When it comes to hunting excitement, few things rival a thunderous gobble by a tom turkey that has snuck up right behind you without your knowledge. To say your heart leaps into your throat is an understatement.

Spring turkey hunting is unique in many ways, and one notable one is that it is open during the off season for most other wild game hunting. Consequently, selling turkey gear can lead to increased hunting sales during an otherwise typically slow time for hunting retailers.

For some hunters, the spring turkey season is their passion — something they wait for all year long. For others, it’s simply an extra opportunity to get into the woods between the end of one deer season and the beginning of the next.

Regardless of the reason, turkey hunters need lots of different gear, and they need a way to carry that gear. To be successful and comfortable, turkey hunters need a turkey vest. Trying to hunt gobblers without a vest is inconvenient and can be frustrating, making the purchase of a vest a no-brainer for anyone who has ever chased turkeys without one.

A good turkey hunting vest has several attributes. Of course, it needs to be camouflaged, as turkeys have excellent eyesight. It also needs to be comfortable, even when loaded with gear. It must have lots of storage pockets of different shapes and sizes, and they must be easily closeable with a snap or zipper. It should have a reinforced back so hunters can lean against a tree to call birds without the bark sticking them uncomfortably in the back. And, lastly, it’s handy if it has a comfortable seat incorporated into the vest so when a hunter hears a gobbler, he can take a seat on rough ground and even rocks and be comfortable doing so.

Many companies make turkey vests in a wide range of prices with a variety of features. Let’s take a look at three options from major vest makers that you might consider carrying for your turkey-hunting customers.

ALPS OutdoorZ

ALPS OutdoorZ has been in the business of designing affordable, performance-driven hunting gear since 2007, and you can certainly tell the company’s level of turkey-hunting knowledge when looking at the new NWTF OutdoorZ Impact Vest. The vest is loaded with important features to make turkey hunters more comfortable and successful in their endeavors, including some features most other vests don’t offer.

One of the most impressive is its stadium-type seating, for lack of a better phrase. Here’s why that’s important. A typical turkey-hunting scenario sees a hunter walking through the woods in a likely area, occasionally stopping to call to see if he or she can get a gobbler to respond. If a turkey gobbles, the hunter immediately finds a tree to lean back against and try to call the turkey into shotgun range. But if there’s not a suitable tree handy, it creates a problem. Sure, a hunter can just sit on the ground with nothing to lean up against, but the recoil of a heavy turkey load could tip him or her completely over if a shot presents itself.

The Impact vest stadium-type seat gives hunters a backrest anywhere, along with a soft cushion for sitting. Best of all, the seat conveniently folds away or completely detaches when not in use.

But comfort isn’t the only thing this vest offers. For one thing, at less than 4 pounds, it is quite lightweight. Its soft, brushed tricot fabric is available in Mossy Oak Obsession or Mossy Oak Bottomland.

Other cool features of the Impact vest include a variety of pockets for slates, strikers, box calls and mouth calls; five shell loops and a game bag. MSRP is $109; www.Alpsoutdoorz.com.

Primos

Primos has been making top-quality hunting calls and other equipment for nearly 30 years, and it specializes in turkey-hunting gear. The company touts its new Gobbler Gen 2 Turkey Vest as “the perfect vest for turkey hunters who want it all when it comes to comfortable concealment, smart storage and durable construction.”

The Gen 2 is the follow-up to the company’s extremely popular Gobbler turkey vest. And one thing’s for sure about this vest — you won’t have to pick just a few calls you want and leave the rest at home! This vest has a multitude of pockets, mostly specialized ones, including two molded pot call pockets that can hold two calls each.

Other pockets include two mouth call purse pockets on the chest that are easily accessible but secure. The vest also features a padded box call pocket designed to keep the call quiet when walking and a pocket for decoy stakes, which seem to always be a nuisance unless you have a specific place to store them in your vest. The pockets are also zippered, so hunters don’t lose any items when sitting down and getting up.

The padding on the back has been updated from the earlier version, making it more comfortable when leaning against a tree to call a gobbler. The padded seat offers plenty of padding for comfort on rough ground, and the vest even includes accessory straps for attaching your Thermacell when chasing turkeys in mosquito-rich environments.

The Gobbler Gen 2 Vest is available in Mossy Oak Greenleaf or Realtree Xtra Green camouflages. With an MSRP of $89.99; www.Primos.com.

Tenzing

Tenzing’s motto is “Go Further. Hunt Longer.” It’s obvious that motto was on the minds of the designers when they designed the company’s latest model. Tenzing’s TV18 Turkey Hunting Vest is a little more expensive than the first two vests discussed, but it has some outstanding features that just might make it worth the extra money to your customers.

At only 3 pounds, the Tenzing fits more like a pack, largely due to the fact that the company specializes in making packs. Its fully adjustable, pack-style shoulder straps ensure a comfortable fit for any hunter, taking the pain out of lugging gear. The vest’s design helps it keep its form, while gear stays organized, silent and readily accessible in a network of specialized pockets, including dedicated pockets and compartments for box calls, pots, strikers, diaphragm calls, shells and more.

The fold-down dual-layer foam seat on the Tenzing is very thick and comfortable, making it handy for long sits in rocky areas or those strewn with limbs and other debris. The seat cushion deploys and stows quickly and reliably using integral straps and HDPE quick-release hardware. The TV18 even has a pair of perfectly positioned handwarmer pockets to keep hunters’ hands warm on chilly spring mornings! And last but not least, the extra-large turkey compartment with easy-access opening allows hunters to carefully insert their bird and carry it without damage to feathers.

All these features do come at a slight cost: At 5 pounds, the TV18 is a little heavier than some vests. Note also that this vest, available in Realtree Edge or Mossy Oak Obsession, tends to run somewhat large, so customers should try one on before making a purchase. Its $129.99 MSRP seems reasonable for the array of features this vest offers; www.tenzingoutdoors.com.

About the Author

Mark Chesnut is a freelance writer and editor who has been a professional journalist for more than 35 years. An avid hunter and bird dog lover, he is also owner and editorial director at Red Setter Communications.