Larry A. Smail's Blog

  I was stationary at a high point very early to listen for gobblers. The sky was cloudy with a lot of red in the eastern horizon. I was

An intersting white Iris.

thankful the sun came out later.

I was quite a bit disturbed at this time when I realized my Gore-Tex boots leaked and my socks were soaked! I purchased these boot from Dick’s on April 7th of this year. Later, this soaking would lead me to get up and walk for the early morning temperatures and inactivity caused shivering on my part. My feet were cold and very uncomfortable! I was disgruntled!

Free to a good home! Gore-Tex is crap!

I heard a distant gobbler a few hundred yards away and as I began the trek towards him another tom gobbled close and directly below me. I angled away from the gobbler and started to enter the woods and bumped a hen from the roost. She cackled as she flew and, now two gobblers sounded off. I set up about eighty yards from them. Shortly, I was hearing 4 or five gobblers roosting together.

Black-billed Cuckoo

Unfortunately, either the scared hen returned or another hen roosting with them began cutting and silence fell upon the early woods.

Wood Duck

I would creep in the direction once I knew the birds were not coming in. I called and an explosion of gobbling was the result. These birds, presumably, Jakes, were around forty yards from me. They would only gobble with a loud yelp series or crow call, but that only lasted a short time. (Jakes are young turkeys and last years gobblers.)

I went up and over and had another tom answer me. His gobble was only a “courtesy” gobble. He remained quiet after the initial call. By this time, with cold and wet feet, I walked along a farming road to stop and wring out my socks. Shameful! I reentered the woods and spooked a turkey where I had been calling!!!

I was actually thinking of going home and began  walking a reclaimed strip towards the jeep, I called and received an answer way across Cherry Run and the road and up a hollow. I thought my feet are already soaked so why not wade the creek and go after the gobblers. I would later get some gobblers riled up, but they eventually tired of the game refusing to cross a gulley. I circled way out around them and gobbled and heard another gobbler clear across the hollow again. Off I went and I failed to rile him up.

I began heading back to where I heard the lone gobbler earlier. By this time, I was tired and had a raspy throat from sinus draining allergy issues. Why me? I entered the woods and called and set back and took a cat nap. I walked further back the ridge and received an answer. This gobbler seemed interested.

   I was working this fellow and he was coming in slowly. I heard something walking to my left and could soon see three gobblers at about eight yards. I couldn’t see their beards because I was viewing them through my peripheral vision…no details! The great debate entered my mind. Were these all Jakes? Could their be a longbeard within this group?  I began thinking of shooting whatever legal bird appeared first. Meanwhile, the longbeard below was still coming.

The three turkeys began putting some and I knew they suspected something amiss. They began walking towards the gobbler. I could see they were all jakes now. I pulled up and bagged a gobbler at 35 yards.  No regrets, but I can’t help wondering what would have happened had I not shot. I suspect quiet on the western front, but one can never know with a surety.  I began the very long walk back to the jeep.

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Getting hot!

Thursday, May 18th, I elected to hunt near my old homestead. I walked to a high point in a field to listen for gobbler talk. Around  5:30 A.M. I heard a very far and muffled gobble. I began to get the feeling as to “C’mon which direction was that gobble?” I walked another fifty feet listening for another gobble

Suddenly, I heard a gobble way off at the end of this field at a place I have tried over the years to work gobblers.(About two hundred yards.) Before I began the trek  I heard another tom much closer and behind me. However, after thought I decided to move towards the more distant gobbler and set up along the field where both of these toms could easily hear me. (Not the best move of the day.)

Female Scarlet tanager

I set up in the brush and began calling. Now there were five turkeys occasionally gobbling. I began to wish I would have chosen

My allergic rashes

a better place to set up. After fly-down time was upon me I saw three gobblers coming out of the woods across the field. (Theses birds were the from the closer area that I failed to move on. There was a lot of woods debris and Multiflora Rose and I didn’t believe I could get to them without being spotted or heard.)

The three birds came to about seventy yards. The contour of the field didn’t allow a positive ID, but I suspect they were three young gobblers or Jakes. I couldn’t get them any closer. The other two gobblers had quit by this time and game was over. I quit hunting early for I had some commitments, both, in the mid-morning and afternoon.

However, I had a plan for the next morning!

Today, May 19, I moved out to the end of the field very early and sat down to await whatever the morning would offer. My plan was to adjust my positioning as needed once I heard a gobbler. Little did I know that 5:20 A.M. gobble would dictate my position and I was already in place!

My unused shotgun!

The gobbler was about forty yards from me. I couldn’t chance moving now! I looked the set-up site over and realized many negative things, but I had hope on a couple of positive things as well. Directly between the gobbler and me were some tree-tops from an earlier lumbering operation. Directly to the right of this tree top was a small opening where a gobbler may walk through, and to my left was another opening. I had to try to be confident.

The one gobbler gobbled until 6:40. A second tom gobbled several times in that time frame.  I heard a primary wing feather rubbing against a limb. Gobblers here tend to just soar to the side of the hill and walk to the lower field. Gobblers roosting here can see two fields once daylight is upon them. Setting up without being spotted is very difficult. The shotgun remained in a semi-ready position most of that time. I sat like a stone until seven o’clock after the last gobble. The morning was done!

Later, I turned to the field behind me. I watched a lone hen eating.

I decided to head through the lower field and try to stir one up with lustful calling. I walked the field’s edge to another woodland setting. I walked a ways and stirred up nothing. I did, however, find three Box Turtles! Two of them were together.

The mile long walk across hills and hollows was hot as I arrived at the Jeep at 9:30.

Bobolink

Other interesting critters I saw was a Bobolink. I haven’t seen one of those birds in a very long time. I saw a buck, and some squirrels, too. I formulated another plan for tomorrow if I hunt. The plan is a very risky move on my part, but time will tell. However, the gobblers will need to be there as well!

