In areas where it is legal, afternoon turkey hunting can be very productive. However, these tactics also work well in mid-morning after the peak of gobbling activity. In the early morning, it is "run and gun" with the emphasis on hearing a gobbler. You try to pinpoint his location, get to him fast, set up and start calling. Mid-morning and afternoon hunting are more laid-back. Being still and patient are the critical tactics. Concentrate on areas of known turkey activity. Set up a blind and set out decoys. Call and wait. If a gobbler happens to be nearby, you don't want to blast his ears with loud calls. Start with low and conservative calling, basic clucks, yelps and low purrs. After a decent interval, step up both volume and aggression with cutting, cackling and fighting pur These last calls reach out some distance. Many hunters err by giving out their last, loud calls and giving up before a gobbler has time to come from far away.

The slate and glass friction calls are perhaps the most highly engineered of modern turkey calls. Evolving from a simple piece of slate cupped in the hand and struck with a resonating peg, the modern versions involve acoustical engineering that rivals a fine musical instrument. For all their sophistication, slate or acrylic glass calls are still easy to use. Start by holding the "pot" (which is also the sound chamber) lightly in one hand. With the other hand, hold the striker like a pencil, again not too tightly. Place the "back edge" of the striker point on the calling surface and tilt it away from you at about 45 degrees. To make a yelp, "draw" a loop or an oval. Cluck with a short, straight, aggressive stroke. To purr, pull the striker slowly across the surface. With practice you will learn exactly the right angle for the striker and how much pressure to apply. The slate/glass call is easy to use both loud and low.

The traditional box-style turkey call has been around since at least the turn of the century. It is so easy to use with reasonable proficiency that many dismiss it as a beginner's call. That's a mistake. The box call is an excellent all-around turkey call and works well for all skill levels. It is one of the loudest of turkey calls and its sound also carries well. This makes it an excellent "searching" call on windy days or when you want to reach out some distance. Wooden boxes are vulnerable to moisture. Try carrying a bread-loaf bag and use your box inside it on damp days. Box calls need to be chalked at regular intervals with chalk containing no wax (no blackboard chalk). Occasionally rough-up the lid with medium grit sandpaper but do not sand the lips of the box. An accomplished box caller can not only yelp and cluck but also purr, cut and cackle right along with callers using any other type of call.

Late season gobblers are much like late-season trophy bucks - wise and wary. They've heard it all and they are both tired of and leery of "power calling." Cutting, cackling and of course the fighting purr have their place but with and ultra-careful late-season tom, you may need to throttle back on the aggressive calling. Stealthy woodsmanship is very much an asset. Low "confidence" calls, particularly low clucks, and not many of them, are the best bet. This is "call a little; wait a lot" hunting. Other natural sounds also help. Scratch in the leaves to mimic the sound of feeding hens and occasionally slap your cap on my leg to imitate flapping wings. However, you must be careful with that last tactic. Because it involves movement you should be in a good blind or be absolutely certain that the gobbler is not close enough to see you. Late season gobbler hunting can be very rewarding, with woodcraft and patience being the keys to success.

A wide variety of noises are used to make gobblers sound off in the morning. Gobblers will "shock gobble" at loud sounds that have nothing to do with turkey talk. The turkey hunter can use these "locator calls" to pinpoint the gobbler's location without giving away his own. The "Who cooks for you; Who cooks for you-all" eight-note call of the barred owl is a favorite locator call. However, raucous crow calling or the piercing scream of a hawk call are also used. Coyote howlers work, for while no turkey in its right mind will go to a coyote, gobblers will answer the high-pitched howl. In forest areas, the staccato call of the pileated woodpecker is gaining favor as a locator, particularly in the mid-morning. Of course if any of these sounds occur naturally, always stop and listen. Turkey calls, such as the assembly/lost call, cutting and cackling, will stir up a gobbler. However, be close to cover or already set up when you use them.