Never assume anything. It’s a lesson my dad taught me as a young boy. Assumptions can get you in a lot of trouble. I’ve learned that the hard way over the years.Â
But false assumptions will also get you in trouble in the turkey woods. In fact, more days than not, we’ll walk out of the woods empty handed because of the poor decisions we make when going head to head with the wild turkey.

To help you avoid these missteps, we’ve assembled a list of 5 false assumptions turkey hunters make each spring. Read and heed what you find below. It just might make a difference in your success this season.Â
1. Where He's Roosted & Where He Flies Down
Some might say, “roosted is roasted,” when it comes to knowing exactly where a bird goes to bed at night. And while watching a bird fly up to roost certainly boosts the confidence level, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a done deal.Â
Birds often move about the tree, or even switch trees altogether, after they fly up. Weather, predators, and many other factors can push a bird from one tree to another, even in the dark. Â
Roosted ain’t necessarily roasted also applies to the fact that you really don’t know where he’s gonna fly down in the morning, unless you’ve been watching his routine day after day. And even then, they’ll often surprise you.Â
It’s been said that a gobbler has his mind made up where his feet will hit the ground at flydown from the moment he wakes up. No amount of calling and sweet talk will change his mind until he hits the ground.Â
Bottom line, don’t neglect having a solid Plan B, C & D for when your gobbler goes off script and leaves you scratching your head.Â
2. Flydown is the Best Time to Kill a Turkey
For a turkey hunter, few things are as exciting as experiencing the turkey woods come alive on a spring morning. Regardless of the blood, sweat and tears that have brought you to this point, all is right with the world when a gobbler sounds off in the morning from the limb.
A gobbler will routinely gobble more from the roost before flydown than he will all day. For that reason, we often think the roost hunt is the best hunt of the day. However, depending on where you’re hunting, killing a bird right at flydown can be tough.Â
Gobblers are typically hard pressed to leave the love of the ladies he’s currently with. The old adage, “a bird in hand is better than 2 in the bush” seems to be the mindset wild turkeys hold to as well.Â
What’s the best time to kill a turkey? Your odds go way up on finding a receptive gobbler between 10:00am-2:00pm, once the hens have left them to go and prep their nest. If you can swing it, don’t miss the midday hours.
3. No Gobbling Means No Turkeys
A quiet morning in the turkey woods can be tough. It’s not nearly as fun when they’re not gobbling. But, don’t be fooled into thinking that no gobbling means no turkeys.Â
There are days when they simply don’t talk. All manner of things can shut a gobbler down, from weather, fog, predators or being spooked by a hunter’s arrival.Â
Don’t be so quick to give up simply because you don’t hear a bird gobble. Give it some time. Sit down, break out the calls, and give him a chance to warm up. You may eventually fire one up, or even have a bird come in quiet, never once gobbling to let you know he’s there.Â
4. Excited Calling Will Bring a Gobbler Closer
We all love to hear a turkey gobble. That’s why many of us play the game. And that’s also why many of us call more than we need to. We call loud, and we call often. But one of the big mistakes we often make is our continued excited hen sounds. The cutting of an excited hen is a go-to sound for many turkey hunters. It’s usually the perfect medicine to make a gobbler sing. The more we cut, the more he gobbles.Â
The problem is, God designed the hen turkey to go to a tom turkey when he gobbles. He gobbles, and the ladies go to him. That’s why your endless cutting sounds do a great job of getting him gobbling, but often fail at bringing him closer. He’s standing over there waiting on the hot hen that’s saying all kinds of exciting things to him.Â
That’s the natural way for the process to work. Ease up on the excited hen sounds, and consider playing hard to get. Be soft and subtle, scratch in the leaves, and make him think you’re content right where you are.Â
5. You Can Get a Little Closer
We’ve all made the mistake of moving on a bird that we think is farther away than he really is. He gobbles hard – he sounds like he’s still 200 yards away – so you make a move to get a little closer before you make your setup. The problem is he was less than a hundred yards away, and he busted you.
Gauging the distance of a gobble can be tough. And while there’s a time to be aggressive, more times than not, patience is the key to avoid running headfirst into a gobbler. Consider the reasons you think you need to move up. More times than not, the desire to make a move comes from a lack of patience.
Final Thoughts
False assumptions will bite you! Especially in the spring turkey woods. Slow down this spring. Think before you act. Have a solid plan of attack, as well as a backup plan, or two. Hit him hard at midday, and lighten up on the excited cutting sounds. These moves alone will likely help you tag more turkeys this spring.Â