7. Get Real
Realism is critical when calling. Just ask Realtree Road Trips host Michael Waddell. During one early-season Georgia hunt, where henned-up toms would gobble but remain in the same spot, Waddell frequently spiced up the calling by getting up and walking around as he worked his diaphragm. He would turn his head to throw calls in different directions, close the distance between a tom and us, and then call as he moved back toward where we had originally set up. “It sounds more like real turkeys than if you’re just calling from one spot,” he says.

8. Be Innovative
Whether designing calls, producing outdoors television shows or hunting, Mark Drury is known for his innovation. One situation in which hunters must break from the standard is when facing toms in open country. With few trees to set up against, Drury has killed lots of birds by lying flat in tall grass or a weed patch. He also says not to be afraid to throw a pop-up blind right in the middle of a field, especially if you have a decoy. “Deer need to get used to a blind before they’ll come near it, but turkeys don’t care,” he says.