Turkey hunting - Give us your best legal tip or tactic to being successful!

[yelp]

I thought this would be interesting..because we all hunt a little different and we all have different levels of expertise and success.  What is your best "legal" tip or tactic to being successful in tagging a longbeard! 

My best advice is if you can't bring a tom in close enough in the AM, try him later.   I personally have killed a lot of toms around lunch time! 

[dawei]

As important as it is learning what call to use, and when to use it - it is MORE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHEN TO SHUT UP!!!!!

[alwinearcher]

If you want to kill the old toms with big spurs I have found the best way is to pattern them and catch them coming from or going to their roost, or in one of their strut zones.
Seems like most of the Toms I have called in and killed have been 2 year old birds.

[BLKBEARKLR]

If I get a bird that hangs up, I will start calling as I move, will go about 250 yards then call a bit and then get off the calls and watch and wait.

[JKEEN33]

As soon as you get board and decide that the bird you are working is not coming in...give it 30 more minutes.

Tried calling my dad a bird in for 3 years. He would get board and leave to walk around. 30 minutes later I kill the bird.

Finally got him to sit still last year and got him one.

[bowhunterforever]

If you want to kill the old toms with big spurs I have found the best way is to pattern them and catch them coming from or going to their roost, or in one of their strut zones.
Seems like most of the Toms I have called in and killed have been 2 year old birds.

X2 I have more sucess patterning the big boss toms then trying to call them in.

[Hangfire]

The most fun is getting out before daylight, hearing them on roost and attempting to call in, also not real productive. When it happens it is great.

I have gotten the most gobblers between 10:am and 2:pm. Keep calling to no oftener than every 15 minutes.

Scout, hunt where there are old birds, If you do not want little gobblers don't shoot them. Stay with it until you get a old bird in.

[Phantom Gobbler]

Any movement when the bird is getting close, is a killer to closing the deal.  If you have new or inexperienced hunters (i.e. young hunters) with you, look for a setup location that offers some concealment.  Don't make the mistake of not having some shooting lanes however.

Have the gun or bow up before the bird shows himself and be ready if at all possible for your opportunity.  Ground or half blinds help conceal small movements.  Building a ground blind near stategic locations is also helpful if you can do it a few days or weeks ahead of your hunt.    

And have fun.  Just enjoy getting out there ....... it is the best time of year to be in the woods.

Yelp, am i penalized for having more than one suggestion ..... now if I would just follow my own advise and not get the yips when they suddenly gobble right in your face!  And that takes us to shooting accurately under pressure!  

[Turkeyman]

Scout,scout,scout, set up where they want to be. Learn how to use several calls... Dont call  to much...

[TW GUIDES]

Scout,scout,scout, set up where they want to be. Learn how to use several calls... Dont call  to much...

Sounds like a good plan to me.

[yelp]

Scout,scout,scout, set up where they want to be. Learn how to use several calls... Dont call  to much...

What No Squeal?   

[carpsniperg2]

Don't wait until the last day "before season" to start trying to find the birds. Spread out and look for diffrent bunches of birds early. Beacause not matter how hard you try. You can't kill birds if they are not in the area. Also look for natural travel paths. Like between canyons. They like to use the easy path of travel most of the time. I have killed more then one bird. By setting up in areas I know the birds will want to cross at.

[tlbradford]

Go in the middle of the week when everyone else is working.

[sneakyjake]

I like to follow Al around.  He scouts a lot so there are always lots of birds around him.  So my advice is to find someone with more birds then they know what to do with and spy on them.  Let them hunt the area and warm up the birds, wait for them to leave and sneak in and wait for them to come looking for him.  Easy as pie.

[yelp]

I like to follow Al around.  He scouts a lot so there are always lots of birds around him.  So my advice is to find someone with more birds then they know what to do with and spy on them.  Let them hunt the area and warm up the birds, wait for them to leave and sneak in and wait for them to come looking for him.  Easy as pie.

This is one of the best tips so far!