Top Gear for the 2022 Turkey Hunter | Turkey Blinds, Camo, Calls & More

By: Paul Campbell, Co-Host of the Ohio Outdoors Podcast 

As Turkey hunters in 2022 we are constantly bombarded with the newest and greatest products to take with us into the battles of the spring woods. I’ll be the first to admit I get sucked in every year and buy some new item that I tell myself I absolutely need to have for the upcoming Turkey hunting season. This year is no different, although I haven’t found that perfect new Turkey hunting implement, I’m still on the lookout!  When my wife questions me on why I need another owl hooter or why I have to buy new camo pants for the fourth year in a row I usually mutter something about supporting the economy and gaining weight as my justification for my never-ending need for new Turkey hunting gear. I’ll never change!

Every hunter and their hunting methods are different. Creating a list of top hunting gear that covers all of the different styles of hunting, terrain types and call types could be hundreds of pages long. I would love to see that list! This list will focus on some items I have used for years in the Turkey woods successfully and a couple of items I’m looking to try out. Let’s be honest. I’m going to buy them all at some point! Best of luck this spring as you chase the Wild Turkey. I hope the gear below will add to your success.

1. Mobile Blind Hunting by Nukem

I first encountered this mobile hunting blind at the ATA show in Louisville. I was instantly hooked. If you are a mobile hunter on public land or a somewhat stationery hunter this blind will fit nicely into your hunting style. Super light weighing in at only 3lbs, easy to assembly and take down this is one of the better ground blinds I’ve seen. If you’re hunting solo or with a kid, the Nukem hunting blind is a great choice. 

www.nukemhunting.com

2. North Mountain Gear Leafy Suit

Concealment is the name of the game in the Turkey woods. NMG Guide series leafy suit is just the setup to hide you from even the most keen-eyed Gobbler. This ain’t your Daddy’s ghillie suit. The NMG suit is made from super soft and quiet material that is remarkably durable and able hold up under the stress of the most rugged terrain. Tons of pockets and incredibly breathable North Mountain Gear has made a Leafy suit that is top notch. North Mountain Gear offers a full line of high-quality hunting clothes in various camo patterns available in the GoWild Shop. 

3. The Last Turkey Hunting Boots You Will Buy

For years I have been on the hunt for an ultra-light, durable Turkey hunting boot. Last spring, I found that boot. Luckily for you I’ll save you years of trial and error and tons of money. Meet the Irish Setter Vaprtrek boot. The 8” waterproof leather booth is incredibly light, durable and super comfortable. I like my boots to allow my feet to feel the ground I’m walking on but be durable enough to keep my feet dry and protected. The Vaprtrek checks all of those boxes. If you’re more of the knee-high snake boot type, Irish Setter makes that style as well in the Vaprtrek model. Check out the GoWild store to find these boots. You won’t be disappointed.

4. A Call for All. 

Turkey calls are an obsession for me. I own more than I’m willing to admit.  Right now, on my desk as I write this article there are 6 pot calls, 2 box calls, a trumpet, 3 owl hooters, 2 crow calls and 6 types of strikers. Needless to say, I like Turkey calls. Over the years I’ve learned that a $10 turkey call can call in a Tom just as well as a $200 call. It’s all up to caller to make those sweet Turkey sounds.  GoWild has a call for every type of caller. 

Will Primos started making Turkey calls decades ago. Arguably the most well-known name in call makers out there today, Primo’s Hunting has a full line of call types available. Primo’s Foggy Bottom box call is a great box call for any level of Turkey hunter. I can assure you a well-run box call has killed more Turkeys over the years than any other call type.

When realism is needed to coax in that wise old Tom, it’s hard to beat the sounds produced by a mouth call. Woodhaven Custom calls Black Death available in a 3 pack will allow any hunter to sound like 3 individual hens. Versatile and deadly Woodhaven calls have proven effective in Turkey woods all over the country. Also, available in the GoWild shop is an assortment of mouth call available from Primos, also a deadly option.

5. Comfort is King.

A few years back I bought a chair to hunt Turkeys out of. As a person of larger size, the inexpensive chair lasted only a few hunts before it broke. Luckily for me one of those hunts I killed a Gobbler. The chair helped me set up in a patch of weeds and completely disappear into my surrounding. I didn’t need to lean against a tree to conceal my outline and provide support. The position I was In because of the chair was instrumental in killing that Tom. From that moment on I was hooked on the idea of using a chair to hunt Turkeys out of. My style of hunting I am very mobile. I walk a ton of miles each hunt. The chair can be kind of cumbersome at times but the benefits out weigh the hassle for me. When It’s time to settle in and let a Tom work his way in to my setup the comfort the chair offers keeps me focused and more importantly completely still. I went with the Alps Outdoors Vanish hunting chair. There are several good options for the hunter looking for maximum comfort in the Turkey woods.