1) Less is More
I'm a minimalist when it comes to calling turkeys. So much so that it drives most of my friends and clients crazy, until they see how well it works. Turkeys have good hearing. They rely on their hearing to help detect predators and find lonely hens off in the distance. Many hunters want to call a lot and way too often, especially when a tom is fired up and responding by gobbling.They think that if a turkey gobbles every time they yelp, they should keep yelping. Trust me, if there is a tom in the area, he hears you. If you call, and he gobbles, you got him. A few soft yelps every 20-30 minutes is all you need to let him know you are still there, and still interested.
2) Hold That Pose
My wife loves yoga. I've been with her a few times. One thing they tell you in a yoga class is that when you feel like you can't hold a pose any longer, hold it for ten more seconds. Turkey hunting is similar. I can't tell you how many turkeys I have shot that other hunters called in for me. By that I mean, they had been in an area calling, got impatient, and left. I come in, set up, and finish what they started. My clients are often dismayed when I tell them that we may sit in the same area until noon. If I know there are birds in the area, even henned up toms, I will sit for a long time. When I feel like leaving, I sit for a while longer, usually in 30 minute increments. When the birds are done feeding they begin to move around, and they are curious. If you been calling, and not too much, many of the birds will come to check you out. If you're patient, and another hunter doesn't do you in, you will often be rewarded. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but works more often than not.
3) Sometimes Silence is Okay
Every turkey hunter loves the call-and-response of a fired up gobbler. There's nothing like making a few yelps and getting a thundering gobble in return. Some hunters like it so much that they won't even enter the woods (not my preferred way to hunt) unless they hear a bird gobble. While I like it too, if I've done my scouting and I know there are birds in an area, I will sometimes sit there all day...gobble or no gobble. In areas with high hunting pressure, the turkeys seem to be adapting to a lifestyle of less gobbling. It seems like most gobblers shut up as soon as they hit the ground, except for a few random gobbles throughout the day. Knowing this I sit for hours, making only a few yelps every 20-30 minutes. I can't tell you how many times I have looked only to see a strutting tom that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. In fact, most of my birds have come that way.
4) Let 'Em Come
Another one of my cardinal rules is to stop calling when an approaching tom is within sight. Once a gobbler has decided to come, you don't need to keep reminding him where you are, he knows. They will often veer slightly, making you want to turn him back toward your direction, but don't do it! If a gobbler is able to pinpoint your exact location, he knows exactly when to hang up and let "the hen" close the distance. If he doesn't know exactly where you are, don't tell him.
5) They're Closer Than They Sound
There are many variables that can change the volume of a turkey's gobble. The direction he is facing, tree density, hills and hollows, and even wind can alter the volume, and thus your ability to judge how far away the gobbler is. One thing I've learned is that they are ALWAYS closer than they sound. I have found that if a gobbler sounds 50 yards away, he's more like 35 yards away. If you think you can close the distance by 10 yards, and almost be within shooting range, then you probably can't. The only time I try to close the distance on a gobbling bird is when it is moving away from me.
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