Larry A. Smail's Blog

Good Morning

I watched the weather and decided to go hunting anyway. One needs to remember the forecasters had said all this week were chances of rain and they were wrong. I made a decision if the rains become too heavy I would simply quit for the day.

  I woke up and began to cough due to asthma. I used the inhaler and seemed to have control. I had taken  an allergy pill last evening. I hate to take pills so I wait until I am bad. Those with superior knowledge, like my wife, claim I need to take them regularly to build up defense within my body. So I didn’t sneeze much this morning while in the woods.

While traveling in the predawn, I heard two Woodcocks doing their ritual, sky mating searches. I was introduced to this ritual as a boy. My dad pointed this out in the abandoned field beside the house.  I heard a Whip-Or-Will, also.

I climbed to the highest point on the hill which is a round top field of about 8 acres.  Sometimes after 5:30 I heard my first gobble down over the hill. Of course I headed towards the bird and set up around a hundred yards, or so, from his roost.

Moments later I heard some light hen chatter. Later, another hen was heard. This one actually walked around among the vegetation. I never saw her due to the darkness in the early woods. This gobbler gobbled occasionally at my calling, but others exploded farther out along the slope. I estimated three, possibly four, additional gobblers. I assumed they were Jakes of last year and they were for I would see them later on.

The two hens and gobbler moved uphill onto the round top field. I saw them, and later, would try a break up. The break up actually worked for the hens flew down over the hill and gobbler ran off in the opposite direction. I walked away planning on coming back later, and that was when the rains began.  I heard another turkey in a tree  but didn’t identify it as male or female. Like I said above, I did see the Jakes. I saw a total of nine birds. Did I mention of the rain falling?

By 7:30 I was about fifty percent soaked. I returned to the breakup site and called but didn’t hear any gobbling. The rains increased. I decided to make a tour towards the jeep and try to locate a tom. I did see some deer and an Opossum. The intensity of the rain was gaining and I was getting soaked. By the time I reached the jeep I was 95% drenched and twenty pounds heavier. I thought it best to quit and go home.

‘possum