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Archive for the ‘2011 Spring Gobbler Season’ Category

Tick and More Hunting

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season, Butterflies and Insects on May 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »

  

Sexton Beetle (Carrion)

  Yesterday I found a tick in the early stage of feeding on me. I eliminated her in a bad way. This brings me joy! This morning I have a welt with a dark center. I will need to monitor this bite for a while. I certainly do not like the idea of Lyme’s Disease.

Strangely enough I have seen ticks far worse than I have this spring. I have quit counting as I approached thirty ticks crawling over my clothes and hands. I eliminate them all!

Bob removed one from his arm prior to the spring gobbler season. He still has a mark too.

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Gobbler sign

   The gobbler wasn’t where I had hoped this morning. In fact, he was across a township road. I headed in his direction, but discovered he was located within posted property. I tried to lure him the 300 yard expense of woodlands to no avail. he headed up and over the hill. I relocated in the area later in the day hoping he would begin calling on his own.

           I did have the opportunity to observe four deer at close range. They were feeding on leaves. One doe lovingly licked the back of one of fawns from last year. My cousin, Donnie told me he found a new-born fawn today. I saw a hen, several squirrels and a grouse today. I, also, saw a red fox puppy!

I searched for some morels for mom while waiting for a turkey to gobble. I ate some of my stash once I returned home. Yummy! 

Rattlesnake Weed

 

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What A Morning!

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season on May 13, 2011| Leave a Comment »

  

Dogwoods & Crabapples

   The 3/4 mile hike through the pre-dawn woods without use of a flashlight can be quite an experience. i used gas lines for a time prior to exiting diagonally across a hillside to reach a ridge to listen for gobblers. With the time almost at 5:30 A.M. two very distant and muffled gobblers were just audible. I climbed higher when a tom exploded much closer. I hurried towards the sound.

I approached to about 120 yards from the gobbler realizing he was across a small hollow. It would be impossible to get on the same side due to open foliage and timing of the dawn. I played the cards. Two close hen yelps forced me to look the trees over. I failed to locate her before the gobbler flew down.

Baby Chipmunk (notice tick)

  The turkey headed diagonally away from my calls towards a field. WHY?  I can’t answer that! I circled around for Bob has been  watching that field with a decoy. I continued circling and noticed his car wasn’t there so I walked parallel to the field and set up to a still gobbling bird.  He wouldn’t come to me, but I heard another gobbler  from across the road.

I circled more approaching the field from below and set up. My calls were answered and there he was… a big tom turkey! I could easily watch him at about 65 yards. he gobbled and strutted for a time before following a gas line through the woods. I continued circling and calling and listening.

    Finally I set up at a likely place. He was close to me and I feared pushing the distance due to exposure. The bird returned to about 50 yards from me and gobbled and strutted for quite some time. Eventually, he tired and walked on silent. The time was after eight. I know he gobbled over 200 times during this morning’s attempt.

Mayapple blossom

   I walked back to my original place to see if I could stir up any gobblers.

The western sky had been thundering and dark all morning. Prior to 10:00, the skies were darkening over me and thunder was over me too. Then I heard the sound of heard rain coming towards me. Soon I am more soaked than my Gore-Tex covered feet. (That may be a blog topic sometime…the Gore-Tex joke.)

I stopped at my mothers and changed into dry clothes , ate a bit and tormented Bob and her a spell too. All in all, I saw deer, squirrels, one big gobbler, baby chipmunks, and various birds. A great morning indeed!   

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Ferret Lost & Tomfoolery

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season, My Family on May 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Last evening when I took my springer out to a business call our ferret, Quincy eluded me, passing by the door before the spring pulled it closed.  He is fast and I never saw him. His bell and collar was removed for a bath and he carried it under the bed and Laurie failed to search for it. With Suzie taken care of I jumped in bed. Laurie, began to call for Quincy and he didn’t respond. I grabbed a flashlight and his treat container and went outside. Lucky for me our neighbors were still setting outside their garage, Portia saw me and immediately called to me. Yes, Quincy had just been past them. I found him and lured the little weasel to me with a treat. Thankful the neighbors were out!

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   I was perched at the highest point well before daybreak. The gobblers were, both, opposite this hill today. Both were in inaccessible areas. I checked around and failed to locate any other birds. I went to site where Bob is hunting and after a brief discussion I went onward to call and listen.

Sometime prior to eight o’clock I called ans was answered by a lusty gobble. Unfortunately, for me he came in quick and caught me ill-prepared. he wasn’t overly spooked just aware something wasn’t right. I made a large semi-circle around and below this position an shortly he was gobbling again. The mood was not the mood I was hoping for and he had periods of silence too. I actually laid down for a nap.

