Larry A. Smail's Blog

My step father, Bob and I waded across the thigh-high field to obtain a listening point. Bob had heard a gobbler near yesterday. At 5:30 A.M. I told Bob to wait while I continued towards the field’s edge to listen. The windy conditions made hearing difficult, but I heard a gobbler. His gobble was subtle, but I knew I heard one. Shortly, I heard it again and a direction was certain. I called Bob on his cell phone telling him to come down over and across towards me and the woods line.

Bob, after reaching me, heard the gobbler too, as we closed in the distance. I hesitated at the woodlands edge for I heard hen talk. Once I determined the hen talk was real, and not someone calling, I set Bob up and moved to try to scare them away. I wanted to move them away from the gobbler that appeared to be approximately 100-125 yards farther along this ridge.

I managed to get to 40 yards of the two hens. I watched one preening before I made a dash towards them. The two hens flew over the ridge’s edge and the gobbler went nuts for a minute. A second tom gobbled once alongside the more vocal turkey.

I returned to Bob and began calling. The woods erupted for a brief time. While setting there listening to the gobbles a deer walked through the field and a full-striped skunk walked within yards of me. The gobbler remained on the roost longer than I had hoped allowing much time for the hens to return and, at least, one did. The woods became quiet.

Later, I eased down over this ridge to a field. Here I saw a hen in the field. The big gobbler apparently went towards another field with his buddy and a hen (s). Bob was ready to head home and we arrived back to give my mother a rough time by 7:10. Bob said he may go back later today.

Later, I visited the Armstrong County Historical Society museum to meet with some youth from the Grace Brethren Church  of West Kittanning. The subject was French and Indian War through Revolutionary War military. the young-uns asked lots of questions and I enjoyed their company.

**************************************************************************************************

Last Tuesday I awoke and decided to go listen for turkey activity before gathering up some landscaping rocks and ferns. The morning was warm and humid as I listened to a gobbler gobble from across the hollow. I saw a woodcock and one deer.

A doe on my property. I chased her away from the road.

Read Full Post »

Yesterday afternoon, I was working on a stone trail project between allergy issues, and I noticed movement.  A skunk was walking behind me by the gazebo. I started for the house to get my camera before realizing this guy is moving rather quickly. The fat black and white kitty continued walking and eventually crossed the stream behind the house. Also, while working I heard the distinct calling of the Baltimore Oriole. This is such a beautiful bird!

************************************************************************************************************************************************

Early sun hitting the new leaves. Looks like fall!

I had some projects and plans lined up for later today. I decided to hunt a local Pennsylvania Game Commission game lands because of the closeness to my home. I expected hunting pressure. I pulled into the parking area and was happy to see no other cars present and, shortly, I was traveling the dark morning watching the stars and listening to, at least, three woodcocks performing their mating rituals.

Stunning!

I stood forty minutes waiting for normal gobbling time. I heard one tom gobble farther up the ridge. Should I go to him? I imagined some other hunter would have parked beside me by this time. I heard another across a road. I circled the game commission food plots to check the parking area. I was alone!

I eased into the area I had heard the gobbling and called a few times to a now silent woodlands. I heard a few more distant gobbles across Glade Run, I believed. I decided to walk away and check out a high point for gobbling activity before returning to this calling site. Hearing nothing,  I circled around and eased into a narrow grassy strip and WOW… I COULD SEE A FANNED TAIL AND THE SNOW-BALL WHITE HEAD OF A GOBBLER . He was about fifty yards from where I had called from earlier.  I, soon, noticed two hens with him too.

   I realized I needed to take cover and I crawled into a slightly wooded area with lots of multiflora rose brambles. I clucked a few times and waited.

Through the brambles I noticed some movement and a hen was feeding along. She would be passing at about five yards from me. Amazingly, she continued moving along completely unaware of my presence. I could hear the strutting gobbler with his spitting  and drumming noises. He was close! I held the Remington 870 shotgun ready to fire!

Soon the white head was viewed, but no shot could be had. I waited. The big boy eventually walked into a more open area allowing the shot.  The gobbler was mine!

The shot was 18 yards. The gobbler weighed in slightly more than twenty pounds. He had two beards also. One beard was 9 3/4 inches and the second was 7 1/4 inches. Both spurs were one inch in length. This was the same gobbler I had photographed prior to the season. Interestingly enough the turkey was harvested about twenty yards from where I had shot him before with the camera!!!! (See March 31st entry.)

Notice the white stripes on the tail.

I exited the woods after offering reverence for the turkey and stopped at mom’s house. (Bob and my brother-in-law went to Ohio to a car swap.) After visiting briefly I supplied a feather to cousin Donnie’s windshield where I saw a hen by his truck .(I later learned he too had scored on a gobbler. I think the bird flew into his windshield.)

