Larry A. Smail's Blog

Hepatica

As I write this entry, the spring gobbler season is almost upon the turkey hunters of Pennsylvania. Spring has been slow at getting to Pennsylvania this year. However, again as I write this entry, the sun is shining, and the temperature is within the normal range for our area. It feels good, too!

A view over Crooked Creek.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been out a few times listening for gobbler activity. I have heard some toms, too. The one morning, during a nature call, a gobbler, and hen opened up with some turkey chatter close to me. In a moment, a spotted the darkened form of a gobbler in the early morning grays. The big boy went down over the edge of the hillside, and continued to gobble occasionally at the big-mouthed hen.

Turkey take-off.

The spring wildflowers are, presently, caught up. I was wondering if any were going to erupt from the forest floor. (Seriously, I knew they would.) Mayapples, Hepatica; Dutchmen Breeches; White, and Purple Trilliums, and Bloodroot are all in bloom. Other species are, also.

Young Mayapples.

I managed to do a little trout fishing last week. I caught one twelve inch Brown Trourt, and missed a couple more on a cool, and windy morning. I hope to get out soon for bass. My friend, Frank, has suggested some muskie fishing as soon as the gobbler season is over. He can be a fanatical turkey hunter, as I am.

Mergansers on Cowanshannock Creek.

Earlier, before the leaves began to show, I checked out an area of Crooked Creek where I like to fish occasionally. The backed-up water from the Crooked Creek Dam had greatly subsided, but the bottomland area was soft with mud. I hiked on the Baker trail for a time instead of fishing.

Native leeks (Ramps)

Later, I went below the dam, and saw the raging waters as the overflow was creating fast-moving, and high water. I didn’t fish!