Larry A. Smail's Blog

The bearded hen

On a recent post here I mentioned the old adage. The old saying often heard is the “third time’s the charm.” That third time for this fall’s turkey season came true this morning as I pursed the big birds.

  I walked to a listening point early this morning to hopefully hear some roosted birds. That plan failed so I began a walk and call style hunt.  I did not

Milkweed seeds

find any turkeys so I went a couple of hills over to repeat. Again I didn’t find any turkeys. This fall season has been exceptionally difficult for me. Sure, I had two chances that I left slide by believing a better shot would be the result. Neither opportunity resulted in any shots. Other birds were seen in leased land so I couldn’t go after them. Mostly I was simply having a rough time finding birds. I put on many miles trying to locate and break up a flock of turkeys in order to call one back in.

The third area I was searching found a change in luck for me.  I was walking along calling. At one point I called and heard nothing. I walked about ten feet more and I heard it! I heard yelps and not at any great distance. I hurried set up between two big oaks and the calling began.

About fifteen minutes later I first saw the turkey. I leveled the shotgun once an opportunity to do so presented itself.  A few minutes more the turkey moved into an open position and the shot was fired. The twenty yard shot was true and I had a turkey. Those many windy and rainy days with lots of miles walked and, suddenly, and in a short time I received an answer and had a turkey. That is the way the hunts happen at times.

I was surprised to realize the adult turkey had a five inch beard. I was surprised she was alone, too.

I took some various photos before heading home. It was a good day with a bagged turkey and a lot of deer sightings. One buck I saw had close to a twenty-inch spread.