Larry A. Smail's Blog

Dogwood

I was surprised when the first morning of the 2016 spring gobbler season  began, and I failed to hear any gobbling from roosting turkeys. This proved to be, especially, accurate when I thought back over the last two weeks. I had heard birds every morning I scouted. I went out in the mid-morning on hikes and hear gobbling! Oh well…that is why this interest is called hunting!                                                

I crossed from one hill to another early hoping to hear turkeys on the back side of the ridge. I called, and I heard a very distant gobbling. I thought could that bird have heard my calling? The rule is ..Go after the gobbling bird!  I took a few stesp and heard a shot. Was the shot where the bird was gobbling from?                                                                

The second morning  was met with thunder, and lightning. I monitored the radar closely before deciding to the rain should be close to completion by starting time. Off I went!

I was walking up slope when I heard a vehicle moving slow on the road where I was

Ovenbird

parked. A hunter emerged blowing a crow call hoping to stir up a gobbler. I continued moving up the hill.

  I heard a gobbler far off, and immediately moved towards the bird. I eased into the woods where he had gobbled. I called and was met with a thunderous gobble. I set up before calling again. Gil-obble-obble-obble. I was about a hundred yards from the bird. All was silent, and I heard the wings flying down. I waited. More silence.

The setup was textbook… close; open woods; a grassy old logging road to strut on, but the turkey failed to show. I, eventually, circled around to hear a hen.

I began a tour of the area. The vehicle hunter had left, but another hunter had three   decoys set up in a field. I returned to the site where I had heard the gobbler to search for morels, field sketch, and take photos.

After some time I circled low along the side of the hill before angling towards the ridge. I was, now, farther down the same ridge where the gobbler may had went. I eased up slowly calling periodically. There it was… a gobble.

I moved and called again, and the big boy answered. He began gobbling occasionally on his own as I set up. All seemed to be going well, but he moved along another ridge in pastureland and away from me. This land was posted.

Maybe tomorrow morning???