Larry A. Smail's Blog

Bloodroot

The sneezing was inevitable. It happens every year. However, most of the morning was sneeze-free.

I found the pre-dawn venture along a township road to be pleasurable. I could hear the Spring Peepers peeping and the bubbling tributary as I walked along the calm and cool morning. After a jaunt of approximately 1200 feet I crossed that stream and began the trek uphill to listen for gobblers. I have taken around twelve birds, both spring and fall,  from this very place I was heading. Thoughts began crossing my brainwaves. Was a nearby timbering operation going to effect gobbling? Would that same issue help keep hunters coming in from that direction?

I sat down to await the morning events while listening to the growing sounds of the warblers and other birds. they were happy this foggy morning. Would the gobblers be happy? Apparently not!

I failed to hear any birds at all. After six and I moved along the ridge and called in an area where I have often been successful and getting response. I heard him way across a big basin. Off I went. As I moved diagonally downhill I crossed a right-of-way and called again. he answered.

Eventually, I found myself along a bench where I had bagged a tom about six years ago. I called and he answered and was close. I believed he may have still been on the roost, but I set up and called again. Gil-obble was the reply. he would only answer my calls for I allowed much silence between calls. two geese flew over and he answered them.  He ceased answering my calls and I decided to allow the bird some time and exited the area and went uphill to search for Morel Mushrooms.  He never called again and I moved back the way I came to try to stir up another bird with the idea of returning later in the morning.

I was closing back to the original calling site when I could hear a lot of commotion down over. the farmer, apparently, had some cows out of the fence. I could hear bellowing cattle, ATV  and two voices hollering. I moved into the woods and received no calling back to my calls. Did the commotion have him move on and deeper into this woods half of which is posted and timbered?  I set up and called and waited when I could hear some hen talk above me. I waited and watched and assumed it to be of another hunter. For safety sake I moved on.

   I returned to the jeep a little after eleven o’clock wondering what to do with the next hunt.

I enjoyed the morning for the woods appeared so fresh, clean and new.