Larry A. Smail's Blog

The morning began with a perfect temperature. By 9:00, the hills were creating much heat within my internal furnace. It was hot out there! My step-father, Bob, slept in. I left a note and preceeded to my hunting haunts. At 5:15, many warblers were singing. The bright moon and the rapidly lightening eastern sky fooled them. I heard the first gobble at 5:25 and by 5:45 several others across the hollow were greeting the morning too.

Later Bob showed up and we left this particular hill and crossed over to check a field that always (almost) holds turkeys. We weren’t disappointed. A total of four jakes and two hens were eating in the field. They showed some interest to my gobbler yelps, but failed to come on in.

By 9:30, we had crossed the hollow again and were sweating towards the top of the  hill again. (There were hunters there so we moved on.) A hen jumped up from a tree’s base and I knew immediately that a nest had to be at that site. A total of 14 eggs were in the nest. We left quickly.

Farther out the ridge, I called and heard a gobbler across the next hollow. Bob stayed  in this area and I took off to see what would happen. Up one slope and down another and across a stream and up a steep hill to a field. The tom answered me and I had his position down. I moved in and the vegetation was much too thick, but I had little choice , but to try to work him. In the 1 1/2 hour time frame, I worked his passion up to where double and tripling gobbling was the norm. He gobbled at my calls, the crows and, I believe,  just to hear himself. I was about 50 yards from him, when I heard a soft cluck to my left. Five jakes, within my shotgun’s range were sneaking around. I debated on scaring them away, but allowed them to proceed. MY MISTAKE! They scared the longbeard gobbler.  I saw the big gobbler a little later, but  farther up slope. Unfortunately, we saw each other at the same instance. 

Another sighting of the morning was a great blue heron. The bird landed near to me and continued with it’s loud raucous calling.  Also, saw 2 deer, 3 squirrels and a red-tailed hawk, not to mention the usual warblers and rufous-sided towees.

(Not related to the topic post, but rather interesting regardless.)

I have a pair of screech owls nesting in a box I erected for them. The little owls have been using this box for years.This year the pair consist of one with the red colored-phase and one with the grey colored phase.