Luckily, turkey hunters today have a wealth of information to draw on. Here are what a few professional turkey hunters and callers have to say on some of the topics that perplex us each season.

When to call

The issue of how much to call is a constant paradox of turkey hunting. Overcall, and a gobbler may hang up or run off. Call too little, and he may lose interest.

"A little aggressive calling is OK, but if we keep pouring it on because we want to hear the turkey gobble and keep track of it, then you may cause the bird to stop and strut, waiting for the hen to come to him," cautions Matt Morrett of Hunter's Specialties.

"He is just doing what is natural, but if the gobbler is out of sight or range, it doesn't do the hunter much good. If you have his attention and are pretty sure he is on his way, lay back and let him come find you," Morrett advises. If he's on his way, the tables are already turned in your favor, so don't mess it up by overcalling.

What type of call

Deciding what type of call to use can also be confusing, due to the overwhelming number of choices available. Turkeys are very vocal birds, and use a host of sounds to communicate with one another. There are yelps, clucks, putts, purrs and, of course, the gobble. Regarding instruments, there are several types and dozens of brands to choose from. However, all the types of turkey calls generally fit into one of three basic categories - box calls, friction calls made of slate, glass, or aluminum, and diaphragm mouth calls made of latex.

"All types of calls have their place," Morrett's fellow pro-staffer, Alex Rutledge of Missouri, says. "Box calls are great for calling during windy conditions. So are glass calls, which are often high-pitched and cause gobblers to respond. Slate calls produce great soft purrs and yelps."

Mouth calls are among his favorite calls, though. "I really like diaphragm calls," Rutledge emphasized, "because you can make all the sounds of the wild turkey and they are hands-free, so you don't have to worry about movement. This is what makes them great for closing the deal when a bird is almost in range."

Ernie Calandrelli of Quaker Boy Game Calls echoes that sentiment. "My favorite call would have to be the mouth call," he confessed. "It's versatile, and there's no movement involved."

He's also a fan of the box call. "A box has a lot of volume, and it can make certain raspy pitches that are very realistic," Calandrelli told me when I recently called him to pick his brain on this subject. He also likes a lesser known call the push-button box.

"Push-button calls can be deadly," Calandrelli testified, "but people don't give them enough respect, probably because they're so easy to use. I always have a couple push-button calls with me."

Carrying a versatile array of calls in your vest is always a good idea. Rutledge observed that, "The truth is any call, when used properly, can call in a turkey on any given day." The trick is having the call they want to hear along with you on that day.

When to hunt

Legendary turkey hunter Eddie Salter is sure to be in the turkey woods at first light, however, he feels the best is usually yet to come. He told me that, "Often the best time to shoot a gobbler is at midmorning or midday, especially on cool, overcast days when toms take their time waking up."

Salter believes midday is often the optimum time for chasing longbeards for one reason - less competition. Hens will have left gobblers to go lay eggs or set on their nests, and most hunters will have left the woods. He feels that, "If a tom answers me at, say, 11:30 a.m., if it's going to happen, I'll likely shoot that turkey within 15 minutes," since lonely gobblers are more likely to come running to the calls during this time of day.

When I posed this question to another outdoor legend, Jim Crumley of Trebark fame, he e-mailed me back, saying, "My favorite turkey time is the classic daybreak, first gobble of the morning situation."

Although Crumley realizes he's not always going to tag out early, he still prefers the morning. "It usually ends up with the bird hooking up with hens before getting to me," he acknowledges, but points out that, "It's still a time that can't be beat, what with the woods' critters transitioning from night shift to day shift, all the sounds, etc."

When to shoot

When asked when turkey hunters should take the shot, Morrett observed that, "Most properly choked turkey guns can easily kill a turkey at ranges of 40 yards or more. However, once a bird gets into range, a hunter's trigger finger starts to get itchy."

At this point, hunters should calm down. "Take a few seconds and relax," he advises. "If the gobbler is still headed your way, enjoy the show. You will end up getting a higher percentage shot. Just remain motionless and hold your nerves together. Put your sights on the spot where the turkey's neck meets his body and squeeze the trigger."

"I also like to do a soft yelp or two when I click off the safety, to cover the noise," Rutledge added.

Hopefully, some of these suggestions from the pros will prove useful this spring. Take their tips to the woods and use them to tag that tom that's been teasing you.

Jarrod Spilger writes about the outdoors for The Independent.