In need of a new coyote decoy, we decided to give this Quiver Rabbit a shot.  I wasn't sold on this product at first glance, but needed something fast.

The setup of this rabbit included installing the batteries as the idea was that it would use a weight and springs to gyrate.  The result looked more like a plastic rabbit trying to hump an apple. 

The decoy was shiny at certain angles, which isn't good when trying to coax in an animal like a coyote.  What was also disappointing was that the decoy made noise as it moved.

Finally, the decoy had 3 spikes in the bottom of it to anchor it to the ground.  This made the decoy practically impossible to carry and didn't allow for transportation in anything other than the box it came in.

I have a hard time finding anything I liked about this decoy.  The only thing I can say is that it closely resembled a rabbit and it moved (if the decoy was totally level).

After the weekend, we ended up returning this decoy.

OVERALL YOOPER RATING: 

Every successful turkey hunter knows that you can carry quite a bit into the woods.  To be successful and comfortable, you need a cushion, multiple calls, shells, camo gloves, camo netting, decoys, and much more.

Where can you store all this while carrying a shotgun?

After watching many turkey hunting shows, I noticed that all the pros were using vests such as this.  The two most appealing things to me were the foam seat cushion and the open sack in the back to carry decoys or your bagged turkey.

As the picture shows, there are numerous pockets.  From the top of the vest, there are mesh open pockets.  Below these pockets, there are large zipper pockets.  I store extra camo and my licenses on these pockets.

There are pockets for GPS devices, individual pockets for shotgun shells, multiple slate and box call pockets.

I settled on this vest after reviewing several at Cabelas.  This seemed like it offered the most features at a reasonable price.  The vest was immediately put to the test in Wisconsin and Michigan.

My major gripe with this vest was that while wearing it, I continually had problems re-hooking the cushion seat to the back of the vest.  It was pointed out to me that this problem could be solved by cutting the strap that hangs off the cushion.  I have no tried this yet, but it should solve the problem.

It is also important to understand that if you need to be stealth when approaching turkeys, take the vest off!  The vest can be bulky and is not fully camouflage with some green spots exposed.

YOOPER GEAR RATING:

Overall, this is a very useful vest that I will continue to carry with me on my future turkey hunting adventures.  It can be purchased at Cabelas.

Cabela's Dry-Plus® Super Slam® Elite™ Fleece Insulated Parka

It took me quite a bit to finally make this purchase.  The price had me hesitant, but I was not disappointed.

This parka is perfect in the 3 major categories:  warmth, quietness, and waterproofing effectiveness.

Trust me when I tell you that I’ve tried many different types of jackets and parkas and was never fully satisfied until I found this parka at Cabelas.

My specific parka is the Realtree AP HD with 60 grams of Thinsulate in the hood and sleeves, 100 grams of Thinsulate in the front, and 200 grams of Thinsulate in the back and sides.  It also has underarm zippers to let out heat, which I have found works great on those long walks.  It also has a removable hood, plenty of pockets, a draw-cord at the waist, and a storm flap by the zipper.  The Velcro on the sleeves locks in the warmth.

Inside the parka, the patented Scent-Lok technology keeps your scent in, making it hard for animals to pick you up.  This specific parka is not bulky and is very easy to move in.   The parka comes in a tall size, so it fits me perfectly.

One of my favorite little things with this parka is that it has rubber-gripped zippers, making it easy to zip up and unzip with gloves on.

My only wish would be that Cabelas would offer this same parka in snow-camo.  It would be great for winter predator hunting.  Either way, you can throw some white cover-up over this to be just as effective.  I am always surprised at the lack of snow-camo available, but that is a topic for another day!

With this parka, I found that you need to spend the money to get the best quality product.  If you make the decision to spend the extra money, you will not be disappointed.

OVERALL YOOPER RATING: 

This parka is only available at Cabelas.

Burt Coyote Lumenok Lighted Arrow Nocks

I must admit, I bought the Burt Coyote Lumenok Lighted Arrow Nocks because of the slew of ads I saw for them.

The idea behind this is that the Lumenok lights up immediately from your shot inertia and will stay lit for up to 40 hours or until it is turned off.  It replaces the existing nock for your arrows adding minimal weight. 

I was excited when they arrived and immediately tested them out.  When I first shot my arrow with my new nock, I was surprised at how bright it was.  These seemed like they would be great to see impact shots on deer or whatever else you may be hunting.

The nocks require no glue, as they slide them in your arrow shaft.  They come in green and orange colors and in packages of one or three.

When I shot my first deer with these nocks, the illumination was bright so I was able to see where the arrow entered the deer.  The problem was that after the arrow entered the deer, the nock did not stay illuminated.  I believe this happened because the nock probably pulled off the arrow a little bit.

This is something that could come in useful, but I did not have a good first experience.

OVERALL YOOPER RATING:

This product can be purchased at Cabelas.