Larry A. Smail's Blog

I was anticipating a good gobbling day upon hearing the weather, however, the starry time prior to sunrise began seeing a push for cloud cover. By normal gobbling time on the roost the clouds were covering much of the sky.

Due to a long walk to the site where I was hoping to listen for roosted birds, I had to exit the jeep earlier in the dark. I was set up against a large oak when I heard two far-off gobblers. I should have moved on one of them , but I stayed in place still wanting to hear a gobbler close to wear I was setting. The two gobblers only gobbled about 6-7 times each. There was a lack of enthusiasm. All day long and I never heard any gobbling except for a single bellow on occasion.

Eventually I moved to where I believed the one tom might be and I was correct. I eased slowly up a steep round top field and peered across the highest point and there was the fan. I backed away and called. I was going to enter the wood line edge, but I heard hen calls and thought another hunter just might be in place. I exited.

I walked the other side of the steep field and entered the woods where I began calling. I saw the same longbearded bird strutting the horizon line but he wasn’t gobbling. Hens were, no doubt, in the field with him. I did hear one gobble farther down the ridge and went for it.

The tom answered my calls twice and would only gobble on occasion. I couldn’t fire him up. The bird was across a steep gully with a stream and I believed I should go across and work above. I spooked a couple of hens and would later hear one yelping on the other side.

I heard another gobble but couldn’t determine the direction for the winds had been picking up by nine o’clock. I went farther uphill and began calling. Suddenly there he was! A big gobbler within range and my shotgun was not in a position to get a shot. I froze, but he became suspious of that camo-clad blob and panicked. Hunting silent birds can be difficult.

I elected to move out of the area and cross a deep hollow and go up over the other side. I have taken three gobblers later in the day on this hillside. Upon entering an opening from a reclaimed strip I could see a strutter on a fifty- foot right-of-way. I circled, but he was far off for an old man to move rapidly.

Once I reached that area I began to move slowly and call and heard nothing. Later, when I began my descent to the jeep I would see four gobblers moving along a field’s edge. I didn’t try any strategy for quitting time was just ahead.

I did see a lot of deer, gobblers, Jakes, hens and many bird species. I found some Morel Mushrooms.

But my left leg hurts!