# Youth hunt was a GREAT sucess



## redtailmatt (Jun 29, 2006)

I took my son down to Gallia county on Saturday for the youth hunt. We got out of the car (a little late 6:20) the turkeys were all around us on their roosts yelping like crazy. We grabbed our gear and bolted for our setup area. We got the blind up and were in it by 6:45. The first time I gave a yelp and a few cuts a Gobbler responded right away from behind us. He worked his way towards us and just disappeared. A few deer came through and circled the decoys (I then realized I left the camera in the car) one of them stood there and stomped at it for a few seconds and left. By 7:45 the woods went quiet. I was thinking of going to the car to get the camera and our drinks and set the rest of the day in the blind and wait. I see turkeys where we were set up all the time when leaving my stand from the morning hunt durring bow season. I decided to wait a little while longer. At 8:00 we had a deer blow at us from behind and we both heard a gobbler, I thought from behind and my son thought it was from the front of us. Turns out the gobbles came from both. I thought two toms and we were in the middle with hen and jake decoys, how can it get any better!!! I yelped and cut and the tom from the front came charging. I saw movement through the brush about 45 yds away and I told my son to get ready. My sight was blocked by a tree and the wall of the blind and my son said "dad I'm on him can I shoot" I peeked my head around to where the turkey was and saw that the tom had closed to 25 yards and was in full strut. I said shoot and he laid that 3.5" turkey load right on him. It was amazing, the energy and excitement that was flowing. This was his first season and my 5th, I have called in two birds since I started (one for a friend and this one) but none of them were shot by me. I am proud of my son for being the hunter that he is and I would enjoy calling All his birds. The bird weighed in at 23.5 lbs, had a 10" beard and 1 3/8 spurs. This trip almost didnt happen, my truck started leaking gas and had to go to the shop and the wifes van developed a "clunk" in the front end on friday. Where we hunt is 2 1/2 hours away and we didnt want to take any chances so we rented a car. We left at 3:30 am and were back home by noon! My son and I had a blast and the memories and time spent together was worth every penny. My pics are too big for the post. There are pics in my photo album Thanks, Matt


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

Great to hear your story. I took 2 of my boys this weekend also. My youngest has hunted with my dad since he was 7 and now that he is 10 he was ready. Well he finally got his bird, 17 # jake but it might as well be a 25#er. My dad was loving it, after a couple of opportunities over the years that became learning experiences they finally got one. Now my 15 year old is a different story, he was hunting with me and this was our second season. ( I don't turkey hunt) so I am no expert at using a call but hey the kids like it so I am game. We set up yesterday am after fly down the birds got silent then it started raining again, after 2 hrs we decided to move. While driving around we saw 2 toms and a hen in a field, we parked and slid around the hill and set up, gave a few yelps and no responce I crawled around the hill and took a look birds were nowhere to be seen. We gathered our stuff and started to go back up the hill to the car. My dad gave me a box call the day before and said it was a killer, I use one of those easy yelpers, the one where you push the rod seems dummy proof. Well I gave my best rendition of a yelp on the box call and and a tom responded up hill between us and the truck. We where only about 100 yards from our vehicle. We got behind a 4' pine tree I stuck our decoy right next to me and gave a pur. The tom responded agian and he was closer. I first spotted him a 40 yards full strut coming straight down the hill towards us. Unfortunately my son couldn't see him. The tom closed to about 18 yards but behind a pine tree them he starting drumming. Thats about when I wanted to grab the gun. My son stayed cooled, I told him to take the safety off and 2 steps later he put the smack down on him. We went crazy, high fiving, chest bump yelling. Ended up 21# 9.5 inch beard and a memory that will last a lifetime.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Awesome guys!!


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