By Barbara Baird
Nashville, TN--(Ammoland.com)- They timed it just right. The National Wild Turkey Federation’s Convention & Sport Show in mid-February fell on the calendar when hunters were packing away their small game gear and getting ready to dust off decoys and tune up calls for spring gobblers.
This year’s show at Opryland in Nashville did not disappoint turkey hunters Steve Hickoff, Brenda Valentine, Ralph Duren, Phillip Vanderpool and Alex Rutledge.
AmmoLand Shooting Sports News wanted to know if one product stood out this year, and of course, it had to be one from a company that does not give the folks, listed above, a paycheck.
Said Realtree turkey blogger and outdoor writer Steve Hickoff, “Kill a turkey? You have to haul it out of the woods. These handmade totes from deer antlers and various woods allow you to do it in style. Shep’s Custom Turkey Totes makes them.” $55 and up.
The First Lady of Hunting, Brenda Valentine, thought the HiViz TriViz turkey optic sight might be a nice addition to her shotgun for this season. $36
Author of “Calls of the Wild,” Ralph Duren, noticed the iScope, from his home state of Missouri. The iScope adapts your iPhone to a riflescope. Ralph said, “You can use it to make the shot, and record it on a video file.” Starts at $89.95.
Arkansas-based, Hunter’s Specialties pro-staffer Phillip Vanderpool said the Haint Gobble Call from Down-n-Dirty Outdoors created a “buzz.” $54.99
And up the road from Phil, Missouri-native Alex Rutledge, a pro and host of the Bloodline TV show, said he was impressed with Avian-X decoys. From $79.
So there you have it. Some products the pros noticed for turkey hunting 2012, and maybe you should, too.
About Barbara Baird
Barbara is a freelance outdoor and travel writer/photographer with regular columns in Turkey Country and Show Me Missouri magazines. She is also a contributing editor to Shot Business magazine and a news blogger at Realtree.com’s hunting blogs as well as a regular contributor for AmmoLand Shooting Sports News. Visit: www.Womensoutdoornews.com
