Larry A. Smail's Blog

Female Hummingbird

I sat down on a gas line meeting the remnants of an old logging road close to posted property. This was a strategic plan for me to listen for gobblers. Normal gobbling time was upon the woodlands, and I was hearing nothing. I laid back to relieve a sleeping leg when I heard the alarm cuts immediately to my right. Oh yeah, a turkey had seen my movement, and was alerted. The hen, eventually, calmed back down.          

A little closer to me, I could see the form of another turkey. Yikes… a gobble exploded directly behind me!  All three turkeys where within shotgun range if I would have chosen to be illegal, or unethical! Anyone can take a turkey in such ways. Not me, I relish the excitement, and anticipation of working  calls for a turkey  to come in up close, and personal. However, I was in a bad way. I couldn’t move, so all I had to do was await the birds next move.

  The hens flew down followed by the tom. They all moved up hill well into posted property. I turned over onto my belly when I had the opportunity and tried luring the three to me. I failed!

Trout Lily

I drove to a secondary area where I had taken a gobbler last year. I had a gobbler answer, but the bird was either across a road behind a fenced area, or very low on the hill. Later, this gobbler seemed to be getting closer, Suddenly, I heard alarm cutting and the gobbles ceased. What had happened? I noticed a turkey some hundred, and twenty yards in a field, but briefly.  The bird never showed up to me. Something scared the turkey.

    I began looking for morels as I walked on. I saw two turkeys on a right-of-way, but they had seen me, as well. I continued on.

I crossed a hollow, and worked around the hill. I called, and heard a distant gobbler. The turkey worked around above me. I set up.

The bird was above me, and I felt good about the positioning. Suddenly, deer snorts to me left echoed and the deer took off , and you guessed it, they went directly towards the turkey. Thebronzebeauty shut up. I tried firing him up, but failed.  I began the tour towards the jeep, calling periodically as the rain began to drench my clothes.

Box Turtle

I found a box turtle. I always feel incomplete if I don’t find one in gobbler season. later, I would see a porcupine high in a tree.