Outwitting a Smart Wild Turkey
When you decide to go after the gobbler that has eluded the best hunters in your club, learn all you can about him. If he's been listening to mouth diaphragm calls all season, try using a box call or a slate call. If he's been avoiding hunters wearing a specific type of camouflage, wear a different kind.
Learn what those hunters have done, and plan to try something different. If traditional turkey-hunting tactics don't work, use whitetailed-deer tactics. Identify that gobbler's daily routine, and attempt to take him in a place where he feels comfortable and is likely to pass through naturally.
When you call to a smart, mature tom, have a hill, a ridge, or some other obstruction between you and him. Older toms know that hen sounds with no hen in sight means a hunter is nearby. However, he may come around an obstacle to look for the hen he's hearing. Then, decide how many days you will devote to hunting that gobbler and abide by that.
A wily old tom can be a season wrecker if you let him be.
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