I think one of the things which has caused me to be unsuccessful in my first two years of turkey hunting is failure to have a clear-cut gameplan. This year I would like things to be much different!

Do you develop an opening day gameplan? And what are the key elements in developing a gameplan? Have more than one location picked out that have toms as an example? Please share your experience and thanks in advance!

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My opening day gameplan is usually decided by going out scouting at daylight for several weeks before season. This decides where the most likely site to start out is. But if the first set up doesn't pay off, everything pretty well goes out the window. I just get up, move around, calling here and there, throw in a shock call once in a while, sneak up and glass likely places where I have seen birds strutting, etc. Persistence will pay off, sooner or later I will strike up a bird or see one, then it's start all over again. Just hang in there, most birds don't just come waltzing in like they do on TV.

My opening day game plan is to always get in early and sit down on one of our access roads until the woods starts to wake up. A tom or two will sound off a gobble on the roost and I try to get within 100 yards of him in those first two or three gobbles he makes. I then look for a large enough opening in the woods (75 yard circle) for my blind and decoys to setup in. Once the table is set I take a break and listen for a fly down cackle or beating wings to tell me he has hit the ground. I will sometimes give a tree yelp early or a fly down cackle too but not always. Once he's hit the ground I progressively call to him starting with soft yelps and purrs and slowly going to loud and aggressive yelps and cuts. After 1/1/2 hours if he's never responded, I relocate to where I heard other turkey activity and start over again.

I've roosted many the night before so my walk in the next morning is to a very specific spot. However I can't get out every evening before a morning hunt.

all i gotta do is some scoutin on our 40. my bro/inlaw bowhunts in the fall and says there!s turks. i jus gotta find em durrin turk season im not goin to call reall aggressive this is only my 2 year i jus wanna be the most innconspickyou us as can

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Roosting Gobblers the night before is a good start for the next day...BT

I like them with Long Sharp Spurs....

All good points,and Kits your right on the money about not having any gameplan can make for frusterating results!I've always felt a turkey hunter without a gameplan makes wiser turkeys!No knowledge of the terrain you hunt,social structure of the birds you pursue in your general area,and what I call the consistency's of your birds such as roost sites,feeding/watering areas,strutzones,and loafing areas,leave a turkey hunter in a guessing situation relying mostly on luck.Obviously the counter to all this is past experience in your own stretch of the woods and hunts gone by!But a turkey hunter that takes to the woods with a gameplan developed by his hard preseason work is a turkey hunter prepared and in most cases is rewarded for his labors!A couple of important points about those that take a good gameplan to the there turkey woods is 1.you have the upperhand over those individuals who didn't and lets face it turkey hunting is an ever growing sport so certainly it behooves you to get out and put a gameplan together!2.Knowledge creates confidence and knowing those consistency's keeps a turkey hunter out in the woods longer even under difficult circumstances such as weather and huntin pressure!Obviously nothing is ever a sure thing a 100% of the time in the turkey woods but a turkey hunter with a gameplan is far better off than those blundering idiots who scratch there head wondering why that gobbler didn't cross that creek,fly over that fence, and come through that briar patch even though he answered his calls!!Save yourself some time and avoid some of those frusterating days do yourself a favor and develop a gameplan.Not only can it help you come opening day,but througout the season and seasons to come! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Monarch isn't a butterfly it's the King of the Spring!