Learn how to scout for hunter sign, as well as turkey sign, and use your knowledge of the terrain (see 1) to access the area from directions that differ from routes that other hunters use (roads) and find setup locations that are less likely to be disturbed by human activity.

Let the bird tell you what kind of calling he likes, and then give it to him. If he responds well (gobbles and begins moving your way) to loud and aggressive calling, keep giving him the aggressive stuff. If he likes it soft, keep it soft. Never change what you're doing if it is working. Going from aggressive to soft or vice versa, on the same set up will hang a bird up almost every time.

Don't forget to load your gun!

If the morning is cold -glass and slate calls don't always sound their best. Keep slate at your waist on walk into woods so it sounds like it does in living room Keep slate as warm as possible, I put mine right in briefs. Also diaphragm users- on those cold mornings, warm up your cheeks and the call on drive to hunt, get loose, and ready to do battle. Cold cheeks can kill the confidence you were putting into your calls the night before.

While calling, if you make some notes you are not proud of, follow them up with a cluck. This kind of hides a bad squawk/yelp.

We all get excited when a gobbler cuts off our calls. If a gobbler sounds off out of nowhere, be ready to cut him off. He gets just as excited as we do.

Before your setup is final, sit down where you plan on sitting. It never looks the way you think it will while you are putting out the dekes.

Expect an afternoon turkey to come into your calls with the sun at his back. He wants the visual advantage when the pressure is on.

Patience would be second to POSITION for me. Patience is of great value but if you aren't in a good position it won't matter. The best caller in the world can't be successful if he is in the wrong place. The worst caller that has ever set foot in the woods but has scouted out the area well before the season and knows where the birds are and knows where to set up will bring home more birds.....if he knows when not to call.

Garsh, there are way too many things to keep in mind when trying to out smart an ole' gobbler.

Find a tupperware dish & lid that fits your slate calls and glass calls. Then prepare your calls (scratch pad, glass condition, sandpaper aluminum) for the hunt and put them in the tupperware. Then when you need em, you don't have to look for your call conditioning equip, just open and call! They also keep wood pot calls from absorbing moisture in foul weather.

As said before PATIENCE X 10.

Keep your calling soft and low when the birds begin to get close.

Keep your calling to a minimum. A gobbler is like a satellite in the sky, once he's responded to you, he has your GPS Coordinates and knows exactly what tree your sitting against.

Don't be afraid to make a bold move to get into position to kill a gobber. Turkeys make noise walking in the woods, don't be afraid to make a little noise in moving. Sometimes that stimulates the bird into coming in. Sometimes your moving makes him think the hen is closer and gets him looking closer.

HANG IN THERE TIME WISE. If you have to be done hunting at noon, don't give up at 11:30, it can all happen in 10 minutes, so keep plugging and giving it your all!

Don't roll over and go back to sleep, cause if you do, I'll kill your bird, cause I'm getting up every day!

If its raining hard when you get up, go anyway, if it lets up or quits, thats the time to be there, the birds are usually very active and willing then.

Get yourself a Nif-T-Seat, they are the most comfortable and versatile seat for turkey hunting I have ever used and I've used em all.

And Lastly, TAKE A KID, WOMAN, or someone NEW turkey hunting this spring and get em hooked.

Good luck to all this spring!!