Youth Day Turkey Hunt - Part 2

My junior client impressed me by confidently raising his 20 gauge Remington 870, slowly pulling the trigger and managing perfect shot placement from a free hand position aimed at a tom walking past the blind at 40 yards. The 15 lb 4 oz bird instantly dropped like a sack full of hammers slapped it. Nerves allowed the bird to haphazardly thrash on the ground, before the youth managed to exit the blind and pin it to the ground with a well placed foot. The youths 20 gauge had delivered a punishing payload of 3 inch #4 lead shot to the birds neck and head, instantly dispatching the animal. Sportsmen carrying 12 and 10 gauge firearms are often prone to missed shots at the same ranges, so the youth ability to know his shotguns limits and capabilities showed well his practice and skill with the firearm.

With both youth and adult hunters, new to hunting, there is always a question in my mind related to how they will handle the after the shot workload. It is one thing to shoot an animal from a distance, it is an entirely different thing to butcher and process any critter. I remember even my own reservations about this process, arising despite years of experience butchering deer, bear, hogs and other large game animals. It happened after shooting my first moose and the act of having to fit almost my entire head into the body cavity to complete some of the more involved field dressing left even this “practiced” outdoorsman slightly queasy. Considering that even the most hardened stomachs can sometimes falter during these endeavors, it is not surprising that other less proficient sportsman might struggle with certain parts of the butchering process. I am therefore always thoughtful and careful to judge how much clients wish to be involved in this process, always playing to their level of interest and skill.

In this particular scenario and with these young fellows, I quickly left any reservations at rest and watched in amazement as the youngest boy un-sheathed a knife that would make Rambo salivate and tore into the turkey like it was a science experiment. His every knife stroke carefully dissecting every organ, feather and muscle group like he was trying to obtain a noble prize in biology. I was surprised but also impressed by his vigor. All that was eventually discarded from the harvested bird were a few feathers, 10 feet of small intestine and the remains of a carefully examined gizzard. The boy was intoxicated with the prospects of "turkey" and wasn't willing to waste a single edible morsel or souvenir. Meat to eat deep fat fried, in turkey salad sandwiches and wings, tail feathers, spurs, beard, expended shell, tag and even wish bone all to be part of a permanent display in the recesses of his adolescent bedroom.

The story for these boys ends for the spring turkey season but they have already vowed to return for next spring season!

Youth Day Turkey Hunt - Part 1

In total, five distinctly different gobbles echoed across the open cornfield, seemingly from all points of the compass. This wild crescendo of fowl vocalization excited the kiddos and made me increasingly positive about our choice of location. The gobbling commenced at 5:50 AM and continued in heated non-stop eruptions until about 6:30 AM when suddenly, not a single gobble, cluck, yelp or putt. Almost like the hand of God had slapped down onto his turkey alarm clock to cease its annoying squawking and cackling.

This transformation of once vocal to now silent birds seems to be a relatively new but increasing more frequent occurrence in the Maine hunting woods. Once on the ground, the New England turkeys really have been limiting their gobbling in recent years. I suppose it could be higher concentrations of coyotes, bobcats and turkey hunters or the arrival of yet another early spring season cutting into the breeding cycle. Whatever the cause, if you are running and gunning and want to set-up on a roosted bird you better put him to bed or arrive well before daylight.

For the boys, instead of chasing gobbling birds, we chose to hunt well know travel corridors and cut off their entry and exit into the fields where they were feeding. This tactic, to intercept them on their travels to and from roosting and feeding areas, provided a chance to set-up and wait for a turkey much like one would do when deer hunting. Though not as exciting as a spot and stalk, it does provide an added element of safety for first time hunters, by sitting them in a braced and secure location where the firearm is always pointed in a specific direction. While this may not be necessary for all young hunters, any kid that does not display a background of practiced shooting or responsible handling of their firearm should be placed in a pop-up blind and provided additional instruction in this safe environment. (I have to mention that both of the boys I guided, possessed an impressive level of skill in both shooting and handling their respective firearms a fact that always sets me at ease. A big high five to their Dad who taught them early and continued to enforce these valuable skills throughout the hunt.)

Hunting turkeys with kids is sometimes tough business. Sitting near motionless for hours without even seeing or hearing a turkey is a difficult task for even the most seasoned outdoorsman. Now throw into this mix, an excited preteen, hopped up on doughnuts and you have a bundle of convulsive, trembling action that would rival a one year old Labrador in a duck blind. Pop-up blinds increase the probability of success, by shielding movement and allowing kids to be . . . well kids. It is a common misconception that a youth is better equipped with their strong backs, stamina and vigor to have more ability to sit then an adult. Do your kid a favor and bring them a comfortable seat to sit on, after all they have less padding on their posteriors than us adults!

This posting is a continuation of the Youth Day Turkey Hunting Success Picture posted on May 3rd. Part two of the Youth Day Turkey Hunt will be posted next week.

Youth Day Turkey Hunting Success!

Congratulations to Austin on His First Turkey (15.4 lbs, 7 in Beard and 3/4 in Spurs)!