PA youth hunt success!

[mightyjoeyoung]

My buddy Jerry told me weeks ago his 9 year old son, Colton was asking about going turkey hunting again.  We got skunked last year and had a "hunter" and his son trespassed on my friend's farm and got between us and the birds, but he had a fantastic time and was chomping at the bit to go with me again.  0400 found us at the edge of the road making our plan.  The evening prior I had placed the blind and scouted as gently as I could so as not to bump any birds.  Colton was excited at my report of 3 big gobblers in the opposite corner of the field just before flyup time.  We made our way quietly to the blind spot I had chosen the day before because of the area 20 yards in front being a strut zone and simply tore up with tracks and feather drag marks.  Once the decoys were set, we settled in for the 90 min wait for dawn to break.  When we could finally see and legal light approached,  the sounds of hens talking in the trees to our right, left and front could be hesrd clearly in the calm, 26 degree air.   Gobbles answered the hens from across the creek valley at least 150 yards away in front of us.  My buddy questioned whether we should have maybe set up on the other side, but I know these birds I assured him.  "They'll come" I told him.  "Dont worry".  Finally the birds flew down around 0715.  Late, but understandable considering the bitter cold morning.  We could hear the gobblers working slowly toward the valley, when suddenly,  from about 30 yards to the right of the blind, a hen yelped loudly, getting answers from other hens all over the woods around us.  The gobblers hammered back immediately.   I started to work the hens, determined to KEEP them on our side and not running to the gobblers.  I soflty answered the first hen and was cut off by her loud, cutting and cackling answer, the gobblers banging away in response to our yapping.  For 10 minutes we called back and forth, me keeping tempo and tone with the clearly old, boss hen now 20 feet from the blind.  As we tried to formulate a plan, a loud, bomming gobble absolutely rattled the blind from 25 yards away, causing Colton to about jump  out of his skin.  A peek through the blind window showed a big jake in full strut, at least 6 of his buddies, all jakes feeing around.  I gave Colton the green light, but assured him the big boys were coming.  I cut quickly and sharply, just a few notes followed by soft yelps and the jakes just lost their minds, gobbling to best the band.  The toms just couldn't take any more and flew and ran across the gorge gobbling the whole way, but 80 yards past the  jakes that were threatening to climb in the blind with us.  I shut up, listening hard.  Trying to figure what the toms were doing.  The jakes started to lose interest as I'd planned and started to feed slowly away to our right to the field 40 yards behind us.  I counted 2 minutes and called softly.  Nothing. I got a little louder and through the corner of the blind window could see the jakes look up in interest.  I cut and loudly and yellped with a pleading tone and cadence and instantly was cut off by the jakes who were in turn stommped on by the toms, who turned and ran past the jakes toward the blind.  They stopped at 20 yards, strutting and looking for the source of the calls.  I gave a series of soft yelps and purrs and it was like the woods EXPLODED when no less than 15 gobbles shook the woods within 30 yards of us.  Two big toms started towards the front of the blind and Colton was ready.  The first tom was too fast and walked through the opening I had chosen as Colton's shooting lane before he could react.  As the second bird stepped into the opening I clucked 3 times, stoppoing him like a statue.  I whispered KILL HIM! and Colton squeezed the trigger, sending an ounce and a half of federal heavyweight 6s at the big bird's head.   At the boom I don't think I've ever seen a turkey get slammed to the ground so fast and hard.  He never flopped, never twitched.  Colton smashed that bird at 20 yards like a pro!  Colton's first ever gobbler was a STUD!  22 pounds, 10" beard and 11/8" HOOKS. His dad was even more excited than he was and shook for 10 min after his son had calmed down.  Hes getting a half mount done.  What a hunt.

[3bailey3]

Congrats on a awesome hunt and harvest!

[FullChoke]

What a perfectly planned and executed turkey hunt! Congratulations to that young man with nerves of steel!

