"The evening before the season opens, I want to hear that bird fly up," Salter noted. "When you know where he went to roost the evening before, you can be pretty sure of being real close to him when he flies down in the morning.

"The only thing you've really got to watch is getting too close to his roost. If you roost the birds close, don't be in a hurry to leave. Wait until full dark and then slip out very quietly so you don't bust them off the roost."

STAYING STEALTHY
Camouflage clothing is a fact of life for turkey hunters, and there are plenty of effective patterns on the market. Sometimes, however, a bit of manipulation is required.

"Things haven't fully greened up in many areas by opening day," Salter explained. "So to counter that, I like to mix and match my Realtree camo outfits. I want pants that will blend in with the ground I'm sitting on, and a top that matches the tree I'm leaning against. With the different patterns available, that's not hard to do. The colors are there; you just have to pick the right ones for the conditions."

If you want to see how truly effective your camo is, don't rely on a close-up view. Put it on and have someone look at you from 20 to 40 yards. That's the distance at which the bird's going to first encounter you. And while a lot of camo may look great up close, it can turn into a dark lump at a distance and appear out of place. That's not good.

"Think of it this way," Salter advised. "You're sitting in your recliner in your living room. You get up and leave the house for a few minutes, come back and find a man's blue jacket in your recliner. Don't you think you'd notice it?

"Turkeys aren't any different. You're in that bird's house, and he knows it as well as you know yours. If something's out of place, he'll spot it and react the same way you would.

"When it comes to camo," he added, "don't be out of place. When things green up later in the season, you can wear a full matching suit. But during the early season, you're often better off matching the pants to a leaf-strewn forest floor and the shirt to the hardwood oaks."

The same applies for gloves, facemask, shoes, and even your shotgun. In the woods, a shiny gun stands out like a neon sign -- especially when you start to move it.

Salter relies on Hunter Specialties No Mar camo tape to keep his gun discreet. He also wants to make certain that he, his gun, and his load are all on the same page when it comes to delivering that all-important shot.

PATTERN YOUR LOADS
Many hunters assume that if they put a "turkey choke" into their gun and buy the latest high-tech "turkey load," they should be good to go.

Not always!

There are four basic types of shot loads available to turkey hunters: