Sometimes in river bottoms, cover can be a problem, as towering hardwoods and a clean understory are often the norm. In such situations, it's usually a good idea to seek out a pile of driftwood or a downed tree where you can create a blind in fairly short order.

When hunting areas of fast-flowing, noisy streams, I generally prefer -- what I said above about using the water's roar to mask my approach notwithstanding -- to stay well away from the water. Ideally, I walk along ridgelines above streams and "throw" my calls down into the hollow. The main advantage here is that my own hearing is improved, and there is at least some validity to the old saw about it being easier to call a bird uphill than downhill.

Although it involves a somewhat specialized situation, a few words about stock tanks and farm ponds are in order. Quite simply, in places where water is scarce, you want to know the whereabouts of every tank, and even in areas of normal rainfall, ponds are turkey magnets if there are no streams or other sources of water nearby.

Birds are likely going to visit them sometime during the day, and choosing a setup spot nearby, if you have the patience to stay in place for hours, is certainly an effective approach. Moreover, longbeards love to strut on pond dams.

Wherever you hunt though, be it swampland, steep hills, deep hollows, or more typical turkey country where streams wind across the landscape like laughter lines on an old man's face, make it a point to give a lot of attention to water. Where there is water there will almost always be trees as well as abundant food. Or, to put it another way, water is a key ingredient of prime turkey habitat, and no matter where you hunt, it should be a carefully studied part of that equation Gary Sefton mentioned and that you are attempting to solve. l

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Casada is a widely traveled turkey hunter who has written two books and hundreds of articles on the subject. An avid collector of sports memorabilia, he also sells out-of-print turkey books. For more information on him and his books, visit his Web site at www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com.