Larry A. Smail's Blog

    I chose to go to the state game lands  in hope of seeing and hearing those gobblers again. The rapidly growing grasses were holding much dew. The woods were soaked in with a heavy fog. I was concerned with hunting pressure it being a Saturday, but having less than 5 hours of sleep, the easy walk to listening spot seemed a good idea at the time.

I heard one gobbler twice while listening. Later I saw a hen. I elected to sneak along the hedgerows, mentioned in yesterday’s post, to stop, call and wait. By 7:30, I saw where two individuals had walked through the grass. I decided to go to my usual haunts to see what was going on, but not before speaking for a time with a friend, Vonnie. She was walking the road for exercise.

Garlic mustard- an invasive

  I drove along a road on the backside of a favorite hunting spot and turned onto another road and was pleased to not see any vehicles. I, now, knew that if anybody else was hunting they would be locals. (or ATV drive-ins.)

I walked up a steep gas line and was about to go over onto a plateau when I could see a decoy on the line. I immediately turned around  to walk out and drove to a third place. I did find a lone turkey egg with my exit.

I was walking diagonally towards the top of this area seeing two deer. Shortly, I heard a car door slam and a vehicle exiting a gas line road. Figuring, hunters were behind every tree by now I continued on anyway.

Black Bear!

     Suddenly, I saw some black.. a deep, dark BLACK!  Yes, I was watching a black bear. I managed a couple of photos and turkeys became absent from my mind. The bear turned up the hill. I went in reverse and circled up the hill as fast as my asthma would allow. I crept onward and spotted the moving mass of black again and even closer. Unfortunately, I got few photos, BUT I SAW A BEAR!  I love seeing bear in the wilds!

After an hour of bear huntin’ I came back to the reality of what I originally was out to do and that was turkey hunting.  I chose to do a walk and call method and eventually heard a gobble out the ridge somewhere. I moved tighter and heard one more gobble followed by silence. I left the woods at noon.

Turkey Egg

  I crashed after returning home sleeping over two hours. Must have been tired!