This may involve probing the depths of a swamp in a canoe. Use one made of flexible material, not aluminum, if possible, in order to keep noise to a minimum. That means using the river route to hunting areas that lie well beyond reasonable walking distance, or easing along the shores of large lakes in a bass boat pushed by a trolling motor while listening for gobbles. In the latter context, it should be noted that sound carries exceptionally well across water; you can hear distant gobbles much farther than is possible on land.

When hunting in wetlands or areas interlaced by small streams, I usually wear a pair of l6-inch-high LaCrosse rubber boots. They let me wade many waters and shallow swamps while staying dry.

Yet another approach, and it's one that I personally have utilized effectively on more than one occasion, is to wade deep into swamps where most hunters simply will not go. If it's warm, you will have to deal with mosquitoes for certain and perhaps cottonmouths as well, but turkey hunters are a hardy lot who do not have the word "impossible" in their vocabulary.

A pair of lightweight chest waders will work perfectly well if the weather is moderate, while you can always resort to your waterfowl gear when temperatures are chilly. If you know there will be much high ground to cover once you've finished wading, wear a daypack and carry a pair of hiking boots in it. That way, once on dry land you can shed your waders.

The banks of streams, no matter where they're located, offer exceptional opportunities when it comes to finding and reading sign. Tracks in clean sand (don't mistake the tracks of great blue herons for those of turkeys) are readily visible, and if they're crisp and clear with little sand having tumbled into the prints, you'll know they've been left recently.

Strut marks also are easier to discern in sand than in almost any other situation. Furthermore, clearly defined strut marks in sand should put you on red alert, because they indicate recent usage. Your bird may be close at hand.

In higher altitudes, where streams in mountains or foothills drop quite rapidly and are thus noisy, water can sometimes be used to hide the sounds of your approach. For example, if you're high above a roaring creek and hear a turkey gobble near it, you can pinpoint him, course the bird with a compass, drop down to the stream, and then ease quite close without fear of being heard. The flip side of this, of course, is that you will not be able to hear well, so forget detecting drumming. And even gobbling may be difficult to discern unless the bird is quite close.

WATER AND THE HUNTER
Turkey hunters often view water as an impediment, and that's particularly true in situations where creeks or branches are plentiful. There is no doubt that toms will hang up because of a stream being in the way, although it's equally true that they will, on occasion, fly even large waterways to get to your calls. They seem to do that without so much as a second thought. You never know.