I can't begin to tell you how many tom turkeys I've taught a thing or two during the past 25 years. Consider one gobbling bird my wife and I went after last spring. Just a little closer, I thought, as we carefully inched forward to find a suitable place to set up. Then I spotted the perfect tree only 30 yards ahead. We never got there. Instead we heard the dreaded "flap-flap-flap" sound of a turkey beating a hasty retreat. Not only had the turkey spotted us trying to make that last move, we'd "educated" him in the process.

Don't get me wrong. I don't believe a gobbler is capable of reason. However, he has strong survival instincts, and an incident such as the one I just described will keep him on an even sharper edge than usual for days, which often makes him a lot harder to work than he normally might be.

We probably do more things to tip off gobblers to our presence than we could possibly imagine, but I've come up with five pieces of advice to help you avoid the most common mistakes hunters make--errors that complicate the already difficult task of calling in a mature spring tom.

1. Avoid the rush. Bumping birds--as my wife and I did--typically occurs when a hunter gets in a hurry and feels he needs to get just a little closer. Proximity certainly counts when calling a gobbler: The closer you are to him, the less distance he has to travel to get to you. The less distance he has to travel, the more you build his confidence and the better the chance that something won't go wrong before he walks into gun range.

Unfortunately, all too often we cross the line between not close enough and too close. Consider a turkey that has heard your calls. He answers enthusiastically. He's curious and staring intently in your direction, but you're moving in and he busts you. There's a tom you won't be able to work for a while.

Although it's possible to bump a bird at any time of the day, it probably occurs most often at dawn when toms are on the roost. When moving toward a roosted gobbler, always remember that a bird in a tree can see much better than can one on the ground. He's also anxiously awaiting the arrival of a hen, which is precisely why he carefully scans the forest floor below him.

Foliage is another factor. If spring arrives late, and the woods haven't greened up, you can't get as close to a gobbler as you might be able to otherwise. Note, too, that when there is no foliage, a bird will usually sound closer--whereas heavy foliage makes a turkey sound farther away.

Never assume that you should always set up 100 or 150 yards away just because it's some rule of thumb. It's better to start from one place--and move closer once you know you can--than to move forward when the situation is risky. You always have a chance of calling up a bird from a considerable distance, but you don't have a chance of luring in a bird that has spotted you.

2. Plan for first contact. I've always believed that the best setup is the one you have at hand. We've been taught that we should find a tree wider than our shoulders where we can see anything approaching from a safe distance--and you should definitely do so whenever possible because it reduces the chances that another hunter will shoot you in mistake for game.

However, if I insisted on always setting up in these places, I would have killed far fewer turkeys. Staying on the move to look for a perfect setup after you've raised a gobbler often leads to spooking the bird. If a bird gobbles, and he's close, you have to choose a location close at hand or back up to find something better.

That's why it's important to think before you call. A gobbler doesn't expect a hen to be in places where he wouldn't go. For example, you'd be well-hidden if you set up in the middle of a huge logjam, but a gobbler knows a hen probably wouldn't be there if she's searching for a mate.

Granted, I've shot many turkeys in thick spots, and sometimes I've had to make a gobbler hunt for me, but I prefer setups where I can see about 40 to 50 yards so the gobbler will have to come in that close to see the hen--and it means he will be in or nearly in gun range once he gets there. If he can see for 60 yards or more, he may hang up. If it's so thick that he has to get within 20 yards to see the source of the hen calls, he'll likely ignore you.

In field situations, it's best to avoid setting up in cover situated in the middle of a field. A gobbler will often move close enough to scan an open area for a quick view, and if he doesn't see anything, he leaves.

So how can you make sure your first setup will be a good one? Avoid random calling; call only when you're in an area that lends itself to killing a gobbler. If you're in thick brush or other undesirable place but still want to check if there are any toms within earshot, use a locator instead of a turkey call. That way the turkey might give away his location and not be interested in where you are, giving you the chance to find a good setup from which to start him.

