Where do I start?

[GobbleNut]

A suggestion I'd like to offer is to find an experienced local turkey hunter who would be willing to help show you the ropes.  You'll learn things from a mentor in a real life situation that all the videos in the world can't teach you. You'll also have someone to immediately answer questions as they come up...and tell you what NOT to do.

Although I agree totally with doing this, there are two elements in this equation that have changed over the years for me as one of the ones that fit into the "experienced local turkey hunter" category.  Unless I know the individual that wants to be shown the ropes really well, I am much less likely to offer assistance than I used to be. 

As one that hunts almost exclusively public land, years ago I notice an unusual phenomenon happening.  If I, also known as "the gullible one", took someone I didn't know well somewhere to show them how to turkey hunt, the next year there would curiously be several more turkey hunters hunting that particular spot.  Being a bit slow at the draw, it took me a while to put two and two together as to why that was happening.   

More recently, if someone wants me to "show them the ropes", I have a pretty stiff vetting process that usually results in pretty much every one of those folks being weeded out,...unless they have some exclusive private ground that they want the ropes to be shown on.   

[Marc]

A suggestion I'd like to offer is to find an experienced local turkey hunter who would be willing to help show you the ropes.

While I consider myself a fairly generous person...  I have to agree with GobbleNut on this one...

Family and close friends...  Those are the people that I take to my spots.  There is NO WAY I am taking a newbie I do not know well on to one of the few public spots I know that produces birds, knowing that he can go back and take his own friends and family...  Most of my private spots, I seriously limit the number of birds taken, and those spots are reserved for myself, my father (if he chooses), and more likely my kids...

Now...  If he can get access to a good privately owned spot, that is an excellent way to take out a more experienced hunter.  Or if he has a boat, and can access more obscure areas on a boat, and ask an experienced hunter (without a boat), the chance to hunt...

Or...  Some sort of trade...  (i.e. I can take you on a great deer or duck hunting spot, or take you fishing on my boat, etc...)  People on the duck hunting forums do this all the time...   They post up the offer to trade hunts or fishing trips...