4/21/13 Level I Turkey Hunt

4/21/13  Level I Turkey Hunt

My intention was to go out very early in the morning and try and ambush one, but when I awoke I noticed some piddly little snowflakes coming down, so I knew it was cold.  I waited a bit and it got stronger and by 10:00 a.m. there was an inch of snow on the ground.  Everything was white and my pickup truck was white.  Then, about noon, it all just melted, almost instantly!  I did some chores and went on an hour and a half bike ride, getting sprinkled on by rain, snow, and sun.  In the late afternoon I dressed warm, grabbed the Ithaca M-66 again and some 3-inch magnum #5's and climbed up the hillside quite a bit west of yesterday's haunt, to a place we call the sleeping spot.  I dug myself in where I could have a good look down at some swales in the direction of the spring.  You have to have your back to something and I chose the saddle top.  After an hour, there was a mild caterwauling behind me--followed by some gaggling.  I think it might have been a small group of hens that was traversing the area and the scout spotted me, although I had been perfectly still at the time.  No further action, except for a robin telling the entire woods how happy she was in her new nest down the hillside somewhere.  Saw no deer today either.  At the appropriate time, I thought I heard two flutters way up over the saddle and far to the west down the other side, but just then a big group of cacauphonous crows went through and I couldn't focus on the weak sounds any more.  I think it's a pretty good bet that it was the group of hens, now roosting for the night.  Then I heard a tom sounding off up toward the ridge and far beyond the rock ledges, twice or three times but far between and weaker the last time.  Ultimately I had to give it up, but it was again another wonderful late afternoon, giving me the feeling of deer hunting, but with nicer weather by far.  Nothing has budded out yet in the woods and you can see very far.  It won't be that way very long.  A rainstorm is approaching and may spoil any efforts tomorrow to continue.