Larry A. Smail's Blog

    The grassy areas were already white as I drove through the early pre-dawn time heading to pick up Bob and try for turkeys. This first day of the fall turkey season was to be a white one. The woods were draped in snow by the time we entered the woods. We received a good three inches of snow where we hunted.

I heard a few soft yelps around 7:30 and hurried towards the sound. Some of the birds were already on the ground others were still in the trees. I drove them off and a decent break was the result. It wouldn’t be long before  turkey talk was heard down the hill.

I set Bob up and moved to his right  10 yards or so. I expected the action to be fast and it was. The turkeys were sounding with kee-kee and whistles and they were coming in towards me. I held the shotgun ready as the birds closed in. Suddenly, I could hear the yelps of the hen turkey.  As often can happen while calling turkeys the birds were getting together only about 35 yards from me but terrain issues were keeping them from being seen. They moved the other way after the hen came to them.

I backtracked and circled around and walked into the birds. I could have easily shot but I charged them to break up again. I went back and brought Bob up and we settled in. However, the heavy wet snow was beginning to soak in and long waits were not going to happen. I was getting wetter by the minute and colder too. BUT MY FEET WERE DRY AND WARM…no more Gore-Tex and their problems.

Bob and I circled around in the direction where the turkeys seemed to have flown. I saw some scratchings and shortly walked into the gobbler flock of five birds. I charged but couldn’t get a break. I knew waiting to chance these birds would be futile under the circumstances. Wet snow was falling  and wet snow was coming off the trees. Limbs were falling all around too. I thought back of my sister’s first husband who died by a limb striking him in 1987. There was snow and wind on that day too.

      Bob and I went back to the original plan of circling where the flock may have gone. We set up after I was answered by a distant kee-kee. Less than five minutes later a silent turkey came from my right and the 24 yard shot was perfect. 

Bob and I continued on and watched a small buck walk through the pines and later we spooked two birds out of the trees. We decided to circle around where we were at dawn and try to cut tracks. We arrived at car shortly after noon soaked through out.

Once the snow quit falling the snow on the trees and ground melted fast. I avoided carrying my camera this day while in the woods. That was a good decision. All our calls would not work correctly due to moisture. A camera would not have been a good idea. (The photos shown here were taken after the snow had melted quite a bit.)

I will try for a turkey next week with Bob. Wish us luck!       

What a difference in a couple of days!

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After a day at my mother’s place for Thanksgiving, I planned a day in the woods searching out the wild turkey again. Things were looking bleak for me this fall. I passed up several birds so Bob (my step-father) could get his first turkey. I worked hard and walked many miles to find turkeys after that. Fate played it’s hand and caused many things to occur to produce days without a shot. I failed to shoot at flying birds (my own tradition); turkeys went into posted lands; birds flew across a road; I failed to break birds up in order to call them in. The season has been tough on an aging feller!

I went to Cherry Run first to listen for roosting birds in some pines.I hoped they may have roosted in those trees to shelter from the rains and winds.  The entire day would prove to windy. Later I walked about searching for feeding birds to break up. At this site I did not find any turkeys. However, I did see a dandy of a buck chasing does. I saw him twice. His antlers would be at least 18 inches across if not more.

The second place I checked out was where Bob shot his first turkey on November 13th. The area was clean of turkeys except a longbeard that  I spooked. The gobbler was alone and I figured calling him in would be difficult since after 40 minutes of calling the winds had chills forming down my spine.

The third area I went to was my last chance for the day. I saw two other turkey hunters so I crossed the top of the hill and entered some pines on the back side. I didn’t go far when I saw a turkey approximately 120 yards down hill. I peaked around the tree and continued watching. In short order I realized a flock was present. I ditched my orange and placed my hat behind me and tried calling. They seemed uninterested. I knew I needed to try to break them up.

My charge wasn’t very successful due to many tree tops and my fear of going “head over heels.” I wasn’t sure what happened to the turkeys because of brush and terrain, but I sat down to wait. Twenty minutes later I began to call and was answered across the hollow.. across a township road… and in posted property. We carried on a nice communication when the adult hen opened up in the same area. Normally, a hunter would try to run her away, but the posted property would not permit that plan to happen.

A hard-earned turkey!

   Almost an hour had passed with me calling periodically hoping a stray turkey might answer. Suddenly, yelps were heard behind me. I used my voice to call and a turkey came running through the woods towards me. I couldn’t keep the sights on the bird due to speed. AT twelve yards the turkey stopped and a limb was directly in line. She turned and flew away. I couldn’t believe how this season had transpired for me with bad fate.

