How much have your spent on turkey hunting gear, lifetime?

[Muzzy61]

life time... Less than $300 (My wife may be watching) 

[Yoder409]

life time... Less than $300 (My wife may be watching) 

Smart man.   

$299.99 sounds even BETTER to the wimmin-folk.   

[TrackeySauresRex]

Some live a lavish lifestyle with boats, race cars and summer homes. I got turkey stuff. 

The exact dollar amount is unknown, but I would guess it is the perfect amount as I have fun and spend a lot of time throughout the year. This works for me, I bring the wife hunting with me, so all my spending is forgiven.    Z

Not a bad idea. If only my wife could handle this, I'd be able to spend more.

[Greg Massey]

My wife has never complained about what I have bought over the years for gear to turkey hunt. Just like I never complain about her taking expensive trips traveling with her girl friends and family. SO I guess you could say we have a mutual understanding. 

A few years ago, she took an expensive cruise to Alaska and I went out and bought a new 4 wheeler, so you have to learn how to take advantage of these situations.. 

[Tail Feathers]

My wife has never complained about the travel or the money spent.  She knows what it means to me, she's very supportive.
But then, most of the year I'm almost as perfect as Happy, so she forgives me this one vice.

[crow]

 

[Neill_Prater]

If I make it to next Spring's season, it will be my 50th. I think I have owned 5 turkey vests, still have 3 of them, one was clearance for $15 at Walmart twenty years ago, another for $20 at Bass Pro outlet store. I don't really use them anymore, have downsized to chest and hip packs, 3 total, less than $100 invested. The bulk of my camo through the years was clearance at one place or the other. I have a pair of pants that are probably over 20 years old that I wore on cool mornings this past season.

The most expensive call I ever bought was less than $100. My guess is the retail value of every call I own, new and not so new, is less than $500. I have 2 dedicated turkey guns, neither high end, one is 35 years old. Total investment including sights , well under $2,000.

Of course, like most, through the years, I've bought my share of "accessories", like blinds, seats, etc., some of which worked out, some of which didn't, but even adding all those things into the total, I am guessing my total expenditure for gear would be less than $10,000.

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[Neill_Prater]

Another point. For most people, their gun is their single most expensive piece of gear you can tote around. It's also the most likely to be used long term. My old 1187, which has gone through various iterations with a replacement barrel, stock, and improved sights and chokes over the years represents perhaps close to $1,000 total investment, but divided by the 35 years I've owned it, it has cost very little annually.

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[GobbleNut]

If I make it to next Spring's season, it will be my 50th. I think I have owned 5 turkey vests, still have 3 of them, one was clearance for $15 at Walmart twenty years ago, another for $20 at Bass Pro outlet store. I don't really use them anymore, have downsized to chest and hip packs, 3 total, less than $100 invested. The bulk of my camo through the years was clearance at one place or the other. I have a pair of pants that are probably over 20 years old that I wore on cool mornings this past season.

The most expensive call I ever bought was less than $100. My guess is the retail value of every call I own, new and not so new, is less than $500. I have 2 dedicated turkey guns, neither high end, one is 35 years old. Total investment including sights , well under $2,000.

Of course, like most, through the years, I've bought my share of "accessories", like blinds, seats, etc., some of which worked out, some of which didn't, but even adding all those things into the total, I am guessing my total expenditure for gear would be less than $10,000.

Your history is similar to my own, Neill. I've accumulated a lot of stuff over the years but most of it on the inexpensive end of the scale. Altogether though, put enough mileage in timewise and it adds up.

Your Walmart vest comment gave me a chuckle. Like yourself, I picked up quite a few of those $15 vests from the clearance rack there back when they stocked them years ago. ...Still have a couple of them, brand new with tags and all, hanging in a closet (never worn them...and likely never will). In addition, our turkey club gave away quite a few of them as door prizes at our annual banquets and seminars.

I guess Walmart finally figured out that turkey vests were not a hot item...at least around these parts...because I haven't seen one in the stores here for quite a few years now.  Seems like they figured out that having to end up selling them at clearance prices every year...and with "vultures" like me circling until they did...was not a wise business decision. 

[Yoder409]

I wish I had, even, a rough guess.  But, I do not.

I'm still a young man.  Not like some of our resident OG geriatrics.    But, Ive been buying turkey stuff for 47-ish years.

Over that time, I've bought quite a few dedicated turkey guns.  Won one at a raffle.  I have bought some rather expensive guns.  The one I use now cost me less than the choke tube & threads in the barrel and less than the red dot on top.  Maybe $6K total for all my dedicated guns combined.

For years I used calls I made.  Then I was pro-staff for a call company.  Never bought more than a few dollars in calls all those years.  Since then..... Well....  Let's just say I never had over $1K in calls with me in the woods, yet.

My jackets, I buy new-with-tags (but vintage) off eBay.  That is..... good, quality stuff, but out dated.  Boots, shirts, bibs are new.  All in, I may have spent $1K in 47 years.  Most of that being boots.

Binos, rangefinder, couple vests way back when, choke tubes to try, shells to test, shells to use.....  maybe another $2K, tops.

So, $10K or so, plus my forgetfulness factor....even at 50% would put me undee $15K for 47 years enjoying the best activity a man can undertake, bar NONE.

[soflo_carlos]

Depends who's asking but if you ask my wife she would say about $300. 

[GobbleNut]

If I were to exclude expenses such as the total cost of going to and from distant locales, or even closer ones, then I could bring the cost of turkey hunting down considerably. ...And if "wishes and buts were candy and nuts" we would all live happily ever after in our turkey hunting world. It don't work that way, fellers.

Tell momma that your turkey hunt only cost a couple of hundred because all you bought was a license and went to the woods with grandpappys hand-me-down gun...while all the associated costs of getting there and back...and all the sundry expenses therewith... was a couple of thousand and you might find yourself getting some quizzical expressions about your math skills.

Delve a bit deeper into that turkey-hunter brain, add up ALL the expenses related to our turkey hunting obsession, and see what number that roulette wheel lands on. Yes, it is cheap entertainment comparatively, especially for those of us that love doing it, but for most of us that do a lot of it and have done so for a long time, ain't no way it is going to fall into the "few thousand dollars" category.     

[YoungGobbler]

The biggest expense is definitely gas for me, since I scout fields for a whole months almost everyday before the season starts, and then I hunt those fields during the season... So that alone could be a good expense every season, but I do a lot of side jobs so it covers my cost of hunting