Larry A. Smail's Blog

The first day of the 2020 Spring Gobbler Season was, indeed, an enjoyable morning afield. I hadn’t scouted at all the area I chose to hunt. I wasn’t sure of the amount of hunters I may encounter. Interestingly, I never heard  or saw a hunter and this was the first day.

The first gobble I heard occurred at 5:15 A.M. I know this for I struggled to view my watch in the darkness. I continued to go uphill and soon I was across a hollow from the gobbling bird. If this had not been the first day I would have moved closer to the bird, but I know sometimes another hunter who I have met on several times hunts the top of the hill.

After some time additional gobbling occurred near the first gobbler. I could hear other gobblers very far off in the distance.

Early sunshine and Spicebush density.

Eventually, I began moving towards the gobbler after he had left the roost. I moved cautiously knowing if I heard what might be a hunter’s calls, I would reverse the movement.  As I moved I quickly realized the gobbler was moving uphill towards the flat area. Much of this woodland area has Spicebush  growing  making for some dense cover, however, once one begins upslope the woods become much more open. I could see the rim of the flat and decided to call and see what the turkey would do next. Moving closer could end up with those unfortunate meetings. The tom loved my calling and was gobbling a lot. Suddenly, off to my left and hidden by the Spicebush density was explosive gobbling and close! Now I had a dilemma: where should I concentrate my viewing. I worked the eyes under the face mask.

The gobbling included young birds for sure, but one seemed very loud and deep. The bird above me was still gobbling well. In front of me and to my

Early Dogwood blossom

left I saw movements of turkeys. WOW, all five gobblers were Jakes or first year gobblers.  They worked uphill and, as soon as they, maneuvered up and over the hill’s top the other gobbler fell quiet. My theory is these five gobblers  may have been bossing the single two-year old bird around causing him to shrink away into the distant woods.

I worked to the top to try to stir up the single bird, but had the jakes gobbling again. Shortly, I could see the fan with the longer tail feathers.  I enjoyed the show, but  quit calling and they drifted out-of-site. I moved again and in time they five birds came in again. No adult birds! I decided to walk away and see if I could stir another bird at another area. I did find a few morels on the walk.

I carried some Ramp stalks and a few Virginia Bluebells with me and I planted these eat some varying lace hoping they survive, thrive and spread in future years.

Rabbit

Getting back to the hunt… I crossed the road and circled the hill not hearing any gobbling. Just before ten o’clock I called prior to entering a field. In seconds a hen appeared and took off on a run. I stepped ahead to see a nice longbearded gobbler. He had little concern for that blob at the field’s edge as he turned and followed the hen. As I was heading to go I saw two more jakes with a hen.

I called it a day for I needed to go to my mother’s and mow a steep a bank and trim.

I saw a total of nine deer, two squirrels, two rabbits and ten turkeys.

Morels

Virginia Bluebells