With turkey season approaching, new hunters are searching for gear and veteran hunters are eager to upgrade.
This is a good news-bad news situation. The good news is that the selection of turkey hunting gear is larger, more diverse and more specialized than ever. The bad news is that the selection is so large, so diverse and so specialized that it can paralyze even the most experienced hunter.
If you’re struggling to decide what you need or want, you’ve come to the right place.
For the 2026 spring turkey season, the state is divided into five zones. The season opens earliest, April 6, in Zone 3, the fabled “Land Between the Levees.”
It opens April 13 in Zone 2, the Gulf Coastal Plain, and in Zone 2A, extreme southwest Arkansas. It opens April 20 in the Ozarks and in Benton and Washington counties. The youth season runs April 11-12 in Zones 1, 1A, 2 and 2A. Knowing when your season starts is the first thing you need to know. Get the Arkansas Hunting Guidebook and brush up on the regulations. Know your season dates, definitions for a legal gobbler and turkey checking requirements.
Now, starting from the ground up, let’s build you a hunting kit.
BOOTS
Above all, turkey hunting boots should be comfortable.
Second, they should be waterproof. Turkey season is often wet. If you hunt in south Arkansas, you will likely hunt in places with very moist ground. I vividly remember a controlled hunt at Lafayette County Wildlife Management Area in which the entire area seemed to be underwater. Knee-high, waterproof snake boots kept my feet dry. Look for boots that have Gore-Tex lining. A knee-high pipe will keep out water if you submerge your foot deeper than the ankle.
Also, some knee-high boots will deter snakebites. Venomous snakes are out in turkey season. A knee-high boot with a thick, tough outer shell made with a combination of Cordura, rubber and/or leather will protect you from envenomation.
Many turkey hunters wear knee-high boots made mostly of Neoprene. They are waterproof, but snake fangs can penetrate Neoprene.
TROUSERS
Loose fitting trousers allow you to move freely, but they also breathe. That’s important on a warm, muggy day when lugging a couple of decoys, a chair, a vest full of calls and a shotgun will make you hot and sweaty. Select a camo pattern that matches the woods where you will hunt. Don’t underestimate the power of black garments. Black is the perfect camouflage. It vanishes against any backdrop.
UPPER GARMENTS
I wear a long-sleeve camo T-shirt when I turkey hunt, but there is much good to say about a button-down camo shirt. If you get hot and sweaty, unbuttoning it will help keep you cool. I have a great shirt from Russell Athletic. I usually opt for the T-shirt because it’s easier.
VEST
A vest is a tricky thing. We gearheads like a vest with a lot of pockets. The problem with a lot of pockets is that a gearhead is compelled to fill the pockets. We stuff them with box calls, pot calls, strikers, snacks and assorted other things. A gear-laden vest is heavy. That’s not an issue for a sit-and-wait hunter like me, but it is a major liability for a run-and-gun hunter.
GLOVES
Turkeys have keen eyes for movement, and your hands move when turkey hunting. Lightweight, camouflage gloves will make movement more inconspicuous.
FACEMASK
The shiny outline of a face stands out in the woods, and it will give you away to a gobbler. A mesh facemask will eliminate that liability. Wear sunglasses to conceal your eyes.
CHAIR
Turkey hunting involves a lot of sitting. If you’re comfortable, you can sit a long time with minimal movement. This will help you kill turkeys. Choose a low-slung chair that sits a few inches off the ground. It should fold up or collapse into a compact package that you can easily carry if you need to relocate. There are some really good models available. Test a few and pick the right one for you. It is one of the best investments you will ever make in this sport.
THERMACELL
Mosquitoes and gnats are persistent nuisances for a turkey hunter. If bugs are biting you, it is impossible to be still. Mosquito repellent sprays work, but if you are uncomfortable putting chemicals on your skin, a Thermacell is an effective option.
A Thermacell is a small module that contains a small butane cartridge and a hot plate that heats a little citronella wafer. As the wafer heats, it emits vapors that vanquish biting insects instantly. It might be an even better investment than a good chair.
DECOYS
I have a love-hate relationship with decoys. I have found that two or more gobblers will approach a decoy, but a lone gobbler often stands away at a distance expecting a hen decoy to come to him. Decoys have sealed the deal on some gobblers for me, but they also screwed up some hunts.
I use them anyway. Avian-X is my favorite. It is realistic and because it is inflatable, you can deflate it and stuff it in a backpack for easy carrying.
GUNS/AMMO
I have killed turkeys with 11 different shotguns. My favorite since 2021 is a Winchester SX3 20-gauge turkey model with a short, cantilever barrel. It is light and compact. With No. 7 or No. 9 TSS, it performs equal to a 12-gauge. The only reason I will ever use a 12-gauge again is because I have enough 12-gauge turkey ammo to last a lifetime.
There are worse problems to have.
Camouflage garments like facemasks and gloves help conceal a hunter from a gobbler’s sharp eyes.
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Bryan Hendricks)