Youth Turkey?

[sneaky_pete000]

It looks like tomorrow morning might be a little wet, but "wet during turkey season" is usually a lot better than "wet during deer season". Anyone else taking out some yutes?

https://youtu.be/K6qGwmXZtsE

 

[Mountain Hunter]

Any luck over there Pete?

 

[longbow]

Took my son out, in NJ. Wet and windy. Heard a couple of gobbles way off, but could never get close. The one time we were moving in on one the wind started blowing hard, with driving rain and fog. Will try some more in the upcoming weeks.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Yup, lots of action. Haven't had time to upload any pics yet, but we ended up giving a jake a ride home in the truck. There was a LOT of learning happening. Plenty of time listening to 10 hens under 20yrs for an hour, learning every little noise they made - plenty of time watching from a distance as Toms did Tom things. Great weekend overall. I'll update with a couple pics later.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Ok, pics below. Thanks to NY state for making it such an inexpensive and easy place for a kid to hunt. New York gets a bad wrap, but hot damn, that place has almost everything, including landowners open to hunters.

The farm is almost the perfect habitat for birds, but many of them are in the fields, which has its own challenges.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

We always try to make it an adventure, and even though this was small woods, farm country, we found a way. The rivers and streams were pretty high, and of course, all the gobbling birds are on the other side, right?

No, we didn't actually cross here, but the thought of trying it was enticing. We found a slightly shallower spot, with a slightly lower log...

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Found my first ever whitetail shed, and my shed hound was pumped.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Friday night we hit the hooter and located a couple. We set up the first one before light with some decoys since he was a field bird. 10 hens flew down and hung with our decoys for about an hour, making every vocalization you could imagine. It was a great learning moment, but they couldn't call in a tom for us....until they left.....

10 minutes after they leave, a gobble happens from 50yrds on our blind side, of course, and he sprinted in, around the corner and spotted us at the moment we could see him. This was under 20yrds, and ended up with a shot high, clean miss. Keep your head down on that bead kid....

We take a walk, across the chocolate milk looking brook, found the shed, hit the crow call, and he was right on top of us. Again, it ended up with a blind side approach, and a quick chance at an offhand, offbalance, kneeling shot, with another shot high miss.

Ethan was pretty disappointed. He considers himself a good shot, and he definitely is, but he gets WOUND UP over these birds.

The next day we set up on another field bird that we roosted. He pitches down, struts our way, and hangs up at 70yrds while a hen is calling him back toward the woods. Long story short, those same 10 hens come out and drag him in a different direction. We had a shot at a jake when the tom left, but Ethan passed him up.

Last chance, creeping toward noon on Sunday, we locate a bird, move in and set up. An entire stampeed of red heads comes running in. I'm telling him "don't shoot through the brush, just wait and they'll come out the other side". What we couldn't see in the brush was that the tom got a little spooky, let the jakes go first, which was the right decision on his part. The 16lb jake made a 15yr old kid pretty damn happy as we headed home with a head full of memories. Can't wait for next weekend.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

 

[Mountain Hunter]

I love your stories with your kids. You are doing it right! Thank you for sharing!

 

[NH Mountains]

Congrats Pete and Ethan. Great memories. You sure that isn’t you holding Ethan’s bird?

 

[Grandkid]

Thanks for posting your son's hunt. Enjoyed it. Congratulation Ethan on a great experience. You have a great dad to take you out.

Roger-

 

[sneaky_pete000]

I love your stories with your kids. You are doing it right! Thank you for sharing!

Thanks - your days are coming up fast....its going to mean sacrificing (responsibilities, you time, money, etc) but it'll be so worth it.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Congrats Pete and Ethan. Great memories. You sure that isn’t you holding Ethan’s bird?

Funny, I heard that same thing from a few people this weekend.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Thanks for posting your son's hunt. Enjoyed it. Congratulation Ethan on a great experience. You have a great dad to take you out.

Roger-

Thank you sir.

 

[Pine-lock]

Great write up and congrats on the bird. I'll be headed out in Maine with my son for youth day on Saturday. He's 8, last year Shooterbuck and I got him very close to getting a bird, we'll have to swee how this year goes. I'm expecting lots of mud and to still have snow on the ground in places.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Great write up and congrats on the bird. I'll be headed out in Maine with my son for youth day on Saturday. He's 8, last year Shooterbuck and I got him very close to getting a bird, we'll have to swee how this year goes. I'm expecting lots of mud and to still have snow on the ground in places.

Yeah, I'm headed out for VT youth weekend with my 8yr old too. Last year I used the mentor license and he was able to fill a couple tags, but sometimes instance success means confidence climbs faster than skills....so we'll see...

Good luck and double up on those thermocells -

 

[TheLostBeaver]

Congrats to your son, that’s a fat jake!