re: turkey hunting tips

The best turkey hunters I know will tell you scouting pre-season, knowing where the roosts are, and patterning their morning routine. You can't catch a fish that ain't there, same goes for turkey. This can be a challenge if your land is an hour away from your house. And on public land, be prepared for you and another hunter to be calling to each other thinking you are talking to a bird.

Most of the time, I’m using a Cody slate or a mouth call. I usually have a turkey wing to do a fly down. I have an owl and crow call to locate. Scratching the leaves can be a great call. Fighting purrs in early season can work when nothing else will.
Generally, I want to keep the high ground. Set up on the same side of a fence or creek as the turkey. They can be called across obstacles, but will often hang up. Natures way is for a hen to go to the Tom. You are trying to reverse that.

One of the great things about turkey hunting is, you can do it with a friend or mentor. Find someone who has hunted and take them with you, or ask if you can tag along.

I’ll concur with what others have posted.

1) Patience. GPS studies have shown that even when a gobbler is bumped and goes silent, they don’t go far. In most cases the bird was back that same day or the next. Don’t rush off to another area if you know a gobbler is in the area

2) Know the land. Understanding how to move towards or around a gobbler without being seen is vital. Never walk in openings if you believe birds are in the area.

3) Scout. Spend time before season finding birds. As someone mentioned, birds you may have seen during winter will bust up. In most cases they won’t all leave but the majority will, leaving a group of 1-3 gobblers behind in most places. Go early and listen for gobbling. And never call to them before you can kill em. Concentrate your efforts around openings, food plots, right of ways, pipelines.

4) Shoot and pattern your gun. Find the load that performs best. Nothing much worse than finally getting one within range and missing. Keep your cheek down on the stock, even after you shoot. I’ve seen lots of birds missed because the hunter picked his head up from the gun to look at an approaching gobbler. Stay down on it.

it all depends. I usually set up with decoys in food plots closest to where I hear a gobble. But you have to move fast. Usually they are still on the tree when they gobble in the morning. You don't need to be on top of them, just close the distance. If you go too close they will spot you from the tree.
Others might set up in the woods with or without decoys. I plan on doing more "woods" hunting this year just to change it up. I have cameras on our small piece of land (<175 acres) and I know what trails they like to use.