The best way to pattern your shotgun is to shoot at a large piece of white paper (30 inches or more) with either a bull's-eye or a turkey head silhouette on it, but most hunters use smaller paper. Smaller is fine, as long as your gun shoots true to the point of aim, but some shotguns don't do that. Instead, they throw most of the pattern high, low or to one side or other of the aim point, and if your target paper is too small, you're not going to be aware of that.

Also, practice shooting at targets from a sitting position, with your knees up -- the same position from which you'll probably be shooting at turkeys. Becoming comfortable with that position -- or at least familiar with it -- is important.

SEE TO YOUR CALLING
Most experienced turkey hunters agree that woodsmanship and patience are more important to turkey hunting success than is good calling; that's not to say, however, that calling isn't important. Besides, it's one of the few things connected to turkey hunting that you can practice and get better at during the off season.

There isn't room to discuss the specifics of calling here, but there are dozens of tapes, videos and other instructional materials available on the subject. There are also plenty of up-close, in-person opportunities to listen to the experts use turkey calls in seminars and calling contests. Two such are upcoming: the National Wild Turkey Federation Convention (Feb. 17-20 in Nashville, Tenn.) and the Arkansas Wild Turkey Expo (March 12 at the State Fairgrounds in Little Rock). Numerous experienced and expert turkey callers and turkey hunters will be on hand at both events, and these folks are notoriously free with assistance and advice for hunters who want to increase their calling and hunting skills. Attend events like this -- they'll make you a better turkey hunter.

Of the many styles of turkey-calling devices, the most popular and widely used is the diaphragm mouth call. Some hunters are simply unable to get the hang of using mouth calls, but most of us can eventually learn to make reasonable turkey sounds with them. And, of course, the more you practice with a mouth call, the better you're going to get.

The advantage of using mouth calls before the season is that they're hands-free calls, so you can practice with them while you're driving, working in the yard or whatever. The advantage of using mouth calls in the turkey woods is exactly the same: As they're hands-free, you can make turkey sounds with them without moving.

Despite that advantage, other types of calls are equal in effectiveness to, or even better than, diaphragm calls. No turkey hunter should overlook the extremely realistic sounds that come from a well-tuned friction call in the hands of a hunter who knows how to run it. Pot-and-peg calls (known generically as "slate" calls, although the surface materials are made of everything from aluminum to Plexiglas) and hinged-paddle box calls are fairly easy to master and should be in the vest of every serious turkey hunter.

The serious hunter will make a reasonable effort to achieve proficiency with several different types and styles of turkey calls, and will carry them on every hunt. Nobody knows beforehand what's going to turn a gobbler's crank, so it's best to have a number of options on hand.