I saw two deer and a lot of squirrels today. I heard and saw some geese flying around.

Read Full Post »

  The trek took fifty minutes of continuous walking. I left the car at 4:30 A.M. to allow a set up behind the roosting site prior to gobbling time. This is the only option with certainty of not being viewed by wary eyes.        

At least three gobblers began their morning serenade as I adjusted my positioning to be above them. A few soft hen chirps and one was down from his roost and closer. Within minutes I witnessed the first gobbler…a jake! Two and three appeared and they were jakes too. The longest beard was about six inches in length. This gobbler was the only one to strut. They came about 15 to 18 yards or less of me. I elected not to shoot. That is  to not shoot the shotgun. However, I shot all three with the camera!

Photos are dark.

I allowed the birds to drift out of view. I laid the shotgun down and gathered up the camera prior to calling to them again. They responded and, shortly, the trio returned. I took over thirty photos in the very early dim light prior to sunrise. I had some issues of darkness, but the worse problem was keeping my viewfinder clear of steam. This show went on for about thirty minutes. Half of the photos were hazy.

Eventually, I decided to head south along Cherry Run and try my luck. I saw a feeding hen while exiting this area. Upon reaching the southern goal, I headed up the long steep grade until I reached a field high point. There was no turkey music to be heard. Later I walked along a ridge before spotting a hunter set up tight against a tree. I turned and slowly exited and went up and over to the other side of the hill. Here I found two turkey blinds set up. I didn’t notice if anybody were in them, but I knew it was time to start towards the car.   

The winds had  been picking up and I decided to call the day over and go home and work on some projects.

Goose family

I saw Canada geese with young goslings today. I saw some squirrels, a plover and a few deer including two with antler growth showing.  I saw my first sighting of a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird too.

What a view!

Read Full Post »

Golden Morning Sun

I picked Bob up this morning. I had business at my mom’s home. We, both, decided we were only going to hunt to about 7:30 A.M. because we had things we needed to do. I had to get the mowing done. Also, I was asked to help judge an art show at the Grace Brethren Church in West Kittanning later today.

However, the morning had some excitement for me. I perched myself early and on top of a point to listen for gobblers. At 5:40 he gobbled clear across the hollow. I, immediately,  began the downhill trek in a diagonal line away from the tom.  After I crossed the creek I began to diagonally climb towards the gobbling bird in hopes of getting above his roosting site.

I was closing in for he was estimated at about 150 yards when I saw the first hen roosting in a tree. I stopped. Another hen was viewed. The question was should I continue moving knowing the birds may fly directly to the gobbler? I elected to sit and call. The hens flew after my first calls. They went downhill!  This was good, but I know from experience the hens may just land and begin working back to the gobbler. They did!

Fifteen minutes later I watched the gobbler fly down and become silent. I waited for some time to anticipate his next move. Would he come in?  NO!

Eventually, I realized  what had occurred and moved up hill. I. later, saw him and the hens along a mowed area. I circled and walked to about 60 yards of the birds. I called. The gobbler stopped looked back and continued! And that is turkey hunting!

Bob heard a gobbler off in the distance. I saw, at least, 9 different deer, but  I had more sightings of deer. I saw a Backburnian Warbler. This is always a special treat.

Read Full Post »

This proved to be one of those mornings when the events of nature truly blessed me. I quietly moved against a tree to await whatever the morning would show.  The time was 5;20 A.M. as I glanced about at the trees. I noticed a dark mass about 35 yards from me. I believed immediately I was seeing a turkey.

As the grays of pre-dawn started to become more defined I noticed a tail and occasionally watched it sway as a counter balance. Did the bird know of my presence or was my approach quiet enough to settle in without detection? A few times as the bird swayed on the roost it would puff its feathers up a little. Gobbler?

One of two sheds I found today.

Gil-obble-obble-obble! Yep, the turkey was a gobbler! I continued watching the bird as it occasionally puffed up as if to a semi-strut. The gobbling increased with gusto. A second bird gobbled behind me. I assumed this was a young gobbler. Fifteen minutes later, the turkey stood up on the limb, gobbled and tried to strut while maintaining balance. At this time, I noticed the four central tail feathers being longer than the rest of the tail. The bird was a jake. (A jake is a gobbler hatched last year.)

   He turned around and sailed to the ground directly to my left at about 25 yards. The turkey began to strut around. What a site! he worked up and over the hill and in a moment he was out of site. This would have been an easy shot! I elected to not try to get a photo because of the darkness of the time at 6:05 A.M. and I wanted to observe the turkey.

