Larry A. Smail's Blog

‘Possum!

The season since I bagged a gobbler has been interestingly slow in regards with gobbling. Today began  no    different. I heard a gobbler gobble about four times. I believe this may be the same bird for in past days I heard him gobble once, three. five times on a any given morning.

The turkey was roosted behind posted property. I hoped to get next to the line and call him out if possible. However, by the time I had crossed the road and creek and worked around his turkey talk had long been finished. Downhearted, I went back across the road to listen on the other side of the hill after all it still wasn’t even six-thirty in the morning. I sat down to listen and heard something walking. The source of the sound was an opossum! I squeaked the animal in to me before he smelled my stench and turned away.

Baby Red squirrel

I formulated another plan. I would again cross the road and bear left up a long hollow and move up and over the top. I would then work the property behind the posted property. Maybe, this gobbler would work into that area.

I called with some shrill yelps and immediately was cut off by a gobbler. I estimated him to be eighty yards or so.  The area he was in was a mixture of sassafras and maples. The diameters of most trees would be from 8-12 inches. The woodland floor was very open. No chance to move to this area. I had to settle to stay on top in old spruce trees.There he was at least! I might have a chance to work him. Silence was the norm. I waited to see what his next move might be. He gobbled on his on but had moved to my right. We played a little back and forth before he became silent and moved on. I feared hens finally lead him off and his interest in me waned.

I circumvented the property again and settled in on the opposite side of this hill. My plan was to head home at ten unless… I returned home at 10:30. I saw  some deer and a Grey Fox, too.

Yesterday, May 15th, I hunted until 1:30. I walked for miles calling and listening. The only bird I heard was in posted property and he gobbled only three times and way off. The remaining day was silent. I did bump a turkey from the edge of a farmer’s lane. I saw two Black Snakes. One rattled his tail like a rattlesnake!

Brown Thrasher

On the 14th of May I heard the gobbler one time. He was very far off and barely audible. I arrived to the site about an hour and fifteen minutes later. I called  before I circled the end of the hill. I walked up and over and gobbled and was immediately cut off by a gobble about 120-140 yards away. I had a glimmer of hope. He would not call again until I gobbled once more. He answered, but had moved off. I shocked gobbled him, but he wasn’t interested in my hen talk.

I returned to the jeep about noon and began heading home. I saw eight turkeys about a mile from where I was parked. As I circled the hunting area I spotted a longbeard moving through grassy areas towards to where I had heard the gobbler. Go figure?

Tomorrow the temps are to reach 90 degrees. My hunt shall be short. The allergies will be worse tomorrow. I struggled today.