Texas Spring Turkey Hunt Pack List

The pack, item by item

We don't link shotguns or shells. Pattern a 12ga IC or modified with one box of #4 or #5, and confirm lead or nontoxic rules for your unit with TPWD.

1. 1. 12ga shotgun, 26–28", IC or modified

   Spring birds often work into a decoy at known ranges. IC or modified covers the 20–40 yard window when a gobbler hangs up or steps into the open.

   Texas note: Match choke to your load; spring setups are tighter than fall flock flushes.

2. 2. #4 or #5 shot, 1 box plenty

   Spring sits produce fewer shots than fall flock hunts. One well-patterned box of #4 or #5 is enough for a careful hunt.

   Texas note: Inland upland turkey often allows lead; public/federal tracts may require nontoxic, verify before you load.

3. 3. Camo head-to-toe + face mask + gloves

   A gobbler that has circled your setup is looking for movement. Hands and face flash when you shift or raise the gun.

   Texas note: Match spring green-up vs late-season brown brush.

4. 4. Diaphragm mouth call primary + slate + box backups

   A diaphragm lets you call without lifting a hand when a bird is close. Slate and box are backups when the diaphragm fails or you need a different tone.

   Texas note: Practice the diaphragm before opening day; spring birds punish bad cadence.

5. 5. Jake AND hen decoys upwind

   Hen draws interest, jake challenges the gobbler to commit. Set both upwind so scent and approach favor you.

   Texas note: jake and hen. Fall pack remains hen only.

6. 6. Waterproof ankle boots

   Pre-dawn walks through wet pasture soak cheap boots. Waterproof ankle boots get you to the setup dry so you can sit the quiet hour without cold feet ending the morning.

   Texas note: Ankle height for pasture sits; leave mountain boots home.

7. 7. Rain shell, April storms

   April cold fronts dump rain on open strut zones. A packable shell keeps you on the sit through the storm instead of quitting when birds still gobble after the front.

   Texas note: Stuff it every morning in April; fronts move fast.

8. 8. Insulated layer, pre-dawn 40s

   Legal light starts cold even when May afternoons cook. A light insulated layer under camo keeps you still through the first hour when birds leave the roost.

   Texas note: Strip it when sun hits; May heat climbs fast.

9. 9. Merino / synthetic bases + spare

   Long sits mean sweat under camo, then chill when wind shifts. A spare base layer in the pack lets you rotate damp clothes without ending the hunt.

   Texas note: Pack the spare sealed; spring humidity holds moisture.

10. 10. 20–30L day pack

    Decoys, calls, layers, water, and a shell, sized for a sit. A 20–30L pack keeps hands free for the gun on the walk in.

    Texas note: Fit jake + hen decoys without a noisy rattle.

11. 11. Rangefinder, 30 yd low light

    Low-light strut shots lie. Range the kill zone before legal light.

    Texas note: Mark 30 yards with a stick or decoy stake at setup.

    • Lead pickVortex Impact 1000 rangefinder

      Low-light strut shots lie. Range the kill zone before legal light.

      Check price at OpticsPlanetAffiliate link

12. 12. Headlamp with red filter

    Red light keeps you from flashing white into the timber.

    Texas note: Spare battery; cold pre-dawn kills charge.

    • Top pickPetzl Actik Core headlamp (red mode)

      Red light keeps you from flashing white into the timber.

      Check price at OpticsPlanetAffiliate link

    • Alt pickBlack Diamond Spot 400 headlamp (red night vision)

      Red light keeps you from flashing white into the timber.

      Check price at OpticsPlanetAffiliate link

13. 13. First aid + tick / chigger meds (peak spring)

    Spring Texas brush is peak tick and chigger season. A small first aid kit plus treatment keeps a bad bite from ending a multi-day trip when birds are finally working.

    Texas note: Treat cuffs and boot tops; check at lunch and camp.

14. 14. Water + snacks, long sits

    The quiet hour turns into three hours if birds hang up. Water and snacks keep you still instead of fidgeting or leaving early.

    Texas note: 1–2L minimum; quiet wrappers only.

15. 15. Sunscreen + bug spray, May brutal

    May Texas heat and bugs punish exposed sits. Sunscreen on neck and hands, bug spray on cuffs, so you do not break the sit to slap mosquitoes when a gobbler is closing.

    Texas note: Separate from fall's sunscreen-with-snacks row; spring owns both.

Extras

• ExtraHavalon Piranta-Edge folding knife

  Fine work for fan, beard and spurs after a Texas spring gobbler.

  Check price at OpticsPlanetAffiliate link

• Extra glassVortex Diamondback HD 8x42 binoculars

  Not on the core spring list, but a good 8x42 finds strutters in open pasture before you commit to a setup.

  Check price at OpticsPlanetAffiliate link

• Extra glassVortex Diamondback HD 10x42 binoculars

  More reach for long Texas pasture edges and glassing roost trees from a distance.

  Check price at OpticsPlanetAffiliate link

• Sun add-onJulbo sunglasses

  May glare off open country is brutal on long sits. Good lenses keep your eyes fresh for the thirty seconds that count.

  Check price at OpticsPlanetAffiliate link

• Optional scoutGardePro X80 Pro cellular trail camera

  Optional scouting aside: a cell camera on a feed field or roost edge tells you where birds are before you burn a morning.

  Check price at GardeProAffiliate link

• Optional scoutGardePro A5 trail camera

  A lower-cost card camera for the same job on a lease you visit often.

  Check price at GardeProAffiliate link