Larry A. Smail's Blog

Beautiful country!

  It is a conspiracy I tell you! I went to a different area to check for gobblers this morning. I needed to see some favorite sites again. I heard one gobbler clean across a big hollow and one behind me in posted land. I did see one gobbler far off on reclaimed land. But, let me get back to the conspiracy.

I began walking along when I heard “hello”. I looked back and a woman I know was following me. She said she told her husband someone was walking over on the ridge and came to check out who it is. We talked about ten minutes and we went in different directions. I couldn’t squeeze a gobble out the hills and I decided to head back to my other haunts.

A hint of sun

  I walked up hill and found a pile of hen feathers. A neighbors plane began to circle and circle and circle. He must be getting hours on his plane because he circled for over 1 1/2 hours! The runway is on the next hill. A crew was working along the road at a gas line. They, too were making noise. As I approached the wood lot where a gobbler often hangs out I could hear my farmer friend working his tractor in the fields. I imagined all these people getting together planning these events to hinder my hunting progress. (Just kiddin’) I sat down, called periodically and actually fell asleep for a time.

YUMMY!

   At 10:30, I arose and spotted something I have seen every day this spring while hunting turkeys..morels! I abandoned turkey hunting and spent much time walking about, searching out these delicious mushrooms. I gathered a nice mess to eat. I continued casually looking as I headed back towards the vehicle. At 11;20 I called and was immediately answered by a gobbler. I hastily set up and began trying to coax him up the hill to me. However,there were some nasty green briars to my left. Since the hunt is over at noon I had little time to manuever so I tried my luck at this site. The gobbler came to about 100-125 yards of me and wouldn’t budge another inch by noon. I crept away silently knowing if I would have had more time I could have taken this gobbler.

     My travels covered some beautiful Pennsylvania countryside. We are blessed with Pennsylvania beauty, we all need to just look at it! I found a box turtle shell today. I wondered what caused the turtle’s demise. I heard a woodcock doing its mating flight. I saw some squirrels, a rabbit and a few deer too. I, also, saw my first Baltimore Oriole of the spring today and a Yellow-Breasted Chat. The sounds this fellow make are truly amazing!

Yellow-breasted Chat

  I came home and mowed the grass. Yesterday evening I took my first bike ride of the season. I am slightly sore today because of that ride. This evening, I plan to paint some and rest some more. Afterall I am getting older! Tomorrow is another day in the turkey woods.