Get a push button box call or what ever they're called... dumb proof and easy to use... I suggest you get a box call, push button call and the slate call. From my experience, different days, different weather and different reactions to different calls lol... One day turkeys react better to the push button call and the next day the slate works best.
For decoys, its the same as calls. I say get at least one Jake and 2 hens so you can do different combos with them (like only 2 hens, 2 hens one jake, one jake one hen, etc).
From my experience, depending on how good your decoys look, i suggest you don't put them any farther then 10m in front of you. I used to set them 20m and the turkeys would sometimes stop 20m in front of them or just go around. The later they realise something's wrong the better it is!
Timing Timing Timing: Here in Qc we can only hunt them from 30min before sun up to 12pm. So getting in your spot before they wake up is crucial. I always make sure i get to my spot an hour before sunrise that way it gives me time to set my decoys, prep all my stuff and take a morning wee. You can try to imitate the sound of a turkey flying off the tree when you hear them gobble (by shaking your hat or cap, youtube is your friend for that) that way tom will know there's a hen nearby. Start calling when you hear them or when the sun comes up if you can't hear them. I suggest you start calling less and less aggressively when you hear or see a turkey, when they hear you they pretty much know where you are and you won't scare them off.
Finaly, turkeys have a great vision, don't move and if you do make every gesture slow as hell, even if you're in a blind. Just this year I had to extend my season because I scared a Tom by moving a little too much (poor I had to hunt an extre day to get mine
).
Those are pretty much all the tips I have for you... Turkey hunting is fun as hell, you don't get much meat but if you're like me you'll really enjoy it!
Ray
