Spring Turkey Season

All-

I am by no means a veteran at Spring Turkey. Can anyone point me in the right direction on their past experiences which ended in a "good harvest." I'm in the hill country up around San Saba/Mason area.
What aspect of Mother Nature do you focus on that helps you pin point a time where you have been the most successful?
My brother and I are tight on "free time" with being married and kids and all and have to "maximize our yield" if you catch my drift.
Our county's season runs from March 31st to May 13th.

Thanks for the help

Kyle

It's been years since I tried spring turkey. I'm going to give it a whirl this March though.

In the past my best luck came on morning hunts. Calling them in after they flew off of their roost, but not near or too close to their roosts.

My last spring hunts were in Tom Green and Coke Counties where the highest turkey populations in the state occur. So I'm sure that was a factor in my success.

This year I'm trying in the Hill Country. I've heard and seen them on my place but have no idea where they roost. I'm just gonna set up on some semi-open fields and start calling just after daybreak.

I'm sure there's some much more experienced turkey hunters that will chime in here in a bit.

yep, you definitly dont want to set up or be too close to the roost for sure. Basicly, start calling about sun up, walk, call, walk, call until you get a gobble, then set up with a decoy or two,hide and be as still as possible. Turkey have Verrrrrrrrrry good eyesight and let the fun begin. If your lucky, a tom will come strutting in, putting on a show for you

Put you a pop up blind close to a feeder that gets regular turkey visits and enjoy just like deer season. You can still do some calling and decoy if you choose. If I only had a short amount of time to hunt this would be the way I would do it. Some will blast me on here for feeder hunting turkeys but hey it works and is legal just like for deer (EXCEPT EASTERNS I believe). I will be doing it this season trying to get my son his first turkey. My wife and I hunted all day (we only had one day to hunt)one year in Big Springs stalking and calling to no avail. We sat in a box blind during the day and around 3 p.m. a big gobbler came strolling in with no gobbling or hens just to check out the feeder. My wife nailed it with a muzzy.

If at all possible, go a weekend or two before your trip and spend a couple of mornings scouting and hopefully finding a roost. Doesn't guarantee they will be there when you go, but it will help.

As to the most productive time. Late April to early May is usually better for calling gobblers in than the beginning of season. The hens or most of them are not concerned with breeding and the gobblers are still looking for love it is up to you to get the gobbler looking for love in the wrong place.

Scouting helps if you can find a pattern in their daily movement that helps a lot as anything is easier to call to a location that it already wants to be at. Good luck