I now hurriedly exited across the hollow to try to intercept the two gobblers I had been hearing too. I failed to make it in time and silence became the sound to hear. Apparently, they became “henned up.”                                                                                                         

Gordy Olsen’s Locator

I saw six deer, some squirrels and a grouse too. I quit at 9:00 in order to stop at cousin Donnie’s home. He need my help in removing fish and old leaves as he drained his decorative pool. I transported two bull frogs and a red-spotted newt to my home. Hope they enjoy the new home!

Read Full Post »

Pennsylvania in spring

Bob and I exchanged our plans and off we went towards our listening posts. I arrived to the top of the hill and settled in for turkey talk. The first gobble was at 5:39 A.M. and across the road below where Bob was stationed. A second bird began gobbling behind me and on the side of the hill facing Bob’s location. I decided to not pursue him and, maybe, something positive would happen for Bob’s benefit.                                                                                    

A third gobbler opened up across the hollow from my site.  I waited a bit to make sure no other birds started gobbling on my side before dropping down the hill and across the creek. I set on a diagonal course towards the gobbling bird. I eventually reached his level and hesitated going any higher on the hill’s side for fear of becoming known. The open woods with a gobbler perched high in a tree may easily be a situation for him to spot my movement especially since I may become high lighted with the eastern sky becoming bright. This decision would prove to be wrong!                                                       

I began calling some and the old boy had my position pinpointed. Now, I had time to study the site. He just might come straight across at my level. The other option presented allowed for him to walk up and enter onto a mowed section of woods bordering a Christmas tree planning area. I knew this would be the most likely scenario, but I feared the above mentioned issues enough to set about thirty yards below. That cut stretch was flat land bordering the slope I was on. The slope was about 40 degrees.

A.J. Cassette slate and striker

Silence was heard before another gobble erupted. He was off the roost and working towards the cut area. Should I chance moving? In moments the gobbler was above me and within shotgun range. The gobbler was strutting back and forth and gobbling like crazy! I followed the sounds with the pointed shotgun, but could not get a shot. I could see rose brambles being shaken by the gobbler. Oh, I wish I would have moved up slope more now!

Double action fighting purr call of A.J. Cassette

After a while the gobbler went silent. Later I crept to the mowed area and could easily see why the bird wouldn’t come down over to me. From his vantage point the brush was way too intense to move through especially when he expected the hen to go to his gobbling. I could have made the flat and not be viewed by the perched gobbler. Now I know! Later, I saw him and a hen feeding on a gas well opening. He gobbled twice at a crow and silence became the norm. I saw another turkey later flying down hill. If I would have been standing I would have been offered a shot. Oh well tomorrow is another day.

I saw some squirrels and deer to round out the morning.

Read Full Post »

Light and moderate rain was the norm this morning. The winds were calm, but a dreary sky permeated the woodlands.  I heard my woodcock friend “sniping” in the pre-dawn moments. I waited to see if Bob was showing up to hunt until the last moment. Finally I had to embark the hill!

I sat in wait to see what events would transpire on this second day of the 2013 gobbler season. Warblers began chirping about and the crows opened up with their raucous cawing. A gobbler from across the hollow responded to their noise.  I debated, with his second gobble to cross over. Finally, I decided to go after him  while the grays would help conceal my approach.

I set up approximately 130 yards from the gobbling bird. He, now, was double and triple gobbling. I seduced him with some soft calls and was met with an anxious reply.

The moments crept on when I could hear a dog barking, up the hollow, at a friend’s home. I remembered wondering what made the lab bark.  The tom gobbled a few more times and then silence! I thought something isn’t feeling right with this bird. I waited a bit and called again. SILENCE!  I watched a hen fly from a tree directly above me, but no sounds from the gobbler.

My gut feelings are usually correct. I exited down hill and circled around to the top. I saw two birds and thought I may need to beak them up as a fall hunter might do. I turned and I saw another hunter. I approached him and we chatted and became acquainted. He was a nice fellow and we, both, apologized if we interfered with the hunt. We parted. he remained on the property and I went back across the hollow to seek out other gobblers.

Hindsight has made me believe the tom had seen the hunters approach. he was roosted along the ridge’s edge in trees with little foliage. This may have been the reason he clammed up so quickly. I will never know for sure., but, this is why it is called hunting and not getting. Things happen!

I did see a hen  later. I reached for my camera and realized the memory card was absent. This really bothered me as I walked around the hill calling for turks. I saw two more hens in a field and I had to go home and find that card! (And I did at home!)

I saw some squirrels and had nine deer spotted so the day was still a success. Tomorrow will be another day!

Read Full Post »