Scott Haugen is a killer of many things, but this outdoor legend specializes in putting pellets in the heads of toms. Here’s the turkey gear he uses. Take it to heart!
by Scott Haugen
One of the joys of being a full-time outdoor writer is getting to test a lot of gear. Some of it’s super cool. Some of it’s the opposite of super cool. This is about the good stuff and how it can help make your time in the spring turkey woods more comfy and enjoyable. Some of it can even make your hunting efforts more efficient.
This summarizes the gear I used and why I like it. I won’t regurgitate fancy words designers spun or offer specks and names of materials I pretend to know. You can find that intel on their respective websites. These are simply the down-and-dirty truths about the turkey gear that I trust.
Sitka VentLite GTX Boot & Optifade Cover
Three months before Sitka unveiled their VentLite GTX Boot, I started testing it in the wet, cold, dreary woods of the Pacific Northwest. The first day I put them on was to check trail cameras. I brought a pair of backup boots, just in case. I didn’t need them. I walked 11.2 miles and had them on for 7.5 hours that day. Since then, I’ve logged many miles and hours in them, running trail cameras, hunting ducks and geese, chasing fall turkeys with my dogs, and trudging soggy hillsides and wading mountain streams in search of blacktail deer sheds. As for my backup knee boots, I gave both pairs to kids down the road.
My back needs another surgery. Boots are one of the most painful things for me to walk in. The design and fit of the VentLites kept me going when I otherwise would have stopped due to completely numb legs. The ankle support is tops, and given the level of all-around fit and comfort, they’re easy to get off and on; leverage high above the heel, not on the sole. They’ve become my backyard and dog-training boots.
I chose the Optifade Cover pattern for my VentLite boots because I got to test it last spring in Sitka’s clothing line. I can count on one hand the number of camo patterns that have impressed me over the decades. Optifade Cover is one of them. It’s perfect for fooling keen-eyed turkeys that see in color and with the power we experience when looking through 8-power binoculars.
It was my go-to pattern in the deer, elk, and predator woods all fall and winter. I wore it in multiple states, including Alaska. I’ll be getting more garments when they come out in the Optifade Cover pattern.
I’m certain I was the last outdoor writer in the country to try Sitka Gear. Still, their quality is exceptional, and I’m old and appreciate quality gear. I’ll use the Turkey Tool Belt and Equinox Turkey Vest again this season. They’re light, durable, and made for hunters on the go.
Meindl Air Revolution Alpine Hiker
If you were to tally the hunts I’ve been on worldwide in the past 50 years, the boots I’ve most worn are Meindl. In my TV show hosting days, this was my go-to hiking boot for everything big game in North America, including Alaska and Canada. It also made it on most trips to Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. They’re my wife’s favorite hiking boots, too, and have been for years.
Last fall, I tried their new Air Revolution Alpine Hikers. As has been the case with every Meindl boot I’ve worn, the break-in was minimal and fast. I’m still wearing them and will be chasing turkeys in the high desert and timbered mountains in multiple states this spring. They’re waterproof, and their breathability and air circulation are something I appreciate. They keep my feet dry, warm, and even cool, as needed.
Their ankle and sole support are perfect, ensuring all-day comfort, no matter the conditions. For the complete Meindl experience, I’d suggest wearing their light and mid-weight Merino wool socks and treating the boots with their specially designed Wet Spray and Sport Wax. The better care you take of your hiking boots, the more comfortable they’ll be and the longer they’ll last.
Slayer Turkey Calls
It’s been fun to watch Slayer Calls grow. They’re doing it right. They’ve nailed the elk world, and waterfowlers are drooling over their growing line of duck and goose calls. Their expansion into the turkey call world was only natural.
This will be my fourth season of using Slayer’s diaphragm turkey calls. Some are originals, referring to the frame’s sturdiness, glue, tape, and reeds. I’ve already put their new Quad Hen and Choppy Hen diaphragm calls to work, calling in toms to photograph. Their new Crystal Queen Pot and Seductive Hen Slate Pot calls are excellent. They’re easy to condition and get a range of sounds from with multiple strikers.
