Early season tactics?

[northms]

Hey fellas, good to be back to the board.  Haven't been back in quite a few months since deer season has ended I'm back on turkeys now.  Got a question for the board.

I'll be taking my cousin out hunting for the youth weekend here in north MS on Mar. 5th and wanted to ask what some of your favorite early season tactics are?  With it being a week earlier than the normal turkey season the odds are very low that they will be gobbling, imo, where we are going to hunt which is his Dad's land.  I can't hunt that week due to being way too old for the youth weekend lol, but hope to put him on some birds.

When they're not gobbling really early in the year what do yall like to resort to?  The terrain is hardwoods mixed in with a few small fields and trails cut out for 4 wheelers and small green fields.  One very large field at the back of the property that is cut and about 500 yds long and 100 wide.  I know what I'm thinking about doing but wanted to get some advice before discussing.

Thanks for the help.

[shootumindaface]

I dont know squat about MS but I bet they are gobbling

[Shotgun]

Yep, they should be gobbling

[Spurs]

Don't get wrapped up in just one gobbler.  Having multiple plans is deadly....the multiple gobblers is the problem I always run into.

[Basser69]

They will be gobbling. They been sounding off for 3 weeks in south 'Bama. As long as it is over about 35 or 40 degrees

[Crutch]

Worst cast scenerio, in a case where you really need to put a bird down because it's a youth, do some pre scouting and get near a strut zone not far from a roost.

I think the pressure of taking a kid to kill a turkey would more than I could handle. Like my buddy on his first big gobbler called in, his hands were shaking so bad on his box call that it purred on it's own and was beautiful.

[jv]

Have hunted Ms for about 40 years and most of the time they will not be gobbling at that time but it will depend on the temp.,   ...i seldom hunt fields that early so i would find a good hardwood bottom......im in nawth Ms also what area you in? Marks here but hunt around Greenwood.

[jbrown]

If you pre scout and don't hear gobbles, I would try to find some tracks and strut sign in a field. I'd set up in that field with decoys and be patient.

[chcltlabz]

Never hunted in MS, but everywhere I've been early season seems to be a good bit of gobbling on the roost then they shut up.  Seems like the gobblers have hens but the hens aren't necessarily leaving the gobbler to lay eggs.

Here are two things that have worked for me early season.

1.  Like already suggested, find a roosted bird and get close to him in the dark, either on his strut zone or between his roost and the strut zone.  Scouting should tell you where the strut zone is.  I'd guess either one of the fields or some open woods with lots of visibility.

2.  I've had good luck with a strutter decoy during this time.  Had an early season bird a few years back that was gobbling on the roost then shutting down once he hit the ground.  I was set up in a likely field strut zone, but the bird ended up roosted quite a ways away from me.  Didn't want to try and get much closer because he wasn't gobbling real well and the open field would likely get me busted.  I set up a full strut decoy with a jake tail and a single hen.  The bird shut up when he flew down, but ended up on a high spot in the field about 300 yards away.  Without calling at all, the bird craned his head up, obviously seeing the decoys and triple gobbled.  He broke into a 3/4 strut and ran 300 yards straight to the decoy.

[northms]

Thanks for the replies guys.  Like some echoed, usually that early in March the birds aren't gobbling much at all here in North MS, Holly Springs area to be exact, so if I could get on one gobbling that would be great.  With the large field in the back of the property, I will like start at the front of the property listening and if nothing sounds off work our way back to that field slowly in order not to bump them. 

I have a feeling this is where their strut zone could be because it offers the best visibility for a ways.  The only hesitation I have there is that the field is so big that it might be hard to draw one across that far and then hang up. We'll see, I have a B-mobile and I might take that along.  Either way we'll have some sort of decoys for that hunt.

I know it's early but I'm getting that antsy feeling about getting out there soon.  Now if we could just get rid of all this terrible weather we'd be in business.   

[jv]

Holly Springs......i lived at Potts Camp for about 7 Years, never hunted there but they have a ton of birds....them delta birds keep me to busy.

[RutnNStrutn]

Unless the kid is really good, I'd be worried about him squirming. I'd try to roost some birds near one of the fields. Then set up on the field edge with some blind material and put out a strutting deke and a few hens. Being early season, that will likely attract some attention from both hens and gobblers, and it will keep the birds focused on the dekes, and not the kid.