Vested with Confidence (Turkey Vest Loading & Hunting Tips)

As one of the premier providers of the highest-quality women’s hunting apparel, we are proud of the careful design and development that went into the production of our women's Turkey Vest, which is fully-optimized for the spring woods, and is the last turkey vest you’ll ever need.

This Is the Last Turkey Hunting Vest You’ll Need

Our Realtree Edge Turkey Vest is a gem of our collection of women’s hunting apparel, and one size should fit most. It’s made with adjustable shoulder straps and a buckle for extra support and comfort. The Realtree Edge camo pattern is perfect for early spring hunting, with a predominantly light brown background suffused by intersected limbs, branches, and leaves, with a spot of green - perfect for early spring when the woods are still budding and mostly bare.

This vest has a variety of pockets, many of which are specialized to carry your calls; for instance, there are two large pockets with magnetic closures and two large pockets with mesh dividers and zipper closures, which are perfect for box calls. These vests also have a dedicated box call holder, a mesh dual mouth call holder, and two slate call pockets. In addition, this vest features several other pockets for additional storage; there are two large interior mesh pockets that are perfect for storing a mask, face paint, gloves, lights, and other hunting gear.

There are a few other nice features that will help you improve your success, comfort, and accessibility in the woods. This includes a large game bag at the back; perfect for storing a decoy, for those of you that use them, and for those that don’t there’s plenty of room to store your quarry to get it out of the woods. There’s also an integral, pull-out orange safety flag, which you can use when trekking in, out or when setting up decoys to keep you visible and safe.

Also, it comes with an integral padded seat with a buckle, which is great for keeping yourself off the wet ground; but unlike some vests, this one’s seat is removable, which makes adjustments in the woods much more comfortable and practical - no more moving about with the seat banging into the back of your legs.

Leave the pack at home this spring gobbler season. With our Realtree Edge Turkey Vest, you’ll be able to carry everything you need and more.

Tips for Loading Your Vest (Plus Some Other Miscellaneous Tips)

Choosing the right women’s hunting apparel (like our Realtree Edge Turkey Vest) will set you up for success and comfort in the spring woods. But hunting clothes themselves are only half of the battle. It still helps to know a few of these tips.

• Know what the pockets are for                          

Turkey vests are designed with specifically sized and oriented pockets for a reason. Know what they’re for and how to use them. For instance, slate call pockets often have slots for strikers; mouth call pockets are mesh so they dry out faster. These features help you keep organized, protect your gear, and most importantly, improve accessibility.

• Distribute the weight

This tip’s not as big of a deal for turkey hunters as it is for hunters that hike in and out for multiple days at a time, but it’s still beneficial not to overload one pocket with all your gear. Plus, not overloading one pocket makes it easier to find essentials, like a knife or a light. You don’t need to do as much digging.

• Carry more than one type of call

When you go into the spring woods, don’t just carry one type of call. Carry multiple types of calls. There are several reasons to do this. One is to hedge your bets. Box calls and slate calls make loud, realistic yelps, putts, and clucks, and they’re easy to use, but terrible in the rain. They also require two hands to use. Mouth calls don’t.

On top of that, carrying more than one of each type of call is beneficial. Each call has a slightly different tenor and pitch than the next. For instance, if you carry two box calls and call with both, it will sound to any gobbler that hears you like you are not a lone hen, but a flock. And that’s much more convincing than carrying just one call.

• Carry a locator

This one is not a must but it can help you in the woods. Many (maybe even most) spring turkey hunters will carry locator calls such as crow and owl calls that can antagonize gobblers into shock gobbling and betraying their positions. They can help you pinpoint birds so you know where they’ll come in from, or so you know where to set your decoys.

• Keep your box calls silent

Moving through the spring woods, your box calls will make a racket, and that’s not a good thing. Don’t pay the big (sort of) bucks for those rubber box call silencers. Just get a hair tie and wrap it tightly over the box and lid - that should keep it quiet.

• Bring a towel, chalk, and sandpaper

If your box call gets wet, you’re up a proverbial creek. Bring a towel to dry it off and some extra box call chalk to bring it back to life. Carry some sandpaper for reviving your slate calls, too.

• Carry a mask and gloves

Turkeys have vision that’s so acute we can’t even relate to it. If you’re in the woods with “shiny” hands and a “shiny” face, you’re likely to get busted. You can use face paint, but a full-face mask or hunting balaclava, especially one with 3D cloth “leaves” is much better for keeping you concealed.

• Bring a pen or pencil

Some states require you to tag the turkey before transporting it. Make sure you have a pen or pencil for this purpose. If your vest has a slot for a slate call striker and you don’t use a slate call, use the striker slot for your writing utensil.

• Wear waterproof or water-resistant clothing even if the skies are clear

One final tip that has everything to do with quality women’s hunting apparel (our specialty). Even if your morning is forecasted to be bluebird-clear, always, always, always wear fully-waterproof or water-resistant clothing. In the spring, brush is usually already up to your waist, or higher, and the morning dews will soak you before you get to your hunting location. Therefore, wearing waterproof or water-resistant clothing isn’t just a point of good planning, it’s a must.                               

Good Luck and Be Safe

If you’re still looking for quality women’s hunting clothing, get your gear here before your season opens. Then, put some of these tips into practice, good luck, and be safe in the woods this spring.