Shortly, I decided no other birds were around and I moved in the direction the turkey flew. I sat against a tree and began to call. I heard a cluck, then another and close yelps. Using my voice I encouraged the turkey on in finally allowing for a shot. The young hen, almost again, escaped my shot. The brush, terrain and her speed coming in was such that I had one chance only. the time was 2:20 P.M.

I think tomorrow I will rest and paint.   

Another turkey on his childhood tricycle.

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Cherry Run Watershed

  I felt the need to get away from the noisy areas. I went farther south into the Cherry Run hills and valleys. This is my country. I was raised crawling up and over these hills. I thank my father for introducing the Cherry Run watershed to me early in my life. I think they are beautiful and they are filled with memories.

   I walked non-stop from 6:15 A.M. until  a little after one. I didn’t see a turkey, but that was alright since I had time to reflect on my past once again. Like I said …lots of memories!

I saw   some deer, grouse and squirrels and a bird I do not see often anymore… the woodcock! There used to be  a lot more around, but the habitat they require is becoming increasingly scarce. They need brushy areas and wetland type of habitat.

Cherry Run

  I, also saw a great horned owl and either a coyote or a dull-colored red fox!

Needless to say those high and steep hills had me feeling rather tired by the time I returned home. Awwwwwww the golden years are coming.

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I anxiously walked through the pre-morning darkness to set up and listen for roosting turkeys. Yesterday, November 17th was very windy.Towards 7:00 A.M. I called and heard a distant reply. The problem was I wasn’t sure where. This area is close to SR 422 and the truck noise can be awful, especially for a couple of hours at dawn. Apparently the atmospheric conditions allow the noise to be stronger on certain days. I had been plaqued by this problem at three different sites.  The site where Bob shot his first fall bird is about 1 1/2 miles away too and the noise was bad until mid-morning.

The birds were not very vocal and quit before I wanted them too. I did realise the turkeys were low in the hollow and near a residence.  I began a stalk and call routine across the area prior to making a complete circle when I walked into a flock of birds.  I tried to get a break, but failed to do so. The time was 9:55. This one acre area  had been part of a micro-burst about 6 years ago. The uprooted trees were completely engulfed in briars, of which, I became entangled in. I looked up and witnessed a second flush about 28-30 yards from me. The turks had difficulty getting airborne in the brush and a shot would have been relatively easy. However, my tactics for fall birds are to call them in, so the thought of raising the shotgun to fire never crossed my mind at that time. Later I wished I would have.

Unfortunately, this flush occurred within eye site of  the SR 422 at the Cherry Run and Margaret intersection. t Although the hill-side was about a 1/2 of a mile the terrible noise was deafening this morning! I called loudly whenever a brief (and I mean brief) in the traffic happened. I did this for an hour. I searched about and didn’t see a feather.

A friend said he saw turkeys crossing over 422.

AT noon I left for another site and failed to locate any turkeys.

Critters I had seen this day were many. I saw deer and two bucks. I saw a lot of squirrels. I was w sneaking along when I heard a grouse scolding me. I looked and two grouse were walking about scolding me.

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   The all-day rain of Sunday (November 14) helped put into place all the requirements for a heavy fog throughout the woods this morning. The fog didn’t lift until after 10:00!  Regardless of the fog, I was perched  along the hill waiting for whatever the natural world had to offer.  I searched hard all day for turkeys. Saturday, while hunting, Bob and I witnessed over 50 turkey sightings. Today …nothing!  Today, I hunted three different areas and didn’t see a bird. I saw deer, grouse and squirrels. Each area was covered with turkey scratchings, but apparently all of the turkeys were in neighboring acreage on this day. I heard one cackle across a road behing an eight foot high fence.

The last site I elected to check out proved to be a fruitless adventure too. That is until, I started home along the road. I made a turn on the road and, you guessed it…TURKEYS! I drove up to them before they finally took to the air. I am considering hunting there tomorrow depending on the rain factor. The only negative element is the birds entered a posted property. The area I had just left borders that property. Maybe, they would have had time to roost along the property’s border. Last year, I called to some roosting birds in this area and called the flock in…… could I be lucky again??

Susie

  I thought a photo of Susie would be nice…Talk about a “dog’s life”. I included this photo although it has nothing to do with the theme, but hey…it is my blog and I can do whatever I wish!  Right?

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