Gotta remember... the birds in SE MS are the original wild turkeys.  Never been restocked from birds elsewhere, been hunted by humans for a thousand years.  They aren't the same animal.  Population density is low to nonexistent in most places.  If you heard birds on a 2d trip, it was a win.  3y ago I only heard 2 birds gobble in 31 or 32 days hunting down here.

They don't mind walking thru the thick stuff that would hang up a TN bird... heck last year I had one on public blowing the barn doors off at 35y on public and I couldn't see him.

Unfortunately down here most birds that get killed are over corn feeders on a food plot by folks sitting in a shooting house.  There aren't many old generation turkey hunters left, and those that are left seem to be dying off.  There's still some good ones down here... who abide by the creed, and are happy to leave the woods empty handed as long as they heard a gobble.