Larry A. Smail's Blog

Foggy morning

I was high on the hill at 5:10 A.M. waiting to see what the new dawning would bring. I heard a “Swoooosh” directly behind me and immediately turned to see a whip-or-will passing within feet of my head! I could hear another on off in the distance doing its familiar call.

I went farther south into the Cherry Run watershed this morning. The hills become dramatically steeper and higher  a short distance from where I had been hunting. I find these abrupt variances amazing!

Cherry Run Watershed

I heard a subtle gobble and then another. I turned to try to focus in to the direction of the source. Gil-obble-obble!  Aha!  The bird seems to be far across the big watershed valley across the road and across Cherry Run.  Off I go!

As I reached the top of the adjacent hill all was quiet in turkeydom. I began a sneak and call and soon received an answer…a gobble! The bird was  along a hilly field above where he was earlier roosting. I was soaked, by now, from running across high grasses (reclaimed strip job) and the exertion. I eventually walked to about a hundred yards from him. He soon went silent again.

Gobbler fans!

I eased among multiflora rose brambles to peek into the field  I saw a hen and shortly spotted three full-fanned tails of adult gobblers. The shape of the terrain allowed to only see the upper third of the turkeys. I watched them stay within a 20-30 feet area strutting about. The birds went over the grade and I called again and one gobbler came back over and strutted to about 50 yards from my position. The field is on a round top of the hill with plenty of contours and irregular hollows, etc.

The field..the gobblers were along the edge.

The birds went out of site and I decided to work around the round top and position myself in the direction they were leaning to.  After some time I could see a hen, but no gobblers. OH NO! I retraced my path and peeked over a crest in the field and the turkeys were strutting within 20 feet where I had been calling from!They had left the hen!  This seldom happens!

White Clintonia Lily

I went down slope and worked around and peered out through the foliage again and I could see strutting gobblers about 100 yards from me. I did some soft calling. No gobbles!  I eased out a little later and one gobbler was about fifty yards. away. I thought this could work!

I heard a hen way down slope and after a spell I heard her clucking near the field’s edge. Not again!  My final peek and all birds were gone. I started a slow and deliberate sneak and heard a gobble. I crept into the woods and the bird(s) were about 150 yards away. I began calling and was answered!  The hen began cutting and cackling and I gave her angry calls in return. She came in to within 20 feet of me. the gobblers were moving too.

Suddenly, the gobbles came from within range. I steadied the shotgun and I couldn’t see them through the multiflora roses. Come on show yourselves!

The hen for whatever reason decided to take flight and she veered over the gobblers back in the direction they had all come from. The woods went silent. I heard one more gobble back away from me and silence!

I saw opossum; groundhog babies; squirrels, deer, including a couple of bucks and at least, seven different turkeys in all. This is why it is called hunting and not getting. I was so close at different times all morning.