RE: your average hunting day
It's different for wherever I hunt...
Wisconsin-There I don't put them to bed anymore as I know they will be there. We have over 1000 acres to hunt and I'm usually up about 3:30am, grab a breakfast at Quik trip on the way, and head for the woods. If they are gobbling I'll get as close as I dare, look over the area quick and determine the best place to setup (Important as I've messed up on more than one occasion), and try to call softly and just enough to let them know I'm there. They will either come or they won't. If a hen cuts me off I'll get into a shouting match with her to see if I can bring her...and the tom to me. More often than not that is a losing battle. Then I'll either spend a few hours trying to find a gobbler that hasn't found a hen or setup at the last place the gobbler was sounding off and wait until about 10 or 11am when they come looking again. I've taken a few birds around 11 to noon so I try to stay put during this time and cluck/purr every so often. If all fails I may start moving and calling in the afternoon until closing time at 5pm. Then it's social time as I've come to know a few locals that I visit. Then up at 3:30am to start over again. Repeat until bird on ground....
Minnesota-I stay at the landowner's place so I get there the evening before hopefully before dark. I've had it happen twice where I drove into the yard, a gobbler was sounding off on the hillside, I walked up to locate while the landowner would slam the car door every so often to make him gobble, and I'd have a spot cleared out in the woods so I was ready the next morning. On both occasions, the bird flew down to me after no hens responded and my hunt was over by 6:15am. So I try to locate one. If not I get up in the morning, later since I'm right there, and step out of the house to listen for gobbles. If I locate a bird I'll run across fields, up hillsides, etc to get as close to him as I can. Stop and look over the terrain to figure out where I can be see the best and yet have some concealment in terms of a little brush or something to break up the outline. Then I'll work that bird until the gobbling stops and then give it some more time. If no gobbler shows I'll either stay put and call occasionally for a few hours or run and gun for awhile. It all depends on what is happening.
South Dakota-Too new to this game to say. I'll be running and gunning this time around and cover alot of spots.