ground and adjust the height. it rolls up to about 4 inch diameter and 20 inches long.

I can hide behind it, eat, run my box call, and read a book, because the turkeys cant see over it. It helps to be uphill of the decoys to so they dont see into you.

Here a link for it at Menards, but you can buy them at many places:

https://www.menards.com/main/outdoo...tid=1699516607050717966&&ipos=15


Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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Originally Posted by liliysdad
If I can remember, I will try to get a photo of my rigged up for turkey, on and off.



Looking forward to it


Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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I use a vest because mine has dedicated compartments I'm used to. And it's old enough to have quite a few holes worn so I'm really used to it. But if I'm not packing fold up decoys in the back and it's a warm day I may drop back to a 3 pouch shooter's bag. Box call, mouth call, half a dozen extra turkey bullets, hat, gloves, face net and a cushion hanging off the back. Fits in the 3 bags just fine.


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I use a chest rig made for turkey calls. It rides low enough that I can wear a bino harness above it if I want.

Don't know about blinds. I trained myself to sit motionless until I could do it for an hour and a half.


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I like the traditional Filson upland vest. If I need to carry more then a back pack. I also like the canvas surveyors vest from Forestry supplies, this is good in thorn brush. The other styles are too tactical looking for me and fewer pockets means less fumbling around and also reduces the tendency to carry too much stuff.


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Originally Posted by Tejano
I like the traditional Filson upland vest. If I need to carry more then a back pack. I also like the canvas surveyors vest from Forestry supplies, this is good in thorn brush. The other styles are too tactical looking for me and fewer pockets means less fumbling around and also reduces the tendency to carry too much stuff.



I would hate for a turkey to think you were too tactical.

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It makes no difference at all; a vest is an accessory to carry your hunting stuff. I've hunted with a vest to carry my stuff and without a vest, just using bellow pockets in my pants. Killed birds either way - as long as you have a shotgun and some shells you can kill a bird, everything else is an added tool to assist in the main effort.


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Thanks for all the input T-hunters.

I'm looking at vests on clearance now and just cant do it. I'm going to find a sling type back pack that can be put in front and still allow you to shoot.

My reasoning... it seems like most vests have marginal pads so I would be making one anyways.

The other reason for a chest pack... all that same stuff goes with me all the time and then have separate packs for rainy day blinds or clear day blinds.

MN turkey season is only one week (really 3 days for me) so I go no mater what the weather is. just be prepared for anything. The temp swings are huge because I walked in on frost this year and carried my tom out at 65 F. Always wind up packing a layer or two extra.


Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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Trumpet call around my neck and I owl hoot with my mouth. Don’t use decoys. Usually a diaphragm in my wallet as a second call but this year it was all trumpet and we did very well on the turkeys.

It’s amazing what guys carry to call in a turkey.

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Side question...

The guys that carry hardly anything...

1. how long is your season?
2, Can you hunt the full day?
3. Do you only hunt part of the day?
4. Are you close to your hunting ground?


Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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Originally Posted by humdinger
Side question...

The guys that carry hardly anything...

1. how long is your season?
2, Can you hunt the full day?
3. Do you only hunt part of the day?
4. Are you close to your hunting ground?


1. A month
2. For half of it
3. Just depends on my schedule
4. Close to some. 3 hours from some.


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You get a whole month to hunt?
How many birds can you take?

Our season is total length of 6 weeks with 6 seasons in it. One bird, one week.



Originally Posted by Bocajnala
Originally Posted by humdinger
Side question...

The guys that carry hardly anything...

1. how long is your season?
2, Can you hunt the full day?
3. Do you only hunt part of the day?
4. Are you close to your hunting ground?


1. A month
2. For half of it
3. Just depends on my schedule
4. Close to some. 3 hours from some.


Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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Our season in Wisconsin is the same as Minnesota except we can buy tags for multiple seasons as long as the area and time period you want has leftover tags. And some never run out.

We can hunt all day but I only will hunt if I’m on a gobbling bird. I don’t blind call and wait. It’s not what turkey hunting is to me. Which later in the spring that can mean if I don’t get on a bird early I’m fishing or something else until later in the afternoon.

I used to carry a ton of 💩 but as I have simplified my success has gone up.


Last edited by widrahthaar; 07/18/19.
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Originally Posted by widrahthaar
Our season in Wisconsin is the same as Minnesota except we can buy tags for multiple seasons as long as the area and time period you want has leftover tags. And some never run out.

We can hunt all day but I only will hunt if I’m on a gobbling bird. I don’t blind call and wait. It’s not what turkey hunting is to me. Which later in the spring that can mean if I don’t get on a bird early I’m fishing or something else until later in the afternoon.

I used to carry a ton of 💩 but as I have simplified my success has gone up.



I started turkey hunting with my WI father in law in WI while I was dating my bride. They stuck us MN hunters in the last season because we were out of towners.

He lost interest in turkey hunting and I lost my area where I turkey hunted. A group Aaron Rogers is part of bought the paper land and made it in to a golf course!


I should check if they offer surplus tags are available to out of staters.


Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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I used to have a vest and had it packed full. But I really don't like them. Now I carry binos, a few diaphragm calls, a few slate calls that are in a case that hangs from my belt, and sometimes a cushion to sit on. Much light and more mobile if I need to be.


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I’ve read this thread and thought to myself that some guys sure carry a bunch of stuff around to kill a turkey. In my ignorance I never dreamed that there were places with 1 week seasons or half day hunting.
Our season is 1 month each spring and fall, 3 birds in the spring and 1 in fall, shotgun in the spring and rifle in the fall. Fall archery season parallels deer archery and you can kill a couple more I think and hens are legal, October 1- December 31.

I carry a shotgun and 1 diaphragm call and a face mask in the spring with my binocular and in the fall usually just a rifle and bino. I may cover 4 miles a morning in the spring so I don’t carry any extra stuff since I’ll hopefully be toting a 20 pound bird on the way out.

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LOL....depends on what land/type I’m hunting and the birds. I own vests and sometimes use them for certain things, but it’s typically a small messenger or sling pack with some essentials and room for some binos or other optic. Often I have a pack for carrying decoys and/or packing out birds, or just a slip sling tote. I use a lounger chair, with the pack attached a lot these days, instead of an inner tube, just because of an arthritic tail bone and a spine fusion. Having a good lounger has probably helped me kill more birds than my favorite scratch box, mouth calls, or decoys.....to just keep me from fidgeting or deciding to reposition too soon. We have 6 weeks and a 5-bird limit. I’ll shoot coyotes, too....so sometimes there’s a suppressed pistol along.

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