Two deer

  Upon awakening I called and a distant gobble was heard. I maneuvered several times  often receiving answers to my calling at distances of as close as eighty yards. The big bird eventually dropped across a ravine into an area with  pines. I actually began to walk and call and the gobbler was going nuts following me but refusing to come back across to me.

I retreated because quitting time was rapidly approaching. I circled and came into the pine area. He would gobble and I would move. Finally, I reached the top of the hill. For what ever reason, the winds picked up around 11:00 and before long the bird was silent. I wondered if the winds had a role with his silence. Could he have seen me during a move?  I doubted that idea.

Bear sign!

  I slowly toured along the ridge calling periodically when I discovered a place where a bear had been sleeping. Now, I am not sure if this happened, but could the bear have winded me during the windy times causing it to leave the bed and walk towards the turkey?  The answer is .. yes! I have been seeing plenty of bear signs on my hunts. I tasted this pile twice and still couldn’t determine what the bear had been eating.

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What a fragrance!

While working the bird my mother called me concerning my uncle. Harold Yount is in the hospital with some potentially serious health issues going on. Also, my aunt, Ethel Burkett fell and is at the hospital too.

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Gobbler Chasing, Allergies & ACTS!

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season on May 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I exited the car very early. As I walked along a rural road I couldn’t help noticing the stars shining brightly. I listened to the peacefulness all around. I could hear the bubbling stream along with a few spring peepers. At 4:45 A.M. I heard a couple of warblers already chirping. All is well with the world at such times.

   I reached the high point and settled in to await any gobbling activity. the noise from the distant highway was now beginning to become noticeable. I tried to take a few photos os the early morning sky without the aid of a tripod. they failed. I am including one photo just for the colors.

I could hear something coming across the forest floor. I imagined a deer but I shortly saw a ‘coon within about ten feet of me. The little guy turned and was almost at my feet when I abruptly jumped.  The ‘coon appeared to be like those Warner brothers cartoon characters trying to get its feet to move. The ‘coon jumped on a tree and climbed to the top…only about 15 feet!  here it stayed.

Gil-obble! to my left and around the round top. I set up and we talked a bit. The gobbler left the roost never to be heard from again. I retreated and began a circle around the round top when I called and was answered down over the back side of this land feature. I closed in and realized where the bird was. I set again and listened to this tom turkey gobble like mad! he was still in the tree when I heard a few hen clucks before silence. he gobbled twice after he left the roost. he two was never to be heard from again.

   I continued on across a hollow when I heard 4 gobbles way across this wood lot in posted property. I closed in towards the property line and called loudly. He never responded. maybe I am using a chicken call instead of a turkey call! I spent two hours in this area.. napping and walking about gathering more morels for a future meal.

As the ten o’clock hour approached I needed I decided to begin a tour backwards to see if any of the other turkeys were ready to gobble on their own and respond to my calling. No luck!

Mr. Toad

I saw  some deer and squirrels, a water snake and a mockingbird too.  My step father, Bob who was on a nearby hill heard one gobbler. My friend Kip Feroce called in and scored this day. You can visit his web site on the right column of my home page. Kip makes some great turkey calls.

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Yesterday evening I had some allergy issues after mowing. Unfortunately, they began reappearing at mid-morning. Today, I finished my mowing, but I took some meds. However, the allergies and meds caused my needs for a nap this afternoon. Maybe age has something to do with napping too.

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This evening I attended The Kittanning Free Methodist Church where I have a small group studying the book of Acts and Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles. I am working at leaving my comfort zone! The church’s web site can be found on the right side of my web and blog too.

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Morels

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season, Misc. Nature on May 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »

  

Beautiful country!

  It is a conspiracy I tell you! I went to a different area to check for gobblers this morning. I needed to see some favorite sites again. I heard one gobbler clean across a big hollow and one behind me in posted land. I did see one gobbler far off on reclaimed land. But, let me get back to the conspiracy.

I began walking along when I heard “hello”. I looked back and a woman I know was following me. She said she told her husband someone was walking over on the ridge and came to check out who it is. We talked about ten minutes and we went in different directions. I couldn’t squeeze a gobble out the hills and I decided to head back to my other haunts.

A hint of sun

  I walked up hill and found a pile of hen feathers. A neighbors plane began to circle and circle and circle. He must be getting hours on his plane because he circled for over 1 1/2 hours! The runway is on the next hill. A crew was working along the road at a gas line. They, too were making noise. As I approached the wood lot where a gobbler often hangs out I could hear my farmer friend working his tractor in the fields. I imagined all these people getting together planning these events to hinder my hunting progress. (Just kiddin’) I sat down, called periodically and actually fell asleep for a time.

YUMMY!