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‘Possum!

The season since I bagged a gobbler has been interestingly slow in regards with gobbling. Today began  no    different. I heard a gobbler gobble about four times. I believe this may be the same bird for in past days I heard him gobble once, three. five times on a any given morning.

The turkey was roosted behind posted property. I hoped to get next to the line and call him out if possible. However, by the time I had crossed the road and creek and worked around his turkey talk had long been finished. Downhearted, I went back across the road to listen on the other side of the hill after all it still wasn’t even six-thirty in the morning. I sat down to listen and heard something walking. The source of the sound was an opossum! I squeaked the animal in to me before he smelled my stench and turned away.

Baby Red squirrel

I formulated another plan. I would again cross the road and bear left up a long hollow and move up and over the top. I would then work the property behind the posted property. Maybe, this gobbler would work into that area.

I called with some shrill yelps and immediately was cut off by a gobbler. I estimated him to be eighty yards or so.  The area he was in was a mixture of sassafras and maples. The diameters of most trees would be from 8-12 inches. The woodland floor was very open. No chance to move to this area. I had to settle to stay on top in old spruce trees.There he was at least! I might have a chance to work him. Silence was the norm. I waited to see what his next move might be. He gobbled on his on but had moved to my right. We played a little back and forth before he became silent and moved on. I feared hens finally lead him off and his interest in me waned.

I circumvented the property again and settled in on the opposite side of this hill. My plan was to head home at ten unless… I returned home at 10:30. I saw  some deer and a Grey Fox, too.

Yesterday, May 15th, I hunted until 1:30. I walked for miles calling and listening. The only bird I heard was in posted property and he gobbled only three times and way off. The remaining day was silent. I did bump a turkey from the edge of a farmer’s lane. I saw two Black Snakes. One rattled his tail like a rattlesnake!

Brown Thrasher

On the 14th of May I heard the gobbler one time. He was very far off and barely audible. I arrived to the site about an hour and fifteen minutes later. I called  before I circled the end of the hill. I walked up and over and gobbled and was immediately cut off by a gobble about 120-140 yards away. I had a glimmer of hope. He would not call again until I gobbled once more. He answered, but had moved off. I shocked gobbled him, but he wasn’t interested in my hen talk.

I returned to the jeep about noon and began heading home. I saw eight turkeys about a mile from where I was parked. As I circled the hunting area I spotted a longbeard moving through grassy areas towards to where I had heard the gobbler. Go figure?

Tomorrow the temps are to reach 90 degrees. My hunt shall be short. The allergies will be worse tomorrow. I struggled today.

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Thursday had me feeling very fatigued and a little dizzy. This morning, however, I felt good and headed out for some  gobbler hunting.

I climbed a hill and listened and called for an hour and a half. I worked on a future Bible study idea while setting on a log. At 7:30 I was setting in the jeep with the heater running. I became chilled. (Don’t tell anybody, but I actually dozed off in the jeep.)  I resumed hunting at 8:15 walking quietly and calling occasionally.

I was circling low along a hill when I saw the Barred Owl setting and watching me. Blue jays were tormenting the owl. I managed to take about eight shots with the camera before the bird flew away. I always enjoy seeing owls of any species.

I continued circling until the point was reached. here I walked diagonally until I was almost to the top. I called and heard nothing. I gobbled and was cut off by a thunderous gobble a hundred yards or so ahead of me. I set up to wit his next move. Fifteen minutes later I gobbled and , once again, gobbled. This time he was a little farther away. I circled below and tried to entice him with some sweet and lusty hen talk. He was done. I could set down and wait or search for another gobbler. (Later, as I drove along the road I saw another gobbler in yards heading uphill directly where I was walking.)   

Happy slugs

I slowly walked to another hill calling and listening to no avail.  At 11:30 while circling back towards the jeep my calling was interrupted by a hen. She was yelping, cutting, purring and clucking. I set up hoping to call her in to me with a gobbler in tow. She came in and I managed approximately twenty photos of her.

After I left the area I spotted eight hens and jakes going into a woods about a mile south of where I was hunting.

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This morning was the first morning for the 2017 Spring Gobbler Season in Pennsylvania. Of course I was to be in the  woods!

Immediately as I trekked diagonally along the hill’s side the aroma of honeysuckle permeated my nostrils. The sky was darkened due to the time (5:10 A.M.) and cloudy cover. Lightening was happening south of my position. I would hear a little thunder off and on during the day, as well.      

My plan for this first day was to station myself on the flat and listen and call sporadically. At 5:30, the crows began to caw immediately behind me. Their raucous grew in intensity over the next half hour. A little after 6:00 A.M. I did hear a gobble way across a hollow. He gobbled occasionally for a time. I had hoped the big bird might venture to my side of the hill. I elected to not go after him because it was the first morning and I realized others may hear him and move in first. I told myself to stay put and wait to see what may happen.

Prior to dawn several deer came to me close and snorted. I could barely see them in the morning  gloom.                                      

   Eventually, I heard two gobbles in the opposite direction. This bird was even farther. I would circle the area after ten, but I couldn’t stir up his lust. While waiting I spent some time sketching for some possible paintings.

Now, as I walked along I came across a Box Turtle. I always look forwards to see one and I seldom hunt a spring without finding a turtle. I moved on and discovered another Box turtle. This feller was very orange and very colorful indeed. A little farther along I found a third Box Turtle. I thought what are the odds for finding three Box Turtles in about an hour of time. If I would walked fifteen feet in any direction all three of these turtles could easily be missed. I felt blessed to find them.

I would eventually circle around, but I failed to hear anymore gobbling birds. I was at the jeep prior to noon and by the time I returned home the rains came.  

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