Larry A. Smail's Blog

The morning weather looked dismal for gobbler hunting. However, after having some allergy issues stop I headed out to see how the turkey hunting would be this morning. I had left my camo-clad raingear with my friend, Dana Gould so I would not be having that luxury this day. Oh well! We had tentative plans to hunt with outdoor writer and friend, Steve Sorenson. The plans fell apart with the weather forecast.

I moved towards a place I have had luck finding gobblers. However, they have always, so far, been in posted property. This property is an open woodlands with two gas well sites with grassy conditions all around them. There are gas well roads running through the property, too. These conditions are great for gobbler activity. The property I am on features much Multiflora Rose, Also, there is a border ditch with higher banks separating the two properties. In my experience the birds do not wish to cross those barriers. I have to try!

This morning was no different. I stirred up two toms and they were exactly in the areas explained above. Both gobblers moved along the property line, but would not cross over. I played with them for over two hours.

I tried moving about to no avail. Eventually, I would spook one gobbler from the posted property as I rose to walk away.

I followed some side plans and eventually I spotted a tom along a wood and field line. I called and he exploded with a gobble. He disappeared over the bank and out of my site. The next time I saw him he had walked onto a grassy road. I eased into position when I believed the time was right.

The gobbler moved slowly along this area. I had the sights aligned to the left of some thick vegetation waiting for his appearance. Slowly the darkened form and red, white and blue, American-colored head appeared. I couldn’t see a beard, at first, so I held off from firing the shotgun. A few more steps and the beard was plainly visible and the shot happened and the bird was down.

I ran to the gobbler. He had two beards, one ten inches and the other of nine and a quarter inches. Both spurs were one inch in length.

Upon returning home a used a tripod to take a few photos, followed with the stripping down of my camo clothes before placing it all in the dryer. I will try for another tag being filled soon.