   At 10:30, I arose and spotted something I have seen every day this spring while hunting turkeys..morels! I abandoned turkey hunting and spent much time walking about, searching out these delicious mushrooms. I gathered a nice mess to eat. I continued casually looking as I headed back towards the vehicle. At 11;20 I called and was immediately answered by a gobbler. I hastily set up and began trying to coax him up the hill to me. However,there were some nasty green briars to my left. Since the hunt is over at noon I had little time to manuever so I tried my luck at this site. The gobbler came to about 100-125 yards of me and wouldn’t budge another inch by noon. I crept away silently knowing if I would have had more time I could have taken this gobbler.

     My travels covered some beautiful Pennsylvania countryside. We are blessed with Pennsylvania beauty, we all need to just look at it! I found a box turtle shell today. I wondered what caused the turtle’s demise. I heard a woodcock doing its mating flight. I saw some squirrels, a rabbit and a few deer too. I, also, saw my first Baltimore Oriole of the spring today and a Yellow-Breasted Chat. The sounds this fellow make are truly amazing!

Yellow-breasted Chat

  I came home and mowed the grass. Yesterday evening I took my first bike ride of the season. I am slightly sore today because of that ride. This evening, I plan to paint some and rest some more. Afterall I am getting older! Tomorrow is another day in the turkey woods.

                                                              

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8th day Gobbler

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season, Misc. Nature on May 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 

Early sunshine

   My step father, Bob went  to the top of the hill via a gas well road this morning. Amazingly, two gobblers were roosted very close to his location. he walked by very close and his car lights would have been seen by the toms. Still, at 5:30 A.M. the two sounded off. Bob, wasn’t sure about their location. He thought they may be across a hollow. he was wrong and walked to them spooking them.

       I located him around 7:00 and he filled me in as to what happened. I suggested we go back and see if they begin to gobble. At 7:40 a lone gobbler began to sing! We moved in the direction and I was disappointed to locate the gobbling bird across the hollow and township road. If I would have been alone I would have circled the bird on the same side.  Bob, at 76, isn’t up to that kind of rapid movement. I elected to attempt calling him across. Silence soon became the norm. I assumed his buddy located him and they became quiet. After 10:00 I tried to shake them up but all was quiet on the western front.

    I spooked a quiet gobbler in the morning. I had heard two very muffled gobbles and tried to move in tight to where I thought the turkey might be. He was still in the tree at 6:30.

I saw squirrels, about 10 deer and a rose-breasted grosbeak  and red-eyed vireo. (Both firsts for the year)I left a rather warm woods close to noon.      

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

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7th Day Bear

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season, Wildlife on May 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »

    I chose to go to the state game lands  in hope of seeing and hearing those gobblers again. The rapidly growing grasses were holding much dew. The woods were soaked in with a heavy fog. I was concerned with hunting pressure it being a Saturday, but having less than 5 hours of sleep, the easy walk to listening spot seemed a good idea at the time.

I heard one gobbler twice while listening. Later I saw a hen. I elected to sneak along the hedgerows, mentioned in yesterday’s post, to stop, call and wait. By 7:30, I saw where two individuals had walked through the grass. I decided to go to my usual haunts to see what was going on, but not before speaking for a time with a friend, Vonnie. She was walking the road for exercise.

Garlic mustard- an invasive

  I drove along a road on the backside of a favorite hunting spot and turned onto another road and was pleased to not see any vehicles. I, now, knew that if anybody else was hunting they would be locals. (or ATV drive-ins.)

I walked up a steep gas line and was about to go over onto a plateau when I could see a decoy on the line. I immediately turned around  to walk out and drove to a third place. I did find a lone turkey egg with my exit.

I was walking diagonally towards the top of this area seeing two deer. Shortly, I heard a car door slam and a vehicle exiting a gas line road. Figuring, hunters were behind every tree by now I continued on anyway.

Black Bear!

     Suddenly, I saw some black.. a deep, dark BLACK!  Yes, I was watching a black bear. I managed a couple of photos and turkeys became absent from my mind. The bear turned up the hill. I went in reverse and circled up the hill as fast as my asthma would allow. I crept onward and spotted the moving mass of black again and even closer. Unfortunately, I got few photos, BUT I SAW A BEAR!  I love seeing bear in the wilds!

After an hour of bear huntin’ I came back to the reality of what I originally was out to do and that was turkey hunting.  I chose to do a walk and call method and eventually heard a gobble out the ridge somewhere. I moved tighter and heard one more gobble followed by silence. I left the woods at noon.

Turkey Egg

  I crashed after returning home sleeping over two hours. Must have been tired!

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6th Day Gobbler/ Fox Puppies

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season, Misc. Nature on May 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »

     I had a full agenda this day so my gobbler chasing was to be much shorter than what I would have liked. I would need to be leaving the woods no later than 8:30 A.M. in order to go home, clean up and go to Clarion County, Pennsylvania to play some gospel music. These plans would force me to hunt closer to my home. A local state game lands provided the place to go.