Cheers for Colton 

FullChoke

[mightyjoeyoung]

Just wish I could enter and score him!  Lol.

[harleytom]

My buddy Jerry told me weeks ago his 9 year old son, Colton was asking about going turkey hunting again.  We got skunked last year and had a "hunter" and his son trespassed on my friend's farm and got between us and the birds, but he had a fantastic time and was chomping at the bit to go with me again.  0400 found us at the edge of the road making our plan.  The evening prior I had placed the blind and scouted as gently as I could so as not to bump any birds.  Colton was excited at my report of 3 big gobblers in the opposite corner of the field just before flyup time.  We made our way quietly to the blind spot I had chosen the day before because of the area 20 yards in front being a strut zone and simply tore up with tracks and feather drag marks.  Once the decoys were set, we settled in for the 90 min wait for dawn to break.  When we could finally see and legal light approached,  the sounds of hens talking in the trees to our right, left and front could be hesrd clearly in the calm, 26 degree air.   Gobbles answered the hens from across the creek valley at least 150 yards away in front of us.  My buddy questioned whether we should have maybe set up on the other side, but I know these birds I assured him.  "They'll come" I told him.  "Dont worry".  Finally the birds flew down around 0715.  Late, but understandable considering the bitter cold morning.  We could hear the gobblers working slowly toward the valley, when suddenly,  from about 30 yards to the right of the blind, a hen yelped loudly, getting answers from other hens all over the woods around us.  The gobblers hammered back immediately.   I started to work the hens, determined to KEEP them on our side and not running to the gobblers.  I soflty answered the first hen and was cut off by her loud, cutting and cackling answer, the gobblers banging away in response to our yapping.  For 10 minutes we called back and forth, me keeping tempo and tone with the clearly old, boss hen now 20 feet from the blind.  As we tried to formulate a plan, a loud, bomming gobble absolutely rattled the blind from 25 yards away, causing Colton to about jump  out of his skin.  A peek through the blind window showed a big jake in full strut, at least 6 of his buddies, all jakes feeing around.  I gave Colton the green light, but assured him the big boys were coming.  I cut quickly and sharply, just a few notes followed by soft yelps and the jakes just lost their minds, gobbling to best the band.  The toms just couldn't take any more and flew and ran across the gorge gobbling the whole way, but 80 yards past the  jakes that were threatening to climb in the blind with us.  I shut up, listening hard.  Trying to figure what the toms were doing.  The jakes started to lose interest as I'd planned and started to feed slowly away to our right to the field 40 yards behind us.  I counted 2 minutes and called softly.  Nothing. I got a little louder and through the corner of the blind window could see the jakes look up in interest.  I cut and loudly and yellped with a pleading tone and cadence and instantly was cut off by the jakes who were in turn stommped on by the toms, who turned and ran past the jakes toward the blind.  They stopped at 20 yards, strutting and looking for the source of the calls.  I gave a series of soft yelps and purrs and it was like the woods EXPLODED when no less than 15 gobbles shook the woods within 30 yards of us.  Two big toms started towards the front of the blind and Colton was ready.  The first tom was too fast and walked through the opening I had chosen as Colton's shooting lane before he could react.  As the second bird stepped into the opening I clucked 3 times, stoppoing him like a statue.  I whispered KILL HIM! and Colton squeezed the trigger, sending an ounce and a half of federal heavyweight 6s at the big bird's head.   At the boom I don't think I've ever seen a turkey get slammed to the ground so fast and hard.  He never flopped, never twitched.  Colton smashed that bird at 20 yards like a pro!  Colton's first ever gobbler was a STUD!  22 pounds, 10" beard and 11/8" HOOKS. His dad was even more excited than he was and shook for 10 min after his son had calmed down.  Hes getting a half mount done.  What a hunt.

Congrats to all! Love seeing those kids with their first.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[xarcher]

There is not much cooler than putting a young'n on a bird.  Congrats