Flatlake

Get out before sun up and get to the highest point and listen for gobbles! They may not be gobbling now but they will soon. You can go out late in the afternoon and Owl hoot and locate them before they go to bed. If you find a Tom he will be there in the morning. When they gobble in the morning get to them fast! I mean run to within 100 yards of them. Use cover en route. If you setup before they fly down call very little just enough for them to know where you are. Once you have tree yelped and the Toms know where you are, I recommend scratching the leaves with a stick until they fly down scratch twice pause scratch. Once the birds fly down..now it is hammertime. Hit them with all you got, throw everything at them cuts, purrs, yelps. Be aggressive!!!! only when they are on the ground. If you still have'nt pulled the birds in after doing this it is time to sound like a flock of hens. Put in a mouth call, get out your box call, and your slate call. Call with the mouth call and box call at the same time but not at the same cadence..after this series hit them with the slate. Something about a flock of hot hens brings them in fast. I have had 4 different birds come in from 4 different directions using this technique. The most important thing to do is if you have a birds coming in do not call period!!! now you can scratch or maybe some light purrs. Calling will only hang the bird up. Also one imortant thing I have learned over the years is setup in a location where the turkey cannot see you on approach. I get behind a small hill use some change in the landscape to hid you. This way when he comes visible he is in shooting range! Older birds sometimes will not gobble on approach..but one thing he will do is strutt and when he strutts he drums. It is very important to know this sound because when you hear it he is clossssssse! Sounds like VMMMMMMMMM........spit. you will here the spit first, sounds almost like a tick! My favorite times to hunt turkey is from 10am-12. I have probably killed 80% of my turkeys at this time, why because all of his hens have left to lay and sit on the nest and the old boy has been left alone and vunerable. If you get one to gobble close at this time of day. Find your setup fast because in my experience he will be coming fast! I can't stresss this enough, find a tree right where you are standing! Good luck!! and remember stay in the shadows and don't be afraid to get dirty!