Turkeys!!! My wife thinks I must be crazy to put myself through all of these early morns! Maybe she is correct. I was setting in the gobbler’s roosting area again by 5:15. I heard a gobble across the hollow and near to where I was parked at 5:20. Fifteen minutes later I had approached him by about eighty yards. I heard 3 other toms on the hill I just left. These birds make me dumb!
My only concern with this gobbler would be that upon leaving the roost he would fly onto a right-of-way and walk uphill to a field. HE DID JUST THAT! I crept up and could see him strutting and gobbling about 50 yards from me. The terrain and vegetation would allow me to stalk him, but that is not what this season is all about. Actually, it is illegal in Pennsylvania. The big bird later continued on and the hunter is to set back and ask , “Why did the turkey do that?”.
I crossed back over and couldn’t muster a gobble anywhere through calls until 11:10 when one tom shocked gobbled to my gobbling.
Other sightings of the day were: 4 deer; a pair of scarlet tanagers (first of season); a cottontail rabbit (rare specie); and a pair of rose-breasted grosbeaks. I heard at least 5 different turkeys. I saw 2 gobblers, 5 jakes and 2 hens.
On a sad note, I attended a funeral to see my friend, Billy Tarr. Billy was an extraordinary fiddle player. He played and recorded with various professional Country singers. I, believe, he actually played on the Grand Ole O
pry some years ago.
(The flowers here are Dutchman’s Breeches.)
I found the birds to be exceptional quiet this morning especially once on the ground. I heard a couple of different gobblers on roost… one not far from the truck and even closer to a house. I tried to call one tom away from his 2 hens without success. The girls wouldn’t pay me any attention either… just like my high school days! I busted them hours later at the end of the field I first called from at daybreak. They eventually came there some 3 hours too late! I saw 4 gobblers on the way home after 12:00. Nice day to be out. I heard one shot in the area I got crowded out of on Monday. Hope that guy doesn’t come back! Maybe tomorrow will be better! I’m seeing tanagers daily but no rosebreasted grosbeaks. Dana