Add your one tip not calling related to kill more birds this year…

[aclawrence]

Don't go this year where youtubers went last year.

Lol unfortunately this is probably pretty good advice!


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[FullChoke]

Learn how and be willing to belly crawl when needed. Even crouching provides a silhouette of you while moving that turkeys can pick up quickly from a distance. When you crawl into a position, you use the ground cover to effectively hide your movements.

[Bolandstrutters]

Get in the woods early!  If your not situated well before daylight you are putting yourself at a disadvantage.  I've had too many mornings to count where an eager gobbler lets one rip 45 minutes before sunrise and gives me plenty of time to move in on him. 

[C120]

Call from where he wants to go.

[Jmillwood21]

Your setups matter! Make sure you can shoot at all angles if needed!


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[CntrlPAlongbeard]

I'm really fortunate to have an odd schedule with a lot of weekdays off to hunt. There's always way less people around during the week on public ground.

When I get a bird located in the ground I make an aggressive setup so that I can be aggressively patient.
So many times I think we either hang way too far back and call, or just  set up and walk Away after 15 minutes of silence.

If the bird is gobbling hard every call I'll call back at him; otherwise I'm doing soft calls and scraping the leaves and waiting. Most times if you sit long enough silent and then give a series of cuts he will gobble wherever he walked off to so you can set up again.

[GobbleNut]

Lots of good advice found in this thread. 

Here's another one that hasn't been brought up yet (I think):  (This advice applies more in situations where the hunter is moving and calling rather than sitting in one spot). Don't hunt with the mindset of always sitting when you set up.  There are times when you are better off either standing, or even laying prone.  Always evaluate the immediate conditions you face if you think a gobbler will come to the location you are calling from. 

For instance, in open woods with little ground cover, laying prone will greatly decrease the chances of being detected by an approaching gobbler. 

On the other hand, in "hilly" or rolling terrain, and/or terrain with a lot of waist-high ground cover, sometimes it is best to remain standing and just tuck yourself in behind a tree or bush that has adequate growth on it to break up your outline.  Your line of vision will not only be cleared of the ground cover, but your shooting distance for a gobbler that may be approaching through "undulating" terrain will likely be increased, as well.

Before just plopping down on your rear end on any given set-up, take a moment to ask yourself,..."would I be better off laying prone or standing in these conditions rather than sitting?"     

[troutfisher13111]

When you're areas aren't producing, try somewhere different even if it's well hunted state land. So many guys hunt the same spots over and over again and when they're not hearing gobbles blame everything but themselves. Things change and good spots stop being good for no apparent reason. That doesn't necessarily mean the number are low and the predators got them all. You can drive 20 minutes away and find turkeys.


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[troutfisher13111]

Always have a spare


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I remember seeing these advertised when I was just a kid flipping through my dads hunting magazines. I'd love to find one to keep as a conversation piece!


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[Turkeyman]

Hunt where the birds have never encountered an artificial  turkey call nor another human LOL. They'll run in to you!!! Being a bit facetious perhaps. The more you deviate from this, the more "challenging" it becomes.

[Tony Hawkins]

I agree with the above post about hunting where turkeys haven't heard a call or been pressured. Opening day my son and I are going to run the boat 10-15 minutes up the river where we know birds are roosting. Find one gobbling, quietly go to shore, and set up. Try to avoid other people.

[Treerooster]

If you shoot high dollar shells (and $3 per shell is high dollar to me), when you have your gun all set up and shooting right on, shoot some cheap dove or target loads at about 15 yards. This will tell you where your gun hits with those cheap shells when it is right on with the turkey loads. They don't always hit in the same spot as your magnum turkey shell.

Then if you ever suspect your sight is off, for whatever reason, you can check POA/POI with the cheaper shell and not have to use up your good turkey shells. You can even get the gun back close to right on with the cheap shells if you do need to re-sight in. Maybe just shoot 1 turkey load to confirm any adjustment.

Same goes for guys that just shoot beads and no sight. You can practice from various positions (like extreme right or left, or off-handed) with cheap shells if you know where they should be hitting in relation to your turkey load. Costs less and is less punishing on the shoulder too.

[bigriverbum]

I agree with the above post about hunting where turkeys haven't heard a call or been pressured. Opening day my son and I are going to run the boat 10-15 minutes up the river where we know birds are roosting. Find one gobbling, quietly go to shore, and set up. Try to avoid other people.

as a kid, and even today, i'd be super pumped for that hunt

good luck!!!