Newt said, "Stay low, watch for snakes," and took off down the creek. Watching for snakes was important, because we were hunting in Mississippi where poisonous snakes are a lot more plentiful than they are in Pennsylvania.

When I was little, I couldn't stand to look at the color plates of snakes in the encyclopedia.Now, in just a few days in Mississippi, I'd seen timber rattlers, a water moccasin and a cottonmouth.The fact that I was wearing snake boots was little consolation, since if a snake actually bit my boot I would certainly die of fright.It was teeming rain and we'd glassed a trio of male turkeys moving through an open pasture. If we could run down the creek fast enough, we'd cut them off at one end.When we got to that spot, the turkeys were so close that Newt said we couldn't risk climbing up out of the creek, or they'd see us.So, he pulled a hen decoy from his vest and improvised a little puppet show for the turkeys. Holding the decoy by its feet, he "walked" her back and forth along the top of the creek, using his mouth call to make soft yelps at the same time. At the sudden "beaming up" of the hen, the turkeys lost their minds."Pick a spot on the bank to climb up a few steps, and get ready," Newt said. "Next time I call, get a location on the closest gobble and go for it."Yelp, yelp, gobble, bang. It had been a unique and exciting hunt. And here's why it was successful: Preseason scouting.Before the season, Newt had watched turkeys feed through the pasture and they'd always exited in the same place, to take the farm road over the creek.He also knew that when it rained, it was likely he would find turkeys in the field.Yes, I got a turkey but I also learned lessons that have helped me get more turkeys over the years:ScoutingWalk a property, numerous times as the seasons change, looking for turkey sign and keeping tabs of changing locations and patterns. Check long timbered ridges, open fields and crop fields, look for travel areas between open areas. Make note of anything that may block turkey movement, such as creeks or fallen trees.CallingNever use a turkey call when scouting. Why spill the beans in the preseason? Use a locator call such as a crow call or hawk call when you're going to enter an area where you can't see ahead, so that you don't bump or spook the turkeys.RoostingAbout an hour before sunset, wearing full camo, set up on a ridge. Use your locator call. If a bird gobbles, try to figure out where it is and carefully move closer. If your locator call doesn't work, try an owl hoot at dusk. Either way, wait until dark before leaving the woods.DID YOU KNOW? ... For a tom turkey, the middle toe of his foot is much longer than his outer toes. Toe tracks of a hen are even.