Larry A. Smail's Blog

What a beautiful morning in the fields and woodlands! I set up on a longbeard. He left the roost and began the course towards my calling site. Unfortunately, I heard a few clucks and purrs of a hen(s) earlier. The tom was under 100 yards from me, but still not visable. Suddenly silence! Of course, turkey chasers know that can be a sign that he is coming on in. I waited and later heard that dreaded gobble way down slope. The hen(s) approached him and he, like a buck in rut, followed.

I watched 3 toms and 3 hens way across the hollow. They were haphazardly, walking about feeding on the newly planted corn. Maybe, I should have went after them.

Other sightings of the morning included two deer, 3 squirrels, vulture; red-tailed hawk and a host of various birdlife. The one doe, laying in the brush, allowed me to approach to within 12 feet before bolting. I checked for a fawn since it is fawn birthing time. The catbirds and house wrens are back, too. I heard 5-6 different gobblers early, but apparently the earth swallowed them up by 6:40 A.M.!

A dark dreary morning lead to only two gobbles. The first one late at 6:22. Normally the gobbling start times vary, but I usually hear the first dawn-greeting “beller” between 5:30 and 5:45.

I watched a lone gobbler far off and across a large hollow. He was in a recently worked field, but did no strutting or gobbling. He, too, was in a lull!

I saw three deer and one became so accustomed to my presence that she cleaned herself completely unconcerned about that DEET smelling clump of brush. This event occurred while I was patiently waiting to hear a lusty tom begin his love music…gobbling!

I began a walk and call style of hunting in an attempt to locate a gobbler with some interest, but around 7:45 I met  Bob, my step father. The light rains suddenly increased to a downpour and within minutes we were soaked. He asked me if I would want to go to Evans City to pick up chrome for his 1954 Chevy and I agreed. MISTAKE!!  By 8:30 the weather drastically changed and blue skies appeared and in short order a picture perfect turkey hunting day emerged and I was to be going elsewhere. Mentally, I could imagine all of those gobblers changing in mood and echoing their thunderous gobbles across the hollows. OH WELL!

(The flower photo shows the Virginia Bluebells. This flower enjoys damp creek bottom areas.)

The morning began with a perfect temperature. By 9:00, the hills were creating much heat within my internal furnace. It was hot out there! My step-father, Bob, slept in. I left a note and preceeded to my hunting haunts. At 5:15, many warblers were singing. The bright moon and the rapidly lightening eastern sky fooled them. I heard the first gobble at 5:25 and by 5:45 several others across the hollow were greeting the morning too.

Later Bob showed up and we left this particular hill and crossed over to check a field that always (almost) holds turkeys. We weren’t disappointed. A total of four jakes and two hens were eating in the field. They showed some interest to my gobbler yelps, but failed to come on in.

By 9:30, we had crossed the hollow again and were sweating towards the top of the  hill again. (There were hunters there so we moved on.) A hen jumped up from a tree’s base and I knew immediately that a nest had to be at that site. A total of 14 eggs were in the nest. We left quickly.

Farther out the ridge, I called and heard a gobbler across the next hollow. Bob stayed  in this area and I took off to see what would happen. Up one slope and down another and across a stream and up a steep hill to a field. The tom answered me and I had his position down. I moved in and the vegetation was much too thick, but I had little choice , but to try to work him. In the 1 1/2 hour time frame, I worked his passion up to where double and tripling gobbling was the norm. He gobbled at my calls, the crows and, I believe,  just to hear himself. I was about 50 yards from him, when I heard a soft cluck to my left. Five jakes, within my shotgun’s range were sneaking around. I debated on scaring them away, but allowed them to proceed. MY MISTAKE! They scared the longbeard gobbler.  I saw the big gobbler a little later, but  farther up slope. Unfortunately, we saw each other at the same instance. 

Another sighting of the morning was a great blue heron. The bird landed near to me and continued with it’s loud raucous calling.  Also, saw 2 deer, 3 squirrels and a red-tailed hawk, not to mention the usual warblers and rufous-sided towees.

(Not related to the topic post, but rather interesting regardless.)

I have a pair of screech owls nesting in a box I erected for them. The little owls have been using this box for years.This year the pair consist of one with the red colored-phase and one with the grey colored phase.