Late-Season Blues Stop and consider for just a moment why many turkey hunters hate seeing the arrival of late season. The turkey hunting gets downright tough; many birds turn and walk away from even the sweetest hen yelps.   You can thank "educated" gobblers for the late-season blues. To beat them, you may have to change your methods. Keep in mind that as the season wears on, turkey behavior is changing. The ardor that characterized the early part of spring may be cooling; in some areas, the reverse is true--the end of hunting season can coincide with intense gobbling.   Always believe you might be facing the same tom that you or someone else "educated" previously. The same calls, the same setups and the same moves might raise only suspicion in that bird. Try something different--walking away while calling, cutting aggressively, clucking softly, team calling with a partner. You never know what might work, and it's a sure bet that you'll learn something for the effort.--JT

When you're hunting through an area where you think you could work a bird successfully but haven't heard anything yet, choose a tree or other solid backdrop, call and wait a few minutes before moving on. Many gobblers have been educated when they sneaked in quietly and caught a hunter moving--or when they were so close and came in so quickly that the hunter never had a chance.

3. Let 'em come. I don't believe a gobbler can be educated by hunters' turkey calls. Sure, you must sound something like a turkey, but hens make all sorts of sounds, and they have individual voices as well. On the other hand, I do believe that you can screw things up if you call at the wrong time.

Most of us like to call to a turkey every time he answers; I know I do. When a bird answers, I'm anxious to send him another sweet yelp or two. But when a bird is coming--and he often is once he begins answering calls--over-calling can cause him to put on the brakes.

The key is to recognize when a gobbler is on his way. Once you know he's moving toward you, I prefer to stop calling. I remember a few years ago when I was hunting in Oklahoma with Realtree hunter Joe Drake. I jumped on an eager-sounding bird late in the morning with one call after another. The bird gobbled furiously at first and then went silent.

Fortunately, after hanging up for awhile, he sneaked in. After I shot the gobbler, Drake explained that my continuous calling nearly stopped the bird from getting to us. I knew that he was right and that I was lucky.

4. Mix it up. Pay close attention to how quickly a gobbler answers your call. A delayed response may mean you're not giving him the sound he wants to hear. I know of several birds that responded late--or not at all--to common yelps. These same turkeys, though, gobbled without hesitation when they heard clucks, purrs or an aggressive cutt.

Yelps are the most popular hen calls used, and rightfully so, but they can raise suspicion in a gobbler--particularly late in the season. I don't believe a gobbler is capable of deciphering turkey calls; he can't determine if the call is coming from a real hen or hunter. In fact, many turkey hunters sound better than real hens. However, as the season progresses, some gobblers may come to associate a flat, mechanical-sounding "yelp-yelp-yelp" with danger because it's the sound he has heard whenever something went wrong.

Always be prepared to give a turkey a call other than the common yelp. It might be okay to start with a yelp, but never believe that it will be the only call you need to get him into gun range. A cluck, purr or other sound may be what it takes to build his confidence.

5. Stay loose. If there's one sure way of putting a gobbler you're working on high alert, it's by remaining in the same location. Earlier I discussed moving too much and bumping birds. True, you have to use common sense when moving on a gobbler and when setting up to keep from being spotted, but don't plan to remain in that location too long.

It's a turkey hunter's nature to stay put and let it all happen. After all, you found the right place, and the gobbler doesn't know there's anything else around except your turkey talk. If you stay put, you know you won't spook the turkey. Why take the chance on moving and risk finding another setup as good as this one?

Any gobbler that hears turkey talk coming from the same location for a long period is probably not going to show up. He might gobble furiously and make you think he will, but odds are he's standing back there and waiting for you to come to him.

In a case such as this, you may have to move. Granted, you should give a turkey a chance to show up where you first called to him. However, I can honestly say that I've killed few gobblers from my initial calling location. Sometimes it was the second spot, sometimes the third, and there have been times that I couldn't tell you how often I got up and moved.

I sincerely believe that changing positions has helped me to coax gobblers into gun range. Just how far you need to move depends on the location of the gobbler. If the bird is close, consider short moves of 20 yards or so. It doesn't have to be toward the bird, either. He will know you moved, even it's just a small, lateral move.

A gobbler knows that a turkey is going to move. It might stay in the same proximity but not in one precise spot. I typically give a bird 20 minutes or so to make a move toward me before changing setups. If the bird isn't coming, I call to get a response to learn his precise whereabouts. Then, if the coast is clear, I move a short distance and call again. This tactic really fires up most gobblers.

Successful turkey hunting is all about building a gobbler's confidence and keeping your presence a secret. The advice discussed in this article can help you do that, and if you put it into practice on every hunt, you'll discover that tricking a gobbler into shotgun range doesn't always have to be supremely difficult.