    I had walked across frosty grass areas to wait and listen for turkey chatter. I wasn’t disappointed. A ‘coon began scolding something and gobbles erupted. The time was 5:22! i moved in on them for a set up and crept in dangerously close. In fact once the sky lit up the woods I could see a gobbler about 120 yards away.  Three toms gobbled regularly and a fourth one began calling off in the distance and would soon walk in.

Later hen talk could be heard and I watched the gobbler fly down. The woods became silent which is the norm when hens are with the old boys. I mustered out a few more gobbles and the silence was dominant.

      I walked away from this site to explore my options remember I needed to watch the time. While walking and planning I discovered some fresh bear sign and saw a rabbit and squirrel. Suddenly, I saw a red fox with puppies. I placed my shotgun on the ground and readied my camera. What a joy to watch these four little puppies romp and play. I managed a few photos.

I circled around and walked back up onto the top of this game land hill into areas where the Pennsylvania Game Commission had planted food plots and hedgerows. these hedgerows are primarily multiflora rose and autumn olive..thick stuff! I called and a hen started to putt angrily to me. Suddenly, I could see turkeys moving about on the other side of this brush.

    I saw jakes (yearling gobblers) and some long bearded birds, but I never counted accurately because I would see a bird and lose sight and the birds were circling around peering at my direction at about 20-25 yards! The trouble being I could occasionally see beards but briefly and with the confusion of randomly circling turkeys I would loose sight as to which bird had the longest beard.

Later, I crawled out to peak down the food plot and I could see, at least 6 jakes and one long beard gobbler. they continued moving away and I went home to continue on with my plans. I will not be getting home until after 11:00 P.M. this evening so I may come back here to this site to hunt.   

 (Forgot to mention earlier in the blog. I think I might have a secret admirer. Someone placed a lilac blossom on my windshield this morning. Could the initials be V.M.?)

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5th Day Gobbler

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season, Misc. Nature on May 5, 2011| 2 Comments »

  

Scarlet Tanager

  Frost on the pipes this morning made for a potentially treacherous stream crossing. I shuffled along very carefully. Bob drove around to the other side of the hill. He is smarter than I. (rarely)

I set up to listen and was disappointed that this would be the third morning a gobbler wasn’t heard on the roost. The morning was clear, followed by some cloud cover and opening back up for some sunshine around 8:30. I circled around to see Bob. He said he had heard one solitary gobble across the field. I told him I would, probably, be going to another area after circling the hill, calling and listening. While we were discussing options I noticed a red fox with some food dangling from its mouth. I didn’t get a photo. Bob had to leave early today due to a committment.

Beautiful Pennsylvania!

  I followed through with my plan and began the long trek to my destination. I sat down and began taking photos of warblers when around 9:30 I believed I heard a distant, muffled gobble. Later I did confirm, but the windy conditions made direction and distance very difficult to determine. When did the winds start?

I played around with this turkey for about 1 1/2 hours before his silence seemed permanent. He only gobbled about 10 times in all. I am not sure what had happened. I have theories! 

Green Heron

   I chased out another turkey while heading back to my vehicle. I had seen a lot of deer today and a few squirrels too. Upon returning home, I had my springer, Suzie out and was surprised to see a green heron along my backyard creek.

My girl!

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4th Day Gobbler

Posted in 2011 Spring Gobbler Season, Misc. Nature on May 4, 2011| Leave a Comment »

When is the weather going to become like May? Bob and I were rained on today. I guess that is to be expected. We sat from 5:30 to 6:40 and never heard a “peep” of a turkey. I was surprised, but that is why this thing we do is called hunting and not getting. You can never know what a turkey will do.

Dogwood blossoms

  Despite the gloomy morning, I was pleased to see the beautiful dogwoods continuing with their annual flowering. This same area in the fall is loaded with red berries and wildlife eating them.

We began a tour around the area calling and listening. Eventually, I heard what I believed to be gobble deep in a hollow. Unfortunately, by this time, we were near U.S. 422. the highway supplied too much noise. However, I heard some sharp alarm putts and close. I counteracted with alarm putts and shortly a hen came into view. She had seen Bob move and began “cursing” the unidentified movement. I calmed her down and played around with her for about thirty minutes before she circled around me.

    I decided we should check out another area where I had seen the gobbler yesterday. I dropped Bob off at his car. He talked me out of going instead to return home and torment mom for a while. When I checked the time at 10:00 I decided to take up his offer.

Goose family

  I saw some deer too. I, also, saw a  warbler of an unknown specie and a pair of geese with goslings. The warbler photo is not of best quailty. Any one know the specie? Many  warblers are the birds I have least knowledge. One sees them so little to learn.                             

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