I strongly recommend using a sling to make toting the iron around the premises easier and there is the added benefit of freeing your hands to carry equipment. I settled on Federal’s 3-inch turkey load, packing 2 ounces of No. 5 copper-plated lead shot. That shell puts them down for good.

I use a diaphragm call, exclusively. It makes all the sounds I need and stays in my cheek all morning ready for instant use. Also, the diaphragm requires no hand movement to use it, a real plus. Not everyone is comfortable using a diaphragm-style call, so use a slate or box call. It will work just fine if you learn to use it properly.

I wear a lightweight camo jump suit -- a Real Tree pattern -- over whatever clothing seems appropriate for the weather. I don’t think the camo pattern means a thing, since it’s movement that spooks birds, not your choice of apparel. A camo hat and gloves complete my ensemble. If rain seems imminent, I’ll incorporate camo rain gear into the plan. Don’t worry about camo boots. If a turkey gets close enough to inspect your shoes, just shoot it.

Facemasks are a personal choice, but I don’t feel comfortable wearing one. Instead, I use camo grease paint, like bowhunters use. It breaks up the outline of my face and eliminates shine. Best of all, the paint doesn’t interfere with my vision or calling, and it is always there just in case one of those crafty gobblers sneaks in on me.

In my fanny pack I carry three extra shells, extra calls, binoculars, a couple of candy bars and pruning shears to nip off twigs and briars that may interfere with my line of sight or field of fire. A thermos of coffee and a sandwich or two come in handy, as does a small spray can of insect repellant. Last, but certainly not least, I tuck two rolled-up, inflatable hen decoys into the pack.

I sit on a camo bucket, being too old to scrunch up on the ground. I get away with this because I usually set up several camo burlap blinds before opening day. In the bucket goes anything I think I may need during the hunt, but not stuff I need to lug around with me each day.

Scouting
The best advice I can give you is, “Hunt where the turkeys are.” To do this, you need to get out in the field several days before opening day and listen. Luckily, gobblers are like most hunters, they can’t keep their big mouths shut. Especially in the early morning, when the toms will be sounding off on their roosts, eager to befriend some of the winsome young hens hunkered around them. If you sit quietly nearby, you will soon learn where the big boys are spending their nights and, with any luck, see them fly down. Usually, the birds head straight for breakfast giving you a perfect opportunity to ambush them.

After the flock moves on, set up a small brush or burlap blind at the spot they entered the feeding field. Put a bucket in the blind along with a couple of decoys and you are set for opening morning. (I also add two or three cans of lemonade or iced tea to each bucket when I set up the blind.)

But, you will need a backup plan, because turkeys don’t always do what you expect them to do. The birds may head to a different field or ignore your pleading calls and seductive decoys, preferring instead to wander away following the real hens. Don’t despair, because plenty of big toms are killed later in the morning.

By around 9 o’clock, the gobbling usually slacks off, and the hens leave the toms. Then, the big boys often wander about, looking for any action they can find. That is when your calling will be most effective.

One of the lessons I have learned in my 20 years of turkey hunting is to not leave the field too soon. I have shot more turkeys after 10 a.m. than before, so keep the faith.