I live in the Chicago burbs and the public land anywhere within 2 hours of here is so heavily pressured, the toms are just way too wary. You run & gun here and you will find another hunter very quickly. Found similar results in overhunted public in Missouri & Wisconsin. I did find a few very remote spots where I was actually able to work birds, and in those situations I do so. But I'm never going back there to Missouri since they raised their NR prices. Haha last time there I found 2 toms roosted just off the public. I called them in immediately from ~300 yards to 20, gobbling all the way, until they walked within 2 feet of the public land border. They even saw my decoy, but refused to cross the line.

Due to the number of hunters here, you are only going to get one decent early season tag instate. That is it. The rest get taken in the lotteries. So best option is to go up in Wisconsin, where I can buy all I like.........but all late seasons........5th & 6th. The birds are very well educated by then, but there are a lot of toms still there.

I do always get to hear tons of gobbling, and see strutting and all the rest. And I don't have to worry about rain. So it's good enough for me. Just the way it is when all your options involve heavily pressured toms.