Hunting Turkeys in the Woods

[HardinCountyHunter]

What are some tricks that I might want to try this upcomming spring for getting a tom from the woods? All of my success has been on field edges. I have not had any luck getting a tom in the woods, even when I locate one there. I am finding that less calling is working and softer calling seems to be the best approach on field edges. Do I need to be more agressive in the woods or am I on the right track? I want to run and gun some this spring and would like some advice.

[Ky Headhunter]

I tend to call more aggressive in the woods. I may be in the minority here, but I have better luck with decoys in the woods too. Have had way too many toms hang up & eventually spook after spotting my fakes in a field. They see them from a great distance, come halfway, then expect the hen to meet them. When time goes by & the hen doesn't move, they get spooked.

Watch for hang-ups (wide gulleys, thick brush, etc.) between you & the bird. Hard to account for this if you're in unfamiliar country, but the easier the birds path the more likely he'll take it.

[RutNBuck]

HCH,
calling agressive and calling soft both have a place in the turkey woods we have to let MR Longbeard tell us what he wants...but the #1 key to calling that long beard in is be where he wants to go....there are some areas they just do not feel safe...
early season i perfer to be more agreesive..after the birds have been pressured i tend to back off my calling...
1 thing many hunters fail to do is "BE ALERT" they expect to see a tom running or strutting to their decoys after each call...BUT alot of times i have caught mr gobbler standing off looking and observing my set up..

this is when patience plays a role in your success...and trying to make him gobble each time is not a very good thing...yes we all like to hear that gobble but it seems the more he gobbles the quicker he will lose interest (not always the case but often) not to mention that other hunters will also key into his location...
and anyone that has hunted turkey very long will attest they have very keen eye sight one wrong move could mean the difference between success or failure...
i have the opportunity to hunt with a Grand National Calling champ every year...it's funny to see how our styles differ...he hunts 99 % public property (missouri) he believes less calling is better since he hunts mostly high pressured birds...and when a bird gobbles he takes off like banchi ....but the past few years when he hunts with me (private) he has learned to settle down and not be so hasty...
as you can see from all i have said there is no guarntee...but one thing is certain you will get grey headed or lose many strands of hair when you run into a tough bird...my best advice is to enjoy the hunt.. and well if you figure them out please write a book...haha i have been hunting gobblers for 14 years...and i yet at times feel like a beginner..


"A wise indian once said,the more you move the less you will see,the less you move the more you will see"

" I live to hunt, but my wife says i may hunting a place to live"

[schuyler olt]

Headhunter hit on the key point, which is knowing the terrain really well. Scout the terrain now, and don't worry about scouting the birds until mid-March. The birds are going to scatter big time between now and then, so where they are today may not be where they are at the season. Think about where you saw and heard them last year, though, because they generally will haunt the same areas from one season to the next. Another thing to try in the woods, especially when it greens up, is getting a little closer. Good luck!

[Boss Gobbler]

Find a strutting area the first place a turkey goes when it hits the ground is his strutting area. Even if he is with hens.