Going in at 8:30/9:00 am.

[deerbasshunter3]

If you were not able to get in at daylight to locate birds on the roost, but could get in at about 8:30 or 9:00, where would you start and what would be your game plan? I would assume at that point, you are just trying to walk and call to strike up a bird?

[Paulmyr]

My 1st objective would be find a good listening place. Preferably elevated an listen.

[Bedge7767]

Either run and gun and try to strike one or find some fresh sign and sit and call.

[culpeper]

So much depends on your terrain, how large an area are we talking, 20 acres, 500 acres?, any ag fields around, steep ravines/hollows...I would seek high ground first for listening and casting out owl calls...patience

[btomlin]

If I was going in mid morning, I would sneak into a good area(hub were some ridges come together, ag field, etc) and sit and do some occasional calling while listening for a bird to get fired up to make a move on.  Turkeys seem to almost always be on the move...

[tlh2865]

The two answers above mine I like a lot. A huge amount of planning for this is gonna depend on available acreage to hunt. I primarily turkey hunt 30ish acres. My only option at this point is to slip into a known strut zone and hope a gobbler is already there, or hope that I can call one into it.

[Crghss]

If I have enough room, run n gun. If you don't have access to a lot of space the decision is made for you.

[TRG3]

I can recall at least two times when I entered a woods to look for mushrooms around mid-morning, heard a gobble, backed out, and came back the next day with my shotgun and harvested the gobbler. Having said that, to me the most important thing with a mid-morning hunt is to spend more time listening that moving so that you don't unknowingly bump a gobbler. Move slow...listen a lot. You may need to return early the next day and set up near the location that you heard the gobbler and just wait for his appearance. I probably would not call until he appeared unless to draw him into shotgun range.

[1ST DRAW]

Start with a locator call (crow or whatever your flavor). He might be closer than you think.

[Meleagris gallopavo]

If I was going in mid morning, I would sneak into a good area(hub were some ridges come together, ag field, etc) and sit and do some occasional calling while listening for a bird to get fired up to make a move on.  Turkeys seem to almost always be on the move...

This is what I would do.  If they're henned up they may not gobble.  If it's on smaller acreage I'd be more inclined to sit and wait.  I'd try to slip to the middle of the property so that you're calling is more likely to be heard across the entire property.  Like others have said, it depends on the size and layout of the property.  Getting them to answer you is a crap shoot.  Where I hunt you mostly hear gobbling on the roost and I have seldom heard them gobble anywhere around here during the day.  If one gobbles here after 8:00 AM that's golden.

[Paulmyr]

Most gobbles I hear mid mourning and later aren't the rip roaring gobbles you hear on the roost or shortly there after. If your moving about when a tom gobbles like this most likely you won't hear him. A lot of times it's just one maybe 2 gobbles spread out over a period of time. Gets even tougher to hear them when the woods green up. If your intently listening you can hear these gobbles.

[Twowithone]

Run and gun and hopefully the turks are nearby. Hard to say how much ground turkeys can travel in like close to 3 hrs. Its pretty well light out at 6 AM here in Pa.

[Marc]

Depends on the area, how well I know the are and how much I know of what the birds are doing.

Some areas I will run & gun (which is my favorite way to hunt).  I might stop in prime spots for 20 minute periods calling occassinally.

After 10 am, if I am able to strike up a bird, I figure I have a darn good chance at him...  I'd rather hear one bird fire up at 11 am, than 20 on the roost all henned up.

[3bailey3]

Well i did it today it has been really cool down in the south so i thought i would sleep in and go after it warmed up, i went to one spot and nothing then another around mid day, lots of sign, 8 dusting spots in a 20 yard area, call like every 10 or so minutes, nothing, at 2:00 i had enough and pulled my hat off and facemask and glanced behind me, gobbler was looking at me at 35 steps! Make some kinda of sound to let me know you are there..

[Twowithone]

That has happened to me also the older you get trying to pick up the spittin and drummin its hard on old ears.