By the time turkey season rolls around each spring, hunters typically have a few things locked in for opening day. Guns, ammo, boots, clothing and licenses usually aren’t given a second thought while driving to the woods. Similar to big-game, waterfowl and upland hunters, diehard turkey hunters get geeked well before the season and prepare accordingly. If they use decoys, they’ll have those ready to go. Ditto for their vest.

Boots get holes, perhaps forgotten from the last time they were worn. Hunters could be deciding whether to get rubber pull-on or lace-up snake boots. Clothing may be tighter than last spring. Probably shrank in the dryer, right? They might also be considering buying some of the BigCoolCamo. Hunters lose things. Gloves, face masks, calls. The latter sometimes is a late addition, once mouth calls are found to be worn out or “just don’t sound right.” A box call may have unexpectedly cracked or gotten smashed. Strikers get lost.

You’ll no doubt have shotguns and ammo in stock, possibly a variety of gauges including 12, 20 and maybe 28 and .410-bore. The former pair are solid options. The 12-gauge, of course, still rules the roost for turkey hunters. Old habits are hard to break. But the 20, and even the 28 and .410, have found more favor in the last 10 years, especially in the Southeast. Thanks for that shift goes to improved ammunition, choke tubes and hunters of all ages realizing a lighter-weight scattergun with better ammo is more comfortable to tote.

I’ve hunted turkeys with a 12-gauge for nearly 30 years. Those have ranged from my late-90s Remington 1187 (before things went south), the vilified and blocky Remington Ideal over/under (I love it, though), a Mossberg 935 and Stoeger M3500. Ammo is easy to find at big chains, indy stores and some rural gas stations. If a place has a jar of pickled eggs on the counter and a dog under a bench outside, chances are good it has 12-gauge turkey loads in spring. This year, however, I’ve been working on dialing in a 20-gauge youth-model shotgun (shorter, lighter but with some recoil) and a Yildiz Legacy HPS 28-gauge.

It’s been fun trying new things with the two shotguns. I bought the 20-gauge years ago for our kids to use and enjoyed it myself. Some of your customers likely are doing the same thing with new ammo and guns. You’ll have a selection of shotguns and ammunition, of course, and maybe some popular choke tubes. But having the other things turkey hunters use, will lose or forget, or maybe “just gotta try” could keep your turkey season sales going for weeks.

Targets

It’s great to have a selection of targets year ‘round and the turkey targets in spring are a hot seller. Yes, hunters can draw a big circle with a dot on a sheet of paper and pretend it’s a turkey head-neck kill zone. But it’s not the same as seeing a life-sized gobbler target on the board. Birchwood Casey’s Pregame 12x18-inch targets have multiple colored reactive zones on the target and instant splatter feedback. The full-color graphic images of a bearded turkey have a vivid outline of the neck vertebrae and brain. Whether your customers are 20-yard traditionalists or zero in at longer ranges, good targets show the details better. Of course, having regular bull’s eye targets that may be a few dollars less could appeal to the budget-conscious, too.

Bug Spray

Available in many places? Yes, but why push a customer to another store for something they need, and you can stock? Bug spray displays are eye-catching as end caps or with other turkey hunting gear. Create a display — call it The Roost — and put top picks in one location. Bug dope, of course, should be among them. Deep Woods Off! and Repel Sportsmen Max Formula are longtime favorites, as are products from Sawyer. The latter has a Permethrin fabric treatment for clothing, and a DEET-alternative Picaridin spray that works well. These repel mosquitoes, midges and some other biting insects, along with ticks that transmit Lyme and other diseases. Be sure to put a display at the checkout counter, too, for “Ahhh, glad these are here!” impulse buys.

Hunter’s Wipes

Hunter’s wipes. Baby wipes. Wet wipes. Cleaning wipes. Whatever you want to call these, having a package of these in a turkey vest or pocket is far better than toilet paper. Why? Number One, they’re great for Number Two. Works for babies, works the same way for adults.  Seriously, these packable wipes are great for a vest or the truck box. They’re lightweight, great for cleanups, great to remove camo paint and dusty sweat, or to clean up a bit after gutting a turkey in the field. Wildlife Research Center’s Scent Killer Gold Field Wipes are available in a 24-pack. These are great to have in the truck throughout the year, as well, for summer field work, shooting range cleanup and other hunting seasons.

Apparel

Clothing and boots take up space that might be better used for other products that sell better. You know your store’s customers, of course. But one suggestion I offer is to consider stocking the Sitka Equinox Guard hoodie, pants and gloves. The material for these thin, breathable and very comfortable togs has Insect Shield repellent infused into the fibers. They’re good for more than 70 washes and work to repel mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, ants, chiggers and midges. I’ve hunted turkeys with this in Florida and early autumn deer in Alabama, and watched mosquitoes try unsuccessfully to bite through the sleeves. Similar to targets and wipes, this is a great multi-season product that works.

Gloves and masks are good sellers, of course, because hunters lose those, forget them, and sometimes use them in a pinch when nature calls. Years ago, I cleaned out a turkey vest and had five or six pairs of gloves and at least two extra mesh masks. Hunters often will buy these in multiples, so be sure to have them on your pegs.

Ammunition

Sometimes hunters have a favorite ammunition that works with their shotgun and choke. It works well, feels right and like a no-hitter in baseball, you don’t mess with the ju-ju. Other hunters are more than willing to experiment with new ammo. Or they’re new and need to figure out what works. That’s why your selection and knowledge is so important.

Years ago I hunted with a damned fine woodsman who toted a heavy, old Browning A-5 Humpback. If he’d been attacked by a bear he could’ve beaten it to death with the gun. He shot Federal No. 5s, and didn’t use a choke tube. Knew his range. Didn’t mess with any other shells. He killed turkeys like a mafia hit man and because he loved to call (maybe too much), they usually were within 20 yards. He didn’t have to chase them. It was a powerful lesson in being one with your gun and components.

But, again, each year we have new hunters and others who must tinker. It’s in their blood, like bowhunters who want to try a new arrow or broadhead. Be ready for them. A couple of good ones to have in stock are the Boss Tom from Boss Shotshells, Federal Premium Turkey and Winchester Longbeard XR. All have great attributes, are engineered and constructed well, and will kill turkeys at close or long range. They also come with hefty price tags, from $25 to $100. That makes it a good idea to stock some lead ammo, like my buddy’s old No. 5s, that’s less expensive, puts turkeys to sleep and will appeal to hunters on a budget. 

Cushioned Pads

My first turkey hunt years ago in southwest Alabama was at a hunting lodge with two brothers who I believe knew every gobbler on the property. They were outstanding woodsmen. Because I knew nothing, I missed a chip-shot gobbler at 25 yards thanks to my poor choke and ammo choice. They gave me hell for that and I never forgot about it. I also learned that morning about finding a good tree, getting comfortable, and what a tree root can do to your booty if you sit on it too long. 

Cushions can be fantastic to have and are easy to carry. For long afternoon sits when you might be waiting on a lonely gobbler to come to your hen calls, a closed-cell foam pad is awesome. They weigh hardly anything, cushion your tush and keep you dry if the ground’s wet. Many turkey vests have an integrated seat, which is cool, but some hunters are minimalists and don’t use a vest. They probably wouldn’t tote a cushion or seat, either, but you never know.

Check with your sales reps about these hot sellers. ThermaSeat has a solid selection of lightweight foam cushions. I have several, including the Traditional seat and the thicker D-Wedge. The latter is good for long sits but more so for deer hunting. I prefer the Traditional for turkey season. It doesn’t absorb water and works like a champ. It’s also great for sports events on hard or cold bleachers.