Larry A. Smail's Blog

I was setting along a tree by 5:20 A.M. My plan was to be situated near to where the gobblers were roosted yesterday. The open woods and skylighted eastern sky make getting to them next to impossible with the trees having little foliage yet.

My approach was flawless and practically silent. I chose a tree to wait and then the rains and breezy conditions happened. I would soon be rather wet! To make matters worse those pesky gobblers were not there this morning. I waited to 6:20 or so before exiting in hopes of locating another turkey before they became silent.

I walked back towards the road and realized Bob wasn’t out this morning. Suddenly, I heard it!  A distant gobbler. I heard two more gobblers across the road and at the top of the next hill. Off I went!~

Box Turtle

Of course, by the time I reached the hilltop the gobbler was long silent. I greeted the day with a box turtle. I don’t consider the spring gobbler season unless I see a box turtle. He posed quite nicely for a couple of photos.

I circled back across the road to check a field and located the landowner’s son. He told me he had seen a gobbler exit the woodlands. He called and was greeted by a gobble and then the bird went back into the woods. TURKEYS!!!

Fire Pink

I circled again calling and listening and eventually returned to the hilltop where I had heard the gobbler earlier.I fell asleep. My June allergies are early this spring and one condition is fatigue. At around 10:35 I heard a shot that seemed to be at the field I mentioned earlier.

I exited the woods around 11:30, finally dry and very warm! I saw over eight squirrels, one hen turkey and two deer today. A highlight for me was the sighting of the Black & White Warbler. This little bird receives its name because it is actually stripped in black and white markings. It is quite an attractive little fellow.