Apr 27, 2003 By Rod Schoener 6 min read

Spring gobbler season got under way Saturday. Without fail, it would have to rain on opening day.

Nonetheless that probably didn’t deter any dyed in the wool gobbler hunters, but it may have been a good thing if hens were already sitting on eggs.

Some hens may have been reluctant to leave the nest to the elements, making the hunters’ calls sound ever so seductive in the absence of the real thing.

That may or may not have played out for some hunters, but no matter what, those who did some scouting ahead of time would definitely have a leg up on those who went into an area on the blind.

Hunting an area blind is what I hate most about going hunting with someone else. It may be a great area, but if you are unaware of its pitfalls, you could be in trouble.

I have had that happen to me more than once, especially when deer hunting in a new area. After about an hour, my feet get cold so I head out on my own.

I try to decide which direction to go to find deer, and more than often I’m right, but just as everything starts to look better and better, I come to picket of no hunting or no trespassing posters, which usually seem to separate me from just being in the woods appears to be whitetail heaven.

That same scenario can happen when turkey hunting, even in an area where you have hunted dozens of times before. You move to a favorite calling spot and listen for the gobbling to begin. The gobbling starts on the ridge, but the route the turkeys took from the roost to your setup spot has been altered since last season by a newly erected fence that is just out of sight or some trees that have blown down.

For that reason scouting and pre-planning are important. When that old gobbler starts gobbling, but hangs up and refuses to come anywhere near your position, after a reasonable amount of time, get up and head in his direction to see if you can find out just why he did not come in as you thought he would.

Being the world’s worst caller with a mouth diaphragm call, I rely on an old Coiner slate call and a Primus Hen Box for all of my calling.

I realize that both take two hands and can be distracting to an approaching gobbler, so I usually quit as soon as I feel a gobbler is heading my way, but sometimes I continue to cluck or purr with the small slate call, which doesn’t require a lot of movement.

Being unable to use a mouth call, I never use one tactic that is said to work well. That is where a hunter makes two different hen calls, one with his mouth and the other with a box or slate call. Two highly excited hens can often excite an otherwise uninterested gobbler.

Personally, I believe my best calling technique is one that I borrowed from the American League Baseball rulebook – a designated caller.

Brownsville tennis coach Dan LoNigro, who is an excellent turkey caller, did all of the calling on my first spring gobbler hunt several years ago. All I had to do was sit tight, while Dan did all the work.

If you didn’t score Saturday, be patient; there is a whole month of spring gobbler season remaining.

Hunt safely!

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WALLEYE SEASON: This Saturday, frustrated gobbler hunters and trout fishermen can switch to walleye fishing for a break in the routine.

Most of the area’s serious walleye fishermen, which include the Yough Walleye Association and Western Pennsylvania Anglers, honed their skills in out-of-state tournaments this past weekend.

The Youghiogheny Reservoir and Maryland’s Deep Creek Lake are the area’s most popular walleye fisheries, but there are many places to catch walleye besides these “big water” lakes.

Each year a few trophy walleye are taken at Dunlap Creek Lake, but walleye can also be taken at Greenlick Dam and the Youghiogheny River tailraces in Fayette County.

The Monongahela River holds walleye and sauger. The key is finding the spots where they hold.

Walleye fry have been stocked at Ryerson Station (Duke) Lake in Greene County, but due to its distant local, I haven’t heard much about the walleye fishing.

I do know it is a great place to fish for trout and bass, especially if you want to make it a family outing with a picnic and swimming in the park’s pool.

High Point Lake in Somerset County has long been known as an excellent walleye fishery, and many nice walleye are also taken each year at Lake Somerset.

In Washington County, Cross Creek is a 258-acre lake that was specifically designed as a walleye fishery. It has since been groomed as a big bass lake, with additional emphasis placed on quality panfish.

In Westmoreland County, Keystone, Donegal and Loyalhanna Lakes also yield some trophy walleye each year.

Walleye are not extremely plentiful, but it is of little wonder, as they are without a doubt the second most sought after fish besides trout and by far the best-tasting fish Pennsylvania has to offer.

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MUSHROOM PICKING TIME: Temperatures are finally starting to rise, which means that morels should be coming up as soon as we gets some rain and consistent temperatures in the 60s in the daytime and 40s at night.

Since every turkey hunter carries a bag just in case he runs into a patch of mushrooms, I thought I’d throw in this mushroom hunting tip I saw last week that made good sense.

In place of that bucket or plastic bag you put the mushrooms in, use a mesh bag such as an onion, orange or potato bag. It allows the spores that shake loose as you move about to fall to the ground, ensuring you can find more “shrooms” in the future.

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BOATING SAFETY COURSE: Mon Valley Emergency Medical Services will sponsor two Pennsylvania Boater/Personal Watercraft Safety Courses in May.

The courses begin at 9 a.m. and run until all necessary material is covered sometime in the afternoon. The first class is on Saturday, May 3 and the second is on Saturday, May 10.

Anyone operating a powerboat should take the course, but it is now required for youngsters 12 through 16 to complete a course in order to operate a boat with a 10 horsepower motor or more.

What many don’t know is that all personal watercraft operators must complete and approved safety course before operating on Pennsylvania waters.

In addition, persons born after Jan. 1, 1982 may not operate a boat with a 26 horsepower motor or above in Pennsylvania without first completing a safety course.

Completing a course and can also help lower your boat insurance premium.

Cost of the course is $15, which includes materials, morning snacks and beverages.

To register, contact John Stimak at 724-684-5320. Seating is limited.

Rod Schoener is the Herald-Standard outdoor writer.