I have noticed quite a few posts by newbs asking for advice, and thought I would share some general advice. I have introduced quite a few people to turkey hunting, and get a few their "first" birds every year. This is the rundown I give a rookie, who is seeking my advice.
I have a rather unique way of relating advice to new hunters.
The most important advice I can give you is something that most "turkey hunters" don't grasp.
turkey nature 101......Its against a turkeys nature to come to a hen. They gobble so the hen will come to them. Thats the only thing that makes turkey hunting hard imo. To kill a bird, you need to be in the right place at the right time, find a love sick bird that goes against its nature, or be very subtle, and let their curiosity kill them.
A gobbler is a lot like a woman. It is a woman's nature to let a man come to them. So how do you get them to come to you? There are several ways it happens. The most common would be playing hard to get. You meet them, show a bit of interest, then back off. Doing this with a gobbler is often successful. Call to him, and when you know he is interested, back off, be sparing and subtle. It can often be too much for him to handle and he will come over to find out what he's missing.
Another strategy would be to perfect your calling ability. As with women, the better looking the guy, and the better his flirting, the better his chances. Knowing when to make a joke, when to be serious, etc. is key. The same with a gobbler, knowing when to call, what to say, and saying it well, is ever important. The better you do this, the better your chances. This is something that you can only learn through trial and error and observation.
Knowing when and where the birds will be is key. Do you have a better chance of meeting a sexy lady at the retirement home or a college bar? Know where they frequent, where they go to at certain times, and your time in the woods will be much more productive.
Sometimes its just easy. You go to the bar, happen upon a likely candidate, and they eat it up. You can say everything wrong and they are still coming to you. Cherish these hunts, because they don't happen often. And as with women, the better you play your cards the better your chances, regardless of the situation.
Learn to read the birds. Much the same as a woman's body language or environment, you can scan the situation and with practice, pick the more likely target most of the time. Gobblers are the same, how they respond to calls, their location and the obstacles between the bird and hunter, who they are with, etc. all come into play when judging which bird to go after. You will never perfect this, but with practice you guess right more often than not.
The most tricky situation is when they are surrounded by hens. There is no steadfast rule to bagging a woman who is already with a group of guys. Sometimes you can do it, most of the time it doesn't work out. You can be cocky, boisterous, charming, etc. sometimes it works. Often moving in on a gobbler with hens, trying to make the hens angry is more productive than actually worrying about the gobbler.
And the final rule, don't get to caught up on any one woman. She may be the hottest thing in the bar, but by the time you bag her you have wasted months and countless other opportunities. Rarely are they worth it, and if you're goal is to bring in the most birds you can, then its sometimes better to forsake beauty for sluttiness. Give it a couple of trys, but don't waste your season chasing something you can't have. Often its only a matter of not being able to have it that appeals to you, and you lose sight of the fact that there are easier opportunities, and they are typically very close to as nice of a trophy. sometimes they are even better.
Words of wisdom from a retired tail chaser and current turkey fanatic.
