Larry A. Smail's Blog

Fog

I woke up to thunderous booms and bright lightning around 3:45 this morning. Wow, I thought this may place a damper with my turkey hunting plans.

After the morning’s rain.

I watched the weather at 4:30 and the radar looked as if these storms should be passing through quickly. I hurriedly prepared and took off towards one of my hunting spots to listen.

   I arrived towards the top of the mountain by 5:35 A.M. and anxiously awaited that first gobble of the morning. Nothing!! At 6:15 I began searching for morels and I was pleased to find some. One can never have enough of these tasty mushrooms.

Dogwoods in bloom.

I crossed the hollow and made a listening and calling tour of the area and had one gobbler answer my calls. He was far down over the hill and I wasn’t sure of property boundaries and decided to head to the car and transport to another area to search for more morels and maybe call and listen for turkeys.

The humidity and temperatures made for some very warm woodland maneuvering. I called some as I walked and I received an answer shortly after nine o’clock. The bird was way off in distance. The morels would have to wait as I hurried towards where I believed the bird was. He started gobbling occasionally on his own now. This is always a good sign to the turkey hunter.

I edged around a slope and called and immediately heard his reply. He was below me in the wetland area. I set up and called a few more times. He would answer every few minutes. I waited. His approach was certain, but extremely slow.

I clucked a few times and he answered again and became silent again as did I.  I spotted some movement among the mayapples and a turkey head appeared. The gobbler was within range, but I couldn’t see a beard yet. A second gobbler appeared behind the first one. The lead bird stepped again and a nice beard was visible and the bird was down. The 32 yard shot was at 10:00 A.M. and I was over a mile away from my jeep. I would be shedding moisture as I walked!

Wood Turtle

   The walk back was, indeed, a hot one and I knew cleaning the bird would be a priority. At home I weighed the gobbler and he was almost 24 pounds. Another heavy bird! The beard was mostly at eleven inches, but six strands reached the thirteen inch mark. The spurs were, both, one inch each.                                                                       

My step-father, Bob is getting better and he hopes to hunt soon. Cousin Donny and I will get out together someday too.

The dead cam was obvious as I walked up the hill to a listening point. A few warblers were already beginning to sing prior to the 5:30 A.M. time.

An A.J. Cassette call.

As it usually happens the first gobble was across a hollow and towards the top of the opposite hill.  I used diagonal maneuvering to approach. I set up farther than I would have preferred, but the open woodlands and the time of the morning forced me to a pause.

Garlic Mustard- a non-native and invasive flower.

The bird left the roost prior to six o’clock and went opposite of me. I reevaluated his move and did likewise. I moved into a triangular section of woodlands with mowed cuts on both sides. if this gobbler moved along either site I close shot would be the result. He wouldn’t budge from an opening where these two mowed cuts intersected. I moved as close as I dare.

Coltsfoot flowers having gone to seeds.

The gobbler after tiring moved back down into the woods and gobbled periodically as he moved farther away.  I changed positions as well, but I heard it…hen talk.

Later, I began a circle and spotted a hunter setting against a tree. I eased away and he never knew I was around. I later saw hunter tracks along the bottom too.

I walked and called for a time until the heat, humidity and allergies began to get the best of me.

I saw some deer, squirrels and many warblers.

I arrived home after 10:00 sneezing; sniffling and itching. A pill needed to be taken.

The gobbler erupted from across the hollow. Another one sounded off  higher up the slope. I elected to sit tight and see what would be the two birds next move. They left the roost and began walking uphill and soon they were barely audible.

I hesitated moving after them for I was figuring two other hunters may be hunting on that particular property. We all have permission. I heard no calling, no shots and the birds seemed to gobble out of hearing range. I decided  to head towards the top.

Pennsylvania Spring

As I approached the top of the opposite hill I called loudly and heard a far away sound of a gobbler. I wasn’t certain as to the bird’s direction, but I believed he was far and to my right. I set up and called and heard nothing. I decided to wait ’em out.

Early Dogwood blossom

In a few moments I saw another hunter coming along a gas well road. It was the hunter I met last year. Ed was getting into the woods a little late and had not heard the roosted birds. We greeted each other and talked a bit when a gobbler exploded down slope from where I was setting. I told Ed to go for it and he began to walk along a gas line and I made a couple of calls from behind a gas well building hoping the bird may come up and over for Ed. I removed myself, shortly, to allow him to hunt and call in the bird…maybe!    

I went half a mile away and called and was answered by several gobblers way down hill. I moved along and they answered again. I moved down  slope and they answered again and were definitely moving towards me.

I set up and another tom exploded to my right and  I adjusted my position to intercept his approach. I could see the dark color of a turkey and soon realized this bird was a hen. She was coming to me. I noticed a six or seven-inch beard on her. This beard allows for the legal harvesting of a hen, but I believed she could be laying eggs. Why would I want to take a hen capable of producing the next generation of turkeys.

Pete Pullet crank call. Turn the handle and out comes a yelp!

She was wary of me and turned to go up hill. Then I saw it! The fan of a strutting gobbler! The big male turkey was coming right along. At around 40-42 yards the bird stopped. I held off waiting for a better and closer shot…one I felt certain was going to happen.

The gobbler began walking diagonally down hill when the other gobblers announced there present again. I thought the shot would still be coming! The gobbler dropped out of sight and began gobbling hard at my calling.

Ten minutes elapsed when I saw him  sneaking towards me again. At about thirty-five yards the big bird was behind some limbs and I couldn’t get a clear shot. He, eventually, tired of the game returning to the other toms.

Oh well,  I thought as I watched six deer walking below me and coming to me allowing for some photos. A  Barred Owl landed about 15 feet from me, but the bird didn’t stick around for a photo! I later, while circling around, had two gobblers call back to me. They were now deep into posted property. I walked about and failed to get any other bird responses.

I saw Chimney Swifts and two Kingbirds today as they are, once again, making Pennsylvania home.