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This past youth weekend.

Started by ilbucksndux, March 28, 2016, 02:19:27 PM

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ilbucksndux

This past weekend was our youth season. I hunted with my middle son that is 15 and my youngest is 8. I have been scouting several places and going out to listen for the last 2 weeks and decided on a spot that I thought would be the best . Friday evening we went out and put up a ground blind for the youngest. I cant tell you how much I dislike hunting turkeys out of a blind ,but Mason can not sit still enough and cant slip around the woods quiet enough(for me) and to make a pleasurable experience for the both of us I opted for the blind.

Saturday morning found us in the blind,and the older son Jamison would hunt down a ridge and eventually end up sitting and watching a old road where they have been strutting around 9 . They gobbled like crazy on the roost and had one work us a bit after fly down but he lost interest quick. We sat in our blind till 10 and Mason couldnt take any more and wanted to go home,so Jamison and I went to another property and ended up getting to close to one and running it out of the country.

We looked over some maps and formulated a game plan for Sunday and we were standing in a field waiting for the first gobbles and had to come up with a new plan cause they were not where we thought they would be. Jamison would go after the closest bird and hunt away from us while Mason and I would go back down the field to were we were hearing the others.

The birds Mason and I tried to get on went away from us after they flew down ,but the bird that Jamison went after was fired up ! I was expecting to hear a shot at any second. After he sent a text it turns out he got down in a holler there were 3 birds and he couldnt decide which one to go after and ended up trying to get in front of 2 others ! My heart sank because he was not on the hot bird,but that left it free game for us !

We headed off down the ridge he was on and when I called he cut me off ! We got a little closer ,I called he cut me off again ,we moved a little more,I called he cut me off but was down in the holler now.We sat down and waited a bit before calling again. After about 20 minutes he called back and sounded closer. We sat as still as an 8 year old can and I called every 20 minutes or so and eventually the woods went silent.

We got back to the truck and went to town for a quick breakfast around 10 . I told Jamison how he should have stayed with the bird that was gobbling the most and he had realized that......to late.

It got cloudy and the forecast was for rain and the birds were not talking so we opted for the "deer hunting" method. Jamison went to a road and mason and I set up the blind in a field . We sat till 1 and didnt see a bird. We did however see a group of hens with 2 toms strutting in the road as we were leaving,yes they made it out alive,

We did have a great time even though no one pulled the trigger.They both learned valuable lessons that they will remember another day. I just wish that our youth season was a week or so latter and that the tag was good for more than 2 days. They will both go during regular seasons,but I think the whole system is jacked up .
Gary Bartlow

fallhnt

The IL youth turkey season is a joke. It should be ALL day long until the season starts and the tag should be good for the whole season after that. Glad you had a good time.
When I turkey hunt I use a DSD decoy

Rex

I'm in the Northern Zone. My daughter will be up to bat Saturday morning. We had a lot of birds the last 2 weeks. But that all changed.  Seems the guy hunting on the farm east of us has been driving back there every morning trying to flush the birds over to where he has permission for him and his grandson.   All I can do is shake my head. He is an old family friend of the landowners dad and uncle.

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"'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.'"         Romans 14:11

ilbucksndux

Quote from: fallhnt on March 28, 2016, 06:53:44 PM
The IL youth turkey season is a joke. It should be ALL day long until the season starts and the tag should be good for the whole season after that. Glad you had a good time.

Yes the youth season is way to early and only 2 days is pathetic. I have been wondering if I could get enough support to get the tags to last all season,and or be able to hunt all day,but that is a big project to start all on my own. This year was especially dumb having it Easter weekend.
Gary Bartlow

taylorjones20

I took my nephew here in Tn last weekend for the Juvenile hunt.  Didn't see any birds.  Heard one gobble on the roost 2 times and then he gobbled on the ground 3 times.  I still have no idea where that bird was. lol
Alive only by the Grace Of God

ILHUNTER

Sounds like you guys had a good hunt even though you didn't connect.  I agree that IL youth season is too short and too early.  I hunt in the northern Zone.  Got my son his first bird last year and going to try my best to get him on another one this weekend.  The birds have been acting strange with this crazy IL weather so we will see how it goes.

OldSchool

Sounds like a good hunt to me too and some quality time spent together. Good luck. :icon_thumright:

Bob
Call 'em close, It's the most fun you'll ever have doing the right thing.

mgm1955