Slayer Calls also has a new Gobbler Slayer call. I’m excited to test-drive it this season. I’ve seen many gobbler calls come and go over the decades, usually because they’re not easy to operate. This bite-down, open-ended call is here to stay. If you can make okay feeder chuckles on a duck call, you’ll get the Gobble Slayer down fast.
Dave Smith Preening Hen Decoy
Dave Smith Decoys aren’t cheap but worth the investment due to their realism and durability. I turkey hunt a lot in Douglas fir forests and tree-lined river bottoms. Hens spend much time under trees early in the season, preening where it’s dry. Toms pester preening hens, sometimes for hours. DSD’s Preening Hen decoy has accounted for numerous toms over the past two seasons and dozens of others I’ve called in to photograph. The detail of this decoy is precise, fooling the wisest of old toms. Because of the high hen populations in the two areas I hunt, this season, I’ll be using two of the Preening Hen decoys; that’s how much I believe in them.
Final Approach Live Jake & Breeder Hen Decoys
I’ve used Final Approach duck and goose decoys for years, so when they made the leap into turkey decoys, I couldn’t wait to try them. My first run with their Live Jake and Live Breeder Hen decoys last spring was on a pre-season photo shoot. I’d been catching three toms on trail camera in a river bottom. Those were my target birds. Over three and half hours, I called in 11 toms that beat, mounted, spurred, and drooled over the two decoys. Buddies and I shot multiple toms over them last season. I’ll use them again this spring when hunting open meadows in the hills and farm habitats. I’m excited to try their new Live Laydown Hen decoy, in a mix of situations.
Muller UFO Choke
I tried a Muller UFO choke during our winter turkey season in my Browning Silver Field 20 gauge. It patterned multiple loads, including lead, bismuth and tungsten, with precision. I first used it on a beardless depredation style turkey hunt. I head shot six turkeys in two days (three each day), and all crumpled with conviction. My buddy used the UFO choke in his 12 gauge, with the same results. We’ll use them this spring. Word has it they have a UFO choke in the works for my beloved .410. If it’s true, I’ll be the first to order it.
Storage Totes
I’ll be honest. I struggle to store gear in my truck. I downsized my truck a couple of years ago and miss the extra bed space. I keep searching in an effort to find something that makes me happy. This is what I’m heading into the spring turkey season with.
My essential truck gear such as tools, a jack, fire extinguisher, tire pump, LoopRopes, tie-downs, etc., ride in a Pelican TX80 Adventure Case. I travel a lot of rough roads and want something that can withstand the punishment and still protect valuable tools. I tried cheaper storage boxes and got tired of broken latches and punctures.
I always have trail cameras and all their accessories in my truck. For this I use the MTM Mule. It has an appealing price point, has held up going on two years, and thanks to the wheels, is easy to maneuver around in the truck and when organizing gear in the shop.
As for clothes, I used to pile them into the truck’s back seat. But they always got mixed up, muddied from my dogs tromping on them, and inevitably fell out, usually during the heaviest of rains and when I parked in mud holes. I tried stuffing them into duffle bags, but that was inconvenient. Then I discovered Yeti’s Camino 50 Tote. It changed my organizational truck life so much I got the Camino 20, too.
In the Camino 50, I have all my bulky turkey hunting pants and jackets, including rain gear. The climate and conditions I hunt in vary daily, even hour to hour. I might start the morning hunting at 2,500 feet elevation in the snow and end up on the valley floor where it’s sunny and 50º. Having an easy-to-access storage bin is a luxury I appreciate.
Why the Camino 20? I kept losing gloves, thin tops, pants, and base layers amid the Camino 50 and the bulkier clothes. These totes serve the diversity of my turkey hunting needs, and I’ll rotate the clothes in them for the big game, duck, and predator hunting seasons. The Camino 20 is great for my summer dog training gear.
There you have it. My take on turkey gear I like. No company pays me a dime to write about their gear. I know some of it is expensive. When you’ve been trudging through the woods as long as I have, investing in exceptional gear is a small price to pay for comfort. What I’d have given to have some of this advanced gear 35 years ago when living a subsistence life in Alaska’s high Arctic.
