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Strut & Slate
A dirt road running through misty spring woods at first light

For your first spring season

The turkey hunting gear a first-timer actually needs

Our top picks for every step, from the first call you learn to the choke you pattern, each with plain how-to help and a note on who should skip it.

Start with the calls Plan your first season
  • 145 picks, each with a plain “skip this if”
  • 31 how-to and reference guides for year one
  • Prices shown only when Amazon can confirm them; otherwise the button says “Check price”

The first-season path

Five steps from license to longbeard

  1. 1

    Start

    The short gear list, and what to skip in year one.

    Read it
  2. 2

    Call

    Learn one call first. Usually a box call.

    Read it
  3. 3

    Set up

    Pick the tree, stake one hen, sit still.

    Read it
  4. 4

    Shoot

    Match the choke to your load, then pattern it.

    Read it
  5. 5

    Carry

    A vest with a seat holds most of the rest.

    Read it

Category winners

The top pick in every ranking

First SeasonAll first season

Turkey CallsAll calls

Decoys & BlindsAll decoys & blinds

Guns, Chokes & LoadsAll guns & loads

Vests & GearAll vests & gear

Gifts for Turkey HuntersAll gifts

Six sections

Everything a first season asks of you

  • Start here

    First Season

    The gear list, a one-pick-per-category starter kit, how to find turkeys, how to set up, where to aim, and the mistakes that cost first-season hunters their bird.

    11 pages

  • Box, pot, mouth and locator calls

    Turkey Calls

    The best turkey calls for beginners, box, slate, mouth, push-button and locator picks, plus how to run each call and how often to call.

    16 pages

  • Decoys, setups and ground blinds

    Decoys & Blinds

    The best turkey decoys, jake and hen combos, strutters, motion decoys and ground blinds, plus decoy setups by season and whether you need a blind.

    13 pages

  • Chokes and loads by gauge

    Guns, Chokes & Loads

    The best turkey chokes for 12 and 20 gauge and TSS, red dots, TSS vs lead, 20 vs 12 gauge, what size shot, and how to pattern a turkey gun.

    24 pages

  • Vests, seats, boots and camo

    Vests & Gear

    The best turkey vests, vests with seats, turkey chairs, boots, camo, face masks and gloves, binoculars, and what to wear turkey hunting.

    15 pages

  • For the hunter in your life

    Gifts for Turkey Hunters

    The best gifts for turkey hunters, gifts for someone new to turkey hunting, and unique gifts, with notes on what to check before you buy.

    3 pages

Why trust these picks

What we check, and what we refuse to claim

  • Beginner-first, with a skip line

    Every pick says who it suits and who should skip it. We tell you what you don't need in year one, too.

  • A published scoring rubric

    Calls, decoys, chokes and vests are scored on fixed bands anyone can check. See how we pick.

  • Chokes and loads, with sources

    Constrictions, load ratings and shot sizes come from the makers' own charts, and every page tells you to pattern your own gun.

  • No fake field tests, no stale prices

    We don't claim to have run calls we never touched. Amazon sets prices, so the buttons say “Check price on Amazon.”

Read these first

The first-season shortlist

  • Turkey Calls

    Best Turkey Calls for Beginners

    Eight beginner turkey calls across box, push-button, pot and mouth types, scored on published specs. The ESH All Weather Box Call wins: a box call ESH says keeps you calling in rain or shine.

  • First Season

    Turkey Hunting Gear List

    The full first-season checklist in three tiers: what you need, what helps, and what to skip in year one. Picks: an all-weather box call, a 22-pocket vest with a seat, a mesh 3/4 mask and a choke rated for lead and TSS.

  • Decoys & Blinds

    How to Set Up Turkey Decoys

    Stake one hen about 20 yards out where a gobbler can see her, sit against a tree wider than your shoulders, and carry decoys hidden. The full placement guide, with the distances NWTF writers publish.

  • Guns, Chokes & Loads

    What Size Shot for Turkey

    The load page for a first season: shot sizes by gauge and load type in one cited table, why TSS uses smaller shot than lead, and three chokes matched to the load you will actually buy.

Latest

New and updated

  1. Turkey Calls

    Box Call vs Slate Call: Which Friction Call Belongs in Your First Vest?

    Updated September 2026

  2. Turkey Calls

    Mouth Call vs Slate Call: Which One Should You Learn First?

    Updated September 2026

  3. Decoys & Blinds

    Best turkey decoys for bowhunting, and where the NWTF says to put them

    Updated September 2026

  4. Decoys & Blinds

    Best ground blinds for bowhunting turkeys, ranked on the room to draw

    Updated September 2026

  5. Guns, Chokes & Loads

    The best turkey shotgun scopes, and the mounting question to answer first

    Updated September 2026

  6. Guns, Chokes & Loads

    Best turkey shotguns for beginners: six current models, and what each one gives you

    Updated September 2026

  7. Guns, Chokes & Loads

    Best semi-automatic turkey shotguns, compared on what the makers publish

    Updated September 2026

  8. Guns, Chokes & Loads

    Best youth turkey shotguns: length of pull first, gauge second

    Updated September 2026

Every page on the site

How this site is funded

Reader-supported, and plain about it

Strut & Slate earns affiliate commissions when you buy through some links. As an Amazon Associate, Strut & Slate earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick, and no brand pays for placement. The site is published by Iron Mako Media, and every page is written by Mike M.. Standing copy last reviewed September 2026; 82 rankings, comparisons and guides.

Affiliate disclosure Editorial policy