Early Turkey season usually means the trees and brush haven't got their leaves on yet. Turkeys can spot you moving a long ways off. When you hear a bird or think you should get closer your better off to stay put and wait him out. It is really hard to judge the distance of a bird because of wind, cover, or which way his head is when he gobbles. If he's facing you he'll sound close but if he turns his head hell sound far away.

I've found that Turkeys who are hunted hard won't run in and usually come in quiet and slow. The biggest mistake for beginners is they move too much and too soon. If I know there are birds in the area I'll stay put for at least a hour even if I don't hear anything. Most of the bigger Goblers that I have killed s taken me a long time to get in.

I usually make a lot of yelps and excited cuts when I first set up. If there are birds in the area they'll hear you. I usually call every 20 minutes with soft yelps and clucks on my slate call after that. The bird I killed last year came in two hours after I set up and never called once.

Running and gunning scares more birds off than brings in. Good luck this season. If you do get a bird fired up quit calling and let him come in.

I had one coming in Thursday. He ran toward me and then hung up behind brush for 10 minutes just out of range. I don't think he saw me but he must not have liked my decoys. (they are old and a bit tattered) I then did the run and gun thing and it did not work so good... I think you are right!

In the 3 areas I bowhunt turkeys, I have about 5 natural blinds I use. I go in March and touch them up because I believe in sitting and calling. I'll move around and at times, get caught by a tom gobbling and it's just "find a spot and sit". Never had any success with the run and gun method. Spook way too many birds.

Soft perrs if your calling in hens then agressive in hopes the long beard follows.

I once seen a bird 200 yards out he saw my decks and was strutting I watched in blind with binos. I had a hunter with me I wasn't shooting.I stopped calling to him once I seen him struting he hung up. He didn't like something I thought. I said to the guy don't make a sound and don't even fart the bird went into the woods and we don't know what he will do now. 1 hour later the guy can't take the silence any more I was thinking and praying what to do it was getting near 12 noon time to quit for the day.

He says can I get a cup of coffie you want one. I told you no noise what don't you understand!

He says screw this bird ok screw you too then I got up early and set you up. Come on this isn't going to bother them. Ok he gets his thermos out and drinks and he slurps it was hot. Just then I herd foot steps and brush and then herd next putting going away from the back of the blind.

See didn't I tell you what was going to happen. He says so now what? No more tricks time to leave this bush. Theres only 20 minutes left I get back to vehicle and as I drive out the drive I look over to my left behind a house and theres the bird or anohter bird? I drive to next drive wheel around come back drive back to the driveway and jump out. You go in woods 50 and in to me and get behind a big tree in there and don't move.

I am by the truck by the road so I can see if he cross near me. I started calliong again and he lite up and I knew he was on his way between us i don't have a gun just the box call. Next thing I see him moving towrd the guy and I here the F word.

I knew all to well what that ment and no shot. He moed and the bird saw him.

I never took this guy anywhere again so make sure if your not alone you get the rules understood or your going to have lost birds.

2 days later one of the other guys in the clubd shot a bird here and I thought it was that bird. 10 inch double berd 1 1/2 spurs giant bird. He was destined to die just not the day I was on him.

If you know what runs birds follow they do travel the deer runs as well in their areas be near by and keep silent. Your better off in a blind with decks out in a field if you know where they will come later for the bugs.

Knowing when to move and re-locate, and when to stay put, and when to quit calling, and when to pour it on and call aggressively are all things that you learn with experience. Sometimes it's a gut feeling but most times a gobblers personality will let you know.

My oldest son traveled to kentucky again this year. He had a mature tom strutting and gobbling his head off on top of a sharp narrow ridgetop. he could see him 40 yds above him and he wasn't coming down. The tom just kept strutting back and forth. So my son just shut up and waited for the gobblers next move. The tom dropped over the other side out of site so my son quickly and quietly moved up the ridge and set up again. A few soft purrs and yelps later, and he put him on the ground and in the freezer. So yes sometimes it does payoff to move.

The next day My son did the calling and video for a friend. They had a mature Tom answer, and my sons buddy mentioned putting out the decoy, but my son said, there's no time he's coming and coming fast. No sooner had they set up and here he came. And turkey number two was down. Having another tag it was my sons turn again..they called yet another mature tom in but my sons friend was behind the camera, and didn't have a good view. The tom ended up spooking before he could get a shot off.

My goal this year is to not only again take a gobbler with a bow, without a blind, but to get it on film...The ultimate challenge.

good advice will,,, lots of time you get up to move,, and the bird you were calling is not there ,, but you scare another one coming silent,,, patients pays off in the turkey hunt,,,, you see how patient they move, they are not in a hurry most the time,,,,yes I will move,, but I try to wait it out most the time,,,i have killed some birds moving, ,but lots of luck when you do that,,I will call aggressive, but not for long,, unless a hen is competing with me,, and I will call like her if needed,,,sometimes she will bring the flock on in,, but thats what is so fun,,,, it is very different every time,,,the more you sit still,, the more you will kill,,,,

If you hunt big country, you'll likely die of stump rot if you don't "run and gun" them from time to time. It really is relevant to your hunting grounds. I've killed a bunch of birds in a bunch of places and states. I let the turkeys tell me what I need to employee to eat fried turkey breast. If it requires setting, I do it. If it requires 5-10 miles, I do it. I'm a hunter, not a robot. I do my thing.

I have never had a problem getting into areas that has a hot bird by putting one foot in front of the other until it goes beyond hurting. I'd rather be tired and toting a tom versus a day waiting on one. If I find a bird like that I usually won't even try to hunt him until mid-morning. That's to much like stand hunting deer to spend to much time at. And there are too many morel and ramp patches to be explored for that this time of year. God Bless

Very VERY! true Justin. big, BIG! difference in hunting areas, turkey density ect..

I hunt Northern PA Big woods quite a bit and sometimes, run and gun is the only way to fill your tag.

One thing to remember is in the natural scheme of things, a tom will sound out his presence and strut, and the hens often come to him.

Not every tom that gobbles is going to come regardless how long you wait. Sometimes a tom has his mind made up as to where he is heading and the only way your going to kill him is by moving and getting ahead of him.

Other times it pays to wait him out.

Out of all the gobblers i killed, one thing i can say for a fact is...learn to let the gobbler determine how you hunt him, and how much you call.

Forgot to say that I've been hunting small wood lots in a over hunted area, but when I used to hunt in WV I did travel a few miles.lol Mostly up and down. The point is it takes some time to call in a nice bird. We all know that the only thing you can count on while turkey hunting is they'll do the unexpected.

Yeap, this WV terrain ain't for sissy's. A day hunting gobblers here finds you stiff, with your feet, hips, knees, and legs sore. It is a kind of tired that only sleep fixes. The older I get, being as flat footed as a board, and the effects of three acl surgeries, the more sleep is required to get over the aching and hurting a day of gobbler hunting causes. I love it and Praise the Lord I have the opportunity and health to do it. Spring Gobbler is my favorite. God Bless

Will your exactly right in your situation..patience and soft calls. Actually sometimes that's best even in light pressured areas. Just depends.

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