With the weather warming, one of my favorite times of the year is right around the corner, turkey season. I mean nothing gets my blood pumping like a gobbler strutting in and attacking my decoy, giving me a 20 yard shot. Boy am I getting excited. Anyway, the first thing I want to touch on is decoy placement as this often gets over looked or deemed less important. You need to make sure your decoy is visible and can easily be seen by turkeys approaching from different directions. This means utilizing fields or clearings in wooded areas to ensure you decoy is seen. It is also important to place the decoy at a range that you are comfortable with. I like setting up 20 to 25 yards from my decoy, which allows for some wiggle room if the turkey was to keep a little extra distance. There is no right or wrong decoy set up but you have to be willing to change and adapt as no situation is ever the same and neither are two turkeys alike.  You have your decoy set up and are sitting against a tree or in a blind, now it comes down to calling in the gobbler.  I must say this is a lot easier said then done and has taken me years to figure out. One tip I can offer is do not try and compete vocally with a hen that is in the immediate area, especially if a gobbler is responding to her, you just won't win. Rather than try and rival the real sounds the hen turkey is producing, try and match each sound she makes. Hen turkeys are very curious and by mimicking the yelps and clucks she produces you will often have the hen come check out what is going on. This is exactly what you want because if the hen comes that tom should not be far behind, hopefully then giving you that golden opportunity.Another way you can become a better caller is by going out into the woods to observe and listen. There is no better book or manual then the vocals of a real turkey in their natural environment.  Take note of the different sounds and vocals and the turkeys behavior. Learn to replicate these sounds while in the field, which sound increase your odds of bagging a gobbler.  These are just a few factors to keep in mind before hitting the field this spring. I wish all of you turkey fanatics luck and success as you chase that long-beard of your dreams. Good Hunting!