Luke Combs Talks About New Turkey Tech Gear Venture

The two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year talks about his springtime passion and his work with Columbia Sportswear in developing new tech-rich turkey hunting gear.

February 21, 2025 By Adam Heggenstaller

Multi-platinum country music artist Luke Combs is a busy man, but the avid outdoorsman from Asheville, N.C., always makes time to hunt turkeys. Along with releasing a new album, “Fathers & Sons,” and headlining Concert for Carolina to aid Hurricane Helene relief last year, he also finished a collaborative project with Columbia Sportswear to develop a collection of turkey hunting apparel with premium features based on his experiences in the spring woods.

The just-released PHG X Luke Combs Turkey Hunting Collection is the latest addition to Columbia’s Performance Hunting Gear (PHG) line, and it includes six pieces in Combs’ favorite camo pattern, Mossy Oak Greenleaf, to hide hunters from a longbeard’s scrutinizing eyes. Items in the PHG X Luke Combs Collection feature Columbia’s proprietary Omni-Shade Broad Spectrum technology to help protect hunters from the sun, blocking UVA and UVB rays with a rating of UPF 50; Omni-Wick to pull moisture away from the skin, keeping hunters dry and cool during warm mornings; and Omni-Shield water and stain repellent to ward off light rain, spilled coffee and turkey blood.

The PHG X Luke Combs Turkey Hunting Collection. — Photo courtesy of Columbia Sportswear

Combs worked with Columbia for three years to ensure each piece in the collection offers comfort, convenience and performance hunters will appreciate. He field-tested the apparel in Alabama, Kentucky, Wisconsin and, of course, his home state of North Carolina. After experimenting with different fabrics and colors and honing details such as pocket orientation and zipper placement, Combs and the Columbia team rolled out this gear.

Each piece in the special-edition set has a custom Luke Combs PHG Collection logo.

Game & Fish magazine recently sat down with Combs to talk about turkey hunting and learn more about his collab with Columbia.

G&F: The audience is different, but are there any similarities between performing in front of a crowd of fans and calling to a gobbler?

LC: Definitely the intensity and adrenaline I get from each experience are incomparable to any other situations in my life. Right before I walk out onstage or when a gobbler is about to come into range are what keep me coming back again and again.

Luke Combs walks in field with a shotgun slung over his shoulder. — Photo courtesy of Columbia Sportswear

G&F: As a country music artist, did learning to use a mouth call come easy to you?

LC: It has honestly been a fun challenge and given me a great respect for those guys who make it look easy. Thankfully, guys like Dave Owens and Mark Drury, both world-champion callers, have given me some tips and lessons to improve to the point I can hold my own in the turkey woods.

G&F: Where’s your favorite place to hunt turkeys, and what makes that place special?

LC: My favorite place to hunt turkeys would definitely be on my family's farm in Tennessee. There is just nothing better than pursuing wildlife on a piece of dirt you own and knowing that all of the work you put in during the offseason has paid off.

The PHG X Luke Combs Turkey Hunting Vest. — Photo courtesy of Columbia Sportswear

G&F: You spent three years developing the PHG X Luke Combs Turkey Hunting Collection with Columbia. Give us an example of something about the line that you worked really hard on to get right.

LC: The vest was definitely the most “involved" piece of the collection. There are just so many minute details, all of equal importance, that you have to get right to make it a practical tool in the woods. Thankfully we were able to get prototypes into the hands of a lot of friends in the hunting industry, who helped us fine-tune the design into something we are really proud of.

G&F: What’s one feature of the vest that will make turkey hunters’ lives easier?

LC: I think the overall weight of the vest will make it easier on hunters who cover a lot of ground any given day in the field. I have hunted in bulky, heavy vests in the past. Especially when it’s hot and you are walking miles through the woods, every little bit of weight you can eliminate can keep you going later in the day and produce more chances to encounter a spring gobbler.

G&F: Why Mossy Oak Greenleaf?

LC: To me, Greenleaf is the epitome of a turkey hunting camo pattern. Ultimately, with turkeys, concealment is paramount, and no pattern does a better job where I primarily hunt than Greenleaf. Hunting with and getting to know the Mossy Oak and Haas family over the past few years really helped me to understand the traditions and thought process behind their brand and what they stand for. They truly value conservation and always put the resource first, which made this even more of a no-brainer.

The middle and lower portion of a turkey hunting vest. — Photo courtesy of Columbia Sportswear

G&F: What do you hope hunters will appreciate most about the PHG X Luke Combs Collection?

LC: I think durability combined with practicality is what we were shooting for with this collection. Columbia has been a leading brand in practical clothing for the most intense situations for a long time. So being able to partner with them and create a line of hunting apparel that is focused on comfort, breathability, concealment and reliability was really a dream come true. I think hunters who get a chance to try this collection will enjoy and appreciate the thought put into it, from both myself and many avid turkey hunting friends.

G&F: Name one thing that you’ll never hunt turkeys without.

LC: Anybody who has hunted with me knows I always bring snacks. Especially during long weeks of early mornings, having something to keep energy levels up is so important. Plus, I have to keep my rockstar figure to a certain standard. Honorable mention here would be some kind of biodegradable wipes, but I won't elaborate too much on that ….