Im a run and gunner, I will put them to bed and start off like anyone else, but if that dont work I will cover some ground and find one that wants to play.

My favorite - roost one night before and then have it pitch to within 20 yards, never seeing me at all until it is too late !!! Been at this for 40+ years .... have had this happen maybe 20 +/- times. Most of the birds, by far, I have killed have been 2-3 hours after daybreak, after lots of hard work. Oddly enough last 5-6 years I have had very good luck in mid afternoon calling toms gobblers into range on or near food plots.

After many years I have learned if you hunt public like I do, forget about trying to call one in. I have a lot of other hunters running & gunning into me. Have found the best defense is to identify busy strutting areas and get there early. Set up my Avians where they can be seen from the longest distance..........by both toms and hunters! I will use a blind if weather is dicey or no ideal tree to back up against.

Also, have a plan B, C & D in case someone else beats me to A.

I generally scout the properties well and know where birds tend to frequent. I look for the biggest open field with the shortest cover, adjacent to tall stands of roosting timber. Generally it's just a matter of time. If another hunter sees my setup, they always move on quickly.

I get all my runnin & gunnin out of the way in February & March while scouting. Always have many dependable good set up spots due to the scouting. I get my bird or two every year.

That's way too boring for me Zim. If I can't hear them gobbling and work a bird in, it just isn't much fun for me. I do have to say that I did see a big longbeard with four hens late one day out in a field and he would not leave them for my call. It was late in the season and I love the meat, so I ended up using the terrain and cover and wacked him about an hour later as he came by a big maple tree out in the field following his hens to the roost. It wasn't quite as thrilling as calling the way I like to do it, but I have to say I felt pretty good about being able to get close enough to 5 birds to shoot him with their vision and alert habits to danger of all types.

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.

That's what's good about hunting up where I do as I hardly ever see another hunter and it does make one heck of a difference. You ought to buy a guaranteed tag for over here (134 hunt that's OTC until May1) and spend a few days with me up at my place ---open invitation to ya if you'd care to! It starts May 6 through the end of the month.

You mean I prefer to sit and be patient in a blind while relaxing in my recliner with my oxygen tank nearby just in case of the highly unlikely chance that I may have to get out and retrieve a bird. I guess that's better than JW. At least your blind is not sitting by a feeder full of corn. Just yanking your chains. You guys are the turkey masters.:hail:

Topgun, you know as well as I that many times a gobbler will come in silent. I love to hear a gobbling tom also, but it's almost as much fun working that silent bird in as one gobbling his head off. Sometimes I like a silent tom. At least less experienced hunters may think there are no birds in the area and move on. BTW, I love it all, sit and call, run and gun, and spot and stalk.

Oh hell ya you are right........forgot to mention those silent toms. Can't tell you how many of those late season toms I had sneak in quiet over the years. In Indiana it was 50/50. Never would have had a chance at half them. Gotta say though, I think the Wisconsin properties I been on get hit hard early but then abandoned last 3 seasons D, E & F. All the toms last year gobbled their fool heads off right to last day of season........even though every one I tried to work clammed up fast. It was awesome with no other hunters around.

TG, Thanks but Michigan is off limits for me to go for hunting. It's far enough, but being on the far west side the traffic looping around the pond is brutal. We went up to Big Rapids last summer to work on my nephew's cottage and I was crabby all weekend! Dang it was like a 5 hour drive or something. From my place I can drive one hour NW and be in the WI birds. Also over there once you buy your license you can add all the leftover tags you want for just $15/ea. I won't drive very far for a bird. :)

I agree!! Although I love running and gunning as well as sitting in a field in a blind. I just LOVE hunting turkeys! :biggrin: