?'s from a beginner

TS..... Don't start out with your turkey calls before light, use your locator calls such as an owl hooter... When you get positioned in the vicinity of a roosted bird you can give a few yelps to let the gobbler know where you are, but don't overcall to him. Just hit the call every now and then to determine if the gobbler is still in the trees, or has flown down. If it were me, I'd set out the 2 hens and not worry about the jake. Just set them out 20 yards or so from your blind seperated by 10-15 yards so that the gobbler can see them. Once it's good and light out, you can take your hat and slap it against your leg several times back and forth to sound like a turkey flying down....sometimes that will help get your gobbling bird out of the tree and send him walking your direction.

If you are setting up a blind on a field, with no idea where the birds are, than set up your blind and dekes and call sparingly, if it's raining (and it should be) than if you have enough patience you will see some birds if you are in an area that has a good population. Tuck that blind back in the edge of the field, preferably tucked back into some good dense vegitation. Don't stick it out in the middle of the field.

Patience kills more turkeys than anything! Also, if you are new to it I can't stress enough how still & quiet you have to be. Turkeys will sneak in on you and you'll never know they are there, then you'll move to get your call or something and spook them away without ever even seeing them. You can certainly get away with a lot more moement in a blind, but even still.....be silent inside it! If you are setting up without a blind get against a tree with plenty of leaves behind you and in front. Take a set of small hand pruners so you can cut some saplings to stick into the ground around you to make a blind.

Get some turkey hunting videos and watch them tonight, the season starts Wednesday! LOL Remember, there are no set rules.....some things SHOULD work, and wont depending on the gobbler. A thousand different variables can change how a gobbler is acting/reacting to your calling and the set up. Keep at it....you'll connect eventually!

TS

face the hen decoys away or 90 degree's from you and the jake toward you. I use my bow so I set the hens at 20 yards and the jake or tom at 25 and have about 10 yards between them.

No it wont make to much difference. The turkeys could roost in a different spot because coyotes or dog. Just use your locator find the birds move close but not to close, get setup and wait for fly down. Even then they could fly the other way. Just have fun and don't be to structured. However small the turkeys brain is it still thinks and you can not